Second Hand Shopping: Black Tees and Green Pants With Balenciaga Day Bag

Second hand shopping, opshopping, thrifting, whatever you call it. It's a big factor towards letting me continue to shop even though I'm working part time with two kids and much less disposable income than before!

The two outfits before show some of the secondhand pieces in my wardrobe. With the exception of the shoes, because I can never find shoes my size in an opshop! And the scarf I threw on at the last minute.

What I wore:

Tee: thrifted Mix Apparel black marle tee
Jeans: thrifted ASOS petite green skinny jeans
Shoes: Kmart sparkly silver glitter sneakers (new purchase)
Bag: Balenciaga truffle brown RH classic day bag

Why I wore it:

With a warmer day, I was able to just wear a tee with no scarf or cardigan needed. It was a nice sign of winter coming to an end, even if it immediately got cold again afterwards.

While I do love splurging on accessories, I have a much lower budget in mind when clothes shopping! I think this outfit showcases that nicely.

The black space dye tee was a piece I picked up at the 'fill a bag for $2' sale at my local opshop. The green pants were just $5 from a different opshop. The bag was a preloved find from Designer Archives, a consignment store in Brisbane city. The only new thing in this outfit was the shoes, a $8 Kmart bargain!

While the warm weather meant a scarf was definitely not needed, I did think about wearing a necklace. I decided to give it a miss and just let the glitter shoes be the highlight of the outfit. Even if we weren't doing anything more special than running a couple of errands and going to the doctors, it was nice to have a bit of sparkle to do so! These were so comfortable for a first wear too.


Last worn: space dye tee, green skinny jeans, Balenciaga day bag. First time I've worn the silver shoes on the blog as they are a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: space dye tee in the office, green skinny jeans and mustard yellow, Balenciaga day bag and printed dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: Balenciaga day bag in second trimester.

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My Complete Handbag Collection

Taken back when I had turned the spare room into a walk in wardrobe room, it's the most recent video I have showing my complete handbag collection - a lot of which were bought pre-loved.

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What I wore:

Scarf: Seed Heritage Paisley print snood
Tee: thrifted Maison Scotch black paint splatter print long sleeved tee
Pants: thrifted French Connection olive skinny cargo pants
Shoes:  Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in black
Bag: Balenciaga truffle brown RH classic day bag

Why I wore it:

Another thrifted outfit, although I added the scarf at the last minute. Like the shoes, the scarf was bought new, but on sale.

Just like the outfit above, this long sleeve black tee was picked up at a 'fill a bag with clothes for $2' opshop sale. I'm really happy with it, and knew that I wanted to wear it with these olive cargo pants. They were also an opshop find, from the same opshop (although before the $2 sale!). They were just $3. They are so slouchy and insanely comfortable.

As it was a little chilly in the morning for daycare drop off I added this paisley print snood - I think it was the perfect piece with the colours in the outfit, and I think it made the outfit. Once again, the accessories were the most expensive part of my outfit. I definitely have a formula I follow with outfits!


Last worn: black long sleeve tee, paisley print snood, olive cargo pants, Converse, Balenciaga day bag (above).

Other ways to wear: black long sleeve tee in the office, Paisley snood and red dress, olive cargo pants and mustard cardi, Converse for travel, Balenciaga day bag and sheath dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: Paisley snood in second trimester, Converse and hidden baby bump, Balenciaga day bag for second trimester travel.

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Green Pants Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Green pants can be simple to wear when you pair them with neutral basics like these black tees. It makes an easy stay at home mum outfit that doesn't require a lot of thinking to pull together. Just what you need in the morning rush trying to get yourself and kids ready and out the door on time!


Linking up with Friday Faves, Fabulous Friday, Lizzie In Lace, Mummy Monday, Shoe & Tell, Mix It Monday, Mon Mondays We Link Up, Modest Monday.

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Blue Knits And Colourful Skinny Jeans With Balenciaga Bags

Wearing my favourite colour, blue, always gives me a bit of a boost. And when it's been a tough end to winter with kids getting sick, I default to blue! Keeping things colourful and wearing two of my blue knits with bold skinny jeans.

What I wore:

Scarf: Fashion Scarf Girl Family tree scarf in blue and navy (c/o)
Knit: blue Mossman knit jumper
Jeans: Jeanswest blackberry super skinny jeans
Shoes: Marc by Marc Jacobs silver tuxedo flats
Bag: Balenciaga raisin purple 2009 giant silver G21 hardware work bag

Why I wore it:

This was one of those days that just did not go well. The plan was a brief stop to pick up a few things in Kmart, maybe have a browse, and then head back home in time for a doctor's appointment.

The reality was me arriving at the shopping centre, then almost immediately rushing in looking for anyone with ice and / or first aid skills. After everything was okay, I had a bit of a shell shocked browse around Kmart missing half the things I needed to get, before going to the doctors. Not my best day!

Thankfully no major damage done, my son's injury looked worse than it was and all of the blood washed out of this knit (I decided to risk it and throw it in the normal wash with normal detergent, it held up okay!). And I did like the outfit. Horrible day, but otherwise lovely outfit!

Blue and purple is a colour combination I wear often, and I felt this Balenciaga work bag was overdue a wear. I like how nicely it matched the purple skinny jeans, you know I like a bit of matchy-matchy in my outfits sometimes.


Last worn: blue knit, purple skinny jeans, silver ballet flats, Balenciaga work bag. First time I've worn the scarf on the blog as it is a recent addition to my wardrobe.

Other ways to wear: blue knit over a maxi dress, purple skinny jeans and kimono, silver ballet flats and skinny jeans, Balenciaga work bag and pencil skirt. 

Perfect for pregnancy: purple skinny jeans in first trimester, silver ballet flats in third trimester. 

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Balenciaga Handbag Collection:

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What I wore:

Scarf: Fashion Scarf Girl parrot print scarf (c/o)
Jumper: thrifted Valleygirl blue knit jumper
Jeans: thrifted ASOS petite green skinny jeans
Shoes: Converse Chuck Taylor All Star low in white
Bag: Balenciaga truffle brown RH classic day bag

Why I wore it:

Since I liked the blue knit and colourful skinny jeans combo in the first outfit, I wore the same outfit formula a few days later. For a much more relaxed day!

It was a lot windier than expected though and I did wish that I'd put a long sleeved tee under this knit instead of the short sleeved one I did. It made it a little chilly when playing outside in the playground at playgroup with the boys.

This parrot print scarf is frequently worn with green - with the green birds in the print it's just to easy to wear it with the green jeans! I loved how all of the colours came together in this outfit, even if it wasn't as warm as I'd have liked.

The white Converse seemed like a good neutral shoe choice with the other colours, and I went with a neutral bag as well, my Balenciaga day bag. While I did like matching the bag and jeans like I did in the first outfit, I don't have a green bag to wear with this outfit.


Last worn: blue jumper, parrot print scarf, green skinny jeans, Converse, Balenciaga Day bag. 

Other ways to wear: blue jumper and pink, parrot print scarf and teal, green skinny jeans with mustard, Converse and shift dress, Balenciaga Day bag and shorts. 

Perfect for pregnancy: blue jumper in first trimester, Converse in second trimester, Balenciaga Day bag for second trimester travel. 

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Blue Knits Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

Blue knits are a nice way to add some colour to your cold weather wardrobe, working in spring, autumn or winter. For an extra touch of colour, try wearing them with colourful denim. I love blue and purple and blue and green together. Having the bright jeans was a good way to try other colour combinations. Of course you can also pair a blue knit with a neutral black or grey pair of jeans if you'd prefer.


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

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Monochrome Pencil Skirt Outfits With Long Sleeve Tees And Colourful Scarves

Wearing a few of my recent purchases to the office! I managed to pick up a couple of long sleeved tops at the opshop sale last month. While it was nearing the end of winter in Brisbane and getting warmer, it's still quite chilly when I have my commute to work so I knew the long sleeves would be perfect to wear to the office. I'm lucky my dress code is on the casual side of business casual too so a tee is perfectly acceptable, especially when paired with a pencil skirt as I have here.

Keeping things simple, I stuck with monochrome outfits and added a pop of colour with my scarves, topping off my outfits with the fun tassel statement earrings I also bought last month.

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 
Earrings: Kmart blue fringe crescent statement earrings (new purchase)
Scarf: Louis Vuitton monogram shawl in bleu
Tee: thrifted Maison Scotch black paint splatter print long sleeved tee
Skirt: Jeanswest zip detail ponte pencil skirt
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Mulberry Bayswater in Oak NVT leather

Why I wore it:

Keeping things really simple and going completely monochrome with the black long sleeve tee and black pencil skirt. I usually plan my outfits the night before, and figured the print on the top would stop the outfit looking too boring. When I put it all on in the morning though, I realised the print on the top wasn't doing enough to add a bit of lightness, especially paired with the black pencil skirt, black tights and ankle boots. Even the navy earrings weren't lifting this enough, it looked a bit drab.

The bright blue Louis Vuitton shawl was the perfect solution - a great pop of colour against the black. It also kept me nice and cosy in the morning. I like that spring like weather is arriving again here in Brisbane, but it's still extremely wintery in the early hours!


Last worn: camel trench, Louis Vuitton shawl, black pencil skirt, black ankle boots, Mulberry Bayswater tote bag. It's the first time I've worn the tee on the blog as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: camel trench and sheath dress, Louis Vuitton shawl and floral dress, black pencil skirt in autumn, black ankle boots worn 30 ways, Mulberry Bayswater tote bag in summer.

Perfect for pregnancy: camel trench in first trimester, black pencil skirt in first trimester, black ankle boots in second trimester, Mulberry Bayswater tote bag in third trimester.

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Mulberry Bayswater After 7 Years:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Jeanswest Monica Mac coat in Indigo
Earrings: Kmart blue fringe crescent statement earrings (new purchase)
Scarf: Fashion Scarf Girl plain crinkle scarf in orange (c/o)
Top: thrifted cobalt blue long sleeve tee
Skirt: Asos blue textured lace pencil skirt
Shoes: Asos leather Chelsea boots in tan
Bag: Mulberry Bayswater in Oak NVT leather

Why I wore it:

Still a monochrome outfit, but sticking with my favourite colour and going blue with the cobalt tee and the lace pencil skirt. I added even more colour to this with the orange scarf, it really pops against blue and I've worn it that way before with a navy dress.


I love how well the navy earrings coordinated with the blues on my outfit and they got a few compliments! I've admired the statement tassel earring trend on the ladies I follow on Instagram for a while, but with particularly curious and grabby toddlers I was sure it was going to be a trend I'd have to let pass me by. Suddenly realised I could do what I do with all other non-kid friendly pieces in my wardrobe and just wear them to work. Even if I do have to take them off as soon as I get home in the afternoon! They were fun to wear and try out for something different from my usual accessories!

While I loved the blue and orange together I really wasn't happy with the ankle boots I chose for this. I am noticing every time I wear these tan boots with black tights it just emphasises how petite I am and makes my legs look a bit stumpy. The longer length pencil skirt doesn't really help! I thought that with the oak Mulberry Bayswater bag it would tie in nicely, but a few times through the day I wished I'd worn my black ankle boots instead.


Last worn: navy macintosh, orange crinkle scarf, blue lace pencil skirt, Chelsea leather boots, Mulberry Bayswater (above). First time I've worn the tee on the blog as it's a recent purchase.

Other ways to wear: navy macintosh and wrap dress, orange crinkle scarf and shift dress, blue lace pencil skirt and blazer, Chelsea leather boots and maxi skirt, Mulberry Bayswater and chambray dress.

Perfect for pregnancy: blue lace pencil skirt in third trimester, Chelsea leather boots in second trimester, Mulberry Bayswater in second trimester.

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Bright Scarves Under $50:

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How You Can Wear It:

A monochrome office outfit makes getting dressed for work easy - even if you haven't planned out your outfit the night before! For an extra touch, you can add a bright contrasting scarf on top. It makes a simple monochrome outfit seem more interesting, keeps you warm on a cold commute and it's a fun way to accessorise.


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

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