STYLE GURU BIO: Charity Gates

My name is Charity Gates, and I am a current senior at Emory University studying International Studies and Sociology. Time flies when you are having fun, fashionable fun that is. I can’t believe this is my sixth and second to last semester with CollegeFashionista. It seems like just yesterday I was excitedly typing away on my first STYLE GURU BIO. I had my outfit (and, of course, back up ensembles) meticulously planned out and scouted out the most photogenic walls and locations to photograph as my background.

Now, I am reeling from an incredible year (thus far) in which I began the year with a semester studying in the original fashion capital of the world, Paris, and then spent a summer interning in the current fashion capital of the world, New York. As you can tell by my recent experiences, fashion is one of my absolute passions. With CollegeFashionista, I am able to combine my twin passions for writing and the visual arts with photography. It gives me an excuse to be able to unashamedly style stalk students in between (and sometimes during) classes. I see myself as a visually-minded person, so I cannot resist a well-dressed or creatively clad person. To me, fashion is an art form that is grounded in self expression, so there is no better way to get a glimpse into an individual’s personality than through the garments they decide to wear. As for me, my style evolution is an ongoing process, which is a direct reflection of my personality.

My style, as well as my personality, is an eclectic mix of things that I like or aspire to be like. I enjoy a range of different styles and enjoy mixing it up to create something original. To give you a sense of what that looks like, my style icons range from Jenna Lyons, Tamu McPherson and Solange Knowles to Michelle Obama, Jackie Kennedy and Audrey Hepburn, just to name a few. I am also inspired by cool new trends that develop from the runways like the monochromatic look that I tried to create in this post. The way to get the perfect monochromatic look is to add texture. Since everything is one color, texture will add visually appealing vibes to the ensemble. Pair some white skinny jeans with a high neck top and suede-leather mix loafers for an elevated look.

I can’t wait to share more fashion tips and adventures style stalking the students on Emory’s campus. Hopefully, I will discover more about my personal style through this continuous style evolution.

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