Fashion Friday – Sheldon Wears it Well

Photo Source: CBS.com

If there’s any message to my work, it is ultimately that it’s OK to be different, that it’s good to be different, that we should question ourselves before we pass judgment on someone who looks different, behaves different, talks different, is a different color.–Johnny Depp

Being a geek isn’t what it used to be. Light years away from the stereotypical social outcast, today’s geeks are making your favourite technological toy and influencing fashion, world-wide.

Geeks are traditionally thought of as anti-fashion, one, two, ten giant steps behind the current fashion trends, but now we need to take a step back and reconsider. The guys that gave the world pocket protectors and eyeglasses repaired with masking tape are all of a sudden back in vogue.

Before you carp at what I am suggesting, please consider for a moment Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory. Granted, he is brainy beyond belief and his naiveté when it comes to most social conventions is quite comical, but what you can say about Sheldon is that his fashion sense shows that attitude is everything—attitude trumps image. He wears his fashion well and makes no apologies for it and is never intimidated or concerned about this appearance.

Remember when it wasn’t hip to be a geek? The movement has always been the direct opposite of the norm, anti-establishment. Now it appears as if the pendulum is swinging in the other direction—the new standard for cool is smart and smart is the new sexy. Now nonconformity is the standard.

Sheldon’s classic geek uniform consists of a graphic short-sleeve tee with a long sleeve shirt under it, either collared or collarless. This look can be achieve with items from well-known vendors and exact components can found at Urban Outfitters, Banana Republic, Old Navy, and even, the ultimate in hip clothing, Abercrombie and Fitch.

There are specific components that any uber-geek should have and here are a list of the essentials.

1. A tee shirt is a must have! Try one with a nostalgic picture, classic character from comic books, or witty sayings. You might even want to try argyle for a special event.

2. You must be comfortable and you cannot do without a classic trouser. They don’t necessarily have to be solid. Sometimes the occasion calls for plaid or maybe even a nice moleskin plaid.

3. A great messenger bag is necessary to hold all the great toys that we call love and claim not to be able to live without. To get the full effect it will be necessary to sling the bag across your chest.

4. Glasses add to the look by giving you the appearance of someone with a 140+ IQ even if that is a stretch for you and the jig is up when you open your mouth.

5. The most important thing that you can add to the above items is the right attitude.

Don’t be ashamed that you are different, embrace it, and just remember that according to Charles Caleb Colton, “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.” Imitate your favourite geek, today!