Friday 1 June 2018

30 Ways To Wear A Purple Cardigan: #30wears Outfit Challenge

This 30 wears post has been a while coming, after I hit 30 wears on this cardigan in spring last year. It just didn't feel right to post about it over summer though. Now the weather is cooler and it's officially winter here in Brisbane, I'm happy to share some of the 30 ways I've worn this cardigan in the past. I even managed to find some of the ways I'd worn it before I had the blog so I could share that with you for something different.


30 Ways To Wear: Purple Cardigan


30 ways to wear a purple cardigan | Away From The Blue Blog pinnable pic


The past few times I've done a 30 wears post I've managed to calculate the cost per wear. Unfortunately, I bought this cardigan so long ago, I can't remember what I paid for it. I've only photographed my outfits consistently every day since I started this blog in 2012 so I'm not sure exactly how many times I've worn this. There have been over 33 times I've photographed it and I'm pleased with that. The earliest pic I could find was winter 2011, so it's at least 7 years old and still going strong.



How To Wear a Purple Cardigan Video:






Belting A Cardigan


3 ways to wear a cardigan belted | away from the blue


One of my early blog pics there in the middle! It's fun seeing how things have changed. I used to have to balance my camera on the BBQ and use the self timer, so often it wasn't aligned properly. I much prefer the other pics, taken with my camera remote and tripod.
No matter what the photos look like, I love each of these outfit ideas though. I really like the way this cardigan looks belted. It's something a bit different, and good in the middle of winter as it keeps you warm as the cardigan stays closed in place. It makes the draped pieces sit really flatteringly too and almost creates a peplum effect as you can see in the last photo.



Colourful Cardigan and Matching Bag


3 outift ideas purple cardigan and matching magenta Balenciaga day bag


Each season, Balenciaga come out with new colours for their bags. I always take a liking to the pinks, but the 2005 magenta is my favourite pink. As you can see in the photos above, my current magenta Balenciaga Day bag isn't the only magenta bag I've had, the old selfie in the middle is back when I had the same colour in the city style too.

With the touch of pink in this purple cardigan, and the touch of purple in the pink bag, the cardigan and bags are a nice combination. They aren't a perfect match, but the shade is close enough together that I like the almost matchy-matchyness.



Purple Cardigan With Blue Tops


4 outfit ideas of a purple cardigan with blue tops and jeans | awayfromtheblue


It's not just similar colours I like wearing this purple cardigan with. Blue and purple is a combination I frequently wear, so I really like navy tops with this cardigan.
Of course that last outfit there is my favourite, it was Baby T's first outing after we got home from the hospital. Even though I'm exhausted, my postpartum tum is on display, and we were going to a clinic for breastfeeding help, it was still a comfortable outfit and my favourite photo of the post!


Purple Cardigan With Pink


3 ways to wear a purple cardigan with pink | away from blue blog


Another frequently worn colour combination of mine is pink and purple. With the bright purple colour of this cardigan, it's easy to introduce just a little touch of colour through a small bag like this neon pink mini MAC I'm wearing in the last two photos. If you're feeling bolder or particularly colourful, you could wear it with a pink top too, like I've done with the ombre tank in the first outfit.


Purple Cardigan With Purple Accessories


4 outfit ideas to wear purple cardigan with purple bag | away from the blue


You'll know from reading my blog (or looking at some of the outfits I've already shared!) that I like my colourful handbags. They are fun accessories with an outfit. And while the deep plum purple of these Rebecca Minkoff bags in the outfits above doesn't match the pinky-purple shade of the cardigan, I think they compliment each other quite nicely!
Even if your accessories aren't a perfect match to a colourful cardigan, it's good to give the combination a try - as you can see I loved the little purple MAB tote bag with this cardigan so much I've worn it quite a few times!



Colourful Cardigan With Neutral Outfits


3 ways to add a purple cardigan to neutral outfits | awayfromtheblue


If you're completely stumped about what to wear with a colourful cardigan, throw it on over a neutral outfit. It can be something as simple as a grey tee like in the first picture, or a monochrome black outfit like the last photo. It also works well with cream and neutrals as you can see in the middle there. I'm also employing my previous tip above of wearing a purple bag with the cardigan in these last two photos, but you could easily stick with a neutral brown like the Chloe paddington bag in the first outfit.



Colourful Cardigan and Printed Tops


Purple cardigan with printed tanks 3 outfit ideas | awayfromblue


The fun thing with a bright, single colour cardigan like this purple one is that it's so easy to wear with printed pieces in your outfit. The lack of print on it means it will go with anything. Stripes is my favourite combo, as you can see here! But a plain cardigan will go with any print you want to wear.



Draped Cardigan and Maxi Skirts


3 ways to wear a purple cardigan with maxi skirts | away from blue


With a loose, drapey waterfall cardigan you'd usually follow the 'one fitted, one flowy' rule to balance your outfit. But I like the casual outfit created with a long maxi skirt and this long cardigan. It's a nice way to wear a maxi skirt outside of summer! And as you can see from the last picture, a cardigan is the perfect piece to wear when babywearing, soft for baby to cuddle up to when he's in the carrier.



Purple Cardigan and Dresses


4 ways to wear a purple cardigan with dresses | away from the blue



The last way that you can wear a purple cardigan is with dresses! I smiled when I put this picture together as it shows off some of the other things I'd mentioned above! A purple cardigan with purple accessories, a neutral black dress, with blue, and with prints. Just like it does with with maxi skirts, a cosy and colourful cardigan is a nice way to make a spring or summer dress work into autumn, especially when paired with ankle boots!



I really like the beautiful purple shade of this cardigan, and I find it so easy to wear. One of those purchases that's proved it's worth in my wardrobe. I have had to spend a little more than what I originally paid on it after I accidentally snagged it and got a hole in it. Thankfully my tailor repaired it very affordably, and this cardigan will continue to be worn and loved in my wardrobe for a long time still.


Hopefully these outfit ideas gave you some ways to wear a purple cardigan, or even just a colourful cardigan, that you own. If you don't have one, it is very versatile as you can see from the outfits above, so I've included some similar pieces below you can shop.


Where To Buy Purple Cardigans Under $50:






Want more outfit inspiration? All of the 30+ ways I've worn this cardigan on the blog.




Linking up with Flashback Fashion, Lizzie In Lace, Flashback Fashion, Style Wise, Shoe & Tell, Mix It MondayModest MondayHello Monday, On Mondays We Link Up, On Trend.


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Wednesday 30 May 2018

What I Bought In May & How I've Worn It - Jeanswest Waterfall Drape Cardigan

While I did do some shopping, there is no haul video this month. One of my purchases hasn't arrived and so I'll wait until then to film a video. Instead, I'll share with you the two pieces that I do have after buying them this month.

Jeanswest had a 30% off sale on knitwear, so as I usually do, I checked the site 'just to browse' and saw this beautiful waterfall drape cardigan. I ended up buying two!

The cardigan comes in three colours, so I went to the store to try them on, and ended up loving both colours I tried on and bought both. After donating 3 of the cardigans I'd just unboxed from my boxes of winter clothes I pulled out of storage though I felt justified in doing so!


As you can see from the photos below of how I wore the cardigans, you can wear them two ways which instantly appealed to me.


What I Bought:







There are two buttons, one on each shoulder of the cardigan, and a button hole at the bottom of each hem. That means you can button up one or both sides of the cardigan when you wear it (like I did here). It's ideal for breastfeeding, as it turns your cardigan into a breastfeeding cover, and is something I wish I had when I was breastfeeding. I used to have to hold baby and the cardigan over the top of him when using my cardigans as breastfeeding covers. While my breastfeeding days are behind me, I'm still tagging breastfeeding friendly outfits on the blog. I'll just be making use of the feature when I want to wear these cardigans differently!


When I buy things, I think of two ways to wear them. With the buttons making these cardigans adaptable, it was an easy purchase to make as I have so many more ways to wear them. I'm thinking that the new thicker red cardigan will get worn more than the light one it replaced too.

How I Wore It:

Jeanswest waterfall drape cardigan 2018 5 ways to wear red and navy | awayfromtheblue blog


I'm pleased I was able to wear these cardigans so soon after I bought them, unlike the last knit I bought back at the start of autumn when it took weeks for the weather to cool.

Special mention also to these two lovely kimonos the boys got me for Mother's Day that were added to my wardrobe in May!



For the third thing I bought, I will share a reveal video as soon as it arrives. I ordered something from the Rebecca Minkoff online sample sale. There will be a delay in shipping as the sale was so popular, and it takes a while to reach Australia from the US too. Can't wait for it to arrive. Make sure you're subscribed to my YouTube channel to see it before it reaches the blog!


Linking up with Style On The Daily, Oh Hey Girl, Fashion Frenzy, Fashion Files, Fun Fashion, Weekend Wear, Fabulous Friday.


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Monday 28 May 2018

Black and White Dresses For The Office With Navy Rebecca Minkoff Regan Bag

The beauty of a black and white dress is that you can really accessorise with anything! I even got to get out one of my scarves I've been waiting to wear.

As you can see from the outfits below, although these were worn just a day apart there was a big change in the temperatures! A couple of weeks ago it eventually started cooling down in Brisbane. This Friday is the first day of winter, so it's about time we had some cooler weather!

What I wore:

blush pink blazer and Rebecca Minkoff velvet double wrap belt, Regan bag, autumn office style | awayfromblue

silver bracelet stack, Rebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel Tote in moon | awayfromtheblue

awayfromtheblue instagram blush pink blazer belted over stripe fit and flare dress with rebecca minkoff regan bag
JacketJeanswest Nadine 3/4 sleeve dusky pink blazer
DressJeanswest 'Rita' stripe jersey dress
BeltRebecca Minkoff Liv double wrap velvet belt
ShoesMarc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
BagRebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel Tote in moon

Why I wore it:

It's not the first time I've belted this blazer, but I think this is my favourite outfit I've created with it. I have worn this belted over a black fit and flare dress before, this time around I really liked the double wrap velvet belt and the pink with the black and white.

The only thing I didn't like with this outfit was that it was a little chilly in the morning - after taking photos, I ran inside to grab a scarf as I packed the tripod away before I left for work. Didn't have time to get photos with the scarf, but it stayed off for the rest of the day as the weather heated up. Headed out to the Brisbane Botanical Gardens again with my friend to take some photos. While she doesn't have an active blog, she is modelling some pieces she's been sent so I was happy to enjoy the autumn sunshine and take some pics for her. Managed to get a pic of my outfit too! We had time for a quick lunch after before we headed back to the office, with an afternoon full of meetings for me.


Last worn: blush pink blazer, velvet double wrap belt, striped fit and flare dress, Marc By Marc Jacobs ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff Regan bag.

Other ways to wearblush pink blazer and olive tank, velvet double wrap belt over a vest, striped fit and flare dress in winter, Marc By Marc Jacobs ballet flats and A-line skirt, Rebecca Minkoff Regan bag and wrap dress.

Perfect for pregnancyblush pink blazer in third trimester, striped fit and flare dress in second trimester.


Review And Contents of the Rebecca Minkoff Regan Bag:






What I wore:

black and white knit dress, rgey feather scarf, blazer and Regan bag, autumn office style | away from blue

printed knit dress, rebecca minkoff moon navy regular satchel bag | away from the blue

awayfromblue instagram autumn office outfit black white knit dress feather scarf blazer

Jacket:  Zara cream jersey blazer
Scarf: gifted grey and gold embroidered feather scarf
Dress: black and white knit dress from my Grandma's wardrobe
ShoesWalnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
BagRebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel Tote in moon

Why I wore it:

A much cooler morning had me pulling out my Grandma's knitted dress. It was one of the pieces I'd packed away for winter. I'd recently unboxed all my winter things, perfect timing for the weather change. While this dress has been worn a few times, it's the first time I had the opportunity to wear this beautiful personalised scarf my friend sent me. The gold embroidered feathers are complimented with my name in gold foil, it's such a sweet gift.

This was just the right amount of layers for a wet and cold autumn day, although I am wondering if I'll have to get my tights out soon! Again, just like the outfit above, I stuck with my Rebecca Minkoff Regan bag, the neutral navy goes with so much.


Last worn: cream blazer, knitted dress, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff Regan bag (above). First time I've worn the scarf.

Other ways to wearcream blazer and pencil skirt, knitted dress and leopard print scarf, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats and skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff Regan bag and printed shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: cream jersey blazer in second trimester, Walnut Melbourne ballet flats and maternity pencil skirt.


Black and White Dresses For The Office Under $50:




How You Can Wear It:

A classic black and white dress is an office essential. It's an instant throw on and go outfit. You can add a blazer if it's cooler or you want your outfit to seem a little more professional. The black and white is also a great backdrop to add some colour to, like the blush blazer in the first outfit, or to try print mixing with the feather print scarf in the second outfit.


Linking up with Confident Twosday, Turning Heads, Style Sessions.



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