I love it when I find different pieces in my wardrobe that work perfectly together. On first appearance you may mistake this outfit combination for a two piece but the trousers and blazer are actually from two different brands entirely, with the trousers being from Topshop and the sleeveless blazer being from Lavish Alice. It hadn’t initially occurred to me that these two pieces would work together but before heading out one recent sunny Saturday, I decided to throw on my new sleeveless blazer with my Topshop trousers and Brandy Melville knitted crop top and it instantly seemed to work.
If prior to this you would have asked me my thoughts on the idea of a beige ensemble like this, I don’t think I would have been quite as enthusiastic, as let’s face it, it sounds a little bit drab doesn’t it, but it goes to show that sometimes you just have to try things on before making a final decision.
Before I forget I should mention the shoes, which are another new(ish) addition. I bought these a few weeks ago whilst in London and they were just the summer shoes I’d been looking for. They are a great day to day sandal/shoe without being too summery – which pretty much makes them perfect for the UK with our ever changing weather.
This combination made the perfect outfit for an afternoon spent with Damien and some friends, drinking cocktails and enjoying the sun. I’m a big fan of sleeveless blazers and I find it makes a great light layer for warmer days, which can (like on this occasion) tie an outfit together perfectly.
I have something a little bit different for today’s post and instead of going with my usual outfit post vibe, I thought I’d share five things: completely random, off the top of my head ramblings. So if you enjoy a chatty post, then here are five (rather random) things…
1.
I’ve had a real urge lately to pick up the guitar. I don’t know if this is a longing for a new hobby outside of blogging (which is technically no longer just a hobby), a desire to challenge myself, or just a deep down longing to put some attention back into my love for music and performing…I’m not sure, maybe it’s a combination of all three but either way it’s been something that’s been niggling in the back of my mind for a little while now.
There’s a dark green acoustic guitar (don’t ask me the name or model, I know nothing about guitars) that Damien has had since long before we met. It’s been long ago left behind at his parent’s house but I’ve always thought it to be quite beautiful and now coincidently also quite fitting with our living room interior. I think this could be just the tool I need to pick up my potential new hobby.
2.
I had a guitar of my own once…Yes I did. It wasn’t beautiful like Damien’s guitar but it was a guitar non the less. I think my folks bought it for me as a Birthday or Christmas gift sometime before my first year of University. Maybe I’d mentioned wanting to pick up guitar before, I don’t know.
Anyway, after initially being excited by the gift, the guitar later sat in its case for a good six months or so collecting dust in the corner of my university room before I one day decided to get it out again, only to realise it had broke. You see, where it had been propped up in the corner of my room, it would always slide down the wall and fall on the floor. On one of these occasions the top must have snapped off and I hadn’t even noticed. I took the guitar to the woodwork department and they glued it back on for me. That guitar was later used as a prop in many ‘photoshoots’ between my friends and I, where we would play around with a DSLR camera that we had no idea how to use.
3
The guy who took me to go and fix my guitar actually used to live in my room in university halls. Not at the same time as me, that would have been weird. He was actually a second year student and we’d got chatting in a university Facebook group before I started there…anyway, long story short, it turned out that I was moving into the room that he’d lived in the year previous. We remained friends during our time at university.
4.
Another person I met at university was my BFF, Chan. On my first day moving into my halls of residence, after my folks had said their farewells and left, I left my room and went and knocked on the doors of my new flat mates to say hello and introduce myself. When I knocked on Chan’s door she was crying and insisted she didn’t want to come out. I guess in that moment my initial thought may have been that we would be very different people but it turned out that we couldn’t have been more similar and it didn’t take long for a fabulous friendship to form.
5.
I’ve been valuing my friendships more than ever recently. I try to never take things/or people in my life for granted but I think it’s always good to remind yourself of those who are truly important in your life and to make a concious effort to make time for them, especially when it’s reciprocated. Chan and I don’t get to see each other half as much as we’d like to, we are both very busy women living miles apart but when we get on the phone for a catch up it’s like no time has passed at all and we easily spend hours chatting away. Another of my close friends (whom I’m excited to be maid of honour for next year) has just moved to the US and whilst we previously already lived miles apart, with her being from London, it’s crazy to think that she’s now half way across the globe. So I think, when you’ve got the chance, spend as much time with your favourite people as you can and for those who may be many miles away just remember to drop each other a message or pick up the phone.
Fin
So there you have it, five (very random) things. A little outpour of my subconscious, from guitars, to uni days, to friendships. I rather enjoyed writing this post and it even took me on a bit of a trip down memory lane, remembering things that I thought I’d forgot (if that’s even possible). If you made it all the way through my ramblings then good on you and feel free to let me know what you think in the comment section below. I’d also LOVE to hear one random thought from you, it could be related to this post, it could not, heck feel free to even share a few random things if you’d like. We’re all friends here and I love a good read and a chat about what’s in the old noggin’ (that’s head by the way). Ciao for now!
As you may already know, when it comes to my everyday dressing, I like to keep my style pretty simple. I have my go to basics and a selection of versatile pieces that I like to mix and match. So for me I find accessorising a great way to easily add to these everyday looks and I love how the right pieces of jewellery can instantly elevate an otherwise basic outfit.
In more recent years I’ve moved away from the dress jewellery I was once fond of and I now prefer investing in a selection of more timeless pieces that I know will really help to improve each outfit I wear.
The latest additions to my jewellery selection are these beautiful pieces from Thomas Sabo. When it comes to Ladies watches Thomas Sabo know how to make classic yet visually stunning time pieces that make a statement. I was instantly drawn to this absolutely gorgeous gold coloured watch, with its eye-catching radiant royal blue face. A watch like this can easily transform any outfit and the way the blue face shimmers as it catches the light, means it won’t go unnoticed when you’re wearing it either.
Thomas Sabo also have an amazing selection of gold bracelets for women. I like to wear more delicate pieces alongside a more standout piece, like the gold watch. The Little Secrets bracelets are the perfect compliment to one of the more bolder watches and it’s a way to easily accessories, as you can stack and build these as your collections grows. For me I love how simple yet elegant this bracelet is and even when worn alone it’s a great way to accessories with minimal effort.
It’s amazing how even some of my old and most worn wardrobe favourites are given a new lease of life with the right accessories. I’ve had this white blazer for around four years now and to be honest I still amaze myself with how I’ve managed to keep it white for so long, because I do wear it a lot. I feel like a plain piece like this works really well with the gold accents and especially the striking blue watch face. Thrown on altogether, along with a grey Tee with some jeans, it gives it an effortless yet chic feel, which I love.
How do you like to try and elevate your everyday look? Are you a fan of accessorising?
Oh hello there. I’m kicking off a new week with a new outfit post, which actually consist of nothing ‘new’ as such, but a bunch of pieces I’m loving all the same.
I say nothing new but I actually think I’m yet to introduce my newest Pinko edition here on the blog, which is this black and silver Love Bag with gold hard wear. If you follow me on Instagram you’ll already have seen that I’ve been using this bag a lot! I feel it’s a great alternative to my ‘Love Me Tender’ canvas Pinko Love Bag, which is great for more neutral toned outfits, where is this one is perfect for when I want to go for my more monochromatic looks, like with today’s outfit.
Talking about things I’ve been loving, the weather has been making me so happy recently, (I type this as it’s currently raining outside but the forecast says the sun will be back again later in the week thankfully). It’s been so nice not having to worry about jackets or layering for once and I’ve been making the most of every opportunity to go out without a jacket when the weather has been glorious.
I actually shot this outfit a few weekends ago when Damien and I were on our way to Castlefield to meet up with a friend for afternoon drinks and I’m glad to say we’ve had a good run of sunny Saturdays since, which has meant I’ve been able to wear lots of my favourite summer pieces.
I often like to combine an element of classy and casual into my looks when possible and I feel with this outfit I was able to do just that. I practically live in my Converse, which I think worked quite well with this look, but equally if you wanted to glam this outfit up for an evening you’d just need to pop on some heels and you’d be good to go.
Anyway, that’s enough outfit ramble. It mostly speaks for itself but I just fancied a natter and I don’t have much else interesting to chat to you about in today’s post but I’ll be back later in the week with a new post and another little catch up. Ciao for now…
Hello! Something a bit different from me in today’s post as I’m taking things super casual (even more so than usual) with today’s look. If you’re a regular to my blog/Youtube then you’ll know by now that I love a good style challenge, so when Footasylum women’s came to me with the opportunity to style some of their pieces to create my own look, I of course jumped at the chance. I like being taken out of my comfort zone and trying new things but still in a very ‘me’ way, so versatility of items and colour palettes are always things that I like to think about when picking out new pieces.
Starting with the shoes up. These Puma trainers are the first part I chose for my look. I’ve eyed these up in the past and played it safe opting for my usual Converse instead so it was a no brainer that I started my outfit with these. I’m glad to say that they are true to size and very comfortable. The fact that they are all white makes them easy stylers, so I’m sure you’ll be seeing plenty of these worn with future outfits too.
Next we’ve got the jeans. I of course love a good Mom jean and whilst I saw lots of sporty pants which looked like the comfiest things ever, I couldn’t resist a bit of denim, especially as I’ve been opting for non-denim pants a lot lately too.
The crop top just drew me in with the bight colours. I know, that’s something I rarely say but I felt this otherwise monochrome look was instantly made a bit more fun with this pop of colour. This is also a crop top that will look super cute with skirts and shorts in summer and as it’s rainbow it will go with so much.
The final part to this look is the hoodie. I like to keep things practical here and going out in the UK (even during Spring/Summer) without any form of layering is very often a no go. Even when it’s hot you’re always best to take a layer out with you for when it gets chilly later on. Okay, so enough of me sounding like someone’s Mum…I like that this hoodie is cropped, which helps to keep the look youthful and fun and works well with the crop top underneath, whilst also being a practical layer which you can tie round your waist when it’s warm.
All in all that’s a bunch of pretty versatile pieces which I’ve styled my way to create my own Footasylum look…Now it’s your turn to create your own Footasylum look and if you do you can be in with a chance to win £250 to spend at Footasylum along with a snazzy pair of trainers of your choice too. Head over to Footasylum women’s Instagram account for details on how to enter here. Good Luck! 😀
Also you can check out my feature on the Footasylum blog, The Lowdown, here.
I’m really starting to love my Spring/Summer wardrobe after having felt in a bit of a style rut not so long ago. I decided to mix things up and and now non-denim pants seem to have become ‘my thing’ at the moment. I’ve talked about wanting to move away from wearing jeans so much and I’ve really kept to that self pledge by incorporating a few new (non denim) trousers into my wardrobe, with these awesome Native Youth pair being the latest addition.
I feel with a few new clothing additions I’ve been able to have a total style refresh and I’m excited about my outfits once again. I’m still keeping things pretty simple but it just goes to show that you can still keep your wardrobe relatively mix and match whilst trying something new.
I’m very pleased about these new pants. They are versatile whilst still being a little bit quirky, as the print reminds me of a butchers apron. Weird association, I know but I think these are a type of love them or hate them trouser and I personally, love them! I wore them for the first time on Saturday on a glorious day in Manchester, whilst heading for lunch with Damien. We really got our own little ‘golden hour’, whilst it not actually being golden hour, when we decided to snap these shots on Saturday morning. When the sun was out from behind the clouds the lighting was just fabulous (bloggers dream) and I love how the shots didn’t even need editing because of it. We did however have to battle with the wind towards the end of the shots, as you’ll notice in the video clip below.
Anyway enough pant and weather waffle, I’m sure you’ll be seeing plenty more of these both here and on my Instagram (where I post outfits daily FYI). Let me know your thoughts on these down below. Ciao for now.
Some of the items may have been gifted to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.
I’m coming at you with a bit of an epic outfit post today, as I’m sharing not one but four outfits in today’s post. I’ve been a bit awol over the past couple of weeks here on my blog but if you follow my instagram you’ll know it’s because I’ve been super busy, as last week I was abroad twice: At the start of the week shooting for a job in Portugal and at the end of the week/over the weekend in Eindhoven for a bit of a different city break. A photo heavy travel guide on Eindhoven will be coming very soon but I thought that first I would share what I actually wore on my trip to the city.
Damien and I were in Eindhoven from Friday to Monday and I seem to have mastered the art of travelling light, as once again we managed to take one carry on case between us – the joys of having an interchangeable wardrobe means that you don’t actually take up that much luggage space.
I hadn’t expect Eindhoven to be quite the little shopping destination it was, with a few stores that were right up my street, including Hotspot which is now a new found favourite and I only wish they had one of these in Manchester!
Being one to keep my shopping to a minimal, I only purchased a couple of things whilst browsing round the shops, which included the stripe T-shirt featured further down in the post (which I bought at Hotspot) and the polka dot trousers (also in this post) from Monki.
As I steer away from wearing jeans quite so much I’m constantly finding myself on the look out for trouser alternatives. I spotted the polka dot trousers in Monki and had to try them on right away and I have to say that I am in love with them, so much so that I’ve barely stopped wearing them and am in fact currently wearing them as I write this post.
Anyway, I’ll let the pictures do the rest of the talking before I risk waffling on too much, so scroll down to see what I wore last weekend whilst in Eindhoven.
I talked recently here on my blog about wanting to mix things up a little bit with my style. It’s not that I want to change my style completely but I’ve just been feeling the need for a slight wardrobe refresh as of late. Throughout Autumn and Winter I felt like I more or less lived in jeans and so now the sun has started to show its face here in the UK, I’ve been keen to ditch the denim…for a little while at least.
I joked about putting myself on a denim ban recently and although that hasn’t been completely feasible (as let’s face it, there are some days when only denim will do), I have been trying my best to opt for jean free outfits when possible and I have added a few new (non denim) bottoms into my wardrobe, in order to help mix things up.
One of my recent (non jean) additions was this Topshop midi skirt that I spotted whilst in store recently and instantly fell in love with! I’d been on the hunt for a white/off white midi skirt and after buying and returning one from Asos that wasn’t quite right, I was glad to find an even better one the second time round whilst in Topshop. I think it’s the contrasting black buttons up the sides of the skirt that really sold this one to me, as I think they really help to elevate an otherwise simple piece.
The navy polka dot cami top is also a new addition, as I’ve been wanting to add a few more summery tops into my wardrobe. As I also mentioned in a previous post how I got a little bit sick of wearing roll necks over the Autumn/Winter period and so now I intend to opt for strappy tops with the excuse to get my arms out at any opportunity, because as you will well know if you’re from the UK, when the sun is out here you’ve got to make the most of it!
So that’s it, just a short but sweet one from me today. I seem to be back on my creativity train (whatever one of those is) so I will be back later in the week with another new post. Also I’ve been posting lots more outfit photos over on my Instagram lately, generally day to day and in real time, so if you are interested in outfits (and possibly less of my rambling) then be sure to come find me there: @samiorenelda. And one final plug with my Youtube channel, which I’ve been keeping updated with lots of style related videos lately, including a look through my entire wardrobe, so if you fancy a nosey at that you can check it out here. 😀
Hello there! I’m excited to be coming at you with a new outfit post…finally! It seems that Spring has finally sprung (almost/sort of) here in Manchester and I’ve finally had the opportunity to wear some of my new glad rags.
I find shopping/dressing for Spring and Summer in the UK a bit of a tricky one, as while the shops tend to be filled with short shorts and cute little dresses, the weather here doesn’t always quite reflect that.
As much as I’d love to fill my wardrobe with a selection of gorgeous sun dresses and be done with it, it’s unfortunately not often the most practical option and unless you’re jetting away for the majority of the summer, it’s likely you’ll need a few ‘sensible’ summer pieces, to see you through those not so summery summer days. I have recently added two practical summer pieces to my wardrobe…
The Perfect Pants
If you watch my Youtube videos, you will have seen that in a few of my recent style videos I have been on the hunt for the perfect pair of culottes. It seems like a pretty simple piece to find right? But not when you are a miss fussy pants like me, who won’t settle until you find exactly what you have in mind. Luckily my search recently concluded in Topshop and after trying on a couple of pairs, I found just what I was after with these black wide leg trousers.
Now I know these trousers are rather simple but it’s basic pieces like these that I love to have in my wardrobe because I know I’m going to get so much wear out of them. The fit and quality is all there with these culottes and I like how they are in a fabric that doesn’t easily crease because I hate getting creases after sitting down for five minutes. These trousers also make the perfect transitional piece as I try to move away from jeans. Not completely but just a little bit. I did actually think about putting myself on a denim ban for a little while but let’s face it, with my current wardrobe that just isn’t realistic.
…and a British Summer jacket
Enough about the perfect pants. I have another new found love to introduce with this cropped stripe jacket. I don’t tend to buy things that I’m not intentionally looking for, however when I saw this I had to make an exception.
I’m a big fan of high waisted pieces: High waisted jeans, skirts, culottes, you name it, it’s quite rare that I go for anything with a low rise waist and because of this, something I’ve felt I’ve been missing in my wardrobe for a while has been a cropped jacket.
The problem with cropped jackets however, is that finding the right crop and fit can be tricky, especially if you have a fuller bust. I like something that covers the waist line of my trousers (as this jacket does), so that it’s cropped enough to still show the shape of the trousers but not too short that it doesn’t properly cover my top half. The right fit is everything and I was so happy with the quality and fit of this cropped jacket I ordered on Asos. I went for a size 10 and the fit is just perfect.
This jacket is certainly a great piece for a British summer and I also I love that it’s quite a classic looking piece, meaning that I’ll be able to wear it over future summers too.
So those are a couple of my new in pieces. I’m pretty happy with these alternative basics for the on/off summertime we have here in the UK and I’ll be getting plenty of wear out of them I’m sure. I’ll be sharing another new outfit later this week so be sure to check back if you’d like to see that, but in the mean time have a fabulous week!
Samio x
Shop The Look
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*Some of the items may have been sent to me for review purposes, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.
My style posts have been few and far between recently on my blog. I do regularly share OOTD’s over on my Instagram but lately I haven’t felt inspired to share more detailed outfit posts here on my blog. I talked about writer’s block of the blogging variety in my last post and it seems that my halt in creativity hadn’t just ended there, as I’ve found myself in a bit of a style rut too.
Now you may already know that I like to keep my style pretty simple and focus on basics and classic pieces that are easily interchangeable. It’s something that has worked for me for quite a while now and for the most part I’ve been really happy with my day to day outfits. However now I’m starting to feel the urge to further evolve my personal style.
Over the past couple of years I found a real love for denim and practically lived in jeans come rain or shine. However, I’ve felt more recently that this has led me to become less experimental with my dress sense and ultimately very safe. And lets face it, we all know that safe is usually pretty boring and I’ll admit, that is exactly how I’ve been feeling with my style as of late, bored.
Anyone who knew me before my blogging days, will know that I was once deemed as a walking rainbow who knew no limits when it came to trying something new with my style. It’s not that I want to go back to dressing the way I did years ago but I look back at my former self and admire my boldness for not being afraid to try something new.
I’m still very much into the idea of owning pieces that mix and match but that shouldn’t stop me from being a little bit experimental from time to time and stepping out of my comfort zone.
I’m currently finding myself being drawn to a lot of white and off white pieces, which is something I’ve often avoided too much of in the past, as let’s face it, it’s not the most practical shade. But, like I said before, safe isn’t always fun and whilst I still want to keep my wardrobe wearable, I need to bend my own rules from time to time in order to enjoy it.
This outfit I wore whilst in Malaga is pretty basic but Damien and I travelled light with one carryon case between us for the three nights whilst we were there. The trip was ultimately about relaxing and so I wanted to keep my outfits super simple on this trip.
One of my first purchases for the warmer weather however, was this white knitted crop top that I got in Brandy Melville whilst in London recently. On this occasion I did play it safe with denim shorts, however I can give myself Brownie points for the fact that I wasn’t just wearing jeans for once.
I also felt happy to not be wearing boots, which seem to be my footwear of choice when the weather in the UK isn’t on its best behaviour. I had a last minute sandal purchase before this trip, which actually turned out perfect for on holiday, but the hunt for the perfect summer sandals which I can wear frequently whilst at home, is definitely still on.
I’m aware this has been a bit of a jumbled blog post. Just a bit of a rambling mind dump about my thoughts on my person style with an outfit post thrown in. And I guess the fact that I’ve taken a good two weeks to post this outfit, shows that although I like it, I haven’t been THAT excited to share it, and so inevitably is a sign that I am so ready to spice things up a bit. We shall see. But for now, that is all. But I’d love to know your thoughts on the matter if you have ever found yourself in a bit of a style rut. Comment below and let me know. 🙂
