Every Monday we bring you a feature on a talented blogger who inspires us. This week we are happy to share Ashley, from Polka Dots & Sailor Stripes, a young and talented fashion blogger. We instantly fell in love with style which is a perfect combination of young, fun and chic! Read more about Ashley here.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your background?
I never know what to say for these kinds of questions…but here are the basics. I grew up in Rancho Cucamonga (about 30% of the people I tell that to actually know what I am talking about), and I am the oldest of 3 kids (my younger brother and sister are twins, pretty cool). I went to college in San Diego, where I tried to live for one year after graduating. Once I realized that it wasn’t the city for me at that time in my career, I made a risky move up to Los Angeles with nothing but an internship and my childhood bedroom to move back into. It was a hard transition, but I am now a Sales Rep for a fashion brand, working in Downtown LA, growing my blog Polka dots a little bit more each day, and learning where I fit into the industries I threw myself into. I can honestly say I have never been happier than I am at this point in time.
What 3 words would you use to describe yourself?
Positive. Overly-energetic. Compassionate.
What Profession other than yours would you love to attempt?
This is so embarrassing to admit, but when I was in junior high I used to tell everyone I was an aspiring model/actress (and I would literally say “slash”). That obviously fell through when I realized I have the most intense stage fright known to man-kind, and I am only 5’4”…but, if I could do anything else (without the stage fright) I would love to be able to act; the thought of submerging yourself into a character and storyline for a small moment in time sounds brilliant.
What is your favorite quote?
“Forget the risk and take the fall, if it’s meant to be then it’s worth it all.” I adopted this quote right when I started high school, and it has stuck with me ever since. Believe it or not, it’s been the determining factor to a lot of the decisions and risks I’ve taken in my life. I owe a lot of my bravery to this quote.
What inspired your blog?
I was studying fashion in college, and really had no idea what I was going to do with it when I graduated. During my Sophomore and Junior year of college, I found myself spending hours on Tumblr, miscellaneous fashion blogs, and Pinterest…so one night {when I couldn’t sleep} it just hit me – “I should just start my own blog.” So I guess you could say what inspired me was a culmination of my interests, obsessions, and passions…all finding the perfect harmony on one webpage.
What is your favorite social media platform and why?
Oh Instagram, for sure. I think it’s sort of an instant gratification thing – I have the ability to snap a picture, tag the brands I’m wearing, and see what kind of traffic it is generating. It’s also connected me to all of the blogger friends I’ve made over the years, and has enabled me to be in close contact with my readers; it’s crazy how one little app can bring people together from all over the world!
Where do you find inspiration for blog posts?
Pinterest probably inspires me the most. I could spend hours looking at that dang website. It’s addicting!
What do you think it is about your blog that keeps people coming back for
more?
I am pretty sure it’s the budget-friendly angle I’ve stuck to since the beginning. I started this blog in the middle of my broke college years, and I am still writing it in my broke post-grad years…so money-conscious shopping is a real thing for me. It makes people happy to see an outfit they love, with a price tag to match. They know they can count on me to find them “style steals” as I like to call it – they’re on trend, and under budget. Win-win!
How does a brand get your attention for a feature?
Honestly since I started my blog, I have been so lucky with all of the brands I’ve gotten to work with. I am a go-getter, but I have a problem asking for things, so I’ve always let the brands come to me. I consider myself really easy to work with, so if a brand wants to collaborate and it is my style and makes sense for my blog, then it gets my attention! Simply reaching out via email is all it takes
What do you love most about blogging?
It’s a tie between two things. One, the amazing relationships I have made with other bloggers and my readers, that will be long-lasting; and two, the excuse to keep a collection of my favorite outfits. I’ve always been a journal-er (not a word, just go with it), so when I started my blog, I stopped writing in my journals. I think that it will be an amazing portfolio type thing to look back on years from now to see how my style changed literally from week to week. It’s so special to me to be able to travel back in time via pictures!
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
10 years…hmm…I’ll be 33, going on 34 in 10 years – weird to picture that exciting time in my life! I like to see myself married with beautiful little babies, still going strong with my blog. Fashion is my biggest passion in life (cliché, I know) so if I can keep that close to me, while also loving on my family, I will be one happy girl.
In your opinion, what separates a great blog from an unsuccessful blog?
Clean layouts, clear pictures, and consistency. If you are the best writer in the world, but your blog is hard to navigate and messy, readers are not going to spend time trying to figure it out (sad to say, but true these days). Also if your posting schedules are inconsistent, then you will slowly but surely lose your readers. My readers can count on me either posting a blog or posting something on Instagram nearly everyday, so they always know where to “find” me. And take this last piece of advice from the blogger who had her best friend snapping pictures with her iPhone 4 when she first started…invest in a nice camera. It doesn’t have to be thousands of dollars (my Nikon was on sale at Target, and so was the lens…it’s manageable, save up!) but it does have to be a clear picture so your readers can see your outfit details. I promise it will be all the difference!
