Category: Style

Two New Additions & A Spring Wardrobe Update

Ready For Something New

Through January and February I managed to purchase only one new item of clothing and that was a much needed, very practical, padded coat for my trips to Hamburg and Oslo. I guess you can say that purchase was more out of necessity than being an actual style choice, but I was definitely glad of it when I was out in below minus temperatures.

Whilst I had been quite happy with my wardrobe over winter, living mostly in a selection of roll necks and go to layers, I’ve been feeling rather eager to have a bit of a wardrobe update recently, ready for Spring/Summer.

Now you’ll know I’m not often one to jump on trends, longevity and wearability are always factors I take into account when acquiring new pieces. However I’ve been wanting to inject a bit of ‘fun’ into my wardrobe lately, as I feel I’ve exhausted my outfit combos over the winter period and have been feeling a desire for something new.

When Pinko reached out to me asking if I’d like to pick out a few pieces, it was perfect timing. When I spotted this new Pinko Love bag in their SS17 collection, it was just the sort of thing I’d been looking for. It’s fun and a bit out there, whilst still fitting in with my colour palette of muted tones. Most importantly I knew it would go well with denim, which means I can wear it with about 90% of my wardrobe.

You’ll likely be seeing a lot more of this bag in my future outfit posts as you know I like to wear things to death, plus it says ‘Love Me Tender’ on the side, which is very fitting considering I’m a big Elvis fan! I think I’ve made it clear that I love this bag (no pun intended). It’s trashy and fabulous at the same time, whilst still being very me and it’s nice to add a new piece to my wardrobe that I feel excited about.

The second new addition is this jacket which is also from Pinko. I love a good denim jacket and the fact that last summer I wore my black one almost everyday meant that I knew I’d get plenty of wear out of this one as it begins to warm up. I also love that the jacket is in this oatmeal shade, which I think is a nice contrast to my blue denim jeans and I think makes a great combination.

Now I’m on the look out for a few tops to add to my wardrobe, as I feel a decent selection of light weight spring/summer T-shirt and tops is what I’m seriously lacking at the moment and this grey Asos T-shirt you see here gets worn A LOT. I’d also like to incorporate a couple of dresses into the mix this coming summer, as although I’m sure my love for jeans will never die, I’m keen to change things up and bare some leg as the weather hots up too.

All in all I’m very excited for the change in seasons. Lighter mornings, longer days, milder weather and lighter layers, what’s not to look forward to!

Samio x

Jacket – Pinko | T-shirt – Asos | Jeans – Asos | Boots – Topshop | Bag – Pinko

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March 16, 2017
What To Wear In Lisbon

Today I’m sharing the final look from my Lisbon trip, which I feel is long overdue, considering the trip was almost a month ago and now my next trip is in less than a week!

Anyway I’m still excited to share this look, as it was my favourite outfit of the trip and in this spot we found the perfect setting, with the blue tiled walls in the back, which complimented what I was wearing perfectly.

Before our travels I’d wondered what to wear in Lisbon, and more so, what to wear in Lisbon during the winter? I knew the weather was going to be milder than in England around this time and I was also aware that a lot of European cities tend to keep it pretty casual, which of course was fine by me.

I did pack heeled boots for the trip, just incase I wanted to step things up a notch in the evenings, however I found myself repeatedly reaching for my trusty Converse. In fact my friend L’Oréal and I both didn’t stop wearing our Converse and found ourselves ‘twinning it’ for the majority of the trip. We even wore our Converse for a night out, which was just as well, as we ended up dancing away until the early hours of the morning, which made it sheer bliss being heel-free.

Although we mostly kept it casual, that isn’t to say that we didn’t put some effort into our dressing. Being able to ditch several layers due to slightly better weather, got me excited to re-work some of my outfit favourites. You will see me repeatedly rocking my Mint Velvet 3 in 1 coat back home but it had been a while since I’d be able to wear it sleeveless. It worked perfectly with this Topshop shirt. Although I’ve been wearing this shirt quite frequently, I haven’t had much chance to show off the wonderful sleeves on it whilst out and about, as they are usually covered up by the sleeves of my coat. I felt the two pieces worked perfectly together and I can’t wait to team them together agin when the weather starts to warm up a little at home.

Finally, a quick note about the jeans. They are of course my favourite go to Farleigh style from Asos (which I wear repeatedly) but you may have noticed the slightly lighter shade of denim. That is of course because I decided to add a third pair to my wardrobe, which I actually featured here. However I since decided to cut the hem off the bottom, which I’m very glad I did because I think it changed them up a little bit.

Anyway, that’s all for now. It’s surprising how much you can waffle on about one outfit but if you’d like to hear more about my Lisbon trip you can check out my travel guide here.

Samio x

Shirt – Topshop | Jeans – Asos | Coat – Mint Velvet | Bag – Kate Spade | Trainers – Converse

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February 8, 2017
A Not So Blue Monday & A Lisbon Look

Oh hello first blog post of 2017! I’m a little late to the party, I know, but sometimes it takes me a while to get back into the swing of things…Anyway, today I’m feeling very contented (however tired) after a weekend away in Lisbon with my friend L’Oréal.

Today is apparently meant to be Blue Monday (supposedly the most depressing day of the year for us Brits), but for me I’m feeling very much the opposite and I have to admit having just had one of the most fun city breaks away might have something to do with it.

I’ve realised that one of my favourite things to do is travel. Strangely not in the sense of leaving home for six months to live somewhere afar (I’m far too much of a lover of my home for that), but I definitely enjoy the excitement of hopping on a plane for a weekend, or a week, or two away, to experience a different part of the world and try somewhere new.

After returning home from a trip abroad I’m always left feeling so happy that I’ve been able to experience another part of the world and make memories with some of my favourite people as well as meeting new people along the way.

This year I plan to do a lot more travelling and I’m happy to say that I already have a few more trips planned out, which is ideal because nothing sparks wanderlust in me more than a trip away in the first place.

Lisbon certainly kicked off the first trip of the year on the high and you can expect to see a photo heavy blog post all about my trip here once I’ve gone through all 915 photos on my camera, and how ever many more I took on my phone (yes, we got very snap happy).

For now I’ll share with you one of my outfits from the weekend away, which is this (you guessed it) casual and comfy ensemble…and I have to say I’m very glad that I made my Converse my footwear of choice for this trip because Lisbon has a lot of hilly cobbled streets, so practical footwear was a must!

Samio x

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January 16, 2017
Personal Shopping & A Festive Party Outfit

On Tuesday I was invited into Manchester Arndale’s TopShop store for my first ever Personal Shopping Experience and my quest was to find a festive party wear outfit. As part of the personal shopping experience I had the luxury of my own private changing room and my personal shopper, Hannah, was on hand to show me all the jazziest and new in party wear pieces, which definitely took the hassle out of the shopping experience.

Topshop really do have a party wear look for every occasion and so I was spoilt for choice. You know I like my understated outfits but this time, rather than play it safe, I really wanted to jazz things up a little for the festive season. So whilst sticking to a quite simple base outfit, I decided to go for something a bit different by glamming up the look with a very bold (yet might I add fabulous), emerald green leopard print faux fur coat. I don’t think you can get much jazzier than that!

The coat was a piece that Hannah had actually picked out and it had been hung on my rail when I arrived at my appointment. Had I of seen the coat whilst browsing around in store, I admit I probably would have walked straight past it with my bikers on in search for something simpler, but as Hannah presented it to me styled with a selection of outfits, I instantly took a shine to it. I began to see a number of styling opportunities with the coat piece, both dressy and casual, and so before I knew it I was swanning around my changing room in it, quickly deciding that I had to have it!

Another piece in my outfit that I absolutely feel for were these fabulous boots. Ahhh, look at them. I’d actually spotted them earlier whilst browsing around in store and after I mentioned them to Hannah, she kindly went and grabbed them for me in my size and brought them to my changing room. Not only did they fit perfectly (and look amazing) but they actually felt really comfortable too, which I think is quite important when heading out to party!

No party wear look of mine could be complete without a bit of lipstick and yes I was enticed by Topshop’s amazing beauty selection. I had to stop myself from going for five different lipstick shades and managed to narrow it down to just one. I went for a beautiful brown shade called Muse and then I spotted their beautiful Chameleon Glow eye shadows. Just when I thought I didn’t need another eyeshadow in my life, one jumped out at me that was like nothing else I owned. It was the shade called Shuffle The Cards and it has a beautiful rose gold two tone effect that I instantly fell in love with.

I left my personal shopping appointment feeling my shopping trip had been a success. It’s not often I go into a store and am able to find a full outfit I love all in one place. The best part about the Topshop Personal Shopping is that it’s completely complimentary! So if you’re in need of a wardrobe revamp or just a quick fashion fix, it’s the perfect place to go to get style advice and help you shop with ease. I’d definitely recommend it and it’s available in selected flagship stores, you can book an appointment here and if you’re planning to book in Manchester I definitely recommend Hannah Twist who was my personal shopper on the day.

Also, if you are Manchester based, then you should check out the Get Party Ready weekend, which is taking place on the 17th and 18th December in Manchester Arndale’s Topshop store. Customers who spend £40 in store that weekend will be eligible to receive a complimentary express gel manicure, mini party makeover! Th

Samio x

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This post was sponsored by Topshop, however this does not affect my opinions – check out my disclaimer for further information.

December 15, 2016
A Life Update & Some New Jeans

Welcome Back

It’s been well over a month since I last shared an outfit post here on my blog and whilst things have been pretty quite over here lately, behind the scenes things have been quite the opposite. After a bit of a lull I feel I’m finally back in my creative zone.

Whilst I haven’t been very active here, if you’re subscribed to my YouTube channel you’ll see I’ve been sticking to my schedule over there at least. I’ve really gotten back into it lately and I’m continuing to feel inspired to keep making new and creative content. As well as working on my own stuff I’ve also been busy creating content for some really cool brands and it’s been so much fun to take on new challenges as work takes me down new and exciting routes. Along with that, modelling work, birthday celebrations, events and continued house renovations I’ve been keeping pretty busy…But, I don’t plan on neglecting my blog for too much longer (she says for the 100th time). If you’re familiar with my space over here, you’ll notice it’s had a little bit of a revamp and long overdue too. I couldn’t spend all that time doing up our house and not give my little blog some T.L.C too…

So here it is. The new and improved samio.co.uk – I hope you like it! I could waffle on about all the things you can expect to come from me over here in the new year but I expect much of the same and more…and hopefully I’ll get back to being a little more consistent too!

Onto The Outfit Post

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Anyway, enough with the rambling life updates. You’ll see I’ve traded in my well loved and used Whistles tote bag with a little black All Saints number. I’ve had it for around two months now and I have to say that I love it. It’s my new everyday bag, so expect to be seeing this one alongside lots more outfits to come.

The jeans are new, sort of. Yep, you may have spotted I’ve gone for a pair of Farleigh jeans AGAIN, this time in a lighter stonewash. Now I have three different (the same) pairs of jeans that I can wear on repeat. I do tend to live in my Fairleigh slim fit mom jeans as you may already know.

And the shoes…I featured these in an Autumn Asos haul over on my YouTube, as I was updating my wardrobe for autumn with a few much needed essentials. These boots made it onto the keep pile and you guessed it, I’ve been wearing them a lot. They are also really comfortable to walk around in.

That’s all for now. I hope you enjoyed this somewhat rambling life update/outfit post and don’t forget to check back again soon. I plan not to leave it so long next time!

Samio x

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December 14, 2016
Clothing Comforts & Layering

Yesterday was one of those days…What started off as a not so good day, turned out to be a pretty good day. I’ve been having some technical difficulties with filming lately which has caused me to get behind with my filming schedule and after a morning of attempting to film and things not going my way, I decided to call it a day (or should I say morning). I headed out of the house in time for a meeting I had in town, after which I met up with my friend Chloe (who also kindly took these shots) for a much needed catch up. It’s funny how petty frustrations can dampen your mood and then all it takes is some fresh air and a catch up with one of your besties over a pot of tea to help lift your spirits.

Anyway, yesterday’s outfit was all about comfort and warmth (it’s really getting chilly here now). If you read my last post you’ll remember how I talked about ‘creating a uniform’ and having specific clothes to go to on days that you just want to be comfortable, whilst still looking moderately well dressed…Well this is one of those outfits. This roll neck jumper I’ve had since last winter and I’ve been excited to pull it out because I know I get so much wear out of it during the colder months…and of course it goes perfectly with my most lived in jeans.

I was really in the mood to feel cosy yesterday and so I opted for layering my new 3 in 1 Mint by Mint Velvet coat (with the jacket part removed to make it gilet style) underneath my trusty hairy wool Asos coat – another gem which I’ve been excited to pull out from last winter.

It’s my second time layering this combo and I rather like it. It means that when I go inside somewhere and take off my outer coat, I’m still left with a second layer to give me that added bit of warmth whilst looking (imo) kind of cute too.

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What are your go to pieces wear when you want to be cosy, whilst looking good on the go?

Samio x

November 4, 2016
Winter Wardrobe Upgrade With The 3 In 1 Coat

If you’re a regular to my blog, you’ll know how important versatility and wearability is when it comes to any new pieces that I allow into my wardrobe. When searching for a coat I can often find it overwhelming as there are so many styles out there that it can be hard to find ‘the one’, especially when wanting to invest in something good quality that can endure a number of seasons…

As soon as I saw the Navy Three In One Trench Coat, from Mint Velvet’s new collection, MINT, I instantly fell in love…Braking all my rules and saying yes to navy, I definitely managed to tick the box for versatility, as what’s more versatile than a coat that can be worn three different ways!? I can’t wait to keep re-styling this over the coming Autumn/Winter months. Can you tell how excited I am about this coat! Anyway, enough babbling, I’ll let the images do the rest of taking, and don’t forget to check out my mini Lookbook video at the end…

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Shirt – Y.A.S | Skinny Scarf – Asos (similar here) | Skirt – Asos | Belt – Asos (Similar here) | Boots – Office |Bag – Kate Spade | Coat – Mint by Mint Velvet

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Three

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Samio x

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.

October 17, 2016
Decluttering, Changing Old Habits & Trying Out The Capsule Wardrobe

It was around last autumn that I had started to majorly downsize my wardrobe and had began thinking about creating a capsule wardrobe, which I talked about here. At the time the thought of clearing out the majority of my clothes to focus on the limited amount of items that I actually wore and refine that selection to create a ‘capsule wardrobe’, was both scary and exciting. Even once I’d got into the swing of mix and matching certain pieces on repeat, I still had a large selection of clothes that I’d been hoarding (but never wore) incase I ‘got bored’ or ‘needed something different’. As the weeks and months passed, I realised those were two scenarios that never actually occurred and although I was quite content with my new outlook on style and how I now dressed/shopped, I still wasn’t quite ready to let go of my safety blanket – which was basically all of the clothes that I was keeping for the sake of keeping them.

Trying To Start Anew

Although I was no longer adding to my unworn clothing collection, the clothes were still there. There were plenty of clear outs (I actually lost count) but it was the last and biggest one that was the hardest. I knew I didn’t want to take all of that stuff to my new house but a part of me didn’t want to part with most of it either. So for a good while, there it sat, bagged up, between homes, unsure of where it was going. It annoyed me, it got in my way, it definitely pissed me off but for some reason I just couldn’t part with it…until eventually I actually forgot what was in some of the bags and so then I knew, it was definitely time to let it go. It still sounds a lot easier than it actually was – I mean, it’s just clothes after all – but I’m so glad that I eventually did it.

Where I’m At Now

Fourteen months later and I’m finally at the place I had only been able to dream about a year ago. It sounds extreme but at the time, I had discovered a few things that really made me want to change my clothes shopping habits (something I’ll go into more in a future post) and I also started to realise that I really wasn’t finding fulfilment from all the things I owned and that the clutter I had created was just causing a distraction, not to mention slowing me down when it came to something as simple as getting ready in the morning (I definitely do better with a lot less choice). Fourteen months later I moved into our house with one suitcase of clothes plus a coat and a few jackets (that I bagged up separately) and I’m currently the happiest I’ve been with my style and my wardrobe in a long time.

…And The Capsule Wardrobe

As for the capsule wardrobe, I don’t strictly have one. I’m much more of a go with the flow person and if I really love something I’m not going to stop myself from buying it just because it doesn’t stick to a certain number of items. I do however like to stick to certain colour pallets. I’ve moved away from bold prints and bright colours, instead favouriting more ‘grown up’, muted tones but that’s not to say that it isn’t possible to have a brightly coloured capsule wardrobe or even just a pop of colour when you fancy it (as I had lots of fun trying to create an example of here). Limiting what I let into my wardrobe has just helped me to discover that I now prefer to dress much more relaxed and casual and I feel most comfortable in more minimal, simple pieces. I also think that if you’re like me and maybe don’t like to stay completely within the rules but can be helped by a little guidance, just planning a capsule wardrobe can be a great way to help you realise the things you actually really want in your wardrobe and it can also be a great way to help you to refine your style.

The Verdict

Without rambling on too much longer (I could honestly talk about this topic for hours), in a nutshell, decluttering has been a long and slow process but one I’m definitely glad I started. It’s helped me think differently about how I shop and yet buying less, opting for better quality when possible and owning less has actually left me feeling much happier about the way I dress and the pieces I own. I guess I can now say I really understand the meaning of ‘less is more’.

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Thank you to the fabulous kind hearted soul that is Onyi for taking these fabulous photos for me and thank you to those of you who actually read this post to the end because I know it was a long one.

You can read more about my decluttering journey here.

Samio x

October 10, 2016
6 Things I Love About Autumn

The Style

Although I do love summertime outfits, it always gets to this time of the year and I feel ready to change up my style and what better way to do it than with chunky knits and layering. I currently love dressing for comfort as well as style and I feel Autumn is the perfect season to do so…Hello boots and favourite cosy roll necks, I have missed you!

The Social Calendar

Autumn seems to be the prime time for events, especially in the blogging world. Even outside of that, I always feel that during these coming months there’s always lots going on. From friends birthdays to parties, to pre Christmas celebrations, there’s always lots going on and my calendar always tends to fill up pretty quick. It’s one of the things I love about this season, there are plenty of excuses to dress up, celebrate and spend more time with friends and family.

Cosy Nights In

On the contrary to my last point…As much as I love my evenings out, I have to admit I do also love spending time in the comfort of my own home. During the (occasional) hot summer days, there’s always a pressure to go out and do something to make the most of the good weather (as it’s a rarity here in the UK), even when you’re maybe not in the mood…However in winter you’re guaranteed cold/bad weather so the pressure to be out and about doing things is gone and it can actually be used as a perfect excuse to stay in from time to time…Hurrah!

Autumn Foods

Two of my favourite seasonal foods crop up in Autumn and those include pomegranates and black peas! I’m sure most of you will be familiar with pomegranates and during this season I can’t get enough of them. You may be unfamiliar with black peas however, due to them being a traditional Manchester/Lancashire dish, which consists of, you guessed it, black peas – actually purple podded peas (that’s right I just googled that to check). They are soaked over night, then cooked and you usually eat them out of a cup, smothered in vinegar, on and around Bonfire Night. I personally can’t get enough of them and just talking about them is getting me excited for this simple, yet (in my opinion) excellent Northern dish.

The Atmosphere

Without sounding like the cheesiest person ever, I always feel like the time between mid September to December feels like the most magical time of the year (I know, super cheesy right?). There always seems to be lots going on with things like Halloween and Bon Fire Night…Not forgetting the run up to Christmas and New Year. And even if you don’t actually celebrate these events, I always feel like they create such a fun festive vibe everywhere you go…Can you tell I love this season!

There’s Actually Good Stuff On TV

I must admit, I don’t really tend to watch much TV (I’m much more of a movie and box sets type person) but if/when I do switch on the TV during Autumn/Winter, there always tends to be better things on…I’m instantly thinking duvet days on a Sunday during the run up to Christmas when a load of old movies are on. It’s been a while since I actually had a duvet day with all the house renovations that have been taking over the majority of our weekends for the past 16 months but now we are finally in our house (although the work still continues), I definitely plan on us fitting a couple of cosy duvet days in this Autumn.

What do you love about Autumn?

Samio x

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September 28, 2016
Pretty & Practical – My New Go To Accessory

I used to be obsessed with owning lots of bags and shoes and ended up owning so many that the majority would get neglected and really I was focusing on quantity rather than quality, often acquiring pieces that wouldn’t really stand the test of time. These days I much prefer to own a smaller selection of really versatile accessories that I love and are easy to regularly re-style with lots of different outfits.

I feel the right accessories can really help to elevate an outfit and my most recent bag addition works perfectly to do just that, even with this simple jeans and t-shirt combination I wore on Sunday.

This gorgeous little Kate Spade Tassel bag is from Tessuti where they now stock Kate Spade NY in store. With its long adjustable strap it can be worn on the shoulder or across the body with ease and at just under 8 inches wide and 2.5 inches deep, it is the perfect size for fitting in all my everyday valuables and keeping them safe when out and about.

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I didn’t think a bag of this size would fast become my go to bag for everyday. The size is surprisingly deceptive and I actually manage to fit a fair amount in it, which is something you’ll notice if you check out my new ‘What’s In My Bag’ video here:

Samio x

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.

September 14, 2016