Tag: Style

How To Find Your Style – Back to Basics (Style Series) Part 1
Finding and developing your personal style can do much more for you than simply helping you realise which clothes suit you best. Whilst yes, finding your style can help you do exactly that, it can also assist you to refine your style, feel better in how you dress day to day, and in the process allow you to declutter and downsize your wardrobe to eliminate the things that you don’t actually wear or need, which will enable you to create better shopping habits going forward.

This in turn can promote a more organised space which enables you to feel freer and calmer, as you’ll find getting dressed quickly in the mornings doesn’t mean having to compromise on style and you won’t need an unlimited supply of clothes to feel and look good.

In this three part series we’ll be taking things back to basics and I’ll be sharing some of my top tips to help you refine your style, declutter your wardrobe and build outfits that you can feel good in everyday. Part one is all about how to find your style, so if you’d like some help with how to do that, then keep on reading…

–Contents–
This post is for you if:
- You constantly find you have nothing to wear (even if you have an abundance of clothes).
- You find yourself shopping without intention or purpose.
- You simply want to feel better about how you dress day to day.
Step 1 – Find Inspiration

Think about what styles or who’s style you’re most drawn towards. It may be completely dissimilar to how you dress now but think about what type of style you like when you see it – feel free to be explorative when taking inspiration and even look to things like films.

It could be that you don’t even know yet, but this is your chance to look out for it and take note. Are there any particular celebrities who’s style you’re drawn towards? Are there any bloggers you follow or maybe even people you know or see around day to day? It could even be characters you see in movies.

From here you want to make a mood board. You can easily do this on Pinterest (my particular favourite), or even by saving images on Instagram. I’d recommend doing this digitally as opposed to creating a physical mood board, as this will give you more opportunity to develop and change your mood board as your style evolves.

Step 2 – Think About Your Lifestyle

Take a look through your mood board and think about what kind of outfits from your moodboard would and wouldn’t work with your lifestyle day to day.

It may be that you find you’re drawn to certain styles that don’t really work with your day to day lifestyle, however, this can be a good opportunity to work out what styles you really like and think about how you may be able to draw inspiration from them in your everyday outfits.

For example if the styles you find yourself most drawn to are that of 1950’s Hollywood starlets, yet in your everyday life you find you need to dress quite practically, a lot of these looks likely won’t work for you. Think of ways you can take elements from the outfits in the mood board that emulate parts of these styles, which you can then incorporate into your everyday outfits. With this particular style it could be the way you do your makeup or by adding vintage accessories that give a nod to the era.

Create a separate mood board (or on Pinterest you can now create sub categories within mood boards) and here you can start to refine things and save outfit ideas and inspiration that will work with your lifestyle day to day.

Side note: The reason I say to make the initial mood board collating any styles you’re drawn to at first, is that this allows you to look for style inspiration freely and solely focus on what styles you really like, without limitations. Then from there you’re able to hone in on that and think about how you can make some of these styles really work for you. Sometimes when starting with limitations it can prevent you from allowing yourself to discover what styles you’re really interested in and so I find it’s better to start big and then refine it to work for you.

I myself often find that I’m draw to lots of vintage style looks and outfits. I tend to draw inspiration from these looks with accessories.

This vintage scarf for example is a simple piece that I use time and time again in my outfits.

Step 3 – Look At Your Wardrobe and Pull Out Pieces That Fit With the Style

Go back to your wardrobe and begin to pull out pieces that you feel may fit with the styles you’re inspired by. Now this may be tricky if the reason you’re doing this in the first place is because you feel you have nothing to wear, but refer back to your moodboard and go through your wardrobe meticulously, pulling out any pieces that you feel could work.

Try to break down each of the outfits in your mood board and look at individual items to figure out what pieces you may already have in your wardrobe.

It actually might be really obvious pieces that you already have but haven’t given much regard to previously because you haven’t ever experimented with styling them differently before.

You may have to get inventive with this if you feel your wardrobe is really lacking many items that fit with the styles in your mood board. But try your best and pull out anything that you think could possibly work.

Step 4 – Plan Outfits

Now with the items you’ve pulled from your wardrobe, begin to try and plan some outfits. This step could take some time, but be patient and don’t be afraid to experiment and try different ways of styling pieces.

Make sure you keep referring back to your mood board because this will really help you when thinking of outfits to put together.

It could even be that you find yourself going back to your wardrobe to pull out additional items which help you to create full looks.

Step 5 – Separate Your Wardrobe

Separate the items in your wardrobe that you don’t think you want to wear anymore from the items that you’ve just planned outfits with.

Sometimes it can be that you wear things out of habit as opposed to wearing what you actually love and feel good in. So by putting any pieces you’re not sure of, or don’t love, to the back of your wardrobe for the time being, this can help you to focus on the things you do want to wear.

It might be hard to separate your clothes if you don’t have much wardrobe space, but do your best to distinguish the items that you’ve planned outfits with, separately from the items you don’t want to wear. That should make it easier when it comes to dressing day to day whilst you’re trying to refine your style.

Step 6 – Go On A Shopping Ban

By going on a shopping ban, it’s going to really help you to hone in on your style. It might be hard, especially if the style you’re trying to lean towards is quite different to how you currently dress. But by going on a shopping ban, it will give you time to think about how you really want to dress and what really works for you whilst experimenting with what you already have in your wardrobe.

It will also force you to be a little bit more creative and push you to think outside of the box when it comes to putting together new outfits. And in turn this will further push you towards finding a style that you really feel is you. (I’m going to go into more detail about how to put together an outfit in the 3rd episode in this series, so be sure to check back for that if you’d like more tips on this).

Step 7 – Document Your Outfits

Now it’s time to start wearing the outfits you’ve planned and documenting them as you go. I’d say give yourself a good two week period of doing this, or maybe even longer if you feel you can. Two weeks at least, means you’ll have a solid 14 outfits to look back on by the end of it.

You can simply use your phone to take daily mirror pictures of your outfit, or prop your phone up somewhere and take a quick self timer photo. Either way, just take a clear photo of your outfit each day so that you’re able to document it. It doesn’t have to be fancy, it’s just a way for you to clearly see your outfit when looking back.

It’s likely you’ll find yourself wearing certain pieces again within the time frame you’ve given, or you may even find yourself wearing complete outfits on repeat, which is completely fine too.

If you can, create a separate folder on your phone in which you can store all of these daily outfit photos in one place.

Step 8 – Re-asses

Once you’ve had your minimum of two weeks of documenting outfits, you can go back through your camera roll and start to re-asses.

Looking through the outfits you’ve documented you can now start to really asses which outfits have been working for you, what have you felt good in, and have there been any outfits that you didn’t like wearing.

As you look back through the images it may be that certain outfits really jump out at you in a positive way. This is a good indication of looks you may want to wear again or create similar outfits from.

It’s important to acknowlege outfits that jump out to you in a negative way too. If when looking back you don’t like them, ask yourself why? Maybe it wasn’t comfortable, or you’re not keen on the colours. By working out what you don’t like you can avoid making repeat mistakes again with future outfit combinations.

Make notes as you go through your outfit assessment and think about which outfits you loved and which outfits you feel you could change or make better.

You may start to see patterns in your outfits and notice which items really work for you. It may be that over this period you’ve also noticed certain items which would really benefit being in your wardrobe when putting together your everyday outfits. If so, make a note of this.

TOP TIP: It’s really important to think about how certain items and outfits make you feel, and work out what really makes you feel best. Sometimes we can be drawn to certain things because they look good on other people but when we put them on ourselves we realise it’s not actually something we love on ourselves. So finding out what you really feel good in can help you avoid making future mistakes when adding new items into your wardrobe.

Additional note: COLOUR PALETTES – I haven’t added a colour palette step to this list, simply because I don’t actually believe colour palettes are for everyone.

I myself find it quite useful to focus on certain colour palettes as I know which colours and shades I like and which I like to avoid. However I feel that works well for me, as I have a taste for earthy tones and more muted colours generally speaking (particularly when it comes to my winter wardrobe), but for someone who loves bright colours and clashing prints, I don’t feel a colour palette would maybe be a necessity.

If a big part of your style is to dress in rainbow prints, then I’m sure you’ll agree that focusing on a particular colour palette would be useless to you. It’s all about figuring out what works for you when it comes to honing in on your style, so if you would find sticking to a particular colour palette useful, then this step is optional.

Step 9 – Declutter

Now it’s time to get rid of anything that isn’t serving a purpose, so that you can clearly see what you have and want to wear.

By this point you’ve gone through your wardrobe, you’ve planned outfits, you’ve assessed everything, and so you should have a much better idea of what’s really working for you in your wardrobe and what you actually want to wear.

This is when you can go through the section of your wardrobe with the items you were unsure of, which you separated out earlier, and begin to sort through it and clear things out.

Part two in the series is fully dedicated to decluttering your wardrobe, so check back for that in a few days if you’d like to see my step by step guide on how to do that.

Once you’ve decluttered you’ll have a much clearer view of the items in your wardrobe and it will make the process of getting dressed everyday, a lot easier.

Step 10 – Shop With Intention

Now you may get to this point and feel like you don’t actually need to add anything new into your wardrobe, which is great if you’ve been able to refine and find your style within the wardrobe you already had, perfect!

However you might get to this point and discover that there are particular pieces you feel your wardrobe could now really benefit from to better fit with your style.

At this point it’s important to be mindful when shopping and really take time to assess what will work in your newly curated wardrobe.

When shopping for a particular garment you may want to ask yourself specific questions to do with what colour, fit, or fabric you’d like the item you’re looking for to be. That way when you do add in new pieces, you’ll know you’ve taken the time to consider them first and what will fit with your style and lifestyle, so that you’re able to really get the most out of any new pieces you add into your wardrobe.

And that’s it! Hopefully this blog post could give you some useful steps and tips to help you find your style. I’ve also created a video to go alongside this blog post which you can watch down below. Be sure to check back for part two in this mini-series, which will be all about, How to Successfully Declutter Your Wardrobe.

Samio x

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CyoH3WAmw5g
April 5, 2020
Suited & Booted And My Working Balance

Damien and I shot these images in January…JANUARY. It’s now April. I feel a reoccurring theme at the start of my blog posts of me often parroting on about how the time has flown by; but as I feel myself hurdling into Spring once again, it’s hard not to take notice and vocalise the fact that time has whizzed by, leaving me feeling solicitous in my want to get certain things done.

Once again my blog took a backseat over the month of March and it’s just a never ending cycle in the thing I like to call my ‘working life’s balance’. I spread my social media content across my blog, Youtube and Instagram. I’m like a juggler who has only ever learnt to juggle two balls well enough (does that even count as juggling). When it comes to juggling it all, I’ve never quite managed to keep all three balls going consistently at once, and so to metaphorically speak, I tend to drop a ball every now and then and focus on keeping the momentum with just two instead…until I finally feel ready to add in another ball again, which I eventually drop of course, and so the cycle continues like this.

It’s something I’m now very much used to and it’s something that doesn’t bother me so much these days, at least not like it did before. I remember a time (not that long ago actually) when I’d put immense pressure on myself to try and keep everything to a schedule which I inevitably always failed to stick to. I’d always wind up feeling rubbish about my inability to keep up with things and so in the end, after a good long while of this self critical behaviour and hitting breaking point with it, I had to take my foot right off the pressure peddle.

I’ve noticed the people who tend to do things best only focus on that one thing. My problem is, I like lots of things, so I often find it hard to focus on one, and only one consistently. So over time, I’ve come to find my own sense of balance with it all, which means focusing on the things I like in rotation. I’ll admit it can be a tricky one, especially when these thing form together to be my job, but I’ve found that this is how things work best for me right now.

I’m taking things a lot slower this year in all aspects of my life. It’s done wonders for my mind and even the way I approach things and take on work. Of course I still get stressed and have those periods of panic, but I feel a lot more in control of them than I did last year. Accepting that things can still move forward and progress positively without always being ‘on it’ (so to speak) with everything, has been quite a liberating feeling.

So whilst the change in seasons is a noticeable marker that time has passed and so I really need to get certain things done (like simply check in here for example), it’s not a real cause for concern and instead just a polite nudge to not forget about the other things that I also want and need to do.

And with that very long winded self-analytical, cathartical mind dump over, I’ll briefly finish with a bit about this outfit and the original reason for taking these images in the first place.

Back in October last year, Asos invited me along to their HQ for a tailoring workshop. As a lover of blazers over here, of course I jumped at the chance and so on a trip down to London I popped into Asos for an afternoon of suit browsing and fittings and in the process I got to have a behind the scenes look at the design process at Asos. As someone who has shopped on Asos a lot over the years, it was all very interesting to see and myself and the two other bloggers who were invited along, Chloe and Hannah, were kindly gifted our own bespoke suits and jackets. I went for this blazer and flared trouser combo in a black pin stripe and when it arrived in December I was eager to shoot in it, as well as wear it of course. I shot it in January, then fast forward to now and I’m only just getting round to sharing the shots, but better late than never hey.

Anyway, I just wanted to say a bit about the outfit in this post, to share a little bit about the fun experience and to put things into context as of course this exact design isn’t available online, however they do have the same style in different prints, some of which are perfect for Spring Summer and I’ve linked below.

So there we have it. That’s enough blabbering on from me for this post but I’ll catch up with you again soon. Ciao for now.

Samio x

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April 5, 2019
Lookbooks, Life & Some Double Denim

I’m looking back over January with fondness; that’s not something I usually say about the first month of the year but it seems I surpassed the dreaded January blues and actually had a pretty good month, despite the bad weather and having had a cold…It’s what I’d call a ‘getting things done’ month. I got lots of little things ticked off (as I’d mentioned in my last post), I set a few things in motion which I’d been wanting to do for a while, and made a few fun plans, which I’m looking forward to over the coming year.

I think taking a slower approach has been the best decision I’ve made for the start of this year. The irony is that work has been even busier, but what’s changed is my approach to it all and I’m managing everything a lot better. I’m enjoying working on less but bigger projects which I can really channel my focus into and not feel so overwhelmed by lots of little things all building up. I’ve started as I wish to go on, so hopefully this is habit forming for the rest of the year with how I manage my time and work.

As we veeerryy slowly creep towards Spring (I say this as I can still see the remnants of snow outside my window), I’m really looking forward to lighter evenings and warmer days – but aren’t we all! We may have a while to wait yet but that doesn’t stop me from musing over Spring outfits on Pinterest and curating ideas in my head for the milder months.

I was recently offered a gifting from cult Australian brand Oneteaspoon and so after browsing through the website I decided to pick out a few pieces that I felt would be good all-year round staples. I hadn’t planned on putting a look together for my blog as such; however the other day as I was trying on and styling the jeans and jacket that I had picked out, I decided to take a quick snap in it for Instagram, which then swiftly turned into an impromptu photoshoot. As I’ve been getting back into shooting self portraits this year, I’ve really been enjoying shooting more lookbook style shots again, which fit together perfectly as little series of images. This is something that’s not so easy to share on Instagram, and often I find myself torn as to which one image I will share there. This is why I will always love my blog, as it allows me curate a selection of images and tell a story – or in this case, show an outfit.

Outfit posts on blogs have died out a bit over the past few years, and it’s no surprise why, as Instagram makes everything so quick and accessible, why even need to visit a blog. But for me, it’s still a process I enjoy and a part of me slowing down in life, is also slowing down somewhat online too. I don’t want everything I put out to be so fast pace and disposable. I don’t live or shop that way, so why share that way? So I’ve been enjoying styling and shooting more outfits again recently and I have lots more that I’m looking forward to sharing over the coming days and weeks. Here’s to a happy and chilled February, have a good one!

Samio x

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February 1, 2019
January Hues

Oh, it’s still January. And there was me thinking it should surely be February already. I’m not wishing time away or anything but I have to agree with the many observations I’ve seen expressed on Twitter, that this does feel like an awfully slow month. No wait, I shouldn’t say ‘awful’, there’s nothing particularly awful about it for me personally (as long as you exclude the weather and well, Brexit – let’s not even go there)…but aside from all the gloomy stuff that we’d rather bury our heads in the sand about, over here and on a personal level, things are going pretty okay. I’m taking things slow, as I mentioned in my previous post and with it, time seems to be moving a lot slower too. I have to say this is something that I’m actually pretty pleased about. I didn’t think it was possible to really take control of your time in such a way but it seems that by taking certain pressures off your plate, it allows you more time to breathe and simply think. Usually I feel a constant rush of catching up, but over these past few weeks I’ve been moving at a sloth like pace, making my way from one task to the other and taking my time as I do so.

It’s unlikely things will remain like this, we are only at the start of the year after all, but for the moment I’m thankful for the seemingly abundant time. There are lots of things I need to sort out, plan and do…but like I’ve said previously, I’m in no rush to do them all at once. The ‘one thing at a time’ approach definitely works best for me.

So far this year I’ve been making a concious effort to tick some things off the list that I’ve been wanting to set in motion for ages. I’m first focusing on those little things that are often pushed aside in favour for the bigger or more urgent things, but that you know are always there, niggling. It feels good to be be paying attention to the smaller things that are seemingly less important, but will inevitably be one less distraction or thing to worry about in the long run.

Anyway, I’m back to capturing self portraits, as you’ll see from this post and the one before. Aside from a few campaigns that I’ve shot with the help from Damien, I’ve not been in front of the camera much so far this year. I think this time last year I was on a roll with shooting but as I’m going at a much slower pace this year, I’m taking things easy. I did have a burst of inspiration the other afternoon though when I decided to shoot these shots. Currently the spare bedroom/soon to be office room is waiting to undergo a transformation, but in the meantime it’s providing a great space for shooting in whislt making the most of the natural light.

Samio x

#SamiosSelfPortraits

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January 23, 2019
Realising The Power In Saying No

I wrote this post a couple of weeks ago and whilst waiting to take some fitting images to go alongside it, I decided to pull out these images from a trip I took at the start of October to the Wilderness Reserve. So bare with me whilst I play catch up on the blog images but I liked these ones too much to not share. Onyi and I snapped these before dinner on the evening of our trip and they actually look rather festive, so quite fitting for now…anyway, in this post I just wanted to have a chat and share some recent thoughts and feelings…

I’ve been getting better at saying ‘no’ a lot more recently. In some aspects of my life I’ve often been quite good at saying no but then in other areas of life, I’ve been all too keen to be the yes man (or should I say woman).

For example, with my work I’ve always wanted it to be something I enjoy and so I have no qualms about saying no to things that maybe pay well but aren’t right for me. I understand this is a luxury to be able to say no to things but at the same time it’s something that I think is so important when working for yourself in the way that I do, where people are basically putting trust in your opinions.

I can be quite stubborn and if something I’m being asked to do for a job doesn’t feel right I’ll always dispute it, and if I’m being asked to work on something that isn’t the right fit, I’m never afraid to say no. I always know it will be worth the wait to work on something else that does fit right, which in turn I’ll enjoy a lot more and put my all into in return…On the other hand, when the types of things that are the right fit and I am keen to work on, come along all at once, I find myself all too easily saying ‘yes’ to everything. Before I know it I’m feeling as though I’ve bitten off a little more than I can chew trying to juggle it all as my own little one man band.

The same goes for social engagements. I’ve spoken before about how much I love spending time with friends and loved ones, so I am very social in that sense. If it’s an event with strangers then I’ll easily say no if I’m not in the right mood but if it’s a gathering with good friends I’ll mostly always say yes and make time for those important to me. Before I know it I have a full social calendar and if the work is busy too, then I’m back to back, burning the candle at both ends.

This is something that I find happens with me every now and then. It always seems to creep up on me without me even realising that I’ve taken on too much until it’s too late. When collaborations that are the right fit come along, it can be hard to say no, even if I am already really busy. Then when friends want to see me in between, in fear of being a let down, I continue to say ‘yes’. Before I know it I can find myself struggling to juggle it all, leaving little time for myself to well, just have to myself.

This happened again quite recently. I was saying ‘yes’ all too often and ‘no’ hardly enough.
I think my subconscious snapped before I actually did. As usually when I have too much on my plate I don’t actually realise that’s the problem and so my stress can manifest itself in other ways. I’ve never really been an anxious person in the past but these past months I felt anxiety creep up on me and finally I realised something had to give. So, after what I’ll just describe as a ‘stressful period’, I learnt to start saying ‘no’ more.

It sounds so simple. One little, two letter word, ‘No’. But each time I turned down meeting a friend for a coffee, or planning a much needed catch up, I’d feel so much guilt creeping up on me. I didn’t want to be a bad friend. And as someone who mostly works from home with a ‘flexible’ schedule I’d feel the need to over explain myself when I would say no to something. What I had to remind myself is that it’s actually okay to have time for yourself. Time to breathe. Time to not do work, not see friends, and be alone, and if you like, do nothing.

The same goes for work. Like I said, I’ve always been okay with saying no to the things that don’t feel right but to the things that do, well that one has always been a little trickier. Feeling overwhelmed and stressed to breaking point was (although awful to experience) the sign I needed to just slow things right down. It’s also made me re-assess and re-prioritise what things are really important to me in all aspects of my life.

Although saying no to certain things was hard at first, the more I got used to it, the more I felt myself regaining control and the less overwhelmed I felt. It’s not about saying no to everything but just saying no to more things. Allowing more time for myself is something I’ve realised is so important.

Saying no to work more and learning to become okay with it has been quite a freeing experience. Sometimes I forget that I’m self employed and it’s only myself cracking my own whip. I can choose to take on as much or as little work as I like. You have to define your own success/balance/happiness. I’ve realised I can’t do all of the things, all of the time and whilst being what you’d maybe describe as a driven extrovert, I still need time to be alone, recharge, and well, rest.

Saying yes to things is so celebrated but hardly anyone talks about what happens when you say yes too much. I’m adventurous, I get FOMO too easily, I love my work and I’m very social, so being a yes person comes naturally to me, but I tend to go too much in one direction and not enough in the other. I found myself turning up too much for everything and everyone else and not enough for myself. But alone time/doing nothing time is very important and I’ve realised that actually I don’t thrive off of being non-stop, back to back busy.

These past few weeks I’ve felt myself re-balancing. I feel a lot calmer. I’ve seen friends but then booked out time for myself too. I’ve said yes to work that I’ve been excited about but then turned down work and other opportunities that I know I don’t have time for. I’ve regained the power in saying no and I’m feeling a lot more balanced and happier for it.

Samio x

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December 19, 2018
3 Ways To Wear A Corduroy Blazer

It’s not often these days that I walk into a store and purchase something shortly after having spotted it in the shop window. In fact, I don’t remember the last time this happened…until Friday. When I spotted this double breasted corduroy blazer in a beautiful retro pink, in the window of & Other Stories, I knew I had to have it. After trying it on I was soon at the till making my purchase and several days later I’m happy to say, I have no regrets!

I know a pink corduroy blazer may not be an obvious choice for a staple piece but my reason for being so hasty in my purchasing it, is that I know it will be a jacket that I’ll get so much wear out of.

I decided to size up in this blazer. & Other Stories sizes are weird (if you’re in the UK). I tend to go for a 36 in their clothes, which I believe equates to around a UK size 10. For this jacket however I decided to go one up and went for a 38. I have broad shoulders, I’m tall (5’9) and have long arms (promise I’m not an alien, although that description makes it sound like it). It’s a rarity for me that I find a jacket that fits on both my shoulders and arms without absolutely swamping me in the process. I wanted this jacket to be slightly oversized anyway and I love the way this one fits as I’m able to comfortably wear layers underneath it too.

The quality of this piece feels amazing, the fit (as I’ve mentioned is great) and it actually also looks good worn closed (which is something I rarely do with my blazers). Also a nice little detail which I really appreciate in jackets, is that it has a little inside pocket which is the perfect size to fit your phone. Anyway, on to the styling…

With Jeans and a tee

Whilst this is a pretty snazzy jacket, I know it will be something that I’ll be able to throw on day to day and just wear with a pretty cool and casual look. This jacket is quite thick, so it’s great for the Autumn period as the weather gets a little cooler. Here I’ve worn it with a pair of flared Joe’s Jeans (which I cut off at the hem to make them cropped), a fitted tee and my go to nude Adidas trainers.

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With All Black

I love how a statement jacket can jazz up an otherwise basic outfit. I’ve been really loving flares recently. I’ve realised that they really suit my shape and I’m currently all about the 70’s vibes too. The jeans are from Amazon’s clothing brand Find. I went for a size 26 and they fit like a glove. With heels and a cute cami this makes a great evening look. It’s the type of thing I’d wear for date night when off out for a meal and some drinks.

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Like A Cowboy

I’m not sure why but this third outfit combination is giving me serious cowboy vibes. Maybe it’s the double denim, or maybe it’s just me? Anyway, I love how denim works so well with this blazer. I do enjoy mixing textures and it’s the ultimate combination of smart and casual mixed together. I decided to go for my Weekday Ami jeans and Abercrombie denim jacket worn with the Finery boots I’ve had since last winter. I know I’ll be layering pieces under this jacket a lot as it gets colder, which makes me glad it’s the perfect fit to do so.

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Images and video shot by me. See more via #SamiosSelfPortraits

September 11, 2018
A Sick Day & Not Taking Things For Granted

I’m sat up in bed, surrounded by an unwanted abundance of snotty tissues…and wow, do I feel exhausted.

There are so many things I love about being self employed that I hardly ever take time to dwell on the negatives. But it’s on days like today when I could easily fantasise about calling in sick and then spending the remainder of the day cocooned in blanked, drinking copious amounts of hot honey and lemon, whilst having the world’s smallest pity part for one. I guess this little mind dump of a blog post is the closest thing I’ll get to that, as today’s little pity party is about to be cut prematurely short.

This morning I have to head out and shoot and after about 4 hours of broken sleep, I couldn’t think of anything worse. Unfortunately it’s not a day where I can be flexible and change things around, as I have a deadline and needs must and all that. Thank goodness for heavy concealer, that’s all I can say! It’s not the end of the world, I know, and to be honest it’s time like this that make me feel grateful for all the other things that I do love about my job.

I always tend to find that when I get sick with something so trivial as a cold (where I feel horrendous yet deep down know it’s not actually the end of the world), it actually helps me to put things into perspective. Not only with work, but also with general life.

I’ve been jokingly saying for a while now how I need to stop constantly eating crap. As much as I love salad, fruit, veg and all the good stuff (which I do eat in large quantities), I don’t think it counts so much if you’re following it up with take out and junk food on a regular basis.

If I were to write a food diary, you (and likely myself included), would be shocked. Sometimes I blame being busy, having to eat out a lot due to a busy social life and having an irregular schedule, but really I only have myself to blame. You can’t burnt the candle at both ends, eat like you’re filming a new Super Size Me documentary, and expect to stay fit and healthy. Nope. And that’s most likely why, on top of everything, my body has finally said, ‘I’m not having it, I don’t feel good, you’re rundown, here’s a cold’.

So taking better care of myself (or at least cutting down on all the extra crap I put into my body), is up there on the to do list. Along with that, I always tend to get my best ideas and inspiration when I’m not feeling well and have little energy to do anything. It’s frustrating of course, but it makes you realise all the things you really want to get done, and for me, it makes me realise how lucky I am to usually be able to do them without a second thought.

Something so simple, like going for a walk for example. I was so desperate to get out and go for a walk yesterday, so Damien and I went for one and even though it was a beautiful evening and I was glad for the fresh air, it absolutely floored me. Things like that just make me think about those who maybe always have to deal with that feeling, and how I can sometimes take these things for granted. I’m lucky that (aside from this passing cold), overall, I have my health. I can do things that I want and enjoy to do, so I should do them.

So we’ll round up this little cathartic poor excuse for a rant, style blog post by saying that, although having a cold sucks (and through it I feel pretty sorry for myself), it’s actually one of those little tiny blips that helps you put things into perspective and really appreciate your health, abilities and time. So I’m going to get up, take a hot shower, drink as much hot honey and lemon as I can before leaving the house, glam myself up (because like they say, fake it till you make it, or in this case, fake it until you’re actually well again) and get this show on the road…

Samio x

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July 26, 2018
TMI – Too Much Inspo

If there’s one thing I struggle with more than a lack of inspiration, it’s ironically, too much inspiration. It sounds silly but since returning from my trips to Spain and then America, my mind has been a buzz with ideas. So much so that it’s been hard to know where to start. I’ve been back home for exactly two weeks now, yet I only just feel like I’m getting back to normality (whatever that is).

I guess for me, my normality is having a daily routine of creating content, working to my schedules/deadlines, and replying to emails from brands etc. I’m usually quite good at keeping self motivated. Since working on my self portrait project since late last year, that has been something that has kept me thinking up new ideas and pushed myself to try and capture something creative almost everyday.

Recently however, I appear to have hit a stumbling block. It’s that old chestnut of feeling like everything you’re taking in is starting to look the same and in turn you feel like your own work is following suit.

One of the reasons I started my self portrait project was in order to improve my photography and editing skills and push myself to be more creative when I don’t have Damien at my disposal to help me get the shots…I’ve never really stuck to one set photography style, or way of editing, as for me it’s all been about learning and developing new skills. More recently however I’ve felt myself falling into a trap of feeling like I need to do things a certain way as a blogger and I know it’s an idea I need to quickly get out of my head.

I sometimes wish I could have a social media detox (as they call it) and start again. It’s so hard to escape the echo chambers that we’ve created for ourselves. We are often being fed the same type of images/information that we have once expressed we have interest in and so now the algorithms love to show us even more of the same type of stuff. This happens so much so, that you can have a skewed idea of what’s popular, or how things are ‘meant’ to be. If you’re being inspired by lots of the same type of inspiration, then how are you ever going to really create something that’s uniquely you.

These are some thoughts that I have been toying with and aside from doing a Kanye on the gram (and unfollowing everyone), I’m not sure what we can really do about it. But then I guess even Kanye ended up in his own echo chamber of just himself. So there we go…it’s a little food for thought I guess.

Samio x

Espadrilles – Castañer | Jeans – Find | Vest – Meraki

Images shot by Damien, directed and edited by me.

July 19, 2018
Reflecting on June

And breath…

The month of June was a bit of a whirlwind and so much happened that I don’t feel I’ve been fully able to process it all yet. I’m now back home, sat at my little make shift work area, with my freshly poured coffee, my laptop open in front of me…and I’m not quite sure where to start.

I’ve been away twice in the past month (3 times if you include the weekend trip I took to Wales) and whilst I’ve enjoyed every minute of it, it’s left me feeling slightly off-kilter when it comes to my blog and work…and although I ended up working throughout my holidays, I still can’t help but feeling behind and somewhat overwhelmed by the amount I need to catch up on. So I thought I’d start here and cathartically share some of what I’ve been up to this past month and why the month of June has been such a momentous one for me.

The start

I really hit the ground running at the start of June (or should I say, hiking), as myself and some of my close girlfriends took a trip to Wales to climb Mount Snowdon. This was a pre-birthday celebration for my birthday the following weekend, and something we’d been looking forward to for months. I don’t usually do much for my birthday but this year I felt the urge to celebrate it doing something that was very me. It’s probably a sign of my age, but I’d much rather a long hike followed by a wine night in, than a night out clubbing these days. Times really do change and I joked with my girls at how we’d come a long way since our birthday celebrations in our early 20s. It couldn’t have been more perfect for me though and it was one of those girls trips where you find yourself laughing from start to finish.

The Snowdon hike also reiterated to me my love for hiking and the great outdoors. It’s something I don’t share much here on my blog but I’ve loved going hiking since I was young and it’s something Damien and I have got back into doing more of recently. I want to share more of that adventurous side and I’d love to plan some more outdoorsy trips in the future too.

My Birthday

I’m not someone who frets too much over their birthday, but then I’m not 30 yet, so we’ll see how things change when that one comes along…but for now I’m blissfully enjoying each year as it comes along. I could end up eating my words in years to come and long for the days when my tits were perkier and I saw a fresh faced 20 something year old staring back at me in the mirror, but for now I’m not too worried about getting (slightly) older.

With age comes wisdom, as they say and I do believe that. Not necessarily that just because you’re old means you’re wise, but with each year comes new lessons. I definitely know a lot more than I knew a year ago and I’m grateful for that knowledge I’ve gained and the lessons I’ve learnt. We all live and we learn, and birthdays can be a good time to reflect on what we’ve learnt during that particular age. For me this birthday coincided with lots of changes and things being ticked off, so it was a reflective one for sure and one that made me feel grateful for where I’m at right now.

Trainers – Adidas | Shorts – Uniqlo | T-shirt – & Other Stories (sold out, similar here) | Bag – DVF (sold out, similar here) | Necklace – Pernille Corydon | Sunglasses – Taylor Morris (same style in different colour, here)

The End of An Era/New Beginnings

I decided to make the (not so easy) decision to leave my agencies and quit modelling after 6 and a half years of doing it as my full-time job. It’s crazy to think that it really is the end of an era for me, even as I type these words it still sort of feels strange to be saying it. I’m no longer a model and I’m now solely a full time blogger/creative…and this is the first time I’ve properly announced it anywhere.

For me it’s something that has naturally been transitioning over the past eight months or so. As my work load as a blogger/Youtuber/creative increased, I was finding less time for modelling, and it was like a tip of the scales one day where I just thought, something has to give. Modelling was a dream I pursued for a long time and got to fulfil so many goals through it. It gave me some incredible opportunities that I’ll forever be grateful that I got to experience, and through it I met some of my best friends. I think there comes a time in many life chapters where as much as you’ve enjoyed it for a time, yourself, your life and your goals change so much that you know that it’s time to move on.

It wasn’t an easy decision to make but if I’m honest I felt relieved once I’d plucked up the courage and decided to make it final. I no longer had to keep wasting anyones time when I wasn’t available for castings and modelling jobs, or try to juggle it all as my workload outside of modelling was increasing…and I instantly felt free to put 100% into my creative work, which is what I feel most passionate about.

A big Tick off The List

In March I decided it was time to finally start having driving lessons. It’s something I’d put off for years and I’d never really been that interested in driving in the past. Only when it felt like it would be really beneficial (like when I’d get booked on a modelling job in the middle of the country side), did I really wish I could drive. This year I made a personal list of things I’d like to achieve and one of those was to finally learn how to drive. I still don’t particularly need to be able to drive, however I finally felt ready to take on lessons and had the mindset that I wanted to get it done and pass!

I’ll be honest, I didn’t love driving lessons. I had an amazing instructor who was very patient and such a good teacher but I still found myself feeling incredibly anxious before every lesson. Sometimes I’d actually be filled with dread the night before a lesson and although I knew I was being irrational, I just couldn’t help but worry about having to get into the car. It’s funny because as soon as I’d be in the car and driving about on my lesson, (aside from the obvious minor nerves) I felt fine, yet still it was like a cycle and before the next lesson I’d be feeling anxious all over again.

I can’t say it was easy breezy for me, and so I did have to work at it. When it finally came to the date of my test I knew deep down I could do it but I was worried that my nerves would get in the way. It was a surprise to me that I passed first time, so much so, that I burst out crying as soon my test examiner said the words ‘you’ve passed’. Not the usual reaction I’m sure, but I was just so overwhelmed and I couldn’t believe it was over. Thank goodness I don’t have to do that again, that’s all I can say.

To add to it, two days later Damien and I went to pick up our new car and that afternoon I drove it on the road for the first time as a newly passed driver. It still feels quite strange that I can now say I can drive and that there’s a car on the drive that I’m actually legal to drive about in.

New Hair, Who This

I got box braids for the first time. This might not seem like the biggest thing ever but for someone who has had near enough the same hair style for the past 6 years this is quite the change. Obviously box braids aren’t forever and my afro is sitting tight, having a much welcomed rest whilst in these plaits, but I’m seriously loving this style more than I expected. It’s just nice not having to worry about doing my hair, which I now realise is actually so time consuming. I feel very me with this style, which is strange because I didn’t think anything could feel more ‘me’ than my afro. But it’s nice to have a change once in a while and settle in to something new. I’ll actually be sad when it comes time to take them out but this is a hairstyle I will be returning to for sure.

A Long Overdue Girl’s Holiday

I love girl time and girls holidays are my fave. I went to my friend’s villa in Spain and had such a fun four nights away. We laughed, we drank, we ate, we chatted, we even made up a dance routine and it was just what I needed. Sunshine, sangria and girl time.

Exciting Collaborations

Although this month has been my month for going on holiday, it’s ironically been one of my busiest work months. Out of office unfortunately doesn’t always mean much when you’re self employed and as much as I tried to step away from the work load, it’s hard to completely switch off from it when important emails need to be answered and content needs to be shot.

Luckily I really enjoy the creative process and shooting (can’t say the same for emails), so I didn’t mind taking some time out of one of my holidays to shoot some collaborations, but it has all been rather non-stop. I’m definitely not complaining though as I’ve got to work with some of my favourite brands during June and one of my biggest blogger collaborations so far, that I shot with Oasis, went live at the end of the month too. I’m feeling incredibly grateful for the opportunities that have been coming my way and June was a month of seeing some of my hard work paying off.

First Time a Bridesmaid

I’ll end on the most prominent part of June (although it’s hard to decipher what’s been most prominent during this crazy month)…but my trip to America was definitely a highlight. Damien and I went over for my friend’s wedding and it was my first time not only being a bridesmaid, but a maid of honour too! I felt so honoured (pardon my pun) to be a part of our friend’s special day, I think I’m as excited to see the wedding photos as the happy couple are!

The trip overall was so much fun. The wedding was in Oregon city, just outside of Portland and Damien and I flew to San Francisco for four nights, then to Portland for four nights for the wedding. We then flew from Portland to San Fran for one last night, before returning home. I plan on chatting much more about our San Fran and Portland trip in a separate blog post but for now I’ll just say that we both had a brilliant time and it was great to be reunited with my friend and see her walk down the isle on her special day.

And that’s about it. It’s been a full on month. I feel like I’ve gone through a range of emotions and took on so many different experiences that my brain is only just starting to process everything properly now. June has been quite the stand out month for me and in more ways than one. It’s funny how it’s mid-way through the year too and it’s been quite the momentous half way point. It’s a prime example of how sometimes everything can come at once, and a lot of things have paved the way for the rest of my year to come.

Samio x

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July 10, 2018
3 Happiness Habits

Shots by Rosie Butcher

When we think of happiness it’s easy to think of what it is to be happy in a particular moment. For example, right now I think what would really make me happy is a large Dominos veggie volcano pizza (hmmm pizza). Or someone else’s idea of a happy moment might be buying those designer shoes they’ve had their eye on for ages! The reality though, is that however nice that slice of pizza tastes (still drooling at the thought to be honest), or however beautiful those shoes are, this type of happiness is short lived. If we don’t feel good in other aspects of our life it doesn’t matter how good the pizza tastes, or how dreamy the shoes are, they just aren’t going to fix it. The reality is that (queue the cheesy cliche line) happiness is a journey, not a destination.

Now when I speak of happiness, I’m talking overall happiness. No matter how seemingly good someone’s life is, it’s impossible to skip around cheery and smiley all day, everyday, don’t let social media fool you. Overall happiness however, goes deeper than what’s on the exterior and it’s something that can take work and I’m not talking a quick five minute fix.

Trainers – Converse | Jeans – Me & Em | Striped Tee – Cos | Cardigan – Me and Em | Watch – Cluse | Jewellery – Pernille Corydon

Spend Time With People You Love

Personally, nothing makes me feel more uplifted than surrounding myself with people I love. I’m lucky to have an amazing bunch of people in my life and to be quite honest I can’t get enough of them. Be it a long distant phone call, a coffee catch up, or even a sleepover with my besties (yes I’m a grown woman who still has sleepovers), I’m always left feeling in high spirits after catching up and spending time with some of my favourite people.

Aside from friends, family and partners, it doesn’t always have to mean spending time with people you’re close with. Obviously I’d recommend you do that as much as possible but sometimes you can find the type of people you love to be around in other situations as well. Finding like minded people is especially important. That feeling of being able to relate and share common ground/interests with someone can be just what you need. I love the buzz I get after having chats with like minded people about things that we are equally passionate about. And if you’re not sure about where to find these like minded people then think about what your main interests are and seek out clubs, groups and events where you connect with them. Be it through hashtags or even a quick google search, it’s easier than you think to ‘find your tribe’, so go for it.

Practice Gratitude

I’ve spoken about this before (particularly in this post here) and no doubt I’ll speak about it again, but practicing gratitude on a daily basis can do wonders for your happiness levels. When I wake up I like to take five minutes or so before jumping out of bed or grabbing for my phone, to just think about the things I’m grateful for in that moment. It can be as simple as being grateful for having such a comfy bed to go to sleep and wake up in, to being happy that you get to head out to a job you love, or maybe you’re even just grateful for the coffee you’ll soon be drinking. Whatever it is, take a mental note, or write actual notes if you’d rather. It can be whenever you like, not just in the morning. Just thinking about all the things that you’re grateful for can really help you to re-evaluate things and in turn, help to lift your mood. Do this on a daily basis and believe me you’ll see a difference.

Find Fulfilment

This is a weird one, as fulfilment can come is different forms for different people. You may find fulfilment in your children, you may find fulfilment in your job, or you may even find it in helping others. Sometimes the trickiest part is finding what brings you these feelings of fulfilment in the first place…but once you know what that thing is, you’ll know what to pursue in life in order to help bring you happiness. Of course fulfilment can come from a number of places, I know for me personally I find it in being able to use my creativity, in helping others, in spending time with loves ones and exploring different countries (quite a list there). For you it could be a similar combination, or something entirely different. Whatever it is, make time to work on or work towards the things that personally bring you fulfilment because quite often those are some of the things that will bring you the most joy in your life.

Those are my three happiness habits and just a few things that I find help me…Of course it’s normal to have down days here and there, we can’t be feeling super happy all of the time, but if you do find yourself constantly feeling down, then it’s always important to reach out and speak to someone about it. Here’s a link to some helplines if you do need more information – click here – or if you just feel like you need someone to chat to, I found out about a great little website where you can chat with trained listeners anonymously online, which you can find here.

Samio x

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April 6, 2018