Nerdy Fashion

Quick, when I say “nerd fashion” what pops into your head? Maybe T-shirts with sayings that make no sense to half the general population. Ill-fitting clothes fashionable over a decade ago. Bizarre accessories. A photographer's vest. Maybe even...fanny packs.

The concept of poorly dressed nerds is definitely a stereotype. Sure, the fashionistas don't understand the significance of a bow tie and fez, but these are accessories that mean something to nerds. Maybe they aren't cool by mainstream standards, but neither are leg warmers, and you know those were a huge hit in the 80s.

So, who's the bigger fashion victim, the person sporting a fedora and heavy framed glasses, or the person wearing suspenders over a My Little Pony t-shirt?

That's a trick question, of course. “Nerd” fashion is (at the time of this article) fashionable. But the point is, fashion is fickle--one day your Ugg boots are the must-have accessory, the next day they're the equivalent of wearing spats--but nerds bend fashion to their will, turning cultural whims into iconography.

Where do nerds get their ability to completely circumvent fashion?

Nerds have a key understanding about fashion (whether they realize it or not): fashion makes no sense. There is no way to predict who will be the arbiter of style, there is absolutely no practical purpose for most fashion choices, and changing one's entire wardrobe every year just to keep up with trends is hideously expensive. (I'm not being negative about fashion. I believe people should be able to wear whatever they want without ridicule.) Starting from this understanding, nerds usually approach fashion from one of two directions: either they focus solely on practicality when choosing clothing, or they deliberately dress counter to current popular trends. Often times you'll find nerds mixing both of these approaches to some degree.

Most nerds see clothes through a practical lens--as nothing more than a body covering mandated by societal conventions, a way to protect the human hide from the elements, and something with lots of pockets for stashing gadgets--which means they quite possibly also have no grasp of the emotional significance of fashion trends. This might be connected to the nerd mind's tendency to gravitate toward logic over emotion. People who understand fashion realize that it isn't as simple as picking up a magazine and ordering whatever the celebrities are wearing because there's an element of individual emotional connection.

Of course, whether a nerd has an emotional reaction to his choice of attire sometimes takes a back seat to practicality. The nerd who spends 12 hours a day in a cold server room needs to stay warm while being able to reach Ethernet cables two feet above their heads, and a sporty silk blazer just won't fit those needs.

On the other hand, the nerd who actively rebels against fashion trends is acutely aware of the emotional connotations of fashion and is certainly conscious of current trends. Fashion rebellion can range from apathy about whatever is trendy, to making deliberately radical fashion decisions that oppose popular trends.

Some people might consider practicality boring or scoff at deliberately counter-cultural clothing choices, but there's nothing inherently wrong with taking either approach to clothing. However, sometimes it's helpful to blend in with the mainstream, so understanding how to leverage fashion might come in handy.