diff --git a/pydantic/env_settings.py b/pydantic/env_settings.py
index da6d6ad..e9067e1 100644
--- a/pydantic/env_settings.py
+++ b/pydantic/env_settings.py
@@ -25,10 +25,13 @@ class BaseSettings(BaseModel):
         """
         d = {}
         for name, field in self.__fields__.items():
-            env_name = self.config.env_prefix + field.name.upper()
+            if field.alt_alias:
+                env_name = field.alias
+            else:
+                env_name = self.config.env_prefix + field.name.upper()
             env_var = os.getenv(env_name, None)
             if env_var:
-                d[name] = env_var
+                d[field.alias] = env_var
         return d
 
     class Config:
diff --git a/pydantic/fields.py b/pydantic/fields.py
index 83c1d4d..b9de7ea 100644
--- a/pydantic/fields.py
+++ b/pydantic/fields.py
@@ -21,13 +21,14 @@ class Shape(IntEnum):
 
 
 class Field:
-    __slots__ = ('type_', 'key_type_', 'sub_fields', 'key_field', 'validators', 'default',
-                 'required', 'name', 'description', 'info', 'validate_always', 'allow_none', 'shape', 'multipart')
+    __slots__ = ('type_', 'key_type_', 'sub_fields', 'key_field', 'validators', 'default', 'required',
+                 'name', 'alias', 'description', 'info', 'validate_always', 'allow_none', 'shape', 'multipart')
 
     def __init__(
             self, *,
-            name: str=None,
+            name: str,
             type_: Type,
+            alias: str=None,
             class_validators: dict=None,
             default: Any=None,
             required: bool=False,
@@ -35,6 +36,7 @@ class Field:
             description: str=None):
 
         self.name: str = name
+        self.alias: str = alias or name
         self.type_: type = type_
         self.key_type_: type = None
         self.validate_always: bool = getattr(self.type_, 'validate_always', False)
@@ -51,16 +53,22 @@ class Field:
         self._prepare(class_validators or {})
 
     @classmethod
-    def infer(cls, *, name, value, annotation, class_validators):
+    def infer(cls, *, name, value, annotation, class_validators, field_config):
         required = value == Ellipsis
         return cls(
+            name=name,
             type_=annotation,
+            alias=field_config and field_config.get('alias'),
             class_validators=class_validators,
             default=None if required else value,
             required=required,
-            name=name
+            description=field_config and field_config.get('description'),
         )
 
+    @property
+    def alt_alias(self):
+        return self.name != self.alias
+
     def _prepare(self, class_validators):
         if self.default is not None and self.type_ is None:
             self.type_ = type(self.default)
@@ -134,9 +142,9 @@ class Field:
                 name=f'key_{self.name}'
             )
 
-        if self.sub_fields is None and getattr(self.type_, '__origin__', None):
+        if self.sub_fields is None and getattr(self.type_, '__origin__', False):
             self.multipart = True
-            self.sub_fields = self.sub_fields or [Field(
+            self.sub_fields = [Field(
                 type_=self.type_,
                 class_validators=class_validators,
                 default=self.default,
diff --git a/pydantic/main.py b/pydantic/main.py
index f4f7c96..d0b080d 100644
--- a/pydantic/main.py
+++ b/pydantic/main.py
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ class BaseConfig:
     validate_all = False
     ignore_extra = True
     allow_extra = False
+    fields = None
 
 
 def inherit_config(self_config, parent_config) -> BaseConfig:
@@ -47,14 +48,19 @@ class MetaModel(type):
         class_validators = {n: f for n, f in namespace.items()
                             if n.startswith('validate_') and isinstance(f, FunctionType)}
 
+        config_fields = config.fields or {}
         for var_name, value in namespace.items():
             if var_name.startswith('_') or isinstance(value, TYPE_BLACKLIST):
                 continue
+            field_config = config_fields.get(var_name)
+            if isinstance(field_config, str):
+                field_config = {'alias': field_config}
             field = Field.infer(
                 name=var_name,
                 value=value,
                 annotation=annotations and annotations.get(var_name),
                 class_validators=class_validators,
+                field_config=field_config,
             )
             fields[var_name] = field
         namespace.update(
@@ -112,11 +118,11 @@ class BaseModel(metaclass=MetaModel):
 
     def _process_values(self, values):
         for name, field in self.__fields__.items():
-            value = values.get(name, MISSING)
-            self._process_value(name, field, value)
+            value = values.get(field.alias, MISSING)
+            self._process_value(name, field.alias, field, value)
 
         if not self.config.ignore_extra or self.config.allow_extra:
-            extra = values.keys() - self.__fields__.keys()
+            extra = values.keys() - {f.alias for f in self.__fields__.values()}
             if extra:
                 if self.config.allow_extra:
                     for field in extra:
@@ -131,13 +137,13 @@ class BaseModel(metaclass=MetaModel):
         if self.config.raise_exception and self.__errors__:
             raise ValidationError(self.__errors__)
 
-    def _process_value(self, name, field, value):
+    def _process_value(self, name, alias, field, value):
         if value is MISSING:
             if self.config.validate_all or field.validate_always:
                 value = field.default
             else:
                 if field.required:
-                    self.__errors__[name] = MISSING_ERROR
+                    self.__errors__[alias] = MISSING_ERROR
                 else:
                     self.__values__[name] = field.default
                     # could skip this if the attributes equals field.default, would it be quicker?
@@ -146,7 +152,7 @@ class BaseModel(metaclass=MetaModel):
 
         value, errors = field.validate(value, self)
         if errors:
-            self.__errors__[name] = errors
+            self.__errors__[alias] = errors
         self.__values__[name] = value
         setattr(self, name, value)
 
diff --git a/pydantic/version.py b/pydantic/version.py
index ba9f5d1..5bcd046 100644
--- a/pydantic/version.py
+++ b/pydantic/version.py
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@ from distutils.version import StrictVersion
 
 __all__ = ['VERSION']
 
-VERSION = StrictVersion('0.0.7')
+VERSION = StrictVersion('0.0.8')
diff --git a/tests/test_complex.py b/tests/test_complex.py
index b1ae244..1c612a1 100644
--- a/tests/test_complex.py
+++ b/tests/test_complex.py
@@ -359,3 +359,29 @@ def test_any_dict():
     assert Model(v={1: 'foobar'}).values == {'v': {1: 'foobar'}}
     assert Model(v={123: 456}).values == {'v': {123: 456}}
     assert Model(v={2: [1, 2, 3]}).values == {'v': {2: [1, 2, 3]}}
+
+
+def test_infer_alias():
+    class Model(BaseModel):
+        a = 'foobar'
+
+        class Config:
+            fields = {'a': '_a'}
+
+    assert Model(_a='different').a == 'different'
+
+
+def test_alias_error():
+    class Model(BaseModel):
+        a = 123
+
+        class Config:
+            fields = {'a': '_a'}
+
+    assert Model(_a='123').a == 123
+    with pytest.raises(ValidationError) as exc_info:
+        Model(_a='foo')
+    assert """\
+1 error validating input
+_a:
+  invalid literal for int() with base 10: 'foo' (error_type=ValueError track=int)""" == str(exc_info.value)
diff --git a/tests/test_main.py b/tests/test_main.py
index d7162b9..29c2b7a 100644
--- a/tests/test_main.py
+++ b/tests/test_main.py
@@ -243,3 +243,18 @@ def test_any():
 
     assert AnyModel().a == 10
     assert AnyModel(a='foobar').a == 'foobar'
+
+
+def test_alias():
+    class Model(BaseModel):
+        a = 'foobar'
+
+        class Config:
+            fields = {
+                'a': {'alias': '_a'}
+            }
+
+    assert Model().a == 'foobar'
+    assert Model().values == {'a': 'foobar'}
+    assert Model(_a='different').a == 'different'
+    assert Model(_a='different').values == {'a': 'different'}
diff --git a/tests/test_settings.py b/tests/test_settings.py
index a93d7e3..1856a93 100644
--- a/tests/test_settings.py
+++ b/tests/test_settings.py
@@ -32,3 +32,15 @@ apple:
 def test_other_setting(env):
     with pytest.raises(ValidationError):
         SimpleSettings(apple='a', foobar=42)
+
+
+def test_env_with_aliass(env):
+    class Settings(BaseSettings):
+        apple: str = ...
+
+        class Config:
+            fields = {
+                'apple': 'BOOM'
+            }
+    env.set('BOOM', 'hello')
+    assert Settings().apple == 'hello'