I have known of her from afar for awhile now due to Austin’s sometimes seemingly small social scene, but one of the first times I really took note of Ashley Cass was when I saw her jump into a spontaneous dance-off at a bar downtown, and win. This fact alone should tell you a little bit about Ashley’s personality: she’s outgoing, positive, and always the life of the party. When it comes to style, Ashley’s clothes do everything to reflect her fun upbeat attitude. “I like to wear bright colors. There’s already enough grey and black in the world,” Ashley says about her usual wardrobe color palette. Dressed in a multi-colored 80s inspired outfit, Ashley came straight to our interview from her job at Giant Noise as a “social media socialite” looking like a Rainbow Brite character come to life. While Austin embraces her funky look, Ashley says that in her hometown of Laredo she gets requests to not wear such bold outfits. When she had to go home for a funeral once, Ashley says her wardrobe was ill equipped. “I didn’t have any black shoes, so I had to wear some bright silver ones!” Coming from a town comprised of people obsessed with labels and wanting to look like everyone else, it’s apparent that Ashley fully appreciates Austin for accepting and loving her unique look.
One of my favorite things about the style of Ashley Cass is that she always looks like she is comfortable in her own skin and is having a good time. Most of the time dressed in a comfy yet crazy stylish pair of sneakers, she always looks like she is ready to have fun! In a city where having fun is way more important than looking cool, Ashley manages to always do both.
Check out our photos from our photo shoot with Ashley Cass and read on to read our full Q&A:
Q&A with Ashley Cass:
1) Describe your personal style:
Fun, eclectic, colorful and almost timeless.
2) How many pairs of sneakers do you own?
Around 80 singles, which translates to 40 pairs. My love for wearing distinctive shoes came at a young age – but collecting occurred only recently in the last two years. It wasn’t a goal, but more of a desire to compliment varied outfits.
3) You told me that you don’t really like to wear the same thing twice, but what pieces in your wardrobe have you hung onto? Do you have a go-to accessory that you can’t live without?
Rompers, I’ve got about 10 of them. As long as they fit and stay clean, they’re sticking around. As for accessories, I’ll buy what I like and use it til it breaks or gets lost. I do love my orange and white Casio Calculator Watch and often interchange a cluster diamond cocktail ring my mother gave me with my deceased grandmother’s engagement ring – both hold sentimental value.
3) Is there any one trend you ever followed while growing up in Laredo that you wish you hadn’t followed?
Label Whore, it had to be a recognizable brand for me to wear it. So dumb… but hey, that’s not me today and that’s what life is about, figuring it out and aligning with your true self.
4) What do you think sets the fashion scene in Austin apart from other cities?
A lot of it is accessorized with permanent body art. Austin ranges from all spectrums of fashion – from vintage, to classic, to mainstream, to that oddest outfit in the closet. As a hub for creativity, Austin holds an acceptance for different and wide-ranging styles.
5) What are your favorite places to go “thrifting”?
In Austin – Blue Hanger, Buffalo Exchange, New Bohemia, Charm School Vintage and Prototype. But if I want to find those crazy awesome kicks for $10-$25 or that fierce mesh cheetah cutout dress, I divide my efforts between Burlington, Marshall’s and downtown Laredo. Stuff that I dig is usually available because nobody wants it and super on sale ..because nobody appreciates it – so, it’s a win/win for me. “Bueno, bonito y barato.” — “Good, lovely and cheap.”
6) You expressed to me your desires to start sewing and one day start your own clothing line. What would your future clothing line be like?
Well, I bought “Sewing for Dummies.” So… I’m a step closer from when we first spoke! The clothing line would incorporate lots of color and patterns.
The exact direction is hard to pinpoint, but “Lisa Frank,” “Jem” and old school “Betsy Johnson” would hold a lot of influence.
To check out more of Ashley Cass’s style, head on over to her super cute tumblr!
Joanna Wilkinson
keep austin stylish