dresses, cardi and brown boots

 

Dress: Oasis (last worn)

Cardi: Label Lab

Boots: Hush Puppies

Coat and Bag: as usual 

Now, this Oasis dress definitely looks better with the white cardi as last worn. And I also think my tan/brown boots, although very practical and keeping me warm, doesn't look great with this dress and for 'professional' or 'corporate style' look. 

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Dress: (last worn)

Cardi: Label Lab (grey) and Mango (stipes)

Boots: Hush Puppies

Coat and Bag: as usual 

This brown, jersey striped dress was last worn with the white cardi too, and it looks better with the white cardi too !!  Then, I thought about trying on the new cardi (second-hand from eBay) received yesterday, which I think is an improvement from the grey cardi.... just a lot of stripes!  

After work I am meeting with a friend and her little girl who is at similar age to Baby D. So I thought this jersey dress would work well for both work and play time later on (I hope so anyway). 

AA xxx

Stripes dress, Cardi and Boots

I am back, after having two months, or nearly three months perhaps, break from blogging my outfits. 

One reason of that is because I ran out of ideas and thoughts to comment on my outfit combination, and inspiration and energy to keep up with that due to exhaustion from juggling between a full-time job and off-work full-on mum. I was sooo exhausted to a degree that I kept picking up terrible colds one after another till the new year !

While I was recovering from being poorly and from lack of energy, I have been thinking about my blogs (I have two 'active' blogs, one here in English and the other in Mandarine). I have been on and off blogging for a decade now. Although I had taken short and long breaks every now and then, I do generally go back to blogging as I do enjoy it and as a form to be true to myself. 

The original thought of this blog is to simply keep records of my outfit /style, and mostly to see how it would develop over time. I now feel more relaxed about sticking to that plan as life is not always so simple and clear-cut, and I feel I want to embrace more flexibility generally in life. 

I would still blog about my outfits, but I may also share my motherhood ups and downs here too ! : )

Back to my outfits, this is what I wore to work today. 

Dress: 

Cardi: Uniqlo 

Tights: 

Boots: Clarks in Taupe 

Bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs Hillier Hobo Bag in Taupe

Coat: Traveler (not in picture)

Had a meeting with colleagues from different departments. Although it was a casual catch-up, I thought a more formal look may go down better, so I put on F&F blazer for the meeting (blazer not in the picture).  The meeting was in the atrium, which was rather cold even with the central heating on. So for that reason, it was a wise decision to have the blazer on !  

AA xxx

stripes dress, cardi, boots, Marc Jacobs Hillier Hobo bag | stripes top, jeggings, boots

This is what I wear to work today - essentially, following same formula as last week, but with warmer boots, a grey cardi and a black knee-high trench coat from Ted Baker (not in the picture).

I have been off work for two days earlier this week with a bad cold, rough throat and uncontrollable big cough all the time. I am 'told' to stay home away from people while I get myself sorted as the wife of my line manager has bad lung problems and he is concerned to pass on the cold to her. Although I am feeling better today and came back to work yesterday (Wednesday), I am still coughing a lot. And I feel like a mess, less inspired in my look generally.    

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This is what I wore to work yesterday (Wednesday). Again, similar combination of the weekend style, but with a different pair of jeggings, boots, coats and bag.

I like to wear boots and jeggings when I am playing a commuting mummy role. And it was specially functional when it ended with me pushing/running with the pram in heavy rains !! (I hate rainy days.)


AA xxx

Working weekend holiday in the Lakes

top: Dorethy Perkins white knitted top & stripes long sleeves cotton top (bought in Taiwan)

blue jeggings: George at ASDA

shoes: Dune (2013 f/w)

bag: CiPU B-bag

My husband organizes a student development weekend away training in the Lakes District, and we decide to come along and stay in a nearby B&B while he stays with the group in a hostel. 

As I am on my own with the pram (and the baby) some of the time, it's more mobile to wear diaper bag on my back. And a warm, good walking boots and rain coat is a must. 

First picture was taken at home before we set off to the Lakes District.  Second picture was taken when Baby D is having a short nap in B&B after breakfast on Sun.

We came to do the tree-top tracking in Ambleside two years ago with a different student group and it was really good fun. We came again this time, and discovered it is also great for little human too! We will probably come here a lot in near future.

AA xxx

stripes dress, cardi, boots, Marc Jacobs Hillier Hobo bag

  

dress: bought on eBay

cardi: George at ASDA

boots: Forever 21 ankle boots (bought on eBay)

bag: Marc by Marc Jacobs Classic Q Hillier Hobo bag (bought on eBay)

trench coat: Uniqlo

Most item I wear to work today (Thursday) are bought from eBay - told you that I am addicted to finding gems on eBay!! 

This dress looks lovely on eBay picture (the one against the white door), but I cannot hide my disappointment when I received it. It was just slightly too long for my liking, and also slightly too big and baggy. Of course the trouble with buying second-hand clothes on eBay is that you cannot refund/return an item. 

After sitting on this for few days, I feel more positive about it again - it is actually a functional dress for a working full-time mum!! It is comfortable to wear all day at work, to sit in the playpen after work, and to bend down checking on the baby when on the go - I am sure many mums would recognise these elements in every day life : )

AA xxx

family day out in Yorkshire Dales

top: pink knitted short sleeves top - not shown in the picture

blue jeggings: F&F @ASDA (July 2014)

trench coat: Uniqlo 

shoes: Hush Puppies 

scarf: ASOS owl print (Aug 2014)

bag: CiPU B-bag in pink/black stripes

Had a fab day out in the Forbidden Corner in Yorkshire Dales today.  So much fun that we decided to have this trip every September from now on, until Baby D is bored by it!! 

my real mum style is fixed to the formula of 'jeggings + trench coat + flat/boots" at the moment.  

AA xxx

stripes maxi dress, green top, Crocs shoes, Balenciaga city

stripe maxi dress: Primark

top: (bought in Taiwan) 

bag: Balenciaga violet city

shoes: Crocs

Had a day off for a hospital appointment. as Baby D still goes to nursery, I decided to wear something I don't normally wear when I am on mummy duty. (Baby D basically wiped everything on me, so I tend to not wear white base colour around him these days.

I like how I have the green top on top of the dress, and how layers work. I wonder if I have other items in my wardrobe that could create similar/different looks - Remixing items is what I hope to achieve in following other bloggers and documenting 'what I wore today'. Hopefully this is the beginning.

And I used a different colour belt today from last time.

last worn: maxi dress, bag

AA xxx

Maxi dress, Real Mum Style

dress: Primark

bag: CiPU Jumbo CT Bag (similar)

shoes: Dorothy Perkins

parka: (bought on eBay)

Today is Baby D's first birthday! Happy Birthday my little baby! 

'Real Mum Style' for me is something super functional, and I would normally go for a oversize tee with a pair of jeggings. Since the discovery of maxi dress on Friday, I knew it would be a good choice to wear on Baby D's birthday party. And I wish I had tried on some maxi dress a lot earlier during my maternity leave as they would have been great for a trying-to-look stylish, or decent, staying home mum.

In case you didn't notice, we three are wearing black-white matching style..... 

Anyway, I think I would probably keep this maxi dress for casual wear than for work in the future. 

AA xxx

Maxi dress for work

maxi dress: Primark (new purchase) 

blazer: George

bag: Balenciaga cross perforation anthracite work 

shoes: Hush Puppies flat

necklace: House of Harlow style sunburst (not in the picture) 

[outfit]

This is my first time ever, trying on a maxi dress! And, because I don't know whether this style will suit me or not, I bought a second-hand one on eBay for the experiment.  

I'd normally like to wear something more formal when I am teaching. Although today is one of those occasions, I just cannot wait to wear my first maxi dress and get a feeling of what it is like to have it on all day. 

It feels very good, like every inch of my skin is breathing, and I don't need to worry about big wind as well.  But, I am not sure if I will wear it again when I am teaching. Even if I do, I will certainly have it on with a different pair of shoes, something more leathery or with heels for formal occasions, and with a different blazer too.  

It is a very comfortable outfit, especially going to work with my personal driver, aka hubby. AI feel each inch of my skin is breathing.... But, I think it is too casual for teaching, especially when I had to take off the blazer because of the stiff room temperature. And it will not be a good choice if I have to commute on public transport, especially not with a pram! 

AA xxx