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I Don’t Buy Skirts… But I Bought a New Skirt For Summer

October 27, 2018 / Fashion / 0 comment

It’s been a long time between posts here on Styled by Bec, mainly because my outfit sharing has gone on the backburner while juggling family and work life.

Having a well curated wardrobe has meant I have been re-wearing outfits you’ve seen on here or Instagram before.

I find I do fall into a rut at times when I’m busy, wearing the same outfits, but it’s one less decision I have to make in my day. And the purpose of having a well organized wardrobe is having outfits that make it easy to get dressed in the morning. We should be re-wearing the same clothes and not giving a hoot if we repeat the same outfit time and time again.

But I do love a new dress, and I have had had my eye on two dresses at Gorman. With their 20% off sale I thought I’d head in store to try the dresses on. One can never have too many dresses.

I was glad I tried them on because I felt a bit meh with them. They looked great – but the green dress wasn’t as vibrant in life as it was in the pictures.

Spot on Sadie Dress

And the Geo Pop Flower Dress is similar to another dress I have from Gorman. I’m wary of the length and shape of the skirt as it inflates like a balloon when the wind blows. I have shown off my granny undies to diners at the Carindale Hotel while crossing the road to work while wearing the dress.

Geo Pop Flower Dress

And then I thought what about a skirt?

I have so many t-shirts that I’d love to wear with something other than jeans and shorts.

As soon as I tried the skirt on, I had outfit combos popping into my head. This skirt was going to breathe new life into my tees. It was a no brainer purchase.

Here are I am wearing the skirt with a Sussan spot top I love, but don’t wear often enough. The whole outfit works well with my Frankie 4 sandals and Rare Rabbit yellow necklace.

Wearing Gorman Geo Pop Flower Skirt

It’s a mix of patterns that work together. I have a red tee and black tee I can wear with the skirt too. I even have a spot blouse I can wear with the skirt for when I need to corporate it up for work.

And this is how I shop these days. Always considering how a new piece will work in with my existing wardrobe. This skirt is a different purchase for me. I own 3 skirts in my wardrobe so this will make a great addition and will allow me to wear more of my wardrobe this summer. I was also thinking how well my red leather jacket will go when I wear it in winter. The possibilities are endless!

The skirt is a different purchase for me, but I know I will get a lot of wear out of it this summer.

When it comes to clothes shopping, what do you usually gravitate towards purchasing? New tops, new dresses or new skirts?

Disclosure: There are affiliate links on this post. Should you choose to purchase an item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost.

How to Wear a Denim Pinafore Dress

October 12, 2018 / Fashion / 0 comment

Do you ever buy clothes for your kids and wish they came in your size? The denim pinafore dress is one of those pieces.

Last week, I bought all three of my girls a denim pinafore dress for summer. It’s the ideal piece to layer over a t-shirt. I think they look so cute on the girls… I wanted to wear one of my own.

How awesome that the denim pinafore dress is on trend this season. In fact, dungarees or denim overalls are a popular piece to own this spring. Truth be told, I’ve never been a fan of these because of the whole having to undress to go to the toilet situation.

I may also be scarred from hearing a story of a friend of a friend who went out to dinner in her overalls. Nature called and she did a number two, and didnt realise the back part of her overalls had dangled down the toilet bowl as she did so…

If I’m going to wear some sort of overalls… I want a skirt attached, so the denim pinafore dress ticks all the right boxes for me.

I got the last size 16 in this style from ASOS over the footy weekend. It doesn’t have stretch so I sized up. You don’t want your pinafore to be too big or the openings will reveal more than you bargained for.

I’ve styled it two ways so you can see how a pinafore denim dress can be worn in summer and winter. It is another ideal trans-seasonal piece.

How to wear a denim pinafore dress in summer

How to wear a denim pinafore dress in winter or inbetween seasons

A stripe tee is the perfect contrast with the denim. But any tee, singlet or off-the-shoulder top can be worn with your denim pinafore. I can’t wait to try different tops with my dress.

To make the dress versatile for the cooler weather, wear a longer sleeved tee and layer with leggings.

Frankie 4 Nat sneakers work well with the dress, but some Birkenstocks would be an ideal swap for summer.

These dresses seem to sell out as soon as they hit the shelves or online. It took me a while to find availability in a range of sizes. But here are some to help with your research.

Sportsgirl Button Thru Denim Pinafore $89.99
Sportsgirl Classic Denim Pinafore $89.99
ASOS Urban Button Through Denim Midi Dress $76.00
ASOS Vintage Blue Dungaree Dress $70.00
Miss Selfridge Zip Through Pinny Dress $69.95
City Chic Denim Overall Bib Dress $99.95

Do you own a denim pinafore dress? Ever bought clothes for your kids that you wished came in your size?

Disclosure: There are affiliate links on this post. Should you choose to purchase an item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

I Can’t Afford New Clothes All The Time, So This Is What I Do

October 1, 2018 / Lifestyle / 0 comment

If I was made of cash, you would see me wearing a different outfit everyday.

I love clothes. I love the thrill of owning a new piece and wearing it out. I equally enjoy discovering ways to wear a new piece with items I already own in my wardrobe. It proves the purchase was a good decision!

The reality is I don’t have an unlimited budget when it comes to clothes shopping. Truth be told, most of us don’t have the budget to buy new clothes all the time. But like me, you certainly love the thrill! So how can you get the same thrill of new clothes when you can’t afford to buy anything new?

This is what I do, because I’m right there with you!

When I can’t afford new clothes but itch for something new, this is what I generally do:

• Sort out my wardrobe – Sometimes I have to remind myself of what I already own. Spring is an ideal time to do this. I go through all the clothes in my wardrobe and segregate the pieces that have not been worn in a long while. Often I try to sell these pieces or will donate depending on what it is I’m trying to offload.

• Create a wish list – Some online retailers will allow you to keep a wish list of pieces you’d love to own, but can’t quite afford right now. I have done this with Birdsnest and a few other online retailers. I will often wait for a sale or a code for free shipping before I make my purchase.

• Spend time creating new ways of wearing what I already own – This tip can take time, but it’s really worth the investment as I have discovered new ways to wear a piece.

Same cardi and shoes worn in three different outfits

• Keep money in Paypal for those sporadic purchases – like anyone, I can be prone to a spur of the moment purchase. I might be scrolling through Instagram and I see a dress I love and before I know it, I’ve added to cart. For these situations, I try to keep a little bit of money in my Paypal account for such purchases. I don’t leave a lot of money in my Paypal account because I have had my account hacked and all funds stolen with the account closed (I got the funds back but it taught me never to keep a lot of money in Paypal if it ever happened again!). So whenever I get funds, I will withdraw, but I will keep a small amount in for sporadic purchases.

• If funds are tight, I will head to an op shop – I have mixed success with op shops and I don’t always have the time to trawl through all the clothes to find something I’m specifically looking for, but it can certainly give you the same thrill of buying something new.

• Buy an accessory within budget – These days accessories can cost just as much as clothes! I’m quite picky about my accessories, but I find when I purchase well, these can add to the thrill of owning something new.

I’m not perfect when it comes to clothes shopping, and I have been prone to chuck a new purchase on the credit card and ‘figure out’ how to pay it off when the next pay comes through. But when you have a financial goal, it can be easier to control the urge to buy something new.

Enjoying the clothes you already own can give just as much a thrill as buying something new.

I also try to remember the thrill of owning new clothes will never be quenched with something new because ‘new’ will become ‘old’ sooner or later.

Which is why being content with what you own becomes all the more important.

What do you do when you can’t afford new clothes but have the urge to buy something new?

Bright Patterned Tees for Summer

September 6, 2018 / Fashion / 0 comment

Bright patterned tees are a summer staple for me. A bright, patterned tee with a pair of jeans and cardi is a classic casual outfit for me from Autumn to Spring.

Some of my favourite tees are from Gorman, Elm, Bohemian Traders and Kmart.

Wearing Elm Tee

Polka dots, florals, stripes, abstract or geometric patterns – all of them are in my wardrobe and are worn on high rotation throughout the year.

In summer, my tees are worn with a pair of shorts.

In autumn, winter and spring, I layer a cardigan or jacket over my tees and wear them with jeans. The outfit is complete with a pair of canvas shoes or my Frankie4 Nats.

I love wearing a bright patterned tee because it’s a way to show my personality and one of the ways I love to wear colour in my outfit. I usually will have a bold earring to match with my tee.

There are so many gorgeous patterned tees coming out for spring and summer. There are a variety to suit each budget.

From my experience, the brands I’ve featured in my curation below have worn well – even after wearing them on high rotation and going through the wash multiple times. There’s nothing worse than buying a patterned tee and finding the pattern fades, runs or the tee shrinks in the wash.

I’ve found the Gorman tees for this season are cropped shorter. I’m not a fan of cropped tees as I like a little extra length to cover over my lower tummy. The one I featured is the normal length that I’m used to.

I just bought this tee on Tuesday, on sale. It was the only tee left in that pattern and in my size (yay!). I was pleased to add it to my collection. My Witchery cardigan matches perfectly.

Here are some bright, patterned tees I’ve found online.

Bird Keepers The Spot Cotton Top Mint $59.95
Kmart Extended Sleeve Tee $9.00
Kmart Scoop Neck Drape Tee $9.00
Etsy And Stretch Sandy Batwing Tee $51.91
Bohemian Traders Classic Swing Tee in Stripe $59.00
Etsy And Stretch Bondi Batwing Tee $51.91
Cordelia St Spot Jersey Tee $79.95
Lily & Me Cockles Tee $59.95
Gorman Museum Date Linen Tee $99.00
Elm Camelia Short Sleeve Tee $69.95
ONLY First Mix Top Cherry Print $29.95
Bird Keepers The Spot Cotton Top Blue $59.95

Are you a fan of the bright, patterned tee?

Disclosure: There are affiliate links on this post. Should you choose to purchase an item, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

My Favourite Trans-Seasonal Top – Three Quarter Sleeve Tops

August 8, 2018 / Fashion / Comments Off

The three quarter sleeve top is one of my preferred tops to wear during autumn, winter and spring.

The extra length in the sleeve is perfect for trans-seasonal dressing. Brisbane has had some warm winter days of late, so the three sleeve top has been ideal, layered with a cardigan or jacket early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Whenever I choose a three quarter sleeve top, I think about:

1. What jackets and cardigans I already own that can be layered over top?

2. Can they be worn into summer with a pair of shorts?

3. Can the sleeves be rolled up for summer?

4. What is the material and can it be worn all year round?

5. Will it look great with jeans?

Not all of my three quarter sleeve tops tick all the questions, but I do have multiple three quarter sleeve tops that suit one or more of my requirements.

At the moment, I’m working on a capsule wardrobe to take overseas that will work in with my black puffer jacket and jeans.

Here are some of the styles I’ve found that I’ve considered adding to cart.