Tag: Black and White

  • 5 Things

    5 Things

    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…

    natural hair samio

    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!

    Samio x

    Samio Manchester Fashion Style Blogger

    What I’m wearing

    Shoes – River island | Skirt – Topshop | Cami – River Island | Bag – Pinko

    White Ruffle Mini Skirt and Black Cami Spring Summer Outfit
    White Ruffle Mini Skirt and Black Cami Summer Outfit
     

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    Topshop Ruffle Tie Mini Skirt Outfit
    Yellow Block Heel Embellished Sandals Pinko Love Bag and Topshop Ruffle Mini Skirt
     
  • Classy, Casual & A ‘New’ Pinko Love Bag

    Classy, Casual & A ‘New’ Pinko Love Bag

    womens black and white summer outfit
    topshop button side tie midi skirt
     

    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…

    Have a wonderful week!

    Samio x

    Pinko Laminated faux leather shoulder Black and Silver Love bag

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    samio black and white outfit pinko love bag
    manchester fashion blogger
     

    Minimal style blogger outfti

  • Practical Pieces For a British Spring Summer

    Practical Pieces For a British Spring Summer

    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…

    How to style a cropped blazer jacket
    Black culottes mules and cropped blazer black and white outfit
     

    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.

    Samio Big curly natural hair

    …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.

    Topshop Cropped Wide Leg Trousers
    Spring Summer 17 Minimal Outfit Asos Blazer and Pinko Bag
     
    Love Me Tender Bag

    Manchester Fashion Blogger
    Minimal Street Style
     

    Shoes – Clarks (similar here) | Wide Leg Trousers – Topshop | Belt – Asos | Vest – (similar here) | Jacket – Asos | Bag – Pinko | Jewellery – Pernille Corydon

    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

    Asos Cropped Striped Bow Cuff Jacket Co Ord
    Samio Manchester Style Blogger
     

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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.

  • Eyespy Dungarees

    Eyespy Dungarees

    I’ve always been a big fan of monochrome and at the moment I’ve been wearing a lot of monochrome looks, teamed with my favorite colour, pink. I think it looks so classic yet girly. Because I adore monochrome looks I also love dog tooth prints and so when the lovely Faye Elizabeth’s Boutique offered to send me one of their items, I was automatically drawn to these cute Jovonna dungarees. I was thrilled when my dungarees arrived to find that they fit perfectly and I was able to adjust the dungaree straps so that they fit to my height (I have a lanky body).

    Jovonna Eyespy Dungarees Hounds Tooth - Faye Elizabeth BoutiqueJovonna Eyespy Dungarees Hounds Tooth - Faye Elizabeth Boutique outfit post
    It was a rather mild day, so I decided to wear a plain black vest underneath my dungarees. I teamed it with what I like to call my ‘Mrs Kennedy’ jacket, named so because I think it looks like something that Jackie Kennedy would have worn and I just love how 60’s it looks.

    Samio

    What I Wore:
    Dungarees – Jovonna at Faye Elizabeth’s Boutique
    Jacket – Zara
    Necklace – Primark
    Bag – Pearls & Lipstick (My own design and creation)
    Shoes – Office

    Samio in Eyespy Dungarees and Zara Jacket
    Samio Afro Pink Zara Jacket
    Eyespy Dungarees  Jovonna - Faye Elizabeth Boutique
    Eyespy Dungarees  back - dogtooth print
    Samio Curly Hair

    If you haven’t already, then check out Faye Elizabeth’s Boutique where you can find pieces form lots of other cool British designers and brands. If you do go onto the site, you’ll probably see my face bobbing about as I actually modelled for Faye’s Boutique earlier in the year.

    Samio x

  • By Jamie Cowlishaw

    By Jamie Cowlishaw

    Last Saturday I had the pleasure of working with photographer Jamie Cowlishaw along with Hair & Makeup Artist Maxine Smith. It was my first test shoot of the year and so I could not wait to get behind the camera and get to work with this amazing creative team. It was the first time any of us had worked with one another but it didn’t take long for us to click and begin our creative minds flowing.

    I took along a small selection of my own wardrobe and we began working our way through outfits, mixing up styles as we went. From relaxed and casual to strong and fierce, we captured a variety of looks and I’m really happy with the end results.

    Samio by Jamie Cowlishaw 2

    Samio by Jamie Cowlishaw 3

    Samio by Jamie Cowlishaw 4

    Samio by Jamie Cowlishaw 5

    Samio by Jamie Cowlishaw 7

    Samio x