Friday 29 January 2021

30 Ways To Wear: Navy Printed Jersey Maxi Dress

My first 30 ways to wear post for 2021, with this pretty Jeanswest "Chantelle" navy blue printed empire waist jersey maxi dress. I actually thought I hit 30 wears on this a while back but I'd miscounted the number of posts featuring it - as I included it in my pregnancy style wrap posts too, but they were just outfit reposts and not a new wear. Stretchy jersey is so comfortable, pregnant or not! And it stretches well to fit the bump!


Each month I look through the my blog archives to see what things in my wardrobe I've worn more than 30 times. It's so helpful taking a photo of the outfits I wear each day so I can look back on the ways I've worn things and put these posts together.


30 Ways To Wear: Navy Printed Jersey Maxi Dress


30 ways to wear navy empire waist jersey printed maxi dress 30wears challenge | away from blue blog


This dress was a Jeanswest outlet sale find back when I was pregnant with my oldest boy, in 2014! With it being in my wardrobe almost 7 years and it accommodating a baby bump nicely, it's no surprise I've exceeded 30 wears with this dress. So far, it's up to 31 wears. I really thought I'd have worn it more by now, having owned it so long!

It's just the right kind of fabric, comfortable and stretchy without being too clingy, and thick enough to stretch without being sheer but not too thick and warm for summer. My favourite way to wear it, as you'll see in these photos, is to double over the elastic empire waist and create a little blouson effect on the top. It has the benefit of making the dress a little shorter too, perfect for my petite self!



Cost Per Wear


Sadly, I can't calculate cost per wear on this dress, as I can't remember how much I bought it for and I no longer have the receipt as it was 7 years ago. I think it was around the $40 mark, which would be about $1.29 a wear as I've worn it 31 times, but I really can't be sure. It was definitely less than $60 as it was more than half price at the outlets, I remember getting an extra % off on top of the sale price, and Jeanswest maxi dresses weren't over the $100 mark 7 years ago. Even without knowing the exact cost per wear figure I know I've gotten my money's worth from this third trimester pregnancy buy, it's a wardrobe staple even without the baby bump!




Monochrome Outfit With Blue Printed Maxi Dress


4 blue accessory outfit ideas for a navy printed maxi dress  monochrome awayfromblue

Blue is my favourite colour so it's no surprise to see I like wearing even more blue with this dress! From a little thing like a blue bracelet or earrings, or something bigger like a blue bag, any shade of blue: pastels, turquoise, or cobalt works well with this navy dress.



Navy Printed Maxi Dress With Yellow


3 ways to wear a blue printed maxi dress with yellow accessories awayfromblue

There are of course lots of other colours you can wear with a navy dress! Yellow and blue are a cheerful combination, and as with the blue outfits above you can do it in a small way by adding a pop of yellow with a necklace, or bigger and bolder with a yellow scarf and bag.



Navy Printed Maxi Dress with Purple 


3 outfit ideas purple pieces with blue maxi dress awayfromtheblue

Another go-to colour combo of mine, blue and purple. As with the other colours above, you can keep it simple with a small purple bag, or wear something bigger like the purple cardigan. This waterfall one looks great belted over the dress for winter! I've done a 30 wears post with this purple cardigan too.



Navy Printed Jersey Maxi Dress With Pink


5 ways to wear pink accessories with a navy printed maxi dress awayfromblue

The navy print on this maxi dress is such a good backdrop for any shade of pink to pop! My favourite is magenta pink, like that Rebecca Minkoff Edie crossbody bag in the middle there, or the magenta necklace in the bottom right. But other shades of pink accessories work well with a navy dress too, with the tiny pastel belt or the bold neon pink scarf!



Ways to Layer a Jersey Maxi Dress


5 ways to layer up a jersey empire navy maxi dress awayfromtheblue

I don't just wear my maxi dresses in summer, even a sleeveless tank style like this one. You can make a maxi dress work in winter by layering a knit over the top, or just cover up a little more on a cooler autumn or spring day by knotting a grey tee over it! Knotting the tee helps stop it looking too overwhelming if you're petite like me, and gives a bit of shape to the outfit. And of course if it's summer you can still layer like I have in the middle with the crochet trim kimono.



Easy Throw On And Go Outfits With a Navy Maxi Dress


5 ways to wear navy blue printed empire jersey maxi dress

The best thing about a jersey printed maxi dress is that it's an instant outfit! Never over or underdressed, you just need to grab and go! With these outfits I've been dressed up for our annual family Santa photo, a night out, or dressed down for a casual BBQ with friends and family, or running errands. It just works for any occasion without any fuss.



Jersey Printed Maxi Dress In Pregnancy


5 baby bump pregnancy outfit ideas with a non maternity jersey maxi dress in navy print awayfromtheblue blog

That photo I have in the middle is the only one I have to show off the beautiful crochet back of this dress, which is a shame! But it turns out it's really tricky to get a good photo of the back of your outfit when you're using a tripod and camera remote 😂 With the stretchy jersey material of this maxi dress it works in all three trimesters, and even as you can see in the bottom right there, for the final days of pregnancy at 39 weeks! I like that I've been able to wear this dress through both my pregnancies with my boys, and it also works for breastfeeding after as the top is so stretchy! It was definitely a good sale buy all those years ago!




Where To Buy Navy Printed Maxi Dresses Under $50:









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Wednesday 27 January 2021

Dresses Worn Outside The Box: Magnificent 8

It's another Magnificent 8 post! Every quarter a group of us from multiple different age groups pick a theme and all style it in our own unique ways, showing you can be stylish at any age! This time we are sharing ways to wear clothes outside of the box. With it being a hot summer I wasn't going to layer up or wear anything drastically different, so I ended up falling back on my usual go-to way of mixing things up - taking a dress and wearing it a little differently!

Today I'm showing you how I wear a shirt dress as a kimono, and also how I wear a dress as a top. Such simple outfits but it really changes up the look of the dresses! I did wear these outfits a while ago, as I only take and share photos of outfits I actually wear on the blog and for some reason I had the wrong date in my head and this post was supposed to be last week, so I wore the outfits in advance of that!


What I wore:

collarless shirt dress worn unbuttoned over shorts and tee for different way to wear burgundy and black outfit | awayfromblue

Rebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey with silver bracelet stack | awayfromtheblue



JacketAtmos&Here Nigella collarless shirt dress (worn as kimono)
Necklace: Lovisa silver love knitted heart pendant necklace
TeeZalora Basics maroon stepped t-shirt
Shorts: Jeanswest Heather Bermuda short in black
ShoesNew Balance Coast women's running shoe in black 
Bracelets: the usual plus Hermes Kelly double tour bracelet in rubis
BagRebecca Minkoff Love cross body bag in grey


Why I wore it:

I wore this on the day our 3 day lockdown was announced in Brisbane. Unfortunately when I heard the news I'd been wondering when the best time that day would be to go out and get another loaf of bread as we were about to run out. I wasn't the only one suddenly needing groceries that day...had to join the longest line and wait over 35 minutes just to get into the grocery store. Thankfully I still had my pick of bread, they were restocking lots over the store and everyone was polite - I saw most people like myself only needing a few things, no overflowing trolleys. 

Did like my outfit for the day though even if it was a bit of a confusing day that definitely didn't go as planned. Having to tell my kids that our weekend plans and much looked forward to party were cancelled was pretty tough but truly 3 days was nothing! It was a nice long weekend at home before the lockdown was lifted as expected when there were no more cases.

I've worn this dress as a kimono before, and have worn it with this tee before too! Sometimes I worry this shirt dress can be a little short with the curved hems, so wearing it as a kimono over shorts instead is a great alternative. And it does work so well with this burgundy tee! The black Bermuda shorts matched the black in the print of the dress, as well as my sneakers. I wore my New Balance sneakers as my intention was to go for a walk around my favourite trail after quickly stopping at the grocery store but I decided it was probably best to get home and have an early start to lockdown after that hectic and time consuming experience! 😂


Last wornprinted shirt dress, burgundy tee, heart necklace, Hermes braceletblack denim shorts, New Balance sneakers, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag.

Other ways to wearprinted shirt dress worn two ways, burgundy tee in a capsule wardrobe, black denim shorts and print mix, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag worn 30 ways.

Perfect for pregnancyburgundy tee and hidden second trimester bump, Rebecca Minkoff Love bag in third trimester.


Other Ways I've Worn These Dresses:


5 ways to think outside the box and wear a dress differently ways to wear and remix | awayfromblue





What I wore:


Chloe periwinkle small Paraty with distressed denim shorts | away from the blue

awayfromtheblue Instagram | floral print tee dress worn as a top with denim shorts converse chloe paraty bag

Dress
Atmos & Here Willow printed tee dress (worn as a top)
Shorts: thrifted Jeanswest distressed denim shorts
ShoesConverse Chuck Taylor All Star coast blue
BagChloe periwinkle small Paraty


Why I wore it:

This was another rare kid-free time! Again the boys were with their grandparents and I had a massive to do list to tackle so I dressed simply with my comfortable Converse and another pair of denim shorts. With the blue Chloe small Paraty bag this would be a bit monochromatic so I thought this tee dress would be a fun way to add a bit more colour, with the bright floral print!

Again this isn't a new combination for me, this tee dress felt a bit short when the kids were little and crawling around everywhere, so I'd wear it as a top then. It also looks great worn under a pencil skirt for the office, where it would definitely be too short to wear on its own! It did seem to bunch up a bit when I was taking a photo but I didn't mind as I wore this through the day - it was so comfortable and the bright print so cheerful!

Unlike the day above, I managed to get a lot done in the precious few kid free hours I had on this day!



How You Can Wear It:

You don't have to wear a dress simply as a dress! Shirt dresses can be unbuttoned and worn like a kimono or duster depending on the length of your dress. A cute printed dress can be tucked into a pair of shorts and worn like a top too - great for a busy day of running around where you don't want to be tugging at the hem of a dress all day, or just for a way to change up how you style a favourite dress.


The Magnificent 8

The Magnificent 8 is a collaboration of 8 stylish women, ranging in age from early 20’s to early 80’s. The mission of this collaboration is to showcase how ageless style is. There are no age restrictions on style. So wear what you want, when you want, add a smile, and strut your style with confidence. And be sure to check out all 7 of these other amazing ladies!





Every quarter, the group chooses a theme and each create an outfit that suits our own personal tastes and fashion choices and we post them on the last Wednesday of every third month. So be sure to go check out everyone’s posts with the links above for style inspiration at any age as they show you their take on ways to wear things outside the box!


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Monday 25 January 2021

Kmart Tiered Midi Dresses - Dressed Up and Down | Weekday Wear Link Up

For today's Weekday Wear Link Up, I'm wearing these pretty Kmart tiered midi dresses again! They are so easy to dress up or dress down, as you can see by the different ways I've worn them here.


What I wore:

Kmart short sleeve tiered jersey dress in Fuchsia pink with studded sandals beaded statement accessories and gold leo envelope clutch | away from blue

Rebecca Minkoff Leo envelope clutch in champagne gold  with magenta pink dress and bracelet stack | away from the blue

awayfromblue Instagram | kmart short sleeve tiered jersey dress in fuchsa with gold leo envelope clutch statement accessories


Earrings: Piper glass beaded chandelier earring in cream and gold
Necklace: Jeanswest Taryn turquoise tassel bead necklace
Dress: Kmart short sleeve tiered jersey dress in Fuchsia
ShoesRebecca Minkoff Georgina studded gladiator sandals in blush
Bracelets: the usual plus vintage silver charm bracelet and Disney Couture Winnie the Pooh bangle
BagRebecca Minkoff Leo envelope clutch in champagne gold 


Why I wore it:

This was a really fun day! We had a party at my parent's place, lots of laugher and good food, and I decided to dress up a little for the occasion. This fuchsia pink Kmart tiered midi dress is a statement on it's own, but I added the fun gold clutch and the statement earrings to make it a bit more formal.

These beaded earrings were a Christmas gift and I just couldn't resist going a little matchy-matchy for their first wear with this beaded tassel necklace. Although the beaded tassel part is turquoise and gold I thought the cream stone and the other beads matched the cream and gold beaded earrings well. Added a couple of extra bracelets to my bracelet stack and because I didn't need to carry much I took the opportunity to give my Rebecca Minkoff Leo envelope clutch another wear!

Despite the rather windy and overcast day it didn't rain at all so we got to enjoy sitting outside in the afternoon before dinner. We drove away in the evening after making plans for some fun school holiday activities, all feeling good. The very next morning they announced a 3 day lockdown for Brisbane after there was a case of the virus outside of hotel quarantine. It was a bit of a shock after over 100 days without cases outside of quarantine, but it made me feel even more grateful we were able to have the catch up we did. I know that some countries have tougher restrictions again making big family meetups like we had impossible. Luckily there were no more cases and the lockdown was lifted at the end of the 3 days so our fun adventures we planned were still able to happen too.





What I wore:

Kmart short sleeve tiered jersey midi dress in amber with Adidas Superstar sneakers blue Julian nylon back pack Rebecca Minkoff | away from the blue

Rebecca Minkoff Julian nylon backpack in bright blue with orange kmart tiered midi dress | awayfromtheblue

awayfromblue Instagram | Kmart short sleeve tiered jersey midi dress in amber with rebecca minkoff nylon julian backpack bright blue


Necklace: Kmart gold and navy beaded necklace
Dress: Kmart short sleeve tiered jersey midi dress in amber 
Shoesthrifted Adidas Superstar sneakers
BagRebecca Minkoff Julian nylon backpack in bright blue
 

Why I wore it:

A much more casual way to wear this Kmart tiered midi dress! A very busy day, with lots of errands to run and sports in the evening, school shoe shopping and a fun trip to the library for the kids to pick up some new books. Kept it simple with the Adidas Superstar sneakers and carried all our water bottles in my trusty Rebecca Minkoff Julian backpack. I like the bright blue against the amber of the dress and this bag fits everything we need so easily.

I had actually planned to wear this dress a little more dressed up just like the outfit above, with some statement earrings and cute sandals and a different bag for another party! We were due to go to a kids birthday party the weekend lockdown was announced, and after the 3 day lockdown was lifted visitor restrictions were back in place so the party couldn't go ahead the next week with the 20 person limit, as the whole kindy class was invited. Since I had been looking forward to wearing this dress again, I figured I'd wear it anyway, even just to run errands in, because the party was cancelled. I'm glad I gave it a wear, it does dress down so nicely.


Last worn: amber tiered midi dress, gold and navy beaded necklace, Adidas Superstar, Rebecca Minkoff Julian backpack.

Other ways to wearamber tiered midi dress worn 2 ways, Adidas Superstar and maxi skirt, Rebecca Minkoff Julian backpack and jeans.



How You Can Wear It:


A simple tiered midi dress in a bold colour is a great wardrobe staple! You can dress it up with a clutch and some pretty accessories, or dress it down for an easy outfit on a busy day with the kids with a backpack and sneakers.


Weekday Wear Linkup #105


Welcome to the Weekday Wear linkup! A linkup for you to share your weekday outfits - whether that is office wear or stay at home mum wear - if you wore it on a weekday, you can link it up!


Guidelines:
1. Please link to a specific outfit post, not your blog homepage.
2. Link back to this post so others can find the link up.
3. Follow your host Away From The Blue on BloglovinInstagramTwitterFacebook or YouTube.
4. Add up to two posts and be sure to visit and comment on as many other posts as possible to get some weekday outfit inspiration!
Optional: tweet the post you linked up with the hashtag #weekdayWearLinkUp so I can retweet!


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