Believe it or not, in the midst of Greek lettered sweatshirts and stained Ugg boots, there lives a Brandeis fashionista. Everyone knows that the look of a college student is distinct from the look of a professional, but as students near the age of graduation their style evolves.

Students can’t help but wonder what kind of image they want to reveal to the working world. Since college is the transition stage between high-school and the “real-world,” it is also the perfect opportunity to develop a sense of style.

Students put extra effort into self-presentation when asking a professor for a recommendation, attending a career fair, or visiting the Hiatt Career Center. These events are training for the real moment when good first impressions can generate jobs, connections, and big breaks.

But these events are rare and infrequent for an undergraduate, who at Brandeis spends more time in the library than at the mall. However, if all goes right, every students goes on to bigger and better things and they soon learn how rare it is to find a working environment that welcomes the I-just-woke-up-hair and baggy grey sweatpants.

Just because all signs of warm weather have finally disappeared in Massachusetts, the effort that students put into their dress has not.

What defines the Brandeis winter fashionista is style and function.

The Brandeis fashionista wears the brown fur on the hood of her winter jacket. It’s been sported by both men and women at this school, but the hoods of the women are well oversized. Equally frequent are knee high brown leather boots that zip up over a pair of Rock and Republic skinny jeans. Sometimes resembling the equestrian rider and sometimes the rain-boot, they are both in style and increasing in popularity.

Replacing the camel colored Uggs that were so popular in earlier years, the former shuffle-shuffle up the Rabb steps has developed into a mature clink-clink.

Another essential that is emerging on the Brandeis paths are the multicolored and patterned scarves.

Out with the former large and hole-filled knits, these scarves are flat, patterned and fringed at the ends. They add a splash of color, warmth for winter, and blend the old look of the hipster with the new look of a cowgirl.

Another fashionable and functional accessory is the headband. Perhaps influenced by the hit show, Gossip Girl, these headbands were made for anyone other than Plain-Jane.

They have oversized bows, extra-large flowers, and emerald cut gems. They are functional in that they keep hair out of the eyes and cover-up unwashed hair, but they can add color and sophistication to a typical day’s schedule.

Whatever motivates the Brandeis fashionista, her look has replaced the baggy sweatshirt, leggings, and Uggs that have been popular in years past. Students are slowly but surely, listening to the words of Blair Waldorf, that “leggings are not pants!” and slipping on those hiding pair of jeans. The Brandeis fashionista is now stylish and practical.

And it makes sense; any student who has walked this hilly campus knows that a week straight in heels is enough for her to question her comfort and develop a functional sense of style.