10 Years of The Style Sample: A Lazy Retrospective
2019 marked my 10th year of blogging and the 10th anniversary of this site. Bring on the aluminum!
When I was looking through photos to include in the How to Create a Marketing Campaign post, it was like an unexpected journey through the past decade. 2014, 2012, 2010… there are a lot of memories on this site.
I’m a planner at heart, so I’m great at looking ahead and terrible at taking time to reflect. But scrolling through old blog posts was like a series of mini-reunions with previous versions of myself. I’d forgotten some of those Tamias.
It’s not that I’m a totally different person than I was back then, it’s more like comparing iPhone 3 to iPhone X: the concept is the same, but the newer version does more stuff and looks a little different.
As I was scrolling through, I came across some memories:
Thread Cincy
![dress rental boutique cincinnati](https://thestylesample.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/threadcincy_finery_damonwilson00002-1024x683.jpg)
![bene scarves cincinnati fashion stylist blog](https://thestylesample.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Bene-scarves-Thread.jpg)
A group of local bloggers came together for Thread Cincy back in… 2014(?). All these babes were a fun bunch.
Stylist Life
![](https://thestylesample.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/IMG_7929-768x1024.jpg)
![cincinnati fashion stylist](https://thestylesample.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/excessorize.jpg)
I really enjoyed Photo Styling, minus all the schlepping. Sometimes I miss it, then I remember the existential dread of returns.
![](https://thestylesample.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Tumblr-Tuesday-8-21.jpg)
![](https://thestylesample.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Tumblr-Tuesday-2-7-12.jpg)
I also really enjoyed pulling together visual trend inspiration—I guess it’s the Creative Director in me. Also, remember Tumblr?
Shoe Obsession
![](https://thestylesample.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Liberty-Nikes.jpg)
![](https://thestylesample.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/flightsuit20309.jpg)
I was absolutely OBSESSED with the Liberty print Nike Dunks and Giuseppe Zanotti snakeskin heels before I just went ahead and bought them. Some things never change.
Popping Up
![](https://thestylesample.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/PopShopII-homecoming.jpg)
![](https://thestylesample.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/PopShop-I-crowd.jpg)
We started PopShop in 2011-ish to highlight available spaces on Main Street and bring more people to OTR. Mission accomplished?
Magazine Madness
![](https://thestylesample.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/SSM-10-preview.jpg)
I had a ball editing, designing, and publishing Style Sample Magazine. A lot of the people featured are still doing their thing, which makes me feel a bit like a scout who recognized promising talent.
![](https://thestylesample.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/A-Line-Leah.jpg)
A-Line was a one-of-a-kind women’s lifestyle magazine that came from the publishers of CityBeat. It only lasted a year or two, but it was my first real taste of photo shoot production and styling, and it was a real turning point for me.
Fashion Faves
This has always been a fashion and style blog, and these lewks are among my favorites:
Remember when colored denim was all the rage? Sadly, I ripped these jeans during the Great Sitting Incident of 2013. I was really into thigh-high socks for a while… I still adhere to the Lazy Layering Philosophy. When it works, it works. I used to show a li’l pink on nights out. This reminds me of a time before Instagram African Lifesavers, anyone? Housewife cosplay
Looking through these photos reminded me that I should appreciate the life and experiences I’m having now AS I’M HAVING THEM. Maybe that’s the point of regular reflection: it’s fun to look back and see how far you’ve come and dream about how far you still have to go.