June Style interview: Ashley Nielson

June Style interview: Ashley Nielson

Ladies!
 I am so excited for this months’ style interview. For June, I got to interview the colorful and sassy Ashley Nielson, who blogs over at Writing Rainbows, AKA “I Believe in Unicorns”.

 I have been following Ashley ever since I started blogging, and I am so in-love with her pannama hat, maxi skirts, and bold color choices. She is also a brilliant writer, she has a quick wit, throws the best parties, is madly inlove with her husband, and just seems like so much fun, I hope you get a chance to checkout her blog (If you haven’t already, she is by far one of the top modest fashion bloggers out there!) I had so much fun drawing her fashion illustrations! I love all things rainbow & magical, and she fit right in with her rainbow leather sandles and her dream catcher necklace.

Hope you enjoy the interview, she has some great great advice! Be sure to send her some love on her blog, and if you are as obssessed with her style as I am, follow her! Twitter,

Pinterest, Bloglovin.

Here we go......

1.  For starters, where do you find all your cute clothes? What are your favorite stores, and shopping tips, how can someone find fashionable affordable clothing?

Well…I get my stuff from all over the place. From thrift/antique shops to the sale racks of Urban Outfitters and J.Crew, so can’t really say I have a favorite, but I’m pretty sure the J.Crew style guide couldn’t be anymore beautiful to look at, I'm a little bit of a style guide hoarder. i just can't get myself to throw something that gorgeous away. Forever 21 is always a good place to pick up fun necklaces and sunglasses for cheap, so I’m a fan. I also love H&M for an a affordable frock. I'm trying to do more thrifting like i did in high school. i had a successful trip last week, so i'm pretty stoked to get back into it.

2. What would you say your personal style is? How did you come to find your “look”

Eccentric. I don’t feel like i really have a distinct style. It’s all just a costume to me. I have a lot of sides to my personality that come out with different people and this quality is quite apparent in my style choices. It’s always changing. Sometimes I wish I could just make a choice on what I want my style to be, so that I could justify spending a little more on my clothes, but I can’t, so I just continue to be a cheapskate-- filling my closet with a plethora of fashions. I find myself most drawn to a sort of bohemian/hippie/1970s and classic/feminine/prep/1950s, so if I had to choose, I suppose it would be between those two.

3. Ok. I am obsessed with your rainbow leather sandals, where did you find them? I love how you kind of have your trade-mark accessories and outfits, like your cardigans, bright accessories, those leopard print shoes. How do you find your “trademark” items, what do you look for when you go shopping? What are some items you couldn’t live without?

I so want those bad boys, amazing!

those sandals are my absolute favorite sandals in this world. i've had them for about 3 years, i bought them from target for about $14 and i wish i would have bought at least 7 pairs. i'm pretty sure part of my soul will die when those things finally bite the dust. for goodness sakes i wore them to my wedding, that's how magical i find them.

i just love things that are interesting enough to make a simple outfit extraordinary. i'm not too fussy with layers and the like, so i need the few things i wear to count. with that in mind, i love things with bold prints, unique details or fun textures.

things that will always tempt my wallet are bold stripes, a beautiful plaid or gingham, polka dots, tribal inspired, or a true leopard print. i'm attracted to these because i think they're the perfect patterns for mixing, and a mixed pattern will always make an interesting outfit.

4. What is your “go to” outfit for….. date night, a lazy day at home,  and running errands?

date night: i love to wear vintage skirts or dresses on day dates (which i love by the way), but for a friday night date i love to wear a nice dark wash pair of skinny jeans and a dressy blouse with an awesome statement necklace and a great pair of heels. that outfit makes me feel like a million bucks.

lazy day at home/running errands: I just bunched these together because on days like this i generally wear a plain t-shirt (often one of marcus') and my favorite j.crew jeans with a cute pair of summer sandals. if i want to do something to make it look a little more interesting, i might tie a vintage scarf on my head and through on some red lipstick. i like to be comfortable but still look stylish.

5.  Your husband is also very fashionable, was this your influence on him or did he come with a sense of style? Are there any of your outfits he isn’t too fond of, or do you guys have the same tastes?

oh you're sweet! he was always pretty stylish, i didn't have to do much. i have gotten him to step out a little, just a very little, but its fun for me :)

we generally have pretty similar taste, but occasionally i'll come home with a vintage 80s something that i'm totally crazy about, and i can tell he does NOT feel the same way. it's okay though, he's always quite nice about it anyway.

6.  ALSO, wait a minute, wait a minute, is Christian Nielson’s really his big brother, making you and Stephanie Nielson sister-in-laws? That is awesome, you are both so stylish, and do you ever go shopping together? Have you learned any style secrets from her? Sorry if it’s a bit off the topic, I just couldn’t believe how great that was after reading about how you knew the Nielsons!

haha yep! stephanie is indeed my sister in law.  she's really great.  she lives in utah though, so no,  we've never been shopping together.  i have seen her very full closets though and they are just as beautiful as you might imagine :) we actually have pretty different styles though. she loves super frilly pieces and wears lots of layers, while i think its just adorable, i tend to lean toward simpler things--mostly because 1. i'm too lazy to put on all those layers and 2. because it's usually way too hot to wear stuff like that in arizona. i wouldn't mind having some of her shoes though!

7.  You are super super tiny, what advice do you have for girls who can’t find small enough clothes, I have a hard time finding things in my size!

well i'm probably not the best adviser on this subject but i do know that when i'm shopping vintage it's usually hard to find things that are small enough, so vintage might be a good place for people not as small as me. i also did some personal shopping for a plus size lady and in the process i made a pinboard on pinterest and found a bunch of totally adorable plus size pieces.  you can find it here if you're interested.

8. Ok you should be awarded for your amazing costumes, where do you come up with your ideas? Where do you find the clothes to put together these looks? What are you going to be this year for halloween?

Incase you were wondering if her costumes were awesome
, proof below.

Alice!

I'm truly obsessed with costumes. i've been really lucky to have a mom who will help me sew up whatever my little mind can come up with, so a lot of the stuff is either made from scratch or thrifted things rebuilt to fit me. I think my mind just remembers details really thoroughly,  so when an occasion arises to be costumed, i just take all the information i have ever seen in photos or movies and make it happen. someday i wish i could be a stylist in hollywood or new york--i would love to be the costumer for period pieces :)

9. What are your modest tips & tricks. Why is modesty important to you, and how do you keep your wardrobe modest?

Mary Poppins!

Modesty and fashion is a challenge sometimes, but I’ve always liked a little challenge. I could go out and get me a pair of booty shorts and an Abercrombie shirt, but then I’d just look like everybody else. Being modest isn’t so hard once you make the commitment. there are slip-extenders available on etsy for those  too-short-dresses and skirts you wish you could wear, and most vintage skirts are longer than anything you find at regular stores today. another place that i love to find midi-skirts and dresses is ASOS (which has free shipping and free returns). if you want to be modest (however you define it) you can be.

10. Any last advice you have on style, beauty, or life in general?

I just want people to feel confident wearing what they want. it makes me so frustrated when i hear a woman say, "I really LOVE ______ but I could never get away with it." I just don't understand that.


If you really love colored denim, then by golly get yourself a pair of colored denim and wear it with confidence! if you're confident, then people trust that you know what you're doing and they'll probably think you look great, and even if they don't think you look great, what matters is that you are doing what you want!


And if you ever have a question about how you can pull off a certain trend, feel free to email me! i'd be happy to offer you suggestions on how to ease into it :)

My fashion illustrations of Ashley, and my favorite looks of hers, (all other photos C/O: Ashley)



Photos: (all except illustrations C/O: Ashley)