My Instagram: Jyotsna Shankar

@cuppajyo

Since she was a girl in Bangalore, Jyotsna Shankar (www.instagram.com/cuppajyo) has been playing dress up, stealing her mother’s makeup, and wobbling around in heels, so it’s no surprise that she’s taken to social media to do indulge her love of style as an adult. This researcher at the Joslin Diabetes Center and shopaholic is in the process of changing careers to get an MBA so she can pursue fashion professionally.

Furthermore, the 26-year-old Cantabrigian loves home fitness DVDs almost as much as the contents of her closet. But wouldn’t you rather hear all of this from Shankar? I’m going to take your rigorous head-nodding as a “yes.” Meet this week’s Instagram style star.

Q. Have you been brave enough to tell your parents of your plan to switch careers from diabetes research to fashion management or fashion retail?

A. Yes. My family is aware of this and I am lucky to have supportive parents who would let me take up whatever I want as long as I am happy with what I’m doing. I aspire to get an MBA shortly.

Q. I’m a little disturbed by your love of home workout routines, mostly because it makes me feel lazy that I don’t do any of them. Have you actually made it through an entire program, or are you ticking off all those titles to make me feel fatter?

A. I have finished the Insanity workout (which is supposed to be the hardest home workout on DVD) and I absolutely loved it. I quit my gym membership as it was nothing more than a “do an aimless workout” session when I went there. So now I am even more inspired to go through more home workout programs. I am halfway through T25. Next up: P90X. It does help that my husband is as motivated as I am and he makes an awesome workout buddy.

Q. Given that you post so many of your outfits on social media, do you feel compelled to shop for fear that you’ll repeat an outfit?

A. I will not deny that I secretly have the morbid fear of an outfit repeat. But I am pretty disciplined in setting a reasonable budget for my hobby. When I shop I try to look for versatile pieces that I can put together in more than just one look while still making the whole ensemble look chic and different.

Q. Before meeting you, I had never heard of the website Chictopia. What exactly is it?

A. I stumbled across this from a fellow blogger on Instagram. It is an international online fashion site primarily designed for fashion enthusiasts and bloggers to create profiles, post outfits, set up online shops, and socialize with others interested in fashion. You get chic points when you are active on the site, which you can later redeem in their shop. It is very similar to Lookbook.nu and I think the concept of inspiring and getting inspired by the talented street style all over the world is super.

Q. You have a healthy number of selfies on your Instagram page, but you also have fashion photos that others have taken of you. Is your husband your Bill Cunningham, or do you have another photographer?

A. I am incredibly grateful to my darling husband who is my official fashion photographer. He is uber patient and loves experimenting with the camera and I can pose forever, so it works out.