Friday 13 January 2017

Maxi Lengths: Dressy and Casual With Louis Vuitton Neverfull

It's no secret that I love maxi lengths even though I'm petite. I think a maxi is appropriate for almost every situation, and these two outfits illustrate that well with a formal maxi dress and a more casual maxi skirt. The Louis Vuitton neverfull tote works in multiple situations too!

What I wore:

Jeanswest Heather textured maxi dress in eggshell for family Christmas photo | AwayFromBlue blog
ShoesRebecca Minkoff Georgina studded gladiator sandals in blush (on sale!)
Bag:  Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

Perfect for the 'maxi impact' instagram style challenge for SummerStyleFile, this dress was what I wore to go have our annual family Santa photo back in December. Trying to get Baby Boy, Toddler T and Cooper all happy and smiling at the camera was interesting though!

I really liked wearing this maxi dress for the photos - although I did take it off when we got home again as I figured untying it and tying it back up to breastfeed in would get too frustrating. The Louis Vuitton Neverfull and nude studded sandals made a really nice accessory combo too. It was fun wearing this dress for the first time without a baby bump, as I was pregnant the previous times I wore it!


Last worn: pastel maxi dress, studded gladiator sandals, Louis Vuitton Neverfull.

Other ways to wearpastel maxi dress and purple bag, studded gladiator sandals and denim shorts, Louis Vuitton Neverfull and metallic jeans.









What I wore:

grey tee, navy stripe maxi skirtLV neverfull bag casual summer maxi skirt outfit | Away From Blue

  Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull with striped maxi skirt | Away From The Blue
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Abacus teething necklace in pop
TeeAtmos&Here grey v-neck tee with rolled sleeves (similar in black or white)
SkirtTarget navy side split maxi skirt
Shoesslim gold Havaianas
Bag:  Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

Unlike the beautiful maxi dress above, this outfit was being worn for a much more casual occasion. This is what I wore to take Baby Boy into hospital. It had been a possible course of action discussed at our last specialist appointment so we knew it may happen in advance which made it a little less scary. This was a nice causal outfit, great for settling in and meeting some of the team who would be investigating Baby Boy and supporting us during our stay.


While the goal is to share everything I wear on the blog, I won't be posting the hospital outfits. I shared them on instagram, they are basically variations of this grey tee and maxi skirt outfit!

The hospital room outfit photos aren't the usual quality I'd have for blog photos so I hope you don't mind if we skip 2 weeks of hospital style. They were a nice distraction from everything and fun to share on Instagram but I have lots of other outfits to post anyway. I'm usually 2 weeks behind with outfits but for some reason posting December outfits in January makes me feel like I'm even more behind!


Last worn: slouchy grey tee, navy stripe maxi skirt, gold Havaianas, Louis Vuitton damier Neverfull (above).

Other ways to wearslouchy grey tee and black skater skirt, navy stripe maxi skirt and cross body bag, Louis Vuitton damier Neverfull and purple jeans.


Linking up with Shoe&Tell, Modest Monday, Let It Shine, Hello Monday, Trend Spin.



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Wednesday 11 January 2017

Navy Tops, Prints and Louis Vuitton Damier Bags

I've been enjoying wearing my Louis Vuitton bags lately. Although my MM neverfull and speedy bandouliere are printed, I tend to see them as simple bags to wear and will happily wear them when I have a printed piece in my outfit.

I've learnt from experience that it's best to wear a printed bag with just one other printed piece of clothing, I like the outfits better that way. Plain navy tops seemed a good choice to wear with the prints.

What I wore:

navy tank, black and yellow pleated skirt LV damier azur neverfull bag | Away From Blue

 Louis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull | Away From THe Blue
SunglassesRay-Ban new Wayfarers
Necklace: Nibbly Bits Wilma teething necklace in pale daffodil
TankMEV Britney bubble tank in mood indigo C/O Zibibo
Skirt: Garfunkle Australia pleated print skirt
ShoesWittner 'Jasmarie' studded sandals
BagLouis Vuitton MM damier azur neverfull

Why I wore it:

Wore this on a hot day with another specialist for baby boy. The big neverfull tote was ideal for carrying around all of the paperwork required. I have the MM size and it's perfect for me!

I was attempting to organise and declutter one day when I came across this skirt that I'd put aside with all of my other officewear pieces. No point in having them out taking up space in my wardrobe while I'm on maternity leave. I realised it would be nice to wear casually on days where I didn't want shorts or a maxi skirt though, so I kept it out and boxed up the rest of my workwear.

If if you're wondering why I'm not back at work yet, while I returned to work early when toddler T was a baby, I'm not doing that this time. I'm taking the full year of maternity leave I'm entitled to with Baby Boy. Yes, Australia does have awesome maternity leave entitlements.

As it was December, the #SummerStyleFile instagram style challenge was on so this pleated skirt fit the "pleats please" challenge nicely. I really liked this outfit, I was unsure about the black printed skirt with navy top at first but it turned out looking okay and I felt really comfortable in this all day. The yellow teething necklace just ties it all together. Can't believe it's been 2 years since I last wore this skirt! It needs worn more frequently. Hopefully now I'm going 6 months without shopping and trying to achieve 30 wears on everything I'll actually wear it!


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, navy breastfeeding tank, printed pleated skirt, studded sandals, Louis Vuitton neverfull.

Other ways to wearnavy breastfeeding tank and purple jeans, printed pleated skirt and grey tee, studded sandals and a maxi dress, Louis Vuitton neverfull in the office.




More Louis Vuitton Damier Print Bags:









What I wore:

Louis Vuitton damier ebene speedy B with monochrome navy printed shorts outfit Summer style | AwayFromBlue

Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere | AwayFromTheBlue
Necklace: Ruby Olive Softies Charlotte teething necklace
Tank: Kmart navy ribbed tank
Shorts: Jeanswest 'Scarlette' printed shorts
Shoesslim gold Havaianas
Bag: Louis Vuitton Damier Ebene 30 speedy bandouliere

Why I wore it:

Just under two years ago I had a wardrobe detox session with a personal stylist. I'd recently purchased these shorts at the time and was excited about them. One of the suggested outfits the stylist came up with was to wear a darker top with these shorts and make it look a little like a playsuit. At the time I made a note to try it when I got such a top in my wardrobe. It was the first outfit that came to mind when I saw this navy tank on sale at Kmart, so I was pleased to give the combination a go at last. The shorts were perfect for the two style challenges on instagram too, white in the print for Summer Style File and swishy for Darecember.

Like the outfit above, I really enjoyed wearing this. Wore it for a quiet day so it was one of those outfits you feel are a bit of a waste as you didn't do anything special in them! I've already worn it again with different accessories as I liked this outfit so much.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarers (above), Kmart navy tank, printed navy shorts, Havaianas, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere.

Other ways to wearKmart navy tank and printed cardi, printed navy shorts and grey tee, Louis Vuitton speedy bandouliere and a maxi skirt.


Linking up with Weekend WearPassion for Fashion, Fun Fashion, Fabulous Friday.




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Monday 9 January 2017

Fitted Tanks Post Baby And The Mum-Tum (With Denim Shorts and Printed Kimono)

I have a lot of fitted tanks in different colours. I liked wearing them while pregnant but haven't been loving them as much lately. Partly because I prefer lifting tops up rather than pulling them down for breastfeeding and it's not easy to do that in something so fitted. Being honest though it's mostly because they cling so much around the tummy area.


After two babies in two years I knew my stomach would never be perfectly flat. I'm still happily rocking my bikini post-baby - despite a visiting obstetrician telling me during my last pregnancy that my stomach would be "ruined" and that I'd never go to the beach or wear a bikini again! I am proud of my belly, however lumpy it is. I love every extra wrinkle and am truly happy with my "tiger stripes".

However, with tight clothing you don't see anything other than a bump. Which I worry looks suspiciously like a baby bump from some angles. Although trivial, the awkward "nope, not pregnant" conversation just felt a little too stressful to handle! I preferred to cover my belly up in clothing and avoid giving anyone the opportunity to notice and comment. While it's easy to hide a belly in photos it's trickier in real life.

Since wearing these outfits I have had someone mistakenly congratulate me on my "pregnancy" and have had to point out that nope, I'm not pregnant, just got a mum-tum! And you know what? It wasn't as horrific an experience as I thought it would be. I just laughed it off and didn't get upset or make the person asking upset. I wasn't even wearing a fitted tank when it happened, ha! It made me realise I was worrying unnecessarily.



What I wore:

colourful summer denim shorts outfit blue and purple Somedays Lovin kimono | AwayFromBlue

silver bracelet stack Tiffany Yondale designs, Rebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum | AwayFromTheBlue
SunglassesRay-Ban new Wayfarers
JacketSomedays Lovin' Yakuza print kimono
Necklace: Ruby Olive Softies Charlotte teething necklace
TankJeanswest 'Jenni' basic singlet in Hawaii blue
ShortsJeanswest printed denim shorts
ShoesRebecca Minkoff Georgina studded gladiator sandals in blush (on sale!)
BagRebecca Minkoff mini MAB tote in plum (on sale in navy!)

Why I wore it:

Wore this to run a few quick errands in the afternoon. I'd planned to go out in the morning but never managed to get organised quickly enough to leave before baby's nap, so an afternoon outing it was.

I really liked the colours in this outfit! I think the blue and purple are lovely together. The multi-coloured necklace tied everything together nicely.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer, printed kimono, blue fitted tank, printed denim shorts, Rebecca Minkoff Georgina studded sandals, plum purple mini MAB tote bag.

Other ways to wearprinted kimono and purple jeans, blue fitted tank and a baby belly, printed denim shorts and a grey tee, Rebecca Minkoff Georgina studded sandals and maxi skirtpurple mini MAB tote bag and winter layers.




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What I wore:

summer shorts print mixing tank and kimono outfit OneTeaspoon Hawks | Away From Blue

Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold | Away From The Blue
Jacket: Somedays Lovin' Yakuza print kimono
Necklace: Ruby Olive Softies Charlotte teething necklace
TankGlassons striped tank in black and white
ShortsOneTeaspoon Hawks shorts in Fox black (C/O, on sale!)
Shoesblack slim Havaianas thongs
BagRebecca Minkoff micro Regan satchel in Harvest Gold (on sale!)

Why I wore it:

Same kimono, different shorts and tank. I wasn't enjoying this outfit as much as the one above. I felt the stripes really accentuated the mum-tum and was feeling a bit self-conscious about it at the time. I also couldn't help thinking that my grey and white striped tank probably would have looked better with the grey kimono.

An okay outfit, but one of those that seem better in theory when you're planning them than they do when you wear them.


Last worn: Ray-Ban Wayfarer (above), Somedays Lovin kimono (above), striped tank, OneTeaspoon Hawks shorts, Havaianas, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag.

Other ways to wearkimono and a maxi skirt, striped tank layered up for winter, OneTeaspoon Hawks shorts worn two ways, Rebecca Minkoff micro Regan bag and chambray dress.



My clothes may fit differently but it's for the most amazing reason, one that I wouldn't change for the world. My body might change further when I've stopped breastfeeding but it might not and I'm perfectly okay with that. I DO have a rounder tummy and I am extremely grateful and amazed to have two beautiful boys as a result. I need to embrace it in every situation, even if it makes people wonder if I'm pregnant. So expect to see me wearing more of these fitted tanks over the remainder of summer. Lumpy post-baby belly and all!




You can hide a baby bump in pictures, you can dress in ways that disguise any leftover baby weight. Or you can keep it real and show it all off in a bikini. Your body, your business. Remember a photo never tells the full story, never compare your behind the scenes to someone else's highlight reel! Don't feel bad about how you look post-baby, every pregnancy and post-pregnancy journey is different.


Linking up with Mix It Monday, Mums That Slay, Hello Monday, On Trend, Turning Heads, Style Sessions, Confident Twosday, Midweek Inspo, What I Wore, Oh Hey Girl, Fashion FilesFlashback Friday, The Ultimate Rabbit Hole.



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