SAHM Style: Wearing Dresses in Winter with Leather Jackets and Printed Scarves

Although it's been quite a cold July in Brisbane, and we are getting cooler than normal winter temperatures, I've still been wearing dresses. No big secrets, just layering and wearing very cosy leggings and fleece lined tights! I try and wear my dresses year round, as much as I can. It resulted in these two very similar outfits, with a leather jacket, printed scarf, tall boots and and a simple dress.

What I wore:

Jacket: Wittner 'Santa Fe' cobalt blue leather jacket

Scarf: gifted blue tartan scarf
Dress: Zara printed bib front tunic dress
Shoes: Asos Cleo leather boots in tan
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini quilted affair bag in fire engine red (on sale in pink and on sale in black)

Why I wore it:

Last time I wore this jacket and dress together, it didn't stay clean for very long! Thankfully the jacket was able to be cleaned, and I was feeling brave enough to wear it around baby again.  I wanted to recreate that entire outfit again, but decided at the last minute to try a different scarf and bag to add more colour. I really liked this version! I love this dress and boots together, and the jacket and scarf work so well. How nice is this scarf? My sister brought it back from Europe for me. She sent me a picture of this huge scarf display in the front of a store and asked if I wanted one, of course I said yes. She was very generous and got me two!

We had a busy day with friends, exploring some of the hinterland and having lunch on tambourine mountain. I even had the chance to hold a snake. I was feeling pretty pleased with myself until she started to curl around my neck, I lost my cool a little then!

We had an engagement party that evening, and I just wore the same thing. I did briefly consider wearing something else just for the party, but figured the dress was pretty enough and by the time we got home I hadn't left a lot of time to try find something else to wear. Did make time to change baby T into a little formal outfit though, he looked so cute.


Last worn: cobalt blue leather jacket, Zara printed tunic dress, tan leather boots, Rebecca Minkoff quilted mini affair bag. First time I've worn the scarf.

Other ways to wear: cobalt blue leather jacket with jeans, printed tunic dress in the second trimester, leather boots and jeans, red cross body bag with a maxi skirt and neutral outfit.

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More seasonless dresses - perfect for layering or wearing on their own:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Asos Black by Markus Lupfer printed leather jacket

Scarf: Seed Heritage Paisley print snood (on sale!)
Dress: Zalora Basics faux leather placket red shift dress (on sale!)
Shoes: Asos Cleo leather boots in tan
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown

Why I wore it:

A dress wasn't my first choice for this cold day, but as I was joining the basics check in style challenge on instagram and the theme for the day was dress, I thought I'd participate and wear something other than the jeans I've been wearing a lot lately.

This outfit was wonderful, and I'd wear it again in an instant, but the day I wore it was pretty bad. Baby T and I had an appointment at our local clinic (one of those development check-ups / question sessions) and despite a rushed morning, I made it there with 10 minutes to spare. Only to find out we were a WEEK early! Oops. I have no idea why I thought the appointment was at a different date and time, I had written it down correctly on the calendar, but just didn't check it that morning.

The day wasn't a total waste though, since we were out we caught up with my mum to have lunch. It was just such a bad start! Goes to show that even the worst mornings can turn into lovely days.


Last worn: printed leather jacket, Paisley print snood, red shift dress, tan boots (above), Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag.

Other ways to wear: printed leather jacket with jeans, Paisley print snood in the office, shift dress with bare legs and ankle boots, tan boots (above), Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag in the third trimester.

Linking up with Passion For Fashion, Friday Favourites, Fab Favourites, Casual Friday, Flashback Fashion Friday, Fashion Friday, The Ultimate Rabbit Hole, Shoe and Tell, Let It Shine, Hello Monday here and here today.

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SAHM Style: Maxi Skirts and Cardigans - Cosy and Comfy

Just in case you missed it, Beth from Almost Posh and I had a chat to a newspaper about #noBuyJuly15. You can see the article online here. It has lots of great tips about reducing impulse buys, saving, and trying to spend more mindfully.


And now, what I've been wearing. I felt like I'd been wearing my skinny jeans a lot this winter, so I made more of an effort to wear my maxi skirts and get out of the denim rut. These two outfits were perfect for the days we had lined up with friends visiting from overseas. Maxi skirts and cardigans are such a cosy and comfortable combination.

What I wore:

Cardigan: Jeanswest Dana drape knit cardi in boysenberry

Necklace: Roie Designs long freshwater pearl necklace with tassel
Tee: Jeanswest 'Lucy' colour block tee in grey marle/rosebud
Skirt: Izabel London Aztec print maxi skirt (C/O)
Shoes: Ikwetta 'Circles of life' sandals (C/O)
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown

Why I wore it:

Apologies for the bin in the background of this shot! I was in a bit of a rush that morning. We were up early to travel down to NSW with our friends, and visit some great beaches and points of interest along the way. I was excited to wear my new Ikwetta sandals too! They are so pretty and perfect for the beach. You can see a better pic of my colourblock tee here when I was on a beach with baby, it's got a pink panel on the back. I have to say baby T coped so well with all the travel, it was a big day for him. I usually like to be home for his afternoon nap (he's down to just one nap a day) but he was still happy and smiley despite not really getting a big nap.

The only time I didn't like this outfit was when we were in Surfers Paradise at sunset. While it was gorgeous, no more sun to heat me up and walking along the markets right by the breezy beachfront made me wish I'd worn different shoes. They were okay during the day, just wanted something closed in as the temperatures dipped at night. The cosy cardi didn't keep my feet warm! The hot chocolate for the drive home helped a little though ;)



Last worn: purple cardi, colour block tee, printed maxi skirt,, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag. First time I've worn the sandals.

Other ways to wear: purple cardi and a tiny newborn baby, first time I wore this colour block tee, printed maxi skirt with grey and black, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag at 40 weeks pregnant.

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More maxi skirts and cardigans:

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What I wore:

Cardi: Izabel London striped waterfall cardigan (C/O)

Necklace: House of Harlow sunburst necklace in silver and grey
Tee: Zalora Basics maroon stepped t-shirt
Skirt: Target grey marle maxi skirt
Shoes: RMK Chester black ankle boots
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff mini quilted affair bag in fire engine red (on sale in pink and on sale in black)

Why I wore it:

I don't know what my hair was doing this day either! Had to get ready in a rush as didn't want to be late - we went to farewell our friends at the airport. We had coffee together and then after they flew away baby T and I went out for lunch with my mum.

As above, a maxi skirt and cardigan seemed like a comfortable and cosy option - although ankle boots this time to keep my feet warm!

As it's the second time I've worn this tee (and I'm trying to wear and review everything I buy twice in a month after buying), my purchase review:
I am glad I bought this tee. It had been hanging around in my cart at The Iconic for a while when it was on sale, and as I had an extra discount code off sale items and I was buying some boots too it was a good time to purchase.
I mentioned when I did my June monthly purchase wrap-up that I still had tops from the previous month that I hadn't worn. As a result, I returned all the tops from my June Jeanswest order, but kept this one. Partly as it was only a couple of dollars and partly because I really like it! It's got a high-low hem so it's just a little different from a normal tee, but still just as comfortable and easy to wear. It also fills my wardrobe gap, being a plain block-colour top. I definitely don't regret purchasing this at all, and it was easy to wear this twice in a month. Unlike the shirt I bought in May that I still haven't worn yet....

#noBuyJuly15 challenge was definitely needed, as I'm not managing to wear everything I buy before buying new things!


Last worn: striped cardigan, red tee, grey maxi skirt, black ankle boots, Rebecca Minkoff mini affair bag.

Other ways to wear: striped cardigan and red tee together with jeans, grey maxi skirt with floral cami in spring, black ankle boots in the office, Rebecca Minkoff mini affair bag with printed maxi skirt.

Linking up with Pleated Poppy, Style Me Weekly, Cappuccino and Fashion, Oh Hey Girl, Style Me Wednesday, Wednesday Pants, Trendy Wednesday Fashion Files, Thursday Favourites, Throwback Thursday, Fun Fashion Friday, Weekend Link Up today.

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Corporate Style: Printed Pencil Skirts, Trench Coats and Scarves

It's starting to get really cold in the morning taking outfit pictures! Brisbane's winter has reached its single digit temperatures so it's at the coldest point. My trench coats have been getting a lot of wear, being the biggest jackets I have.

Around this time last year I wore a lot less as I wasn't commuting early in the morning and facing the cold temperatures. I had the luxury of being able to nap when baby did in the morning and only venture out with my tiny newborn in the heat of the day, or even staying inside all day and having people come visit us cosy at home. The middle of the night feeds were freezing, but walking around with a doona wrapped around your shoulders is acceptable when the only face you will see is a hungry baby. A trench coat is a poor alternative, although much more socially acceptable for a commute!

What I wore:

Jacket: Barkins beige trench coat 

Scarf: Alexander McQueen modal skull scarf in white/pink (on sale!)
Top: Asos crochet shell top in cream
Skirt: Cotton On 'Mica' mesh spot skirt in dusty pink
Shoes: Wittner 'Bloomy' black heels
Bag: Marc By Marc Jacobs Classic Q Fran bag with gold hardware in carob brown

Why I wore it:

It's been such a long time since I last wore this jumper, almost 2 years ago! I used to wear it a lot in the early days of the blog (with all my headless blogging pics). I realised the other day I haven't worn my jumpers often this winter, so this one was the first one I picked out to try wear more. Although it hasn't been worn in a very long time, I'm keeping it as I liked it in this outfit and I have more ideas for other ways to wear it in future.


Last worn: beige trench, pink skull scarf, crochet knit jumper, polka dot pencil skirt, ankle strap heels, Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag.

Other ways to wear: trench with a printed dress, skull scarf and shorts in summer, jumper layered over a dress, polka dot pencil skirt with polka dot top, ankle strap heels with a printed dress and bare legs, 40 weeks pregnant with Marc by Marc Jacobs Fran bag.

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Trench coats and pencil skirts:

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What I wore:

Jacket: Temt black trench coat 

Scarf: Cotton On turquoise pashmina
Necklace: Tai gold alphabet necklace
Top: Jeanswest Elise longline emroidered shirt coconut blue
Skirt: Asos blue textured lace pencil skirt
Shoes: Walnut Melbourne 'Ava' black lizard ballet flats
Bag: Rebecca Minkoff medium MAB tote in moon navy

Why I wore it:

I really liked this outfit, but hate the photos as I think the scarf looks silly! I looped it around like I normally do after the photos. I wore it this way just to try show off the detail on the top. I know this skirt looks better with heels than flats too, but my knee needed a bit of a break from heels as I knew I had a lot of walking to do that day.

Had been wanting to wear this shirt to the office with this skirt for a while, and I stumbled across a little week-long style challenge on instagram that called for a white shirt. I don't have a white shirt (hate ironing shirts and too clumsy for white) so I figured this white tunic was close enough. So even with the weird looking scarf placement and the stumpy legs the skirt and flats combination gave me, I was really happy in this all day.

That's one of the good things about sharing every outfit I have time to photograph - it means even if the photo is terrible, I still have a record of how great I felt in an outfit to help me on those 'I don't know what to wear' days. I search the blog every now and then when I'm staring at my wardrobe trying to think of what to wear! I'm never going to have perfect photos, and I'm never going to have perfect outfits. I'm happy with that, and I'm happy to have you reading along too. Life doesn't have to be perfectly posed and styled all the time - it never is behind the scenes.


Last worn: black trench, turquoise pashmina, embroidered tunic, blue lace pencil skirt, black ballet flats, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote.

Other ways to wear: black trench with skinny jeans, turquoise scarf and purple jeans, embroidered tunic with flares, casual summer outfit with lace pencil skirt, black ballet flats with skinny jeans, Rebecca Minkoff MAB tote with more printed pencil skirts.

Linking up with Modest Monday, Mix It Monday, Style to Inspire, Manic Monday, Turning Heads, On Trend Tuesday, Style Sessions, Real Mom Style, Confident Twosday, Reasons To Dress, Wardrobe Wednesday, Trendy Wednesday today.

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