After fumbling my way through my spring 30X30 capsule, I feel like I’m slowly making some headway with my personal style. As someone who has prided herself on knowing what she likes, and how to wear it, this part of the postpartum experience has left me feeling a little lost. And I think it’s probably shown in the outfits I’ve haphazardly thrown together.
Wearing Ulla Johnson off shoulder top (also here and white floral version here); Aje denim mini skirt; Vaneli two tone pumps; Fendi vintage bag; Linjer earrings (10% off jewellery with code “mademoiselle10”); Missoma bracelet
So when I cobbled this outfit together this morning, I felt a little spark. I felt like… me. The “me” before I had a baby. And while I’m not sure that’s quite the point, I loved the way this outfit came together. It was comfortable, relatively simple, but looked poised and a little dressed up.
Let’s quickly run through the outfit.
The top is a navy off shoulder top from Ulla Johnson, which I bought while I was pregnant. I’d been trying to track this down for months, and finally got lucky on The Real Real. I sized up to a US6/FR38, and I’m glad I did. It doesn’t feel too big, and has a nice relaxed fit in the body. For me the winning detail on this is that puffed sleeve, with the tie at the shoulder. The pretty all over leaf print adds some extra depth, and the navy colour of the top is a winner for me. As much as I love wearing all black head to toe, it can sometimes come across as a little “harsh” when worn near my face. Navy is the perfect alternative.
They say navy and black shouldn’t be worn together, but clearly I don’t mind breaking style rules. I tend to build most of my outfits around a central piece, and today, it was this a-line denim mini from Aje. My body has changed quite considerably since having a baby, and my beloved ASOS denim mini no longer fits the way it used to. Denim skirts have always been a huge part of my style uniform, so I was set on finding an alternative which did fit. This ticks so many boxes and the a-line silhouette is ultra flattering, too. I love the little raw edged hem, adds some extra texture to the look!
Finally… accessories. I kept it simple with two old favourites. My Vaneli two-tone pumps are one of those fail-safe pieces for me. I can wear them with basically any outfit, and know it’ll work out. So, it was a bit of a no-brainer. I liked that there was some juxtaposition with the styling elements here too. The top and the shoes are more on the dressier side, and then the skirt has a real casual vibe to it. Paired together, it feels like there’s a nice balance, which leans ultra feminine (something I find works well for me). I didn’t want to wear a bag that sat across the body, so went with my Fendi mama zucca bag. This has a really soft texture and shape to it, which I thought complemented the rest of the outfit well.
