Tag: Black

  • 6 Things I Did On My Beach Holiday

    6 Things I Did On My Beach Holiday

    I’m back from the Greek island of Kos, after a week away that I can only describe as relaxed, peaceful and self-indulgent. I allowed myself to fully wind down and do a few things that I very rarely get to do…

    sensimar oceanis beach and spa

    I Switched Off

    I put my phone onto airplane mode for the majority of the trip. By the middle of the trip (and strategically timed on a Saturday), I couldn’t help but check my emails (just incase), as being self employed gives you the fear of missing out on work anytime you decide to ‘switch off’, which is usually never in my case. I did however allow myself to wait to reply to emails after I returned home – any guesses what I’ll be doing today?

    other stories black silk dress

    I Sunbathed

    For the first time in years I actually lay in the sun, not under the shade or wrapped in layers, and I fully let the sun bronze my skin – whilst covered in head to toe factor 50 of course – don’t get me started on skin protection.

    other stories black dress

    I Swam in the Sea

    I actually got to do this once whilst still in England over the summer but it had been a long time since I dipped into the sea whilst abroad…and lets face it, it’s always better swimming in the sea in a country that has a much warmer climate than the UK.

    samio style and travel blogger

    I ate a ridiculous amount of cheese

    Okay so this is something I tend to do a lot whilst at home as well – hello, my favourite food is pizza! – But I wouldn’t usually opt for cheese with breakfast, lunch and dinner…But there was just so much of it and I couldn’t stop myself. I’m talking edam and cheddar for breakfast, pizza and feta for lunch and after dinner cheese and crackers with blue cheese every night. Yep, I’m going on a dairy free detox.

    sensimar oceanis kos greece

    I Read a Book

    I finally got to read the book that I’d meant to finish a long while ago. I’d bought A Little Life for my flights to Cape Town earlier this year and then found myself occupied watching the entire final series of Downton Abbey, along with a selection of old movies on the plane instead…Fast forward to a week ago and I finally picked it back up again and found myself hooked. In fact I found myself crying at the end. Actual tears, which was a bit embarrassing whilst sat in the hotel lobby but I definitely recommend the read, even if it may leave you a little heart broken.

    black silk dress

    I thought of nothing and did nothing

    With an overactive brain like mine, that is somewhat impossible, but I did manage to zone out from the rest of the world (airplane mode definitely helped) and not think about the usual things that may rattle through my brain. I barely thought about my blog and didn’t even feel bad about not posting on social media. Sometimes it’s nice to switch off…It was also nice just being really lazy.

    samio black silk dress

    It’s fair to say I had a great week away. I hope that you have had a great week so far and enjoy a great rest of the week too!

    Samio x

  • Winter Wardrobe Upgrade With The 3 In 1 Coat

    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…

    samio manchester fashion style blogger

    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…

    One

    samio in navy trench coat

    samio style blogger navy coat
    mint by mint velvet navy coat
     

    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

    Two

    kate spade orchard street arla

    asos denim original high waisted mini skirt in washed black
    black denim asos skirt ankle boots kate spade cross body bad and cropped navy jacket outfit
     

    Three

    y-a-s cast dot shirt and sleeveless mint velvet navy jacket coat

    three in one coat
    samio minimal style blogger
     

    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.

  • A Slow Start To Summer

    A Slow Start To Summer

    Black denim jacket, black skinny jeans boots and bag

    Hello summer, hello…winter boots!? Okay so summer is finally here, it’s official but unfortunately the weather here in the UK still has quite a bit of catching up to do. I didn’t quite expect to be pulling out a pair of my black winter boots in the middle of June but a pro to the weather situation is that it’s buying me a little more time whilst I figure out exactly which summer pieces I’d like to add to my wardrobe.

    Afro style blogger

    Since downsizing my wardrobe quite considerably over these past few months, I’m finding it hard to now let new pieces in. I feel like I’ve tried on so many clothes and made so many summer orders, all of which haven’t been right or I have sent back, as I’m finding it hard to buy or keep things unless I absolutely love them. I’m guessing this can only be a good thing but at the same time I’m finding it harder than I had expected to transition my wardrobe for summer…In the mean time though I’ll continue to mix and match my current pieces, whilst still on the hunt for a few of those all important summer essential, because when the sun does finally decide to show its face, I plan to be ready!

    Afro

    All black denim outfit

    Jeans – Topshop | Denim jacket – Pieces | T-shirt – (Similar here) | Skinny Scarf – Topshop, old (Similar here) | Boots – Office | Bag – Matt & Nat (in gravel)

    Black Topshop Jamie Jeans

    Samio x

  • How I Changed My Shopping Mindset

    How I Changed My Shopping Mindset

    It seems strange to say it but I’ve sort of fallen out of love with shopping, no wait, let me rephrase that, I’ve fallen out of love with shopping in the way that I used to. If you had discussed this with me a year ago, I would have talked about how I loved to shop and may have even jokingly (not joking) said I was a shopaholic. As much as I’m ashamed to say it now, barely a week went by when I didn’t purchase something new, however small. I was regularly popping into the high street shops and picking up a ‘bargain’ or something I ‘had to have’. But were they really bargains or pieces that I needed?…Do I still love those pieces now? And am I going to have them for years to come?…The answer to all of those questions is no.

    Black Pieces denim jacket

    Something clicked last year, well it was more of a build up really and then I seriously began to think about my clothes, what they meant to me, why I bought so much and what would happen if I just stopped shopping in the way that I did. Other than that initial buzz of an impulse purchase, it wasn’t seriously making me happy, was it? I almost thought it would spell the end of my fashion blogging because if I didn’t constantly have new clothes to post about, then what would I actually post about? The whole point of my outfit posts had been to talk about the ‘cool new stuff’ I’d bought, right? Then I reminded myself that I’d always tried to label myself as a style blogger, more so than a fashion blogger anyway. The reason I loved to put outfits together to share here on my blog was more for the styling aspect rather than talking about current trends and I guess that in my obsession for always finding something new, I’d somewhat forgotten about that.

    Womens lack denim jacket outfit

    I decided to take it back to basics, quite literally. I began a massive clear out and decided to focus on the basics when it came to making new wardrobe additions. I wanted to focus on more re-wearable pieces and only have garments in my wardrobe that I genuinely loved and wanted to keep for a long time. That meant no more impulse buying. I stopped shopping in a lot of the high street stores, which is something that helped a lot. If I didn’t pop in H&M, then I couldn’t end up impulse buying a super cute top that was ‘only £8’, or if I stayed away from Zara, I’d avoid getting caught up buying the entire contents of the store after wondering in amidst a huge sale…And it was actually a lot easier than it sounds because what you don’t see, you don’t miss.

    Womens all black outfit styling

    I began to find a love for clothing all over again and in a new way. Buying something new was always an easy option for me but working with something I already owned and constantly thinking of new ways to restyle it was actually a lot more fun than I had once imagined.

    Samio style blogger

    Now I really do think through my purchases. I use Pinterest for style ideas, I browse online at stores before buying and I like to plan. It actually makes the buying experience all the more enjoyable, as now it usually means that when I do come to purchase something new, I’ve really took the time to think about it and it’s something I really genuinely want, love and will actually get a lot of wear/use out of.

    Black Matt & Nat bag

    Dress – Old (Similar here) | Trainers – Converse | Denim Jacket – Dizen | Bag – Matt and Nat (Here in lilac) | Sunglasses – Vintage Christian Dior

    Matt & Nat long strap bag

    Samiorenelda

    Samio x

  • Triple Denim

    Triple Denim

    Topshop MOTO Black Jamie Jeans

    I’m currently loving denim, in fact, for the most part of this year it’s been a re-occurring theme in the majority of my outfits. But then denim does go with just about anything right?

    Again, another very ‘mix & match’ denim piece has been added to my wardrobe and it’s this black denim Pieces jacket from online boutique Dizen. When asked if I’d like to pick out one of their items, I was instantly drawn to this denim jacket, as I’d been on the hunt for a black one for a while. It’s one of those easy to style pieces and as it’s black, it means it’s very versatile when wearing it with other shades of denim.

    Black Denim Outfit

    I guess you could call this a super safe way to wear triple denim (that’s right, not double but triple), as I went for black skinny jeans, my new denim jacket and I added an extra layer by wearing my old cropped washed denim jacket underneath. The result is something that isn’t as scary as it sounds and the layering aspect adds a nice touch whilst actually being rather practical with the current weather here in England.

    White boyfriend shirt and black skinny jeans outfit

    Black denim Jacket – Dizen | Cropped Denim Jacket – Similar Here | Boyfriend Shirt – Gap (old), Similar Here | Skinny Jeans – Topshop | Backpack – Zara (old), Similar Here | Trainers – Converse

    White Backpack

    Samio afro curls

    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.

  • Black Skinny Trousers & Heeled Boots

    Black Skinny Trousers & Heeled Boots

    I’ve been back from Paris exactly two weeks now but this is finally the last outfit instalment of my trip. Although this is a pretty plain outfit, I really enjoyed wearing this combination and I’ve been loving these skinny trousers recently. I’ve been getting a lot of wear out of them as they are super comfortable and I’ve been enjoying wearing them both dressy and casual. On this occasion I decided to team my skinny trousers with my current favourite boots to finish of my all black (unintentional cartoon cat burglar) look.

    ASOS Skinny Crop Trousers

    Roll Neck – Asos | Sleeveless Jacket – (similar here) | Skinny Trousers – Asos | Boots – Office

    Black Sleeveless Wrap Blazer jacket

    Samio

    All black outfit

    Black sleeveless blazer, polo neck, skinny trousers outfit

    Afro hair

    Samio x

  • Whistles Longline Shirt Dress

    Whistles Longline Shirt Dress

    Happy New Year! Its seems that 2015 went by like a blur and if it taught me anything, it’s to embrace every moment and to enjoy life to the fullest. I’m all set to begin 2016. I’m feeling ambitious, motivated and excited to see what this year has to offer.

    I decided to kick this year off on my blog with my favourite type of post; an outfit post. I recently purchased this longline Whistles shirt dress, which I’d spotted in store quite some time ago. I’d originally resisted the temptation of purchasing the dress, until it went on sale at Asos (it had been in my saved list for quite some time) and it made it the perfect time to buy it.

    Whistles Plain Longline Shirt Dress

    I really love how versatile this dress is. Although it’s simple, it’s one of those garments that I know I’ll get plenty of wear out of. It hangs loose and straight but on this occasion I cinched it in at the waist by adding a skinny waist belt. It also looks good worn loose for a more relaxed look and could easily be worn casual with a pair of trainers.

    Manchester Style Blogger

    Samio Style Blogger

    Just before Christmas I was given the chance to take part in a Blogger’s Secret Santa with online jewellery store Gemporia. I was gifted this pretty little bracelet from blogger Kat from Tales Of A Pale Face.

    Gemporia AMETHYST ROSE GOLD VERMEIL BRACELET

    I don’t tend to wear much jewellery, but this bracelet that Kat picked out is actually perfect as I’ve been wanting to purchase some delicate pieces like this that I can wear everyday.

    Whistles Plain Longline Shirt Dress in black

    Samio Black Shirt Dress and Heels Outfit

    What I Wore:
    Dress – Whistles (here)
    Belt – Asos (similar here)
    Heels – Asos (here)
    Bracelet – Gemporia (here)

    Samio Curly Hair wearing Black Whistles Shirt Dress

    Samio wearing Whistles Shirt Dress

    Samio

    Samio x