GIRL ABOUT TOWN ON:THE ORIGIN STORY(WHY I’M STARTING A BLOG).

Like any other 12 year old girl in 2009 I was obsessed with youtube. I would watch endless makeup hauls, ootd’s, hair and nail tutorials, you name it. Those were the days when the girls were realllllly doing it okay!?!? But anyway, while watching a video i’ve long since forgotten, the beauty guru hauled a mac lipstick in shade “Girl About Town”. Now, I thought the shade was hideous, and still do, BUT the name stuck with me. Even back then I felt like it encompassed everything I was and ever hoped to be. A girl who is free to be who she is, the social butterfly, the traveler, the philosopher, the spiritualist, the writer, the stylist, the list goes on and on (word to Erykah Badu). To me, nothing could define the Girl About Town. 

I have been captivated by all thing beauty, luxury, and lifestyle for as long as I can remember. So many of my days after school were spent watching Style Network, America’s Next Top Model, What Not to Wear, Life in the Fab Lane, How do I Look… to name a few. And don’t even get me started on shows like Simple Life, KWTK, and Girls Next Door  that i’d sneak and watch without my mom’s permission when I DEFINITELY should have been sleeping. On my car rides to school I would read “Glamour” and “Cosmo”, always immediately flipping to the back for the Hot or Not and Who Wore it Best columns so I could make note of the styles and pairings I liked or would have done differently. 

I wanted to be just like the women I saw. The socialites, the “It Girl’s” who bumped shoulders with all of the whose who’s and were always in the know about what’s what. Their lives seemed so glamorous, and even at 9 years old I saw myself like them, sipping a stiff cocktail with the latest and greatest bag on my arm at some posh swanky hotel (this sounds dramatic but my imagination has always been A1). But there was always one thing that was glaringly obvious. Even after surrounding and immersing myself in as much beauty and fashion as I could get my hands on at my age, the faces were always unrecognizable. And i’m not talking about me not knowing who they were, because believe me I did. I mean that they didn’t look like anyone I knew. But I think that is part of the allure of being a socialite, the exclusivity. The table you’re invited to that no one else can sit at, unless they’re cool or rich enough. 

I’m currently at a point in my life where I’ve had to undo, redefine, and unlearn more things and thought processes than I can count. Which in turn has also led me back to my true passions and interests, but seeing and experiencing them now from the perspective of an almost 23 year old. As I’ve grown the allure that surrounded what being a socialite meant and represented faded. I realized a lot of those people were more than likely empty and unfulfilled, and while there’s nothing wrong with that(I mean, there definitely is…but anyway), there is everything wrong with facades. The realization that I never wanted to have everything if it meant that I couldn’t be who I really am is what led me to want to create a new era of modern day socialites. 

The modern day socialite is still a vibrant lover of life in all forms. We are not afraid to be seen or heard, mix and mingle, and would be damned if we didn’t look good doing it. The modern day socialites say f**k you to that exclusive table no one can sit at, and instead of trying to be invited to it, we create our own. The modern day socialites are setting the trend for living a luxurious AND authentic lifestyle that is true to whatever luxury and authenticity may look like for them. No facades, no fronts, no bullshit. 

The modern day socialite is whoever they want to be, but most importantly they are themselves. 

Ashleigh Walden

I’ve longed for a creative outlet where I am able to be exactly who I pictured myself being as that 9 year old girl reading fashion columns. It took me a while to finally bring this to life for many reasons. Fear of the unknown, not being interesting enough, not sure where I’d fit in or find a niche. But I had to let all that go, honey! The Girl About Town can’t be defined, remember?

In many ways, GIRL ABOUT TOWN is serving as a journey back to myself. And I am so grateful.

On this blog I want to share my love for the arts, I want to sip virtual martinis with The Socialites™ while I discuss hard topics, share hilarious stories, and provide a space for people to unwind and relate. So, let’s raise a glass for all of the fun to be had, stories to be told, and wisdom & knowledge to be shared. You ready?