Accessorising Bags & Winter Office Wear With Printed Skirts

Embracing winter weather and getting my fleecy tights and my knits out for some colourful office outfits. I'm glad I have a business casual dress code at work that lets me be a little more creative with what I wear.

Both these outfits follow the same outfit formula, and despite the different colour schemes in each, I kept the same fun accessory on my bag. The silk 'scarf' tied in a bow on the Regan handle is actually a belt from the skirt in the first photo.

What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Monica Mac coat in Indigo
Necklace: Starfish Project Hannah turquoise bead necklace
Top: Valleygirl blue knit jumper
Skirt: French Connection silk leaf print skirt
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs black logo plaque ballet flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel Tote in moon

Why I wore it:

This skirt is silk, so it's quite light, but with a pair of fleece lined tights it was perfect for a cold morning. I wasn't sure what to do with the silk belt that comes with this skirt at first, then I realised I could just use it to accessorise my bag! (Video showing more ways you can accessorise your bags below.)

After trying it in pregnancy, I've been embracing green and blue together a lot more so I thought that this cobalt marle knit would work nicely with the green and yellow in this skirt. I wasn't too sure about the combo after first trying it on, but grabbing this green beaded necklace really tied it together for me and I loved this outfit combo. It did feel a bit matchy matchy, blue knit, coat and bag, with green skirt, bow on bag and necklace, but I do like a little matchy matchy!


Last worn: navy macintosh, blue marle knit, silk skirt, Marc Jacobs ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff Regan bag.

Other ways to wear: navy macintosh and wrap dress, blue marle knit with magenta bag, silk skirt and teal henley, Marc Jacobs ballet flats and printed shorts, Rebecca Minkoff Regan bag and navy top.

Perfect for pregnancy: blue marle knit in first trimester, silk skirt in second trimester.

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Six Easy Ways To Accessorise Your Bags:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Necklace: Kmart Gold and Navy beaded necklace (recent purchase)
Top: thrifted SES fashions mustard marle knit jumper (recent purchase)
Skirt: Garfunkle Australia pleated print skirt
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats (also available in silver)
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff Regan Satchel Tote in moon

Why I wore it:

As I usually do, copying the outfit formula I enjoyed so much from the first outfit to create this second one. I kept things a little more monochromatic this time around, with all of the yellow. I debated changing out the silk bow on the Regan bag but I think the yellow in the leaf print worked nicely with the yellow in this skirt.

Just like the outfit above, this marle knit is a thrift find too, only $1! It's actually a really orange-y thread with a few flecks of gold metallic, but with the marle it looks mustard - and if you've read my blog before you'll probably know I've been loving everything mustard. I smiled when I saw this, as I had just been admiring an email from Jeanswest with their new yellow heavy knit collection before I stopped by the opshop. Perfect thing to find! The sleeves are a bit long for my petite self, but at the moment I'm just rolling them up before I can get to the tailor.

The necklace is another new piece - $3 in the Kmart sale! I like statement necklaces like this, and I felt the green and blue went with the yellow in my outfit nicely.


Last worn: trench coat, pleated a-line skirt, Walnut Melbourne flats, Rebecca Minkoff Regan satchel (above). First time I've worn the mustard knit as it's a recent opshop find.

Other ways to wear: camel trench coat and burgundy pants, pleated a-line skirt and navy tank, Walnut Melbourne flats and shorts, Rebecca Minkoff Regan satchel and wrap dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: trench coat in first trimester, pleated a-line skirt in second trimester, Walnut Melbourne flats and wrap dress.

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Marle Knits Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

While thin open knits like these jumpers might be a spring or autumn staple in other parts of the world, they are perfect for Brisbane winters. A cosy knit isn't just a weekend option, you can easily dress them up a little for a business casual office with a pretty skirt. A statement necklace makes the look a little more formal as well, or you could always add heels, a blazer, and swap to a pencil skirt to dress it up even more.


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Colourful Jeans with Converse And Kimonos | Wear & Tear Video of Rebecca Minkoff MAM Bag

There is something about the simplicity of a printed kimono with skinny jeans. Add in some shimmery tanks and you have such an easy stay at home mum outfit! As I shared last week, I've been loving this kind of outfit formula before the cold winter weather arrived. Wore these outfits for two very fun days out and about with the boys, Converse were a necessity. As I had a few things to carry, I went with my trusty mini MAB bag. It carries everything!

What I wore: 

Jacket: The Kindness Collective 'Kaleidoscope Dreams' printed kimono

Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey
Tank: Jeanswest Maji metallic tank in soft green and silver (on sale!)
Jeans: Jeanswest blackberry super skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey

Why I wore it:

I worried the purple skinny jeans and printed kimono together might be a little too matchy-matchy, but I'm so glad I gave this a go as I really loved the combination! I debated wearing my trusty Havaianas over my Converse but figured it could still be quite a cold day. It wasn't, and a few times I regretted jeans and wish I'd gone with shorts!

We headed down the coast with the boys to see the Gold Coast 'Monster Machinery' day. We'd never been before, but with two boys who love all kinds of vehicles, it was the perfect destination. Unfortunately it looked like most of the people on the coast thought so too, it was so busy! The council set up all their vehicles in a park, along with some emergency vehicles, boats, and Lightning McQueen and Mac from the Cars movies. The boys loved it! They ignored the biggest digger (although to be fair I wasn't going to push them to stand in the huge line!) abut they had fun clambering over everything including jumping into the big scoops and pushing the horns on some of the trucks and riding in the fire engine and ambulance.

I loved my outfit, we had a fun day despite the crowds and lines, the only thing I didn't love was my bag choice. I specifically chose this much loved Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag as it fits everything I need to carry as well as my camera, and I'd planned to vlog the day. I took a cute video clip in the car on the way down and noticed the battery was getting low. Not an issue, it's pretty good and usually warns in advance. We finally found a parking spot, walked the long distance to the event, the boys got excited to see the vehicles, and I whipped out my camera to get a good pic, to realise the battery was dead. Luckily I had my phone, but the people waiting behind us to take a photo next were not impressed by my fumbling around!

I then had to carry around a heavy camera, bag and the baby bag. I wouldn't have minded if I could have used the camera, but it was a bit frustrating carrying around something so heavy when I couldn't use it! 😫


Last worn: printed kimono, metallic tank, purple skinny jeans, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB.

Other ways to wear: printed kimono and maxi dress, metallic tank and leopard print, purple skinny jeans and winter layers, Converse for travel, Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB and shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: purple skinny jeans in first trimester, Converse for second trimester travel, Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB and maternity pencil skirt.

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Wear & Tear: Rebecca Minkoff Mini MAB After 5 Years of Use:

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What I wore:

Jacket: The Kindness Collective 'Vienna Awaits' floral print kimono
Necklace: Uniquely Made with Love Sea Change necklace
Tank: French Connection feather foil singlet
Jeans: thrifted Emerson red skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff MAB mini in soft grey

Why I wore it:

Another outfit with the same outfit formula! Colourful skinny jeans, basic tank, kimono and Converse. This time I charged the camera the night before, so there were no surprises! I wasn't entirely happy with the kimono though - we had an early start and it was a bit chilly in the morning. Perfect for the rest of the day when it warmed up, but made me realise my kimono wearing days are getting less frequent now winter has arrived.

With toddler T's birthday coming up, we decided to take him and his brother out for a Pony Playdate. A local organisation runs it, they have a beautiful paddock and some farm animals. It's Horses In Mind (not sponsored) at Hemmant. The boys got to spend a morning on the farm learning about (and yes patting and chasing!) the chickens and ducks and guinea pigs. Then it was time to learn how to take care of ponies, and they got to use all the different brushes to get them all nice and clean. This was magical, I had a go too and it was so fun brushing this little pony together. They were such good ponies!

Then after they measured up my tiny boys for tiny saddles, they got to hop on and take the ponies for a ride around the paddock. We got so many good photos and videos, thanks to having the camera charged this time! It was such a fun day out.

The white Converse might seem like a strange choice for a day on a farm! I'd picked them to wear over my boots as they had been getting a bit dirty and I'd been planning to wash them anyway. Getting covered in mud seemed like the best thing to do before finally throwing them in the wash a few hours later.


Last worn: black and white kimono, shimmery tank, red skinny jeans, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag (above).

Other ways to wear: black and white kimono and maxi dress, shimmery tank and maxi skirt, red skinny jeans and rainbow knit, Converse and dress, Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancy: shimmery tank in first trimester, red skinny jeans in second trimester, Converse and maternity shorts, Rebecca Minkoff MAM bag in second trimester.

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Colourful Jeans Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Colourful jeans don't have to be tricky to wear! They can be just as versatile as your standard blue jeans. You can match the colour to something else in the outfit like I did with the purple jeans and kimono together in the first set of pics, or you can keep things simple and add a pair of colourful red jeans to a classic black and white outfit. Easy, fuss free dressing that's perfect for a day running around with kids.


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Colourful Cardigan and Maxi Skirt Outfits

I like to wear most of my clothing year round. While my winter knits do get boxed up for summer (definitely not needed when it's 35 degrees C and 90% humidity!), my summer pieces stay in my wardrobe all year. It means I can pick 'summery pieces' like these maxi skirts and layer them up a little for cooler weather. A cosy cardi is a nice layer to add to a summer skirt.

What I wore:

Jacket: thrifted SES Fashions mustard yellow cardigan
Necklace: Uniquely Made with Love Sea Change necklace
Tank: Atmos & Here Oregon stripe tank
Skirt: Noisy May long denim maxi skirt
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC in aquamarine with python embossed leather

Why I wore it:

So excited to get this mustard cardi out again! After I did 6 months without shopping last year I was thrilled to find this in my local opshop for $2 - and it's sure to get even more wear this year than it did last year. It was perfect to keep me cosy for a busy Saturday - we had a morning flying our kite at the park, then watching the church online service at a friend's house.

Mustard yellow and aquamarine with the blue chambray skirt makes for a colourful outfit. The black striped tank seemed like the perfect neutral to wear with it. The mustard yellow and aqua combo is one I've worn before here.

Normally, I'd wear a top tucked into the top of the maxi skirt, to make the top hit at a more flattering spot on my petite self. This time around though, with the long line of the cardigan and maxi skirt, I actually preferred the top untucked! I've been trying to think differently about my outfits lately. Even if it's just something as simple as wearing a top I'd always tuck in untucked, it's nice to try different things.


Last worn: mustard cardigan, black striped tank, chambray maxi skirt, Converse, Rebecca Minkoff aquamarine mini MAC bag.

Other ways to wear: mustard cardigan and little black dress, black striped tank and printed kimono, chambray maxi skirt and foil print tee, Converse and bermuda denim shorts, Rebecca Minkoff aquamarine mini MAC bag and boho dress.

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

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More Colourful Cardigan Outfit Ideas: 30 Ways To Wear A Purple Cardigan

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest waterfall drape cardigan in scarlett marle
Necklace: Lovisa wooden statement bead necklace
Top: Jeanswest 'Josie' striped back strap tank
Skirt: Jeanswest Luxe jersey maxi skirt
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini MAC in aquamarine with python embossed leather

Why I wore it:

While I loved the outfit formula above, I didn't like it so much this time I tried it. It's the same basic pieces, though, a striped tank, maxi skirt and colourful cardigan. While I like all of the pieces separately, I just felt they didn't look as good together as the outfit at the top. I felt it was good enough in my rush to leave the house and get to playgroup on time with the boys though!

I also forgot just how breezy this skirt is to wear, with a split on both dies up to my knee. It made staying cosy outside in the playground a little trickier. Even with the ankle boots,it wasn't enough when the wind picked up.

I don't think it's a complete outfit fail, but I think a different maxi skirt or a simpler cardigan would have improved this outfit. One of those ones where you throw things on in the morning after waking up with a vague idea of what to wear, and the resulting outfit shows that you've thrown it on 😂


Last worn: red waterfall cardigan, striped tank, black drawstring maxi skirt, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff aquamarine mini MAC (above).

Other ways to wear: red waterfall cardigan for the office, striped tank and pencil skirt, black drawstring maxi skirt worn two ways, black ankle boots worn 30 ways, Rebecca Minkoff aquamarine mini MAC with olive shorts.

Perfect for pregnancy: striped tank and maternity jeans, black ankle boots in second trimester, Rebecca Minkoff aquamarine mini MAC in third trimester.

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Cosy Cardigans Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Take advantage of those in-between days in autumn and spring where you can mix pieces from different seasons together. A summer maxi skirt and a cosy winter cardigan can easily be worn together to add just a little extra warmth.


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