STYLE GURU BIO: Kate Ruscher

Happy New Year Fashionistas/os! My name is Kate Ruscher and I cannot wait to begin my second semester as a Style Guru here at CollegeFashionista! I am about to start my second semester of my junior year at the University of South Carolina and I am beyond excited to have this wonderful internship be a part of my college experience once again. Like the fashion industry, CollegeFashionista is ever-changing and always keeping its eyes on the horizon for the next best thing, so I am very excited to see what this semester holds!

In addition to the fact that I recently celebrated my one-year anniversary of working at Petal (the cutest boutique in 5-Points-Columbia), I am also currently pursuing a retailing degree with an emphasis in fashion merchandising. As a result, I am surrounded by clothing on a constant basis (and I wouldn’t have it any other way)!

If you have ever been shopping with me, chances are you heard me comment on a cute article of clothing/pair of shoes/accessory noting disappointedly, “I wish they had it in black.” While 50 percent of my closet is black—with roughly 20 percent gray, 10 percent tan, 10 percent white, and 10 percent actual colors of the rainbow—I can 100 percent reassure you (and my mother) that I am not in some dark grotesque stage of mourning. In my opinion, black will forever be a classic anchor of style, serving its everlasting role as an ode to Gothicism and beloved wardrobe staple. I truly believe Neiman Marcus said it best, “women who wear black live colourful lives!”

That being said, I do enjoy incorporating pops of color into my otherwise typically monochromatic wardrobe. For this look, I paired a black choker-style body suit with a black high-waisted skirt along with my favorite leather moto jacket and favorite pair of black suede over-the-knee boots. I accessorized the outfit with my favorite floppy wide brim felt hat, onyx and morganite gem rings, fan ear-jackets and Kate Spade mauve envelope cross body bag. My high shine mauve nail lacquer combined with my matte mauve lip color and mauve cross body adds a cute rosy flair to my otherwise solely black ensemble.

Hopefully, you all are as excited about this upcoming semester as I am. Though Columbia, South Carolina may not be considered an up and coming fashion hub of the country (yet?), the diversity of the students from across the nation—as well as across the globe—makes for a promising array of different styles on campus, and I am so really looking forward to getting to know more of the stylish students on campus and sharing them with you all! I encourage you all to check back here every month to read my posts on the latest Gamecock student fashion.

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