Greetings from Atlanta! My name is Sierra Cortner, and I am a junior at Emory University double majoring in English and international studies. My goal is to utilize these majors to obtain a career that gives me a voice in making the fashion industry a more inclusive environment in terms of sexuality, creed and—especially—income and race. I long for the day when certain groups no longer associate the term “elitist” with “style.”
In the English department, I am concentrating in British literature, which made it pertinent for me to spend my summer studying at Regent’s Park College at the University of Oxford. This was my first time spending the Fourth of July on a different continent, but the D.J. at the local club, Thirst, gladly played Kim Wilde’s Kids in America to help us celebrate the birth of the States and relive the opening credits to Clueless. Incredible trip? Of course. Did I disapprove of British fashion? As if!
When I wasn’t studying the works of Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe and celebrating the Fourth, I frequented museums (Tate Modern, Victoria & Albert and the Ashmolean to name a few) and hogged the dressing rooms at Topshop. This immersion in English society provided prime opportunity for me to analyze the sartorial choices of the men and women that shared the city with me. British women donned effortless chic attire while men dressed like live versions of Chuck Bass.
This study abroad trip provided me with the opportune time to invest in a new pair of oxfords—popular amongst Brits and Americans alike. These shoes help dress down an outfit all the while adding a quirky touch to a dress or romper-blouse combination. Talk about the perfect addition to an American girl’s wardrobe—that is, after you invest in a hat to protect your skin from those Atlanta rays.
Be sure to read my articles this semester for further exposure to RAD style!
