Starting Somewhere

After watching an episode of Beauty & the Geek this week, something occurred to me. I watched as one of the geeks got a makeover. It was a pretty radical transformation, but something stood out to me about it. While some of the other geeks had gotten makeovers that made them look entirely ungeeky, this particular guy looked like some entirely different person--but he still looked like a geek.

Stay with me here, that's a good thing.

I liked that. His personality, his hobbies, everything about him was inherently geeky. My guess is that he would like people to know from the outset that he is friendly and personable, but also highly intelligent and quirky. I'm a geek, and I know that's the image I try to convey when I get dressed in the morning. There's also the tendency of nerds & geeks to want to be a little different. We've grown up that way and quite frankly, we've gotten used to it. Some of us would feel a little weird if we didn't stand out in some way; mainstream fashion isn't for those types. We don't want to look like complete dorks, but then again, we don't want to look like everyone else, either.

That's what this blog will be: how to say both "I'm a friendly, fun person" and "I know pi to a thousand places" at the same time. Frivolous, yes, but I think we've got a whole subculture of people who are "left out" of trends and fashion and there's really no reason for that. It is entirely possible to be fashionably nerdy.

We obviously must start with the quintessential nerd gear: eyeglasses. Eyeglasses can instantly convey an image of intelligence. Unfortunately, the wrong eyeglasses on the wrong person with the wrong outfit can instantly convey awkwardness as well.

Let's start with the boys. Remember Lumbergh from Office Space?



That makes these a "no." Do not want, as ceiling cat would say.



These are good. Lower profile, and the half-frame style leaves your face, not the frames, as the focal point. The frame itself, however, has a unique shape that adds interest.



This set is also narrow, but slightly more squared off for those with oval or round faces. The shape of your glasses can really add to or detract from your face, so it's important to be aware of what shape your face is. Harry Potter glasses on a round-cheeked person is cute...if you're 10 years old. These particular glasses would look quite good on a man with an oval face. These are the quintessential male "sexy librarian" glasses. If Lumbergh is our "not sexy" example, then Daniel Jackson from SG-1 might well be our "sexy" example. Please note the square, strong jaw set off with slightly rounded glasses.

Girls are luckier than guys when it comes to glasses. There are fewer outright "dorky" options, so it's less perilous. Women are unlikely to walk in and be pointed to the aviator frames. The biggest problem with women's glasses is the complete lack of any statement at all. Think of the difference between reading "See Spot Run" or a Shakespearean sonnet. Spot, Jane, and Tom serve a purpose (helping kids learn to read) but they don't convey a lot of information.

That's these. They say nothing. They sit on your face and allow you to see. If that's all you're going for, then more power to you, but some out there might like to take the opportunity to say something with their eyewear.



Like "Oh hai. I am smarter AND louder AND cuter than you!"

...

All right, so not everyone is ready to make a statement in red & black sexy librarians. Fine.


These are slightly lower profile, and the green is on the inside where it's less startling. The effect is just as quirky and "nerdy," but slightly more subtle. Just smarter and cuter here, not so much with the loud.