In The Hot Seat with Holly & Sam

This week we caught up with content creators Holly and Sam for our ‘In the Hot Seat’ interview. Sam is a coffee and wine proprietor for Elm, an independent bar located in Sheffield, here you can find sustainably sourced wines and coffee from around the world. Holly is a medicines management technician, and of course an Instagram wife. Her content focuses on style and the beautiful surroundings of her latest travels.

Here’s what they had to say about their style, their business, and Yogi...

 

What was the first item of clothing you both bought?

Sam – I honestly can’t remember at this stage. Probably some massive goth boots covered in chains.

Holly – I think it was maybe a patent leather backpack… around the time Clueless was out!

Holly, what is the oldest item of clothing in your wardrobe?

I’ve got a couple of 1950s American prom dresses which take the crown for age, but if you mean longest owned item then I have a pair of Converse I bought 20 years ago that are still going. Not going strong, but still going nonetheless!

Sam, tell us about your personal style?

It’s mostly built around utility. I love clothes that are designed to do a job well and designed and made to last. This typically means I end up in natural, earthy colours so everything in my wardrobe works well with everything else and nothing is sat there unworn!

Guys tell is about Sheffield, if were visiting, what’s your perfect day out in your Yogis?

I’m wasting no time in getting out of the house early for a little amble through the botanical gardens before trying to get first in line at Gilt patisserie for Rob’s unreal pastry. Then around the corner to Seven Hills Bakery to grab a Yorkshire Tin Loaf to see us through the weekend, before heading to Whirlow Hall Farm for some produce for the inevitable Sunday roast. We may also treat ourselves to breakfast in their amazing barn conversion of a café before hitting the farm shop! For great coffee I’m heading to Mow’s, Marmadukes, Steamyard or Corner Store.

 

Your business, Elm, is a bar serving wine, coffee, cheese, and charcuterie. If you could only choose one, which would it be and why?

Oh wow. If we narrowed it down to the holy trinity of wine, cheese, and ham… I’m really not sure I could leave one by the wayside. I’m going to say… Wine! And then order a pizza in from the Neapolitan place down the road to deal with the ham and cheese cravings. Is that cheating?

 

How do you find the best small producers and sustainable brands to work with?

In all contexts it pretty much boils down to transparency and provenance. In the bar I work with a handful of small, likeminded importers who know our winemakers inside and out, and know what I like! This way we source authentic wines with a strong sense of place. Organics, biodynamics, ecology, and authenticity are the foundation of it all. With clothes it’s the same, I have to know where it’s come from, who made it, and whether it’s been made with good intentions for people and planet.

Holly, how would you describe your personal style?

American camp counsellor meets Monty Don.

This season you’ll both be wearing…

Holly - Hats. Wool. Corduroy. I’m a huge fan of slightly alternative headwear! Bonnets and balaclavas are one of my favourite ways to add interest for winter dressing.

Sam - Knits! I honestly get so excited to get my knitwear out of storage and back into prime position on my wardrobe shelving system. Nothing is as comforting as a big woolly cardigan. And all the knitwear will probably be paired up with some comfy slacks or thick cord trousers.

Sam, what are your sustainable clothing recommendations to finish off your look?

Wear what you already have!!! There’s a lot of fun to be had styling the pieces you already own, and if you are going to buy something new then make sure it’s really you. Putting the work in to find your own personal style means you can much more confidently buy clothing that you’ll wear. And it might sound odd but wearing our clothes is the best thing we can do. Wear them a lot. Look after them carefully. Mend them!

Holly, how are you styling your Yogi’s this season?

With everything! I pick shades that work across my whole wardrobe and tend to keep my footwear quite classic as I love wearing colourful jackets and outerwear and want to make sure that balances out.

 

What do your Yogi’s say about you Holly?

I love that they’re not easily pinned into one look or aesthetic. I love dressing up for a swanky restaurant as much as I love trudging through the woods, and don’t like to define my style with any one label.

Sam, what does #GoFeetFirst mean to you?

I think I’m going to interpret this pragmatically… and say in the context of shoes to please wear your shoes and go somewhere!! The box-fresh look is everywhere on Instagram these days and to me it just smacks of clothes that have never been worn and probably will never be worn…

Why is it important to encourage others to #GoFeetFirst in their daily lives?

I think there’s so many people always telling you to be sensible, settle down, put in the hard work for a good job, earn some good money so you can retire and for what…? Spending your retirement years wishing you’d got out more when you were younger? I guess it depends if you want to be the box fresh shoe sat on a shelf, or if you want to be a weathered, worn, mended, storied, and travelled shoe. I’m not saying everyone needs to quit their jobs and live in a van, but make sure you make time for you and pay attention to where your feet want to take you.

What Sam said! I think we could all do with that enabling voice reminding us of there’s more to life than work, or pretending that being busy is a personality. We need to make time to see the beauty around us in life, and that requires us to be present (which could be as simple as going for a walk in your local woods without being on your phone!)

For more information on Elm and where to find it visit their website here

Check out Holly & Sam’s Instagram here and here

Massive thank you to both for taking part in our interview today, to keep up to date with what were up to follow us on our socials here

Thank you for reading!