This month marks the start of my #NewYearNewYouStyleChallenge, specifically #NoJeansJanuary. If you’re feeling a little lost right now then I’d suggest you check out the original posts linked above. I didn’t think I’d struggle with the no jeans for a month rule so I made it harder for myself. I included all kinds of coloured jeans and denim shorts into the ban as well. Not every day’s outfit is included below so if you want more why don’t you follow me on @stylewithingrace. I also drew outfit inspiration from a variety of Instagram daily style challenges, #januarywearwhatwhere, #anySTAGEstylejanuary, #stopdropstylejanuary and #simplystyledjanuary. These style challenges are great because every time you use the hashtag, it counts as an entry into a give-away. Anyway back to it, here’s how I faired.
Day 2: “BAGgage Claim”
When I saw that this day was all about bags, I knew I had to find a way to wear my new cross body bag that I picked up at thrift store for all of about $4.50. It was still in great condition and I love the beautiful mix of colour block hues. It just so happened that it matched perfectly with another recent acquisition, this Boohoo floral jersey mini skirt. When pattern mixing it’s always a good idea to have one pattern that’s bigger in size to the other and either mix a neutral pattern with a colour one or match colours which I have done here. You can still pick one up this jersey skirt here but in limited sizing so be quick.
Day 4: “‘Twas a gift”
I had to work around Christmas time so I took my holidays during the first week of January instead. By day 4 I was starting to notice a summer holiday style uniform… A mini skirt and tee. I wore this in a few different ways but it was essentially the same outfit. Hey when something works why mess with it right? This skirt was another great thrift store find. I was particularly drawn to it because it had an interesting mix of textures; leather, jersey and an almost tweed like look. To satisfy the daily style challenge requirement my watch and earrings are both gifts from my lovely husband.
Day 8: “Double Black Diamonds”
A nice casual look with my thrift store leather skirt quick fix. You can read about that mission here. This criss-cross top is becoming one of my favourites! It’s so comfortable and I love the added interest the neckline provides. It’s made of a slightly heavier material so it drapes really nicely. In case you were wondering how the Double Black Diamonds fits in; I am wearing some sparkly black gem earrings.
Day 15: “Hats Off to You”
I don’t wear hats very often but I’m keen to get more into it because it can really add another great element to an outfit. A lot of my inspiration pictures I keep on hand to help me put new outfits together have started cropping up with the floppy felt hat so I “felt” like I had to add one to my collection. In fact I added two because I couldn’t chose between black and beige. I have already come up with so many different ways to wear them. You’ll see more of them on my feed in the future. I got mine from Sammydress because they were the cheapest place to buy them but I also saw the exact same ones in Kmart for $15. If you like the look of my vest you can pick up a similar one here.
Day 18: “Gray Girl Gray”
If you couldn’t tell I was a fan of Sammydress before than you should really figure that out now. This whole outfit is all from Sammydress; my new favourite tee which I mentioned above, this wool button up grey skirt, which I do admit was a little too warm for summer and these beige lace heels which I bought awhile ago and are no longer stocked.
Day 19: “Mixologist”
I put my pattern mixing skills to the test again on this day. I brought out the same Boohoo jersey skirt from earlier and this time mixed them with these polka dot heels, which were a reward for myself for surviving the chicken pox in adulthood and missing out on the UV neon glow stick rave NYE party I helped to plan and instead spent it in bed itching like crazy! I’m not bitter about that at all. Lol. Polka dots are a great almost neutral pattern that goes with just about everything and because I had a similar colour in my skirt I think these two pieces work really well together.
Day 20: “Blush Yo Shoulders Off” and “Make it Military”
Ever since I finished painting and putting together my old pallet bar to hide the ugly outdoor air-con unit, Cleo has taken a particular shine to sitting on top of it. I guess because the tops made out of tiles, it is a nice cool spot for summer which is also up high so she can keep an eye on everything. Cleo especially loves to sit on the bar when I am taking photos. This time she even decided to pose for the picture too. Leggings are a great option instead of jeans when you are looking for a change from all the dresses and skirts but they can be hard to style well. If you are looking for some tips on how to style leggings then head on over to my “How to Style Leggings” posts.
Day 21: “Billy Jean” and “Shine Bright Like a Diamond” and “Preppy and Pretty”
I finally got around to cleaning up my backyard and putting all the furniture back in it’s rightful place this Saturday so I could actually mix up my photography background again. Using the reflection of my Glass Stone Mirror really creates a beautiful border around my images. After cleaning the backyard in the morning, I went to a Natural Make-Up Workshop with Bluebird Natural Beauty. You can see the after results in the photo above. I found it so helpful and interesting. If you are confused about what chemicals you should be avoiding in your make-up products or are looking for some extra guidance when doing your make-up hit them up. The workshop was thorough and informative and the products were beautiful! I plan on buying some of them when I run out of my current products.
Day 22: “Leisurely Lovely” and “Cabin Fever”
The daily prompts for the style challenges this day were a little ambiguous so I went with my white lace high low dress which I hadn’t worn in a while and mixed it with my sequin vest. In my mind the sequins help me get over the cabin fever of casual clothes all weekend.
Day 25: “DRESSed Up” and “Opposites Attract”
I knew I had to wear a dress today for “DRESSed up” but I was struggling to come up with something for “Opposites Attract”. I finally settled on a super girly dress with more rugged boots. The dress and the boots on their own were a bit lacking. I was thinking about adding a vest when I remembered my lace top. It is such a good piece to layer over dresses to give them a completely new look without adding too much warmth. This one isn’t exactly the same but will give you a similar look. You can also find mine and many other black choker necklaces here.
Day 26: “Printastic” and “Color My World and “Heavenly Handbags”
I had just received this pop of colour purple handbag in the mail. I knew it would be perfect for this day’s outfit. It’s such a beautiful, rich colour. I can’t wait to see what kinds of outfits I’ll come up with to style it with. I added my striped flats into the mix for the “Printastic” element and wore it with a simple black button down dress. Lots of comments came in about the bag so I thought I should share with you where I got it.
Day 27: “OTK or OTS” and “Free Day Friday”
I’ve had this top that my mum brought back for me from her overseas travels for a while now but have struggled on how to wear it. I just love coming up with ways to style an item that is a bit tricky. Turns out it wasn’t that hard at all. Apparently I just needed to buy myself these OTK boots to pair it with. I love these boots too! I got them while Boohoo was having their up to 50% off sale. They are having another 50% off sale so if you want to score yourself a pair then head on over. These are my exact pair but Boohoo also so many great ones like this pair if you want flat boots or this pair if you want a chunkier heel.
I love that they have the tie up back because it makes it so much easier to keep them up no matter what you leg size. Be warned though that they are really slim fitting around the foot and ankle. If you plan to wear socks with them I would suggest to go up a size. I bought a size 6 and while they do fit, if I wear any socks my larger left foot starts to ache. I ended up go back and getting a size 7 and they are much more comfortable.
I’ll see you again with #FollowSuitFebruary next month.
