Month: April 2012

This post was written by Rachel Gulotta.

           

  Can a college campus have a specific style? On campus tours prospective college girls, maybe even some guys, pay attention to the buildings, curriculum details, and members of the opposite sex. Most girls, when not comparing the cuteness level of every boy they pass to those of other schools, are actually paying attention to what the college ladies are sporting to class. Davidson College is a small liberal arts college just north of Charlotte–– by geographical definition it’s a Southern school. I expected Lilly Pulitzer, cowboy boots, lots of blond hair, and Polo. I visited the campus for the first time as a sophomore in high school. It was a beautiful summer day to see such a mesmerizing campus; I was hooked when I saw a swing hanging lightly from the branch of a water oak. The only thing I didn’t see much of that day were the students–– the campus’ personality, lifeblood, and style.

Since my freshman year I’ve developed a personal sense of style that is a resulting combination of my time spent abroad in France and my more recent addiction to fashion/food blogs. My family back home in New Iberia has owned a store since the late-nineteenth century. What was once a closet-sized shoe repair store grew into a western wear/work clothes megastore. My uncles are keeping up the family tradition, and they help to keep my boot collection interesting.

Davidson is a rigorous school and students tend to spend one too many all-nighters in the basement of our library. They emerge bleary eyed from the morning sun usually wearing the famous Nike short/white tee combo, or if it’s cold the more appropriate legging/Ugg/white tee with a vest combo.  Both outfits seem to be mainstays on college campuses these days. I like to think that if you put on athletic shorts but have absolutely no thought of running, frolicking, pole vaulting, etc. then a cute dress or some jeans are a better route. Although Davidson is a Southern school, we have lots of New Englanders and Californians who like to sport some interesting outfits. The Northerners love the novelty of almost year-round hot weather, so they try to make spring and summer last as long as possible by wearing shorts. Who says you can’t change the weather with some cute gladiator sandals? The west coasters love the sun already, but what they have yet to experience are the seasons. So they get really excited for scarves and snow. I fall into the latter category (I have a not so guilty drawer filled with Roy G. Biv coordinated scarves, can’t get enough).

Being one of so few from Louisiana I got to introduce all kinds of new things to this place. Mardi Gras Perlis polos, King Cakes, the concept of Mardi Gras and why it exists, Cajun expressions, alligator leather belts (Did you know that the tannery in Lafayette has a Christmas sale every year? It’s worth it!), FleurtyGirl tees that say things like, “Neutral Ground Side,” and gumbo. They love the gumbo. I’m still convincing a few friends that it’s a praline and not a pray-line. That’s what we call confession.

Davidson has been a great place for me to experiment with personal style, what works and what doesn’t. North Carolina is also an interesting mixture of beach, mountain, and city style because they have it all. Davidson is a town of around 7,000, and when the 1,800 students are around this town bustles. We have an adorable Main Street filled with restaurants, a coffee shop, multiple bike shops, a gnome museum (the guy who designed the roaming gnome is from Davidson), a boutique called Monkee’s, and an art gallery/classroom. North Carolina is filled with eco-friendly agricultural and fashion options, which means that there are plenty of local food and boutiques waiting to be discovered. Asheville is one of my favorite cities to visit for both reasons. Tupelo Honey’s biscuits are worth the two-hour drive.  

The crossroads between New Iberia and Davidson is one of good times and the kind of sweet southern stillness you can find in the mountains of North Carolina or the Cajun country bayous of Southwestern Louisiana. Davidson College’s campus is filled with tulips and green worms amidst the red brick buildings and towering Corinthian columns these days. The ladies and gents who walk the halls of Chambers building everyday may not have a definitive groupthink style, but it’s a good place to let your personal flair shine or blend into the scenery as it were. If you’re a campus-dweller, do you fit in or do you stand out?    

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