Tag: Minimal

Five Things #5 – Creating a Routine and Keeping Up With Content

Welcome back to another instalment of my Five Things series here on my blog and actually my first of 2018. If you didn’t know, this is basically just a post where I chat about five things as they pop into my head, so here goes…

One

I feel like I’m off to a good start this year. January is often a bit of weird one, it’s half filled with motivation and a fresh outlook and half filled with January blues and a desire to emigrate to somewhere with a warmer climate. I’m happy to say that I seem to have beat the January blues this year and whilst I still wouldn’t mind some slightly warmer weather right now, I’m still quite content and feeling really motivated whilst keeping busy with work.

Two

I’m feeling much more work focused this year. I feel like each year sort of falls into a personal theme. For me, last year’s theme was definitely that of travel, exploration and having fun, and whilst this year I still definitely want to enjoy myself (self confessed hedonist over here), I also want to priorities my blog and work a lot more. I’m feeling focused and organised which is a good way to start.

Three

One thing I’m really enjoying right now is my routine. Being self employed it’s often hard to to stick to a particular routine and you have to create your own kind of structure. I think I’m finding this slightly easier right now as it’s January. The party season is behind us and I haven’t had to venture too far for work just yet. So right now I’ve been able to create a routine for myself and I’m actually really enjoying it, not to mention it’s doing wonders for my productivity levels. Of course I know as we move further into the year, this is bound to change and be disrupted, as travel plans arise, events occur and the social calendar hots up once again. For the time being however, I’m fulling making the most out of it and I’m massively appreciating the early nights, productive work days and party-free weekends.

Four

I’m making more of an effort to keep up with my content over Winter this year. Usually my blog posts become somewhat sporadic over the Winter months and style related posts become less frequent. This is of course due to the awful weather we tend to get here in the UK over Winter. This year though I’m making no excuses. As you’ll know if you follow me on Instagram, I’ve got into the habit of shooting self portraits, which is something I’m really enjoying right now. Along with that I’m making more effort to shoot outdoors too, no matter how cold it is. Sharing my day to day outfits is something I miss and so I’m making a concious effort to start doing more of it again.

Five

I met up with Rosie last week and between catching up over coffee and lunch, we managed to take some shots for our blogs (you can check out Rosie’s blog here). At the time I really wasn’t in the mood to shoot my outfit but in the end I’m glad we did because like I said, I have missed snapping and sharing my day to day looks here on my blog. I think I just need to remember that even when I’m not quite in the mood to shoot (especially when it’s cold), I should always just get on with it because I’ll thank myself later.

Coat – Asos | Roll Neck – (similar here) | Cardigan – James Lakeland | Jeans – Asos | Boots – Office (similar here) | Bag – All Saints

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January 15, 2018
How To Elevate Your Everyday Look

From Simple To Chic

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?

Samio x

*This post was sponsored by Thomas Sabo

Watch – Thomas Sabo | Bracelet – Thomas Sabo | Shoes – Clarks (old, similar here) | Jeans – River Island | T-shirt – Asos | Blazer (old, similar here) | Bag – (old, similar here)

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Thanks to Onyi for helping with these snaps!

July 28, 2017
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…

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.

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

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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.

April 24, 2017
Casual & Comfortable But Never Badly Styled

In today’s post I want to talk about looking well styled even on those super causal days when you want nothing more than to just be comfortable. Of course by ‘well styled’, I’m not talking about anything fancy here, if you know my blog, then you’ll know I like to keep it simple…We all have those days where looking good may be our last priority until we step out of the house and wish we’d made a little more effort. So, for those days, I’m sharing my three tips to help you avoid the style disaster and still keep it cool whilst being casual and comfortable.

Remove The ‘House Clothes’ From Your Everyday Wardrobe

If you have no intention of going out in your ‘round the house’ sweat pants, then don’t risk the temptation of throwing them on before quickly nipping out to run errands, by storing them with your jeans (and other outdoor bottoms). You know it’s always the day that you decide to wear these things that you bump into an old school friend that you haven’t seen in years or you end up in a situation where you really wish you’d made the slightest bit more effort, but alas, we’ve all been there. By taking the things we don’t intend to wear out and about, out of our wardrobe, we don’t run the risk of wearing them, simple.

Shop Strategically

When shopping it’s always important to think about function as well as style. Even if you’re quite a dressy person, there are still likely days where you want to just be comfy and casual and if you don’t have the right pieces in your wardrobe, these will likely be the times you’ll find yourself reaching for those sweat pants! *Don’t do it girl!*…Whether your style is dressy, causal, or a bit of both, it’s always good to take into consideration your surroundings and day to day life when you shop. If you walk a lot then maybe invest in a decent pair of trainers that are both comfortable and look good. If you live somewhere cold think about the kind of layers you can style and wear on a regular basis. Practicality planning really does help and that way you’ll know you have pieces in your wardrobe that are perfect for those minimal effort days.

Create A Lazy Day Uniform

Comfortable doesn’t have to mean ‘ugly’ or ‘unstylish’. My comfiest jeans for instance are actually my most worn, easy to style and most complimented jeans (you will have seen me praise and wear my Asos farleigh jeans in plenty of blog posts)…I think what helps most is knowing what to wear and when, so that on days when you don’t feel like putting any effort whatsoever into an outfit, you’re still able to throw on that comfortable yet previously thought out look. That way you can still feel comfortable and happy with how you’re dressed even on the laziest of days.

Jeans – Topshop | Jumper – Asos (similar here) | Denim Jacket – Pieces via Dizen Clothing (similar here) | Trainers – Converse | Bag – Whistles (similar here)

So those are my three tips for keeping it well styled whilst still being casual and comfortable. Let me know your thoughts and if you have any tips add, feel free to comment down below.

Samio x

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November 1, 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
Something For Everyday – The Burnt Orange Blazer

I have been on the hunt for the perfect blazer for the longest time ever! Okay, slight over exaggeration there but I have seriously searched high and low for what feels like months and I’m glad to now say, I have finally found what I was after, although not necessarily what I’d been looking for…In my mind I’d originally had the idea of a black or grey blazer that would be great for day to day but when browsing online and hunting in a few shops, I wasn’t really finding the type of thing that fit with my current (super casual) everyday style. It was just by chance that I stumbled upon this burnt orange colour blazer and to my own surprise, I instantly feel in love with it.

The first time wearing my new blazer I of course had to throw it on with my all time favourite Asos Farleigh jeans and a pair of Converse. It was the perfect outfit for a Saturday afternoon as Damien and I headed out for lunch and a few drink before meeting friends later for a BBQ.

This blazer definitely gets the thumbs up for the high wearability factor as I’m already finding myself reaching for it each time I head out. I also love that it’s a great Autumnal shade, which makes it a great transition piece as the seasons change.

Blazer – Asos | T-shirt – Asos | Jeans – Asos | Bag – Whistles| Trainers – Converse (in black)

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Samio x

September 7, 2016
Dressing Up The Basics

I mentioned in a recent post how I’d ‘fallen out of love with shopping’ in the typical sense (as in acquiring new pieces impulsively) and since strategically downsizing my wardrobe, I wasn’t joking when I said I’ve taken things back to basics. My wardrobe now consists of a selection of basics that I find easy to mix, match and style, whilst being comfortable to wear, even when dressing up.

You’ll see me wearing these black skinny Topshop jeans on repeat and I’ve already mentioned my love affair with these mules from Clarks…

There are a few pieces that I have kept in my wardrobe however, that don’t seem as obviously wearable, like this white double breasted blazer for instance. This is one of the pieces that had been neglected in my previously over stuffed wardrobe and now that I’m down to only a few jackets, this is the one that I tend to go for when I want to dress up my outfit slightly and I’m pleased to say that recently I’ve been getting a lot of wear out of it. I’m currently on the hunt for the perfect black blazer, which is proving slightly more difficult than I had imagined (tall girl problems) but there’s no rush, as for now this white one is serving me well during the summer.

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I wore this outfit the other week to the opening of the Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery, where I’d kindly been invited along to preview the exhibition with a private tour. It was a fabulous event and the exhibition is great, as those of you who already saw it in London will know. So if you’re in Manchester I definitely recommend that you check the exhibition out, it’s free and it’s on until the end of October.

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Samio x

July 4, 2016