Balenciaga Pompon With Fit And Flare Dresses For The Office

Colourful handbags make up the majority of my (pretty large!) handbag collection. I just love adding bright accessories to outfits. With these two classic fit and flare dresses that I wore to the office I added my newest handbag, the Balenciaga Pompon bag in murrier. It's a lovely lilac purple that works well with blue, and looks great here with the black and white too.

What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted Zara black blazer

Necklace: pink bead statement necklace
Dress: Jeanswest 'Rita' stripe jersey dress
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bracelets: the usual plus Cora purpleheart and mother of pearl watch C/O JORD
Bag: Balenciaga regular Pompon bag in Murier

Why I wore it:

I was so sure that I'd worn this necklace and dress together before! I like wearing statement necklaces against the black and white stripes, it makes the pink in this necklace really pop. Was quite surprised when I sat down to write this post and looked through the blog and realised I haven't actually worn the combination before. I have worn something similar though.

I really liked the pink and purple with this. A neutral outfit is a great base to add colourful accessories too, and pink and purple are so complimentary. The Balenciaga Pompon bag is such a large bag and easily carried everything I need for work. I have a more detailed review of it in the video below.


Last worn: jersey blazer, striped fit and flare dress, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats, Balenciaga Pompon bag.

Other ways to wear: jersey blazer and printed skirt, striped fit and flare dress and pink shoes, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats and jeans, Balenciaga Pompon bag and shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: jersey blazer in third trimester, striped fit and flare dress in second trimester, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats and wrap dress.

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Balenciaga Pompon Review and Contents (What's In My Bag Video)

Where To Buy The Balenciaga Pompon:

Although discontinued, you can find the Balenciaga pompon bag on resale sites like the ones above that guarantee authenticity.

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Cassandra jacquard jacket
Necklace: silver ball multi chain long necklace
Dress: Jeanswest tucked ponte black dress
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs silver tuxedo flats
Bracelets: the usual plus Cora purpleheart and mother of pearl watch C/O JORD
Bag: Balenciaga regular Pompon bag in Murier

Why I wore it:

Keeping it simpler this time, with just one extra colour in my outfit. Classic little black dress with a textured jacket and neutral silver accessories, so the only touch of colour is the pretty purple Balenciaga pompon bag.

I liked the mix of textures in this outfit, with the jacquard jacket and the ribbed dress. The silver necklace seemed like an obvious choice with the metallic silver thread in the jacket.

The only problem with this is that the jacket has pretty zipper pulls on the sleeves. Looks great, but not ideal for wearing to the office and typing in, it makes such a noise! So I had a cardigan with me and swapped the jacket for a cardigan at my desk.


Last worn: jacquard jacket, ponte fit and flare dress, silver ballet flats, Balenciaga murier pompon bag (above).

Other ways to wear: jacquard jacket and jeans, fit and flare dress layered for winter, silver ballet flats and pencil skirt, Balenciaga murier pompon bag and navy tee.

Perfect for pregnancy: jacquard jacket in third trimester, ponte fit and flare dress in second trimester, silver ballet flats in third trimester.

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Fit and Flare Dresses Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Fit and flare dresses in a neutral colour are a great outfit backdrop for any more colourful accessories you might want to add. With the neutral backdrop, the purple Balenciaga pompon bag really stands out. As you can see from the first outfit, your colourful accessories don't always have to match, sometimes it's fun to wear different colours to add even more brightness to a black and white palette.




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What To Wear When Breastfeeding: Easy, Affordable Nursing Fashion!

It can seem a little daunting at first trying to figure out what to wear when breastfeeding. You need to find clothing that works for your rapidly changing postpartum body, that's practical above all, that's affordable, and still makes you feel like yourself and true to your personal style. Oh, and machine washable!


To solve that dilemma, I wanted to share one of the popular videos off my YouTube channel with some different outfit ideas you can wear while breastfeeding, including some of the must-have breastfeeding accessories. The video shows you 6 outfit formulas, and I've included almost 30 outfits below that I've made from the formulas to show you how easy it is to come up with breastfeeding outfits!





The detail is in the video above, with a couple of demos of the pieces. I've also summarised the key points below for people who prefer to read rather than watch a video.

Breastfeeding Singlet

This is a staple! Find them on sale and stock up. Make sure to get ones with adjustable straps and that aren't tight, you want room for things to expand when your milk comes in! In the early postpartum days they are won so much, with an extra layer on top if you want to look more pulled together.

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Dedicated Nursing Pieces

Yes, these are a splurge, but the two specific breastfeeding pieces I had came in so valuable I'm glad I had them. I didn't add more to my wardrobe as I felt those two covered all the bases. You don't need many. For more outfit inspiration, see 30 ways to wear this pink Mothers En Vogue maxi dress.

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Regular Dresses

You can breastfeed in your regular dresses! Just consider the kind of dress - wrap, button or jersey with a scoop neck gives you access and opportunities for breastfeeding. Halter neck dresses can work too! See more button up dresses for breastfeeding here.

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Wrap and Button Up Tops

Like the breastfeeding singlets, I stocked up on wrap tops too. The best thing about wrap and button up tops is that you can get them from any of your favourite stores or brands, you don't need to pay the premium that you get charged when buying a specific nursing friendly piece.

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V-Neck Tees

If you have a slouchy or stretchy v-neck tee, it's easy to pull the neckline down more and get access. Although this wasn't my preferred way of breastfeeding, this is a favourite for many. I preferred to pull the top up for feeding, see below.

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Layering Trick For Any Top

One of my favourite ways to breastfeed! Get any top, layer a breastfeeding singlet underneath, and just roll the top up and unclip the singlet when it's time to feed. I've seen people discuss using this for wearing dresses too, but it felt like a little much for me. I prefer doing it with a top. Loose flowy tanks are perfect for layering on top of a singlet.

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Must Have Breastfeeding Accessories

There are a few pieces mentioned in the video that were must have accessories to breastfeeding, and I've included a couple more essentials here too. You can see them pop up in the outfits above. Blanket scarves and kimonos double as breastfeeding covers. Silicone teething necklaces are something safe and fun for baby to tug and pull on while feeding (better than tugging on your hair!). And of course, do not forget the breast pads!

Honourable Mention: C-Section

If you've had a C-Section, you might be staying away from the pants and shorts pictured in some of these outfits. Stretchy elastic waists like maternity denim or jersey maxi skirts could be outfit possibilities!

Where To Buy Breastfeeding Friendly Pieces

I've included some links to places above to purchase the kind of items I was demonstrating in the video. First thing to do is go through your wardrobe with this post as a guide - you'll be surprised how much you already have! Next thing to do is to head out to your favourite store. You'll feel much more confident if you're wearing similar things while breastfeeding as you did before it. And of course, feel free to shop this post if you're struggling for ideas.


My breastfeeding days are over but I was glad I had so many pieces in my wardrobe that I could make work for breastfeeding, so I could use the pieces I loved so much pre-pregnancy. I hope this video comes in helpful for yourself or is something you can share with a friend. You can find more outfit inspiration in my blog archive: breastfeeding outfits.

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If you need breastfeeding advice and support, look to the Australian Breastfeeding Association (AU), Association of Breastfeeding Mothers (UK), or La Leche League (in quite a few countries). You can also look up a local lactation consultant. You can contact your hospital, doctor or midwife for more recommendations.

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Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAC and MAB Comparison: With Striped Tanks and Shorts

When summer temperatures continue into autumn in Brisbane, you make the most of it and take the opportunity to wear some more shorts! The two soft, relaxed fit shorts below were purchased at the start of summer last year and they've been a great addition to my wardrobe. It's been nice to wear them into autumn as well. Add a classic striped tank, and you have an easy outfit for a stay at home mum.

What I wore:

Necklace: Starfish Project Hannah turquoise bead necklace
Tank: Jeanswest 'Josie' striped back strap tank
Shorts: Jeanswest Tessa olive embroidered shorts
Shoes: Rebecca Minkoff Georgina studded gladiator sandals in blush
Bracelets: the usual plus Cora purpleheart and mother of pearl watch C/O JORD
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff metallic silver mini MAC

Why I wore it:

Olive green shorts and green beaded necklace because even though we had a fairly uneventful day of errands, it was Saint Patrick's day so I wanted to dress the part just a little!

This tank is the piece I thought of wearing with these shorts when I first bought them. I loved this outfit, it was just as perfect as I imagined with the floral embroidery on the shorts and the striped tank. Stripes go with everything!

Just like stripes, this metallic silver mini MAC bag goes with everything too. Definitely one of my frequently worn pieces.

No extra layers needed with this - it was a really warm day and we even put the aircon on in the afternoon. More like summer than autumn!


Last worn: striped tank, olive embroidered shorts, studded sandals, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC bag.

Other ways to wear: striped tank and pencil skirt, olive embroidered shorts and black top, studded sandals worn 30 ways, Rebecca Minkoff metallic mini MAC bag and metallic tank.

Perfect for pregnancy: striped tank in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC bag and maternity shorts.

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Video Comparison of the Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB and Mini MAC Bags:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Bubblegum denim jacket

Necklace: Nibbly Bits BB plum silicone teething necklace (C/O)
Tank: Atmos & Here Oregon stripe tank
Shorts: Jeanswest Parker printed shirred short
Shoes: Wittner 'Jasmarie' studded sandals
Bracelets: the usual plus Cora purpleheart and mother of pearl watch C/O JORD
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum

Why I wore it:

A little extra layer here with the denim jacket. It was quite a wet day, so the jacket as an extra layer came in helpful as I stood outside the car struggling with car seat buckles and getting drenched every time I took the boys in or out, ha!

Just like the outfit above, I'd had this outfit combination in my head for a while. I thought the striped tank would work nicely with the black printed shorts, and just like the outfit above, I really enjoyed this combination.

Even with the blue denim jacket, I did feel the black tank and shorts together was a little too monochromatic, so I went with purple accessories. I hadn't worn this silicone teething necklace in a while and I saw it pop up on the Nibbly Bits instagram, so knew it was overdue a wear. The plum mini MAB tote is always the perfect pairing with it too, they match so well!

Unlike the day and outfit above, this was a bit of a hectic day, with daycare drop off and pick up, working from home, a specialist appointment and then a broken freezer adding to the broken fridge worries so we had to rush out at dinner time to find something for the boys to eat. I was glad when the day was over in the end!


Last worn: denim jacket, striped tank, Parker printed shorts, studded sandals, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: denim jacket and little black dress, striped tank in winter, Parker printed shorts and colourful tank, studded sandals and navy dress, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote and black jeans.

Perfect for pregnancy: denim jacket in second trimester, studded sandals in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in third trimester.

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Striped Tanks Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Stripes go with anything and make dressing easy. With a neutral pair of shorts, you can add some extra interest to your outfit with a striped tank. If your shorts are printed, adding a striped tank allows you to print mix. A good rule for this is to pick stripes that compliment the colours in the printed shorts, which lead to the last black and white outfit.



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