Alicja Jelenska. Photo Ilja Bouwknegt You see the most fabulous-looking people and the coolest outfits around the Wageningen campus. In this feature, we shine the spotlight on one of them every two weeks. This time, Alicja Jelenska (25), a Master’s student of Food Safety.
‘My fashion style is often based on 70s and 80s music. In the morning, I listen to particular artists and they influence my decision about what I’m going to wear that day. Today it was Elton John and Joan Jett, so this outfit is a mixture of those two. I also have a mannequin I got from Emmaus that I painted to look like David Bowie and he gets the final word on my outfits. So this one was approved.
‘I like to shop in vintage stores and thrift stores. You usually find more special stuff in the bigger cities than the smaller ones. Utrecht is the nearest city with really nice clothes. When I go to a big city like Berlin, I’ll make a list of all the good, cheap places to find second-hand clothing. I sometimes find nice clothes or accessories in Emmaus in Wageningen too. I like clothes with interesting patterns and colours. Sometimes a fun accessory like a patterned tie or suspenders can put the finishing touch to an outfit.’
‘When I was a teenager, I wore nothing but purple. Then as a Bachelor’s student I went through a phase of wearing only black-and-white striped shirts. I used to be too shy to wear anything more colourful or with other patterns. But around two years ago I finally went for it, and this is the result. Sometimes the patterns clash, but I don’t mind. I like it when my clothes look vibrant.’
