My Style: Symone Tafuna’i Is Tactical About Fashion

From the track to her job as a reporter, Symone Tafuna’i tells Emma Gleason how clothes can help you compartmentalise your life, connect with family and help with “figuring out who you are as a person”.

It’s all sports this week, with Viva putting forward a stacked side of features on the subject. Dan Ahwa analyses the untapped potential of what our New Zealand athletes are wearing on the world stage, Madeline Crutchley considers the sporty stylings of boulderers, and Ashleigh Cometti asks Olympic swimmer Eve Thomas how she keeps her hair healthy.

For athletes themselves, clothes serve double duty, helping them excel in sport while also offering a way to delineate their competitive and civilian lives. The right uniform or technical apparel can help get their head in the game and, in the case of technical fabrications, quite literally perform better; leisurewear or an outfit for their day jobs create a sense of self beyond their identity as a player.

And when you’re juggling both, alongside growing up in a competitive environment, is there room for fashion?

So, as we consider the ripple effects sport has on our culture and identity – more stories will be published throughout the week – who better to talk about the style on the field and off than Symone Tafuna’i?

She’s been on the track since she was 3 years old. The local athletics club, the Avondale Spiders, was behind her house. From there it was all on. There was the running, of course, as well as netball, water polo, swimming and competitive dancing.

Now, at 26, she wears two hats; a reporter, with three years under her belt, and an athlete who competes in the 100m sprint. The two vocations aren’t as dissimilar as they might seem at first glance, and Symone (people call her Symmy) has used her experience in both to her advantage.

She started as a digital reporter at TVNZ’s 1News before moving into sports reporting. Now in her current role as a social media reporter at RNZ – a job she’s enjoying every moment of – Symone’s finding the digital realm comes quite naturally. “I do my own personal branding on my own social media platforms when it comes to track,” she explains. “So the skill sets I have grown on my own have been easily transferable with the journalist world.” Embracing this new and growing category of journalism has been a winning move. “The social media space was definitely a sphere where I excelled more as I was able to expand on my skills.”

She honed skills through sports too. “Track and field has taught me a lot of abilities which have reflected into real life like time management, resilience and responsibility,” Symone explains. “Those kinds of capabilities have been embedded in me at a young age and come very natural to me when I do my everyday life routine.”

Describe your personal style.

I think my style depends on the occasion. I like to dress according to where I am going, but overall I think it is comfortable, effortless and quite chill.

Does sportswear influence your sense of style now?

I think the shoewear does for sure! I am all about comfort, but I tend to wear non-athletic apparel as much as I can for my normal lifestyle. This is only because when I wear sportswear it just reminds me I’m heading off to training or something, so it’s important for me when I leave the track I also do that with the clothes I wear so I can switch off completely until I enter the stadium again for training and competition.

What’s the feeling of putting on a competitive uniform like?

I feel very honoured every time I put on my competition uniform, as I’m an ambassador for New Balance. Every year we get a comp kit for the season made by New Balance and they always create the coolest kit to run in.

What is it about sporting attire that you think is so appealing to people?

I think it’s the way I wear it for starters and the way I portray my attire on my social media platforms. I really enjoy posting my training content on my social media platforms, so I’m assuming my followers also like watching or viewing my training content too – including whatever attire I am wearing on that day.

What do you wear to exercise and why?

I am a very long-tights-and-crop-top girl. I obviously wear as many layers as possible when I first start my warm-up until I get flustered and then peel off until I am in my sports bra and tights only. I get sensory overload sometimes, so being comfortable when I run and not restricted is super important to me in order to concentrate on my training sessions.

Who do you dress for and why?

I dress for myself because I, respectfully, don’t care what other people think about me.

How do you put a look together? Do you think it through the night before, or even weeks in advance? Or do you let your mood in the morning guide you?

My best outfits come to me last minute, or when I’m not putting a lot of pressure on myself. I think it’s more of HOW you wear it not WHAT you’re wearing. You could wear simple blue jeans and a white tank top, but I think it’s how you accessorise and the attitude you pair it with that completes the look.

What comes first, accessories or clothes, and why?

I am still new to the accessory world and trying to build on it. I think I start off with a colour base or a certain item I want to build around and then go from there. I don’t think there is a certain way that should be stipulated. I personally just go with the flow, with as little stress as possible.

What influences your fashion sense?

Pinterest is where I like to get a lot of my ideas, but also just seeing what other people are wearing is where I draw my inspiration.

Do you listen to any music when getting dressed in the morning, or have any other rituals or things that set the tone?

I always listen to music whilst getting ready. It sets the tone and the mood for the occasion I am dressing up for. All the girls do!

Do you talk about clothes with friends or family?

Yes! I send pictures of Pinterest outfits or pictures of fits to my friends all the time!

What was your relationship with fashion growing up?

I always knew I liked getting ready, and really liked looking after my appearance, so it’s just grown immensely from there. Also, my mum always dressed me in the cutest and coolest clothes – like two-pieces with a matching hat, or a matching denim skirt and jacket!

What’s one of your earliest fashion memories?

I have a picture of my mum dressing me up in a denim cream vest with a matching skirt, paired with black strappy sandals. It’s a very iconic look!

How has your relationship with fashion changed since your teenage years?

I think I have learned how to dress my body type over the years. I used to be super insecure with my body growing up, especially since I have an “athletic” body. However, with a lot of trial and error, and learning not to care what other people think about what I wear, it’s definitely helped me to get to where I am now with my style.

What’s one item of clothing you’ve kept since you were a teenager? And one you regret getting rid of?

I have kept this very cool black bomber I had gotten from Nasa when I was around 16 years old. The patches on it are unreal! I don’t regret getting rid of a clothing item because I am a hoarder, haha.

What item in your wardrobe have you worn to death?

My faux-leather black trench coat! She’s always out to play during winter and completes any look whether it’s formal or informal outings.

What item should you wear more but don’t?

Dresses! I’m not a big dress girl and never really have been – only because when I purchase things I’d rather get a two-piece so I can mix and match!

What do you find challenging or frustrating about shopping, clothes or fashion?

Finding jeans that fit me perfectly lol! I think this is a very universal female thing! It’s either the waistband is too big but the legs fit right, or vice versa.

Where do you love to shop?

Currently, I am in my thrifting era – looking for statement jackets and coats!

What items are on your wish list right now?

Plum-coloured loafers and a grey trench coat.

Who are your favourite designers, and why?

I don’t really have one to be fairly honest. I like what I like and if it’s cool then I will wear it.

Who inspires you?

My mum, my sister and any female characters who have played a significant part in my life growing up.

What piece of clothing have you inherited that’s particularly special to you?

My nana’s chocolate-brown faux-fur coat! It’s special because my nana was our style icon growing up so I will treasure this item forever!

What has fashion taught you about yourself?

To dress for myself, because at the end of the day, no one else actually cares what you wear, only you do.

What’s the best style advice anyone has ever given you?

To trust myself with what I am wearing. If I like it on me then wear it.

How do clothes and/or fashion help you shape your identity?

I think clothes and fashion help with discovering your identity and personality. Especially, when it comes to figuring out who you are as a person. As you grow so does your sense of style and I think that’s a very special and riveting experience.

Emma Gleason is the deputy editor of lifestyle and entertainment (audience) and has worked on Viva for more than four years, contributing stories on culture, fashion and what’s going on in Auckland. Viva’s insightful My Style series has seen her speak to Mermaidens’ Gussie Larkin, Fugawi designer Morghan Bradshaw and model Kaarina Parker about their approach to getting dressed.

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