Category: Style

Matching Florals -Tie Top & Mini Skirt

I’m loving how more and more bright colours and pretty summer prints have now worked their way back into my wardrobe. We’re not doing too badly, weather wise here in England and other than the expected odd few rainy days, the daily forcast had been pretty decent. This has meant being finally able to wear short skirts for the first time, in what feels like forever and being able to go bare legged too. Not to mention being able to wear sandals again!

This cute matching floral two piece was a recent purchase from H&M. They actually did this set in different prints and colours. Resisting the temptation to buy every set available, I went for this one, as I love the gorgeous summery print and the pop of bright pink on the flowers.

My sandals are from Clarks and I’m pretty much in love with them. I always struggle finding sandals that I like and that feel comfortable and for me these tick all the boxes. The fact that they are white means that they go with pretty much anything and I love how the silver sole makes them stand out.

What items of clothing do you love wearing when it’s Spring/Summer?

Samio x

May 15, 2015
The Vintage Kilo Sale

On Saturday I was invited along to the Vintage Kilo Sale, it’s a vintage fair that’s held all around the country and this time it was in Manchester. The difference between this vintage fair and most others, is that you pay by weight and each kilo costs £15, which generally speaking, seems to make it cheaper than most vintage fairs.

I was given a complementary kilo and after being handed my plastic bag to fill, I hit the rails to see what vintage gems I could find.

I have to admit, for me personally, I didn’t find it the easiest shopping experience. If you’re like me and feel like you’re being too rude to shove your way to the front, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on the best pieces. However if you’re a pro sale shopper or the type of person who likes to rummage for a bargain, then this could be the right kind of fair for you. Of course, as all the garments are vintage, it means that each piece is one off, so once it’s gone, it’s gone. So when you see a gem, there’s no hesitation, you’ve got to grab it!

I did manage to grab a few garments once I got into the swing of things and although there was a designated area to try items on, I decided to just get them and then see what they were like once at home.

The lovely Jenessa (manager of The Vintage Kilo) and I.

I got this check dress which is cute for summer. It’s a little big on me but luckily the waist tie means I can pull it in to fit a little better.

This skirt was my favourite item out of those I picked up. I love polka dots, so of course I as drawn to the print. It’s a tiny bit big but I plan on taking it in at the wait slightly for a better fit.

I also got a pair of black and white cropped trousers (which I forgot to photograph) but these are unfortunately also a bit on the big size. I’m undecided yet if they can be pulled off wearing them with a waist belt, as I do really like the vintage high waisted look of them, so it would be cool if I can wear them still.

Next time I’d probably be sure to get there a little earlier and for those who plan on going, I’d say it’s probably worth paying the small bit extra to get the early bird ticket so that you can get in there first and nab the best pieces.

Have you ever been to a vintage fair like the Vintage Kilo Sale?

Samio x

May 11, 2015
That Special Occasion Outfit – The Jones and Jones Dress

Oh how I love to dress up. If I had the choice I’d dress up everyday (although some say I already do to some degree) but unfortunately normal life often gets in the way and heels and a girly lace lined dress aren’t always deemed practicle. But of course there are times when it is seen as acceptable to go all out and dress up for that special occasion. It may not be quite right for popping to the shops in but as the season is approaching, I think that this look that I’ve put together, would be perfect for prom or if you’re wanting to make a special effort as a wedding guest. Unfortunately I’m too old to attend prom (The film Never Been Kissed springs to mind) and the next Wedding I’m going to be attending is over a year away… But, in the mean time, it’s fine for a girl to play dress up right?

I recently picked out this gorgeous pale pink and navy blue baroque print dress from Jones and Jones and instantly knew I’d have to team it with what I like to call my ‘Mrs Kennedy’ jacket, from Zara. I went for a matching pale pink belt to synch in the dress at the waist and slipped on a pair of pale pink heels. I went for a small navy blue clutch purse to tie in with the colour on the dress and a pair of retro style sunnies completed the look perfectly.

What I wore
Dress – Jones and Jones
Belt – Primark
Jacket – Zara (last season)
Heels – New Look
Bag – H&M

How about you, do you have any special occasions coming up this summer? What would be your perfect outfit to wear to a wedding or to prom?

Samio x

April 28, 2015
H&M, Clarks & Orla Kiely

Let’s start from the bottom and work our way up shall we…

So with Saturday’s outfit I finally got round to wearing my Clarks x Orla Kiely navy leather platform heels. If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen me post a picture of these. Since this year’s Clarks x Orla Kiely collaboration dropped, I’ve been swooning over these retro looking babies and if I’m quite honest when I was given the chance to pick a pair out, I was torn between the navy leather and the brown (both equally as stunning). In the end I opted for the Navy Leather as I didn’t own any heels in that colour and I’ve already mentioned in previous posts about my current love for shades of blue at the moment. So the decision was made…

So on Saturday I spent the day strutting around town is these towering diva heels and I have to say they were rather comfortable (by heels standards), they didn’t rub and as they have quite a large platform they don’t feel quite as tall (heel height – 12cm) when you’re wearing them and so they don’t strain your feet so much when walking.

For the rest of my outfit I wore this cute yellow jersey dress, covered with a quirky dark blue speckled print. I picked this up recently from H&M. I always love going to there for cute little summer dresses that you can just throw on. This one was only £7.99.

The jacket was another recent H&M purchase and I’ve not stopped wearing it since I bought it last Monday. Now the weather is hotting up here in England, I’m able to ditch the heavy jackets and it’s so perfect having a lightweight jacket like this that I can throw on. The style is cropped, so it means that I goes perfectly with all my high waisted skirts and pretty spring/summer dresses.

What I wore:
Heels – Clarks x Orla Kiely – Orla Beryl
Dress – H&M
Denim Jacket – H&M(Similar here)

Samio x

April 23, 2015
Live Simple, Dream Big, Give Love, Laugh More

This is my first blog post in just over a week, I think this has been the longest amount of time I’ve not blogged for in a while. It’s funny that I now see a week as a long time to not have blogged, seeing as when I first began blogging my posting was somewhat sporadic but what can I say, since the start of this year, I now have the blogging bug. Anyway, sometimes life gets in the way or even the words just don’t quite flow and I go into a bit of a ‘bloggers block’, especially when I feel like in have lots of other things on my mind. Last week I spent a couple of days in London, which might also have something to do with it and although I’m down there again this week, this time I plan to be more organised with my blogging schedule…

Anyway, onto the focal words of this post: Live Simple, Dream Big, Give Love, Laugh More – Four simple hashtags on my t-shirt. I spotted this top in H&M and although it’s not the usual style of Tee that I go for, I really liked the fitted, slightly cropped style and decided to purchase it. Also I think the hashtags are some pretty good points to live by.

#Live Simple
This is always something I have often struggled with, what can I say, I’m a consumer, I want more, I buy more. I enjoy acquiring ‘stuff’ and even when I go away for just a week I struggle to fit all my ‘essentials’ into one decent sized case. However to ‘live simple’ is something I have been trying to do more in recent times. Don’t get me wrong, you won’t see me giving up my home and living out of a backpack anytime soon but I’ve learnt that certain extravagances don’t always bring you happiness and sometimes (just sometimes), the simple things are the best.

#Dream Big
I’m the biggest dreamer, some may even say, ‘too much of a dreamer’. I often need to remind myself to put my plans into action instead of just dreaming about them but over the years I’ve got better at that and I’d say to anyone else, why limit yourself. If you have dreams, chase them.

#Give Love
Never were there wiser words. Without sounding all hippie dippy, if we all just gave a bit more love (not just to those we know), the world would be a much better place. Enough said.

#Laugh More
Laughing is infections, it makes you smile, it makes other people smile and most importantly, it makes people happy (unless your laugh is the start of a manic breakdown instead of actual happiness of course), so when you can, do it more. Don’t take life too seriously, enjoy the moment and surround yourself with those who bring you joy.

What I wore:
T-Shirt – H&M
Jeans – Gap
Belt – Primark
Shades – Vintage Christian Dior
Backpack – H&M
Shoes – Asos (old)

So I hope you all have a fabulous week and remember some of those hashtags as you go about your day.

Samio x

April 20, 2015
Major Wardrobe Clear Out & Some Items I Won’t Be Getting Rid Of

Today is the start of a massive wardrobe clear out for me (she says, sat typing on her blog instead of doing what she actually should – the clear out). It’s been long overdue and as I have much of the day free today, I thought that I best go ahead and do it. It’s going to be an arduous task but as each of the items in my wardrobe are at least triple hung, the rail is starting to bend and I’m running out of shelf and draw (and loft!) space, I know it cannot be put off any longer!

It’s time for me to majorly downsize and start afresh but there are some items of clothing that I shan’t be getting rid of, including this here outfit.

I bought these high waisted denim shorts only a couple of months ago from Primark. It’s been years since I bought denim from Primark but after trying on these I was pleasantly surprised and since purchasing I have been wearing them loads. This fit isn’t perfect on me but I think this is more due to my body shape as opposed to the cut, as I have a small waist and larger bottom but it’s nothing that a good old belt can’t solve. So I’ve teamed them with this brown chunky vintage waist belt that I love.

On the top half, another basic, yet wardrobe staple: The tank top, also purchased from Primark. I have loads of these and they happen to be multi purpose tops for me, whether it’s day to day, for bed or for the gym, I couldn’t go without my black tank tops. So I’ll be keeping those.

The shall is a fairly new-ish purchase. It’s by Glamorous but I actually purchased it from TUK (I think it’s called) in The Northern Quarter for just £10 on sale. I love it because it looks so cute thrown with jeans and a vest and instantly livens up an outfit. So I’ll be keeping key pieces like this, that are unique and add a bit of something to an otherwise plain outfit. Unless of course I’ve had it forever and its time in my wardrobe is done.

Finally my Underground wedge creepers. Obviously I’ll be keeping these as they are my wedge of choice when it comes to comfort and they have served me well over the past three years of ownership. That’s right, three years and they are still going strong. They were definitely a good investment. Some may say three years is too long and it’s time to get red (and I would agree with most things) but no, na ah, not going to happen. Theses babies are here to stay.

Anyway, enough rambling from me. Time for me to begin my massive clear out. Wish me luck!

Samio x

March 26, 2015
Vintage Polka Dot Dress & The Pink Welted Sole Dr Martens

I had had my eye on these pink welted sole Dr Martens for quite some time and finally, a few weeks ago I decided to just go for it and make the purchase. I had loved them from when I first saw them but it had took me some time to decide if I’d actually wear them and if they’d go with any of my outfits. It turns out since buying them, that yes, they do go with loads and I’ve almost not stopped wearing them!

The bouncing soles make them so comfortable to wear and walk around in and the colour is my favourite shade of pink. The are also made in England, which I thought was pretty cool (as most Dr Martens aren’t these days).

Like I say, since purchasing them, I’ve almost been living in them, so it was definitely worth the investment. Most days I’ve been throwing them on with skinny jeans but yesterday, as the sun was shining, I thought I’d wear them with one of my old vintage polka dot dresses and team it up with a matching pink belt. So you’ll probably be seeing a lot more of these on my outfit post, as I think they are my new favourite comfy shoes.

How about you guys, do you have a favourite pair of shoes that you love to wear with everything?

What I wore:
Dress – Vintage
Belt – Primark
Shoes – Dr Martens

Samio x

March 24, 2015
The Blue Floral Print Coat & Dinner at Solita

I think I need another month of not eating meat as since going back to my carnivorous ways, I’ve not stopped eating burgers. With so many great burger joints in Manchester though, it’s often rather hard to resist. On Friday I met up with the boyfriend after work and after going for a few drinks around The Northern Quarter, we ended up in Solita for a meal.

It was my first time at Solita, so I wanted to try as much as I could by getting starters and mains (any excuse). To start we went for the Buffalo Wings and the Deep Fried Mac ‘n’ Cheese Balls to share. The wings of course were splendid and the Mac ‘n’ Cheese Balls were delicious, I only wished there were more of them.

For the main, Damien went for the Catalan burger; Consisting of grilled chorizo, roasted red peppers, pepperjack cheese, roasted tomato aioli, nicely presented with a padron pepper skewer. I went for the Manc-Hattan burger; Consisting of pastrami, melted Lancashire cheese, fried black pudding, Lancashire sauce and Coney Island mustard. Both were served with skinny fries and we went halfs on our burgers (because I really wanted to try Damien’s Cajun burger). I loved both burgers but my favourite was the Manc-Hattan burger. I would rate it high up there on the burger scale in terms of creativeness and taste. We washed our meals down, with red wine for me and a beer for Damien. The staff were friendly and attentive and the food was delicious, so I’m sure I will be back again soon.

What I wore:
Coat/Jacket – Lavish Alice (Last Season)
Tank Top – Primark – In Store Now
Bracelets & Necklace – Primark – In Store Now
Earrings – Topshop
Black Skinny Jans – ASOS
Bag – Zara (old)
Shoes – Urban Outfitters (old)

Samio x

March 23, 2015
Primark Jewellery Haul

Where can you say you bought, three necklaces, eight bracelets and nine pairs of stud earrings for £7? Primark, that’s where!

From recent blog posts you may have noticed I’ve had a growing fondness for Primark lately. No longer just the store where you can buy ‘cheap stuff’ but actually a place where you can buy on trend pieces and a real high street contender for the most affordable fashion pieces and now a great place to buy your fashion and statement jewellery too.

I’ve been buying fashion jewellery from Primark for years now but recently I’ve seen it massively up its game. I only own a few ‘real’ jewellery items and the rest of the time I like to change my accessories as often as I change my outfits. I often find this can be a pricey affair but luckily not when shopping at Primark and here are some of the sets I purchased on my recent jewellery shop at Primark.

I thought these bracelets were really cute and at only £2 for a pack of eight, the price was more than alight too. I like how you can alternate and layer these bracelets to make your own unique combo.

…The same goes for these necklaces too. You can wear them separate, or all together and at only £3 a set, I think that they are an absolute bargain.

The stud earrings were £2 a pack and for nine pairs, I think that’s rather great value. I love the pretty designs and think that they are perfect for everyday wear.

Samio x

March 22, 2015
The White Backpack

I think I’ve mentioned before how much I love Zara bags (and of course Zara in general). They always seem to do such well made handbags, that I often find are sturdy and last a long time in terms of faux leather bags, not to mentions the designs are always super cute too. This backpack was no exception and after being on the lookout for a new gym bag, then spotting this appropriately sized backpack, I just had to purchase it.

So I don’t know what me, one of the clumsiest people ever is doing purchasing a white bag but like I said, I just could not resist and as I’m a lover of the whole monochrome look, I’m quite pleased of how well it goes with my black attire.

As handy as it is for carrying round my gym kit, I’m sure I’ll also get plenty of use out of this for overnight trips too as it’s the perfect size. I just love it.

Backpack – Zara
Roll neck top – New Look
Necklace – Primark
Jeans – Asos

Samio x

March 17, 2015