Samantha Clarke is studying psychology and working with children at a counseling center in Danbury.

"I just throw my hair up and put my glasses on," Clarke said, of how she dresses for work. But when she's off the books, her bold fashion sense comes out.

"Once I'm out of work, I'm totally different," said Clarke, 23, of Danbury.

She has modeled for various agencies and photographers, such as rapper T.I.'s clothing line Akoo, Kennies Earl Photography and Jasmine Taylor Photography.

"Modeling is just something I like to do on the side," Clarke said. "It's a tough industry, so I like to be stable with what I really want to do, which is psychology."

A student at Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven, Clarke always knew she wanted to be involved in the field of psychology. She works at Family and Children's Aid, a nonprofit in Danbury.

There she gets hands-on experience in evaluating and assessing children's behavior. Clarke helps with tests and studies on how children think and what causes them to act the way they do.

She has become more interested in fashion in the past two years and describes her fashion style as "out there," matching her "friendly and outgoing" personality.

A peek into her closet reveals a rainbow of colors. She said she tries to stay away from buying the same color over and over when shopping for new clothes.

She especially loves her high-waisted shorts. She makes them herself, by cutting, fringing and bleaching them to add her own individual flair.

A majority of her styling tips and ideas come from watching YouTube videos and browsing through fashion magazines.

The most enjoyable part about dressing herself, as well as others, is putting together clothing items that others might not think of pairing, she said.

"Sometimes if it is not in season, I'll see if I can match it up with something and see if I can still wear it," Clarke said. "I think you can wear anything in any season as long as you know how to match it up."

The diversity in her clothing comes from a few of her favorite stores, such as Urban Outfitters, American Apparel, Forever 21 and thrift shops.

Although she loves dressing in color block and various patterns, Clarke said she tries to be as "professional as possible" at work and dresses more simply there. But she does like to wear brightly colored nail polish and said the kids she works with are always fascinated by it.

Accessorizing with bold jewelry, such as bulky necklaces, is one of the ways Clarke likes to dress up an everyday outfit. She said there should be a balance with clothing and accessories; they can't both be overpowering.

She said she isn't inspired by any model or celebrity's style. Rather, her ideas come from the average person who stands out with what they're wearing.

Clarke said her dream modeling gig would be to work for the Ford modeling agency or to be a part of a Victoria's Secret fashion show.

"I just like fashion," Clarke said.

JoDuncan@newstimes.com