Alyona

This is one of my professors, Russian family psychologist Alyona Prikhidko. She’s impressively intelligent and unconsciously hilarious. She’s the kind of person that will say, “Excuse me, I’m speaking,” if you interrupt her while she’s talking, but in the most elegant and inoffensive way. Also, there’s the whole effortlessly fabulous aspect of her persona that is incredibly alluring. She’s basically my role model.

Alyona always brings her A game when it comes to her attire, even if it’s for a class at 8:30 a.m. Recently, she wore this striking red blouse with a subtle gray cardigan and ferocious leopard-print trousers. The whole outfit really suits her zealous personality and also parallels her fluffy red hair.

Adorning the look was a gold medallion, a simple watch and a charm bracelet. She wore a brown leather backpack, which she says isn’t her favorite but is actually quite cosmopolitan, and nude, patent-leather smoking slippers.

Whether you’re a student or a professor, it’s important for the Fashionista to redefine what dressing professionally means in the fast-paced life of the university world. No longer do women have to wear a blazer and a pencil skirt to look feminine and respectable. Covering up doesn’t have to mean looking conservative. By incorporating colorful and comfortable pieces to a wardrobe, the career woman can break free from the rigid (and boring!) social norms of “officewear.”

Always deviate,

Jen