Ashanti Smoot (left) and Jamie Germain at W Nashville
Jamie Germain and Ashanti Smoot needed a creative outlet outside of their jobs in the corporate world, so they started their own style blog, Sashé, six years ago.
The pair met at Middle Tennessee State University, where Germain got the nickname “Crayola Box” for her loud style, while Smoot leans more toward classic looks. The two intersect on a love of color and print. They shop at high-end stores at the mall as well as Goodwill and vintage stores with equal fervor — and always try to limit their fast-fashion pieces.
“I like trends, but I also look for quality,” Smoot says. “You want things that will stand the test of time. I have things in my closet — I’m ashamed to admit — that are probably 20 years old. But they’re classic pieces, and you can add some of the trend pieces to mix it up.”
Working in the uniform industry by day, Smoot knows the cost of manufacturing, and therefore knows store markups. She’s good about waiting for sales, and reminds Germain of the importance of cost per wear. On the other hand, Smoot credits Germain for upping her confidence in her style choices.
“I think my confidence in style has grown even more,” Smoot says. “Jamie has helped me, like, ‘Girl, you can rock that.’ She has influenced me to be even more creative.”
Smoot says while the fashion world has a ways to go in terms of size inclusivity, she’s seen the industry grow. “I think in the past, sometimes being more on the plus side, there weren’t a lot of cool options or designers or things that I wanted to wear,” she says. “That was limiting, but I think nowadays there’s a push to be more size-inclusive and have different options.”
Germain and Smoot’s only regret is not starting the blog sooner.
“Now that things are opening up and I’m going out a little bit more, I see we’re good at this as women,” Germain says. “We just want people to feel like they’re part of our community and that they just have a girlfriend on their side, hyping them up.”
Photos by Angelina Castillo at W Nashville
Ashanti (L) and Jamie at W Nashville
Checking out Nashville’s best street style, plus a look at our vintage scene and some of the city’s most stylish residents
