Fashion Icon of the Fortnight: ASHLEY BENSON

Let me just open this blog post by mentioning that Ashley Benson and Tyler Blackburn are my parents. This is a solid fact, I have birth certificates and everything to show this. But seriously, I admire Ashley SO much, from her amazing acting skills to her care-free personality (also Haleb 4eva). 

If you read my Fashion Icon of the Fortnight a few weeks ago when I crowned Lucy Hale as my queen, you would've noticed how obsessed I have been with Pretty Little Liars for literally the past 5 years (although I took a 3 year hiatus, oops). If you follow me on Twitter, also, (Blog Twitter or Personal), you would've seen that I was extremely disappointed in the finale, but that doesn't mean I'm not super excited for season 6, because I'm pretty sure an epic plot twist will emerge and we will all be left dumbfounded (like usual). 

Looking at my group of friends, I like to think that I am the Hanna Marin of the group; straight-forward and to the point, not afraid to speak her mind, but also takes to the back when she realises that someone may be more equipped for the job than she is, especially if the job doesn't include screaming at cops or threatening 'A'. Due to this idea of me being the Hanna (my best friend, Chloe, choosing the role of Spencer), I was desperate for her to be announced as 'A' and be working alongside Caleb in order to bring the other girls down, significantly Alison. The thought of Hanna as 'A' brought SO much potential in to her character for me, as I often think she's looked over for making "dumb" comments and not being as intellectual as the other girls. By giving her this power, I felt as though another side could be seen to her character, a side that a lot of people would laugh at if they ever thought of Hanna having these characteristics. Hanna is definitely my most favourite character out of them all, which is why I would definitely link the crown between Ashley and Hanna (if that makes sense, seeming as they are the same person).



Out of all the main 5, Ashley has definitely been a face that I most recognised, seeing her in other items, such as Bring It On and Zoey 101, and for most of those years of knowing her name and face, she has been an absolute idol to me. She is so light-hearted and fun-loving, which is everything that I look for in an Icon. She doesn't take life too seriously, often posting funny videos of her and bestie, Shay (who plays Emily on the show), on Instagram daily, as well as being extremely confident in herself, seen through the amazing "summer selfies" she has been posting lately. 
It is pretty clear that Ashley is an absolute beaut, and being body-confident is definitely something that I push! Ashley is so comfortable in myself, and linking back to her character on PLL (sorry if this is becoming boring for those that do not watch the show), Hanna has often struggled with weight issues, seen in flashbacks to have starved herself and been encouraged by Ali to throw up her meals, as well as being taunted by 'A' for her being "overweight" in the past (which she really didn't look). The fact that this issue is tackled through the show is important as so many people suffer when thinking about their body type and comparisons being made in the media. Ashley definitely provides the idea of being confident in your own skin, and I think she is an absolutely beautiful human being, inside and out. Also, *prays for Ashley to become a part of 'Scream Queens' in the future*.




As I have been SO busy with school work recently, I'm unfortunately not going to add the usual section about her style steals, HOWEVER, I will note that Ashley is definitely feeling the festival vibes, with long maxi skirts and mom jeans, however dresses pretty casual other times, going for skinny jeans and black oversized tees!
HOPEFULLY I will be posting an MCM this week (hopefully Monday but no promises) so keep a look out!






Photo Cred:
Ashley's Instagram: https://instagram.com/itsashbenzo/