Follow Friday – Ash in Fashion

The weekend is here, the new month is here, and it’s also Friday.

Guess what that means…

To kick off this month’s round of Follow Friday profiles, the spotlight returns to another of the Original 52, Ashley of {putting the} Ash in Fashion. Make the jump to learn about how she and her blog have come along in the five years since first stepping out into the fashion world, why performing arts are important for a richer life, and how a play about women’s bodies begat a series of profiles documenting her fellow bloggers, and their views regarding their own bodies.

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Name: Ashley, but most people call me Ash or Ashe (and there’s a difference!)

Name of Blog: {putting the} Ash in Fashion, formerly, it was Dramatis Personae.

Date of Founding: July 2007

A Short Description of Your Blog: A life and style site for the modern young woman. The gal who has a sense of whimsy that complements her classic attitude, who mixes high and low, and can appreciate Showgirls and The Seventh Seal.

How did you find your way into fashion blogging?

Ashley: Towards the end of my LiveJournal days, I was posting a lot of clothing and online shopping on my site. I had just discovered sites like Bits and Bobbins and The Coveted, and figured there must be a place for me to share my love of shopping with other like-minded women; oddly, my site has never really just been for shopping!

What is the story behind the name of your blog?

Ashley: When it was Dramatis Personae, it was because the name is a theatre term meaning “persons or characters of drama.” I felt like it really described my style: That I could never stick to one style, and that I felt fashion was a way to change my character for the day, to represent who I was for the day.

You recently celebrated two milestones: Your blog turning five, and you turning 29. How have you and your blog changed in the five years since in terms of personal style, writing, photography, experiences et al?

Ashley: Oh god! Do you have time for a book? When I began the blog, I was really looking for a place to express myself and people to connect with. It was during a down period of my life, where I felt looked down upon for loving fashion — that it was shallow.

In that time… I’ve grown up. I feel a lot more confident in myself and my body (it’s a great thing about hitting your late 20s!). So much has changed in that time of my life, and it’s been hard at times to try and keep the blog (the topics, the photos, experiences) relevant as I grow, and also keep it of interest to readers.

Needless to say, I’m expecting a lot of changes in the upcoming year as I try to shift the focus to be relevant to that growth process!

“Beautiful Bodies” is a feature on your blog where you profile various fashion bloggers about body image. How did this feature come about, and what has been the response?

Ashley: The name came from a play that some students were doing, and that play was about women’s conversations about their body. I really wanted to explore what it means to be a woman — both in the cookie-cutter ideal of beautiful and not, and share how our experiences were similar and different. I think the response has been really wonderful — both in the comments I’ve received, bloggers who’ve reached out to participate, and those who have participated.

Outside of blogging, you work in the performing arts, where you put your writing and administration talents to use. Has your career in this field influenced your blog — if at all — and vice versa?

Ashley: Working in the performing arts has impacted my blog because I definitely don’t have as much time to dedicate to it as I’d like to, for starters! It’s a very time-consuming job — and very fun — but real life can get in the way.

What has been your favourite moment as a fashion blogger?

Ashley: Getting to finally meet some of the bloggers I’ve known online for years! I don’t get to attend a lot of the conferences due to work, so when Julia from Fashion Pulse Daily and Kelsi from Dedicated Follower of Fashion visited New Orleans… well, I was THRILLED.

Why do you blog?

Ashley: My first love has, and always will be, writing. Whether I do it for an audience or not, I love writing about something.

If there was one post that says, “This is what my blog is all about,” which one would it be?

Ashley: I’d have to say one of these two posts from my Finance & the Fashionista series: “Things I Wont’ Give Up to Save Money” (because it’s a bit tongue-in-cheek and obviously items within a niche) or “Ignore-ance” (which talks about fashion bloggers, finances, and funding it all). I really enjoy looking at the community and asking questions about what we’re doing. I love to post shopping related posts, but I also like to encourage my readers to be mindful of their shopping!

What one piece of advice would you offer to my readers regarding…

Style: Experiment. Try trends on. Leave the house in them. Learn what you love, regardless of whether it’s a trend or not, and wear it, always. Don’t let the seasons dictate your personal style.

Performing arts (theatre, dance, music, writing, film et al): Get out and enjoy culture! There’s an amazing rich world out there, and enjoy it. A theatre ticket is $25; or you can get a top at F21. The experience of that show, whether you love it or hate it, will leave you with a memory forever, and that shirt may fall apart. It’s up to you to help keep culture and the arts alive. Don’t be afraid of the unknown.

Life in general: Don’t be afraid of the unknown. Be open to the universe saying, “Hey, take a chance.”

Who is your blog for?

Ashley: I hope that everyone can find something in it that appeals to them and that they relate to!

Any final words?

Ashley: First: Thank you, Cameron, for featuring me!

Secondly, always put your time to great use; understand, recognize, and accept that that also means taking time to yourself, or taking it off.

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Ashley’s blog can be found at www.mischiefmydear.com/dramatispersonae, as well as on Twitter and Facebook.

Photo credits: Wikipedia and Ash in Fashion.

Tagged as: fashion blogging, Follow Friday, Louisiana, milestones, New Orleans, performing arts, profiles, self-image, {putting the} Ash in Fashion