A self-described walking advertisement for UT, EmilyAnne Skinner inspired faculty members to ask her where she got her burnt orange clothing for a decade. In June, after thinking about it for a while, Skinner started an Instagram account to share burnt orange shopping inspiration. Burnt Orange Buys has since drawn in over 4,000 followers and encouraged many to shop for school spirit.
An Austinite and proud UT alum, Skinner started working as a Texas Development staff member for UT nearly 15 years ago and focuses on scholarships and student support. Burnt Orange Buys features Longhorn-inspired clothing for women, men and children and home decor, and accounts for the wide range of budgets her followers have with a mixture of UT alumni, staff and students. Skinner typically posts twice a day with try-on hauls and shout-outs for where to find different items she comes across.
“I don’t keep everything, but I keep a lot,” Skinner said while wearing a flowery orange blouse, paired with her orange phone case and Yeti cup. “I have my closet color coordinated — I always have — and the orange section just keeps getting bigger and bigger.”
The account allowed Skinner to connect with a variety of brands that gifted her items and discount codes to share with her followers. She said she tries to spotlight as many women-owned and Longhorn-owned businesses as she can. A friend from Skinner’s time as a student at UT, Sara Light, connected with her over this.
“I was just so excited when she started the Instagram page because she’s shouting out clothes that are the color burnt orange (and) so many times she is shouting at brands that I didn’t know were Longhorn brands,” said Light, Texas Exes business development manager. “My job at Texas Exes is to find Longhorn businesses, and then vice versa if I find a Longhorn brand I think she should meet, I can send them her way.”
Although Skinner said she has had to play around with her media technique and learn how to be successful with a style account, her peers have been impressed with what she has accomplished.
“(Skinner) was born to do this,” Skinner’s coworker Marie Cloutier said. “She loves clothes, she loves to shop, she loves the Longhorns and to have things that are burnt orange.”
Short-term, Skinner said she hopes to reach 5,000 followers before the account’s first anniversary. Long-term, however, Skinner said she hopes to use what money she can make from the account to fund her clothing try-ons and put it towards a student scholarship.
“I know from working so closely with financial aid that there are so many students who have aid on this campus and who are doing amazing things that surprise and delight me every day,” Skinner said. “I have full faith that it would be going to somebody who’s really deserving.”
Overall, while Skinner strives to benefit the Longhorn community with her work, she said she continues to appreciate her time on campus and feels her work has deepened her love for UT.
“I learn something new here every day,” Skinner said. “I love being surrounded in that educational world. There’s so many amazing things that are going on here, and my job (exposes) me to them.”
