NAME: Ashley Stefan - AGE: 22 - OCCUPATION: Law Student at Vanderbilt University - HOMETOWN: Northern California
When I arrived in Nashville, Tennessee for my first year of law school, I was skeptical about how I’d incorporate my eclectic, California hippie-meets-city style, into my new life as a student in the South. Nashville is a cosmopolitan city, no doubt, but life centers
around the music scene, which is primarily country here. I love my vintage, $15 eBay cowboy boots, but I like to wear them with purple skinnies and a silk blouse, not a denim skirt and polo as is the norm here. I also assumed that law school would be filled with fashion-shy nerds, with as much a sense for trendiness as is possible for the library-bound.
While I was correct in some respects, Nashville, and Vanderbilt law students, have surprised me. Grad school is a place where students must maintain professionalism in their appearance, but still have the freedom to incorporate their own personal sense of style. And at such a school as Vandy, which attracts students from all over the country, I’ve found that there is a fun blend of Southern prep, East-coast chic, and West-coast hipster.
For those of us who will be confined to the office 80+ hours per week in a few years, wearing suits and maybe Louboutins (if we’re lucky), now is the time to experiment with fun clothing combinations, in a liberal and open-minded setting. Here is just a sampling of some of the practical-for-school, yet stylish ensembles my peers were wearing to class today:
Amber, from Florida, combines her preppy fashion sense with a chic, springtime vibe. She wears a Tucker for Target floral tunic-dress with J. Crew nude tights, and completes the look with a J. Crew gold skinny belt, Tory Burch brown boots, and classy pearl jewelry.
Remington, from Canada, maintains a professional look with a classic-cut blazer, but incorporates fun with a colorfully checkered shirt and casual shoes. He wears a Bugatti tweed jacket and Silver jeans, with a Bugatchi collared shirt and J Shoes.
Kristen, from Indiana, brightens up her classic style with florals and dazzling gold accessories. She wears J. Crew jeans, an H&M blue blazer, and an Urban Outfitters sheer floral tank, completing the outfit with her grandmother’s vintage gold earrings and gold sandals from a London boutique.
Sarah, also from Indiana, combines current trends with a touch of the south, by pairing a boldly-colored pattern and chunky jewelry with classic brown cowboy boots. She wears blue jeans with a Forever 21 floral and animal print chiffon tunic, finishing the look with vintage cowboy boots, a white Michael Kors watch, and a vintage costume necklace.
Jon, from Arizona, keeps it preppy and classic with a bright polo and boldly masculine accessories. He wears a pink Polo Ralph Lauren shirt with Brooks Brothers blue pleated slacks, and accessorizes with blue argyle socks, brown Dockers, a vintage brown belt and a Brooks Brothers alligator-skin and stainless steel chronograph watch.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ashley Stefan is a law student at Vanderbilt University, who obtained her B.A. in International Relations and French at the University of Southern California. A student by “profession,” Ashley is also a photographer and a francophile, and has a vast appreciation for the arts and cultural studies. These overarching interests have led to her appreciation for fashion as an art form, and her focus is street fashion and the use of style as self-expression. For more information and to view Ashley’s photography portfolio, please visit http://www.wix.com/nicolestefan/nicolestefanphoto.
