Tag: Converse

Practice, Perseverance and Pursuing Your Art

Inspiration can come in many forms; It can come in words we hear or read, music we listen to, imagery we see or even people we meet. I feel lucky to have friends who regularly inspire new thoughts and ideas in me but I also love meeting new people who I can share different creative ideas with and feel newly inspired by.

Onyi is someone I met recently at a blogger event and after hearing about her photography, I was instantly inspired by her passion to work hard at improving her skill in something she loves. We instantly got on and on Sunday after meeting for the third time, Onyi took some snaps of me in what I was wearing and effortlessly captured the vibe of how I was feeling that day; Relaxed and happy.

We chatted a lot about our creative goals on Sunday and one thing I think that we both agreed on is that whichever creative outlet you decide to pursue, it takes time, effort, patience and persistence in order to improve at it and get to where you want to be… I think Onyi’s work (just check out her Instagram, her self portraits are amazing!) is a great example of how time spent working on something your passionate about can pay off.

All too often we can envision the end result of where we want to be but forget about the hard work and practice it takes in between, in order to get there. If you feel like you’ve hit a brick wall or a creative slump, keep going. Create anything until you start create something. Often we are our own worst critics and if you don’t continue to try and work at it, you’ll never know what could come of your hard work and effort…and remember what they say, “practice makes perfect”.

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Check out Onyi’s blog here and Youtube here.

Samio x

July 27, 2016
Wardrobe Additions

I’ve made two new wardrobe additions recently and of course they were well thought out ones and items I know I’m going to be wearing on repeat! I already mentioned how obsessed I am with the fit of the Asos Farleigh jeans. I’d wished for some time that they would do my favourite style in jet black, as opposed to the washed black that they’ve had online for a while. Luckily for me, Asos recently answered my prayers, as these jet black slim fit Mom jeans recently came in stock and as a piece I’d been wishing for, for quite some time, I instantly nabbed them.

I doubt I need to say that in the week that I’ve had these jeans I’ve already been getting plenty of wear out of them and you can expect to see them on rotation, along with my other pair in the dark blue denim.

A second new addition are these black Converse. Technically these were a gift from the boyfriend but I picked them out non the less and although they were a reluctantly accepted gift at the time, I’m actually now really glad I have them. I’m still not convinced I actually need two pairs of Converse but I do have to admit that these make for a nice alternative to my grey ones when I want to switch things up…and it’s quite clear to see, I do enjoy going for the all black look from time to time.

Crop Top – American Apparel (similar here) | Jeans – Asos | Bag – Matt & Nat | Trainers – Converse

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Samio x

July 18, 2016
4 Summer Shoe Alternatives

When we think summer shoes, we most likely immediately think cute strappy sandals, however, one thing you’ll know if you live in the UK (or anywhere with a similar climate), is that sandals during summer aren’t always practical. I know, crazy right!? Living in a place where the weather can be highly temperamental does mean that we don’t always end up dressing appropriately to the seasons but it doesn’t mean we can’t be inventive with our clothing/footwear choices and still feel summery in our own kind of way. Here are four of my favourite footwear choices that I am loving wearing on repeat this spring/summer.

Mules

You may be sick of hearing about them by now but whether you’re a lover or a hater, theirs no denying that once you find the perfect pair of mules to slip your feet into, you’ve likely just found the comfiest pair of shoes you’ll own…I am obsessed with my heeled mules from Clarks, I’ll repeat OBSESSED. Not only are they a great summer alternative to a full on strappy sandal but I think they are just about the comfiest pair of heels I have ever owned…EVER. They are my go to shoes for any remotely dressy occasion but at the same time they aren’t too formal, so are great for when I’m going for a more casual vibe too.

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Converse

Converse are probably the most classic casual footwear you can own. I myself joined the Converse crew a little (more like very) late and only purchased my first ever pair this year in fact. Since then they have become my Spring/Summer shoes of choice. Come rain or shine I find these have fast become a firm favourite to throw on my feet. I love how versatile they are and whether I’m going for my favourite combination with my slim fit mom jeans, or braving it with bare legs in a dress, they seem to go with just about anything…not forgetting that they are super practical too!

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Superga

How I have resisted the temptation of buying a pair of Superga in every colour under the sun, I do not know. I’ve had my classic 2750 style in baby pink pair for around three years now and I find myself pulling them out every summer…More recently I was tempted by this fabulous white pair, which are a funky spin on the classic Superga, with a wedge espadrill sole. Unfortunately for me, I stupidly got a size too big and will be sending these ones back. Even more to my disappointment the white ones now seem to be sold out – no surprise there! – So I can’t even exchange them for a smaller size, but I’ve been eyeing them up in the navy as another great summer alternative, so we shall see, but for now my pink 2750’s are still going strong.

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Boots

During the winter, whilst looking for style inspiration, I always find myself stumbling across a multitude of images where women are looking super cool, wearing boots with bare legs but then I’m left feeling disappointed knowing that it’s not a practical outfit choice when the temperature here is in the minuses. Fast forward to summer however, and hello cute tan boots that I never got to wear during the winter in fear of ruining them. Yes the boots are out and the legs are out are too…and that tan suede pair finally have their time to shine.

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What are your favourite go to shoes this summer?

Samio x

July 11, 2016
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

Samio x

June 1, 2016
Triple Denim

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.

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.

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

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.

May 3, 2016
Easy Stylers – Slim Fit Mom Jeans & Converse

Shirt – Asos | Jeans – Asos | Bag – Old (similar here) | Shades – Vintage Christian Dior | Trainers – Converse

Yesterday I had a the afternoon free and so I met up with my friend, Chloe. I’d initially gone to look in a boutique that sold a brand of bags I had been eyeing up for quite some time and was hoping to purchase. But after umming and arring for a long while and even going back to the boutique a second time, after we’d gone for lunch, I left empty handed. Chloe on the other hand ended up purchasing one of their gorgeous little purses…It wasn’t that I too hadn’t been won over by the selection of bags and purses on offer, in fact it was quite the opposite, as I hadn’t expect to be so spoilt for choice. This made decision making all the harder and it made me rethink about the initial bag I’d gone there to hopefully buy.

Nevertheless, we had fun browsing round the little boutique and now it’s given me time to sleep on it and I’m actually glad I didn’t make an impulse decision and by one of the other bags that I’d spotted. Although the bag in question was rather dreamy, after fully thinking it through I had to admit to myself that the colour maybe wasn’t quite right in terms of what will match with the majority of my current wardrobe, as I am going for a very mix & match vibe at the moment with the pieces I own…It’s funny, a while ago I would have said browsing is no fun without purchasing anything and I probably would have regretted not buying the bag. Now however I’m starting to see the benefits of thinking through my purchases and acquiring pieces that I can easily style and actually love to wear on a regular basis.

Speaking of pieces that I love to wear and are easy to style, yesterday I wore my new-ish Converse. They are the first pair of converse I’ve ever owned, can you believe it? I don’t know where I’ve been all these years. They are practical for day to day and I love how they go with just about anything. I’m also currently loving these Asos slim fit mom jeans. I have been getting so much wear out of them and they are easily becoming my favourite ‘go to’ jeans.

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Samio x

April 20, 2016