here is a letterboxd list featuring the geek chic style letterboxd.com/moderngurlz/list/geek-chic-a-study-of-style/ (i'll add to it when i can) and a pinterest board for some style inspiration! www.pinterest.com/moderngurlz/a-study-of-style/geek-chic/
fun fact about anna wintour: she hated that she had to wear glasses in school and so started wearing prescription sunglasses so that noone could tell. She preferred to look aloof than to look like she needed glasses
@@understitchYT That's really interesting! I think that demonstrates a lot of creativity, to be able to take a feature that can't be changed (like bad eyesight) and then incorporating it into your sense of style. Glasses that are used for the geek chic style, on the other hand, act more like a disposable costume accessory, mimicking the appearance of a functional item while being completely useless in and of itself, thus cheapening the whole look and undermining its own image of trying to look 'smart'.
I love that Geek Chic is coming back into fashion. Many sitcoms and films of the 80's or 90's depicted geeks as being undesirable or dorky, but I'm glad that more people are understanding that it's cool to be smart. Also, the nerdy girl usually gets to keep her glasses, and isn't made over at all, which is refreshing to see.
feel like glasses have never realistically been deemed "unfashionable" outside of movies, like the video says theres always some sort of fashion aethestic that celebrates this look, from preppy to dark academia. Geek-chic "coming back" is just this style in y2k.
Wait which good shows/films demonstrate the nerdy girl keeping her glasses. I’d love to see more of that as someone who was really made insecure by the makeovers when I was a kid.
"Girl" is also somewhat non inclusive to men and people outside the binary. "Core" is just anoying in my opinion, but I don't have anything bad to say about it, beside it being over used
Not specifically fashion-related, but as an autistic person I'm glad you delved into the history of how geeks are viewed in the mainstream because many of the traits people have used to describe 'geeks' and 'nerds' also apply to autistic people who likely fell into that category. We are often made fun of due to our special interests and therefore given those labels, and are often pressured to suppress our enjoyment and even our styles to fit a societal norm. The fashion associated with it may go in and out of style for neurotypicals, but we've been around long before it was considered cool and we'll be around long after. Would recommend reading Unmasking Autism for more, as it covers similar territory.
Yes! As she described it I was like … this is just vile anti-autistic language. Autistic liberation forever! Slouching, being very passionate about special interests, not being super aware of how you look - may these be trends that never die, because they’re a beautiful part of our human collective ❤️
Be comfortable in knowing you've always dressed as yourself. And maybe be prepared for the people who will tell you you're out of style once the trend changes again. That is a particularly annoying experience.
I watched an interior design video that showed what the 2010s trend was an how it has modified itself into a 2020 trend. I think geek chic never really goes away but the silhouettes and prints change across the decades.
The anoying thing is just that it's now becoming more mainstream and trending. And with the circle of tik-tok trends, I fear that it wild in a couple of mounths, be once again seen as "outdated". This would once again make the "geeky look" looked down upon. I just wished that styles could be more indvidual and less trendy...
i dont know, i dont want to shame anyone because i dont know their intentions but when i look at the last bit in the video that mentions bayonetta (who, while iconic, you have to admit is a video game character that is oversexualized) and the women featured who sport the bayonetta style glasses, i do feel there is an element of male gaze sex appeal. it reminds me of p*rnographic materials where teachers or librarians are featured as a kind of taboo subject. there is something interesting happening there with those glasses that make them very appealing in my opinion, the juxtaposition of glasses that should be inherently ugly but become so sensual when styled and modeled in the right way is fascinating and hard to look away from. so i dont wanna say this style is inherently sexualized or shame people for liking it, but i wouldnt say the male gaze is totally absent either.
@@jits8767 I completely agree with you. Unfortunately, I wouldn't say that this look is free of male gaze, starting with those glasses which are also an inspo from the oversexualized character (they CAN be their own thing just like they were before games which is just cool glasses but nowadays there are a lot of men who will look at them and say they are hot or sth like that, they wont pick any other glasses just those. I guess that games, media and p*orn ruined an image of them at least for me...). Tbh, if i had to picked one style that would be free of male gaze i would go for skate look or sometimes a hip hop look? Its just my opinion but I in skate look girls wear usually big shirts, loose jeans, socks, sports shoes, hats, long sleeves under tshirt and they look really comfy, they can personalize it and look girly or do the opposite, it seems to me that this is an outfit which doesnt really pander to the male gaze...And the same goes for the hip hop- it can still be comfy and baggy but you can add some part that is tight or revealing but it doesn't really restricts your movements
I think it really depends on how you style it and if you go for the baggy silhoutte or a tighter one. Also culturally it is unfortunate to say that the male gaze is never truly absent in literaly anything. @@jits8767
@olint424 OMG Yes, to the latter parts of your comment! I'm Punk fashion-wise (a nerd personality-wise), and I just don't see the Skate Punk look anymore outside of myself and other Punks. It's hard to highlight a BBL in oversized cargos I guess lol. At any rate, I couldn't agree with you more as a Punk lady who's always dressed for comfort.
I was waiting for you to bring up the geek backpack rapper era in the 2010s! It mixed hip hop culture with geek chic with hipsterisms. It’s a style that was sported by so many black celebrities- catapulting polo, Tommy H, and Coach to popularity among younger people. It could be argued Kanye West was the originator, but OutKast also had a role with reclaiming the dandy look.
Geek chic is an answer to whatever is happening right now in fashion, which is an obsession with perfection, glamour, and excessive glitter. Miuccia is truly a pioneer in this 'ugly chic' field.
As someone who had to deal with comments about wearing glasses to the point where people would snatch my frames (although that stopped for a while) and the irony was that the bully-in-chief would land up in glasses during exams, I have mixed feelings about geek chic. I mean, it can be great when mixed with dark academia.
This is interesting to me, as someone who does not participate in fashion culture (as in, I wear what I do regardless of it being "fashionable," "expensive," "trendy," etc.). I gravitate to basics that fit and feel comfy. Lately with the weather finally getting cold where I live, I usually grab a cardigan rather than a jacket or hoodie. I also have to wear glasses (contacts often cause troubles) and at work I have to tie up my hair. Maybe I'm slipping into that librairian look, but I vibe with it! It's comfy, it's natural for me, and it looks nice without being too dressy or effortful. I'm 100% down for geeky office wear inspiration to come back.
To me, part of being a 'geek' is almost the category of geek one can be, like film geek, book geek, computer geek etc. though, I agree this probably came from the evolution of computers, and popularity of basing one's personality and style around their main interest/hobby, which I assumed is a modern evolution, but of course, Im sure there were those who did as such in the past, like the model train people of the 80s, space people of the 50s/60s and hippies of the 70s. It's just that now we all feel pigeonholed to brand ourselves a certain way in order to establish a personality on the internet well after our time in schools is over, and that feeds into it. These are just random thoughts, I havent strung them together really yet, but the video made me think, thank you
So funny I was this nerdy girl my entire life, got bullied by girls and guys for wearing huge glasses because of my bad eye sight and now it's a trend. Wow, people are hypocrites.
did anyone else have a moment in the 2010s where the popular girls who made fun of kids with glasses went to school wearing fake geek glasses bc it was in style at the time?? No? Ok just me then
YES! Some of the kids at my school who did this wore contacts… and put on fake glasses because they wanted the aesthetic as a costume but still looked down on people who actually just wore glasses 🙃 Did some of them even wear 3d movie glasses with the lenses popped out?
They did the glasses thing back in 2008 too, but that was the scene/emo proto tumblr girl thing 😬 the big black frame glasses that turned into the hipster mark. still mean about actual glasses wearers 🙄
Yes!! I remember you could walk into stores like Hot Topic and they'd be selling those fake nerdy glasses sometimes with Hello Kitty frames to make you look cuter.
Here! Here! And actually my glasses were the reason my husband started liking me lol. I used to wear purple geeky glasses and he thought I looked endearing. Mind you he was a pretty popular guy with girls throwing themselves at him, yet he fell for me bc of my geeky look.
I literally just ordered a pair of glasses with my new prescription. When picking them out both my partner and I said they looked very "sexy librarian". Lol, good to know I'm on top of the trend!
I have a -8 eyesight and cannot do anything without my glasses like the only time I don’t wear them is when I sleep lol. And I also love wearing stylish clothing and I always dress nice so I’m rlly happy this is back in style
I think it's worth mentioning that the nerdy/sexy librarian style for women became fetishized by some since the early 2000. Hence the "sexy librarian/secretary" term.
I find it kind of difficult to have to deal with something that you were mocked during your teenage years to be mainstream now. It's quite difficult when you are the geek/nerd mocked to be brave enough to openly enjoy something. Not so geek chic, but seeing mainstream stores openly selling Anime/Manga stuff with no problem, like it's normal now to enjoy this kind of thing.
Yeah and now all the mangas are really expensive while western comics are cheaper. I got a thick Dylan Dog for only 2€. Back in the day the opposite would be the case.
This is me 95% of the time. I literally wore my Monster High sweater vest with the logo and white button down shirt with a hot Barbie pink blazer and gray dress pants paired with gray high tops today to class. I own way too many sweater vest for the hot weather. I’ll have to look at this video for non sweater vest outfits that are more weather appropriate!
my big thing with these trends, is that if you’re persistent & smart you can find stuff at a thrift store (or thred up/poshmark etc) to match any aesthetic. these things were in style not too long ago, we don’t need to shop fast fashion to engage in the trend
after spending most of my school years being subjected to a strict uniform dress code, im sooo averse to most of the clothing that falls into the geek or preppy category… 😂 but i still do appreciate the idea that the style isn’t so strict about looking “flawless” and that most of the staple pieces to pull off the look are easily accessible to most people 🫶✨
The accessibility is key for me, someone who is not a teenager or a single-digit clothing size. It's a look that I have worn for years and be modified for many types of occasions, and also a look for people of many ages and shapes. How many other trends can say any of that?
Is it just me who kind of feels like the 20 year rule thing isn’t really applying anymore? There’s definitely still a lot of 2000 trends going around but i and a lot of other people have been wearing more of a combination of 90s and 70s style
@5:57 makes me wonder if “nerds” at this time were also more likely to be poor? The lack of fashion sense being a lack of resources? No handkerchief for money reasons? Idk but this video is bringing up lots of interesting questions like that thanks for making it!
My dad is an OG Trekkie from the 60s and proudly points out all the time how he READ the Star Wars books before the movies came out (they were ghostwritten but basically were the movies before the movies) because he was so into sci fi...now he's self identifying autistic lol. That's just how it goes sometimes lol but I am glad that special interests and hyperfixations are easier to find community in now with social media and the internet.
As a guy that is VERY much rejected by all forms of society in every aspect, the growing acceptance of different styles and looks is appreciated as it opens up new doors for those less fortunate in the looks department. Society is very vain and shallow though, so even if you 'fit' into what's trendy you have to be the RIGHT kind to actually not get dirty looks.
What would you consider your favorite style currently? I'm always curious when someone shares that they don't like something what's the baseline of their likes
I remember in the 2010s hipster trend and my mum and I bought fake glasses and I’m pretty sure I had a jumper covered in moustaches, and I remember wanting to look like Polly the geek from St Trinians (2007 movie)
wow i didnt it was a style with a name, I just felt it was a natural progression and merging of current style. In my eyes I see a mature 2000s look, combining ballet core & bloke core. Also I love it, I feel like everyone in berlin is wearing it. And since I holding one with my dear life to the y2k trend, now combining it with my other love suits, its been a lot of fun.
What a fabulous, wonderful, fun, enjoyable video! As a baby born in late 60's, i lived through so much of this and the dose of nostalgia was beautiful. As a recent channel finder, i 🫡 you. ❤
This is definitely my style. I'm a musician but I always did pretty well in school and went to a private school for most of my life. Sadly the style there was lacking but now that I go to school in nyc i feel more comfortable learning into a laidback, preppy style. It's just so easy and comfy
This adds up. I recently ran out of contacts & had to go back to wearing my thicccc a** glasses 24/7. I’ve had so many randos lately compliment me on my glasses & wasn’t aware that “geek” was back in style.
Ahhh thank you so much for featuring me! I’m so here for the return of geek cheek, or office core as I like to call it. It’s the most fun I’ve had with my outfits for a while 🖇️📈💋
I love the Bayonetta style outfits, but I usually stay far away from black work attire. You end up looking like you work everywhere you go. It's the dress code for many stores and restaurants.
This is how I dress most of the time because I have prescription glasses due to bad eyesight and my style is casual and sometimes a bit ''geeky'' because idk. But I still need to swap out my glasses to a more oval shape, to make it more accurate😅😅
Another really great video. I love that you teach history in addition to talking about fashion. And how different pop-culture trends influence things. Honestly, you’re one of the most underrated channels on all of TH-cam. I love your stuff. And this geek loves the idea that he can sometimes be chic. Lol. Nicknames I like : Neo Nerd; librarian core Don’t like: golf punk! Lol
This has been my go to style since I can remember- as I've always been considered a geek/ nerd- taking Janine from ghostbusters as a role model ❤ my rockabilly look has now been updated with my 'geeky' glasses and I love it ❤
Also just to add on, I am glad that it’s back in fashion, like shout out to glasses for being a functional accessory that fits MANY different aesthetics fr
i feel like community has a lot of characters who dress exactly like that : abed, annie, frankie and elroy are the main exemples but the other characters as well have a very geek chic inspired wardrobe
I do find it interesting how the geek style is being styled. Especially nowadays, I feel that some outfits are more like secretary style rather than actual geek style. The only thing that they have in common is the glasses. I would say that this is just business casual. Another thing that is a little icky for me is that throughout the decades nerds have been associated with being unattractive, just because their interests are computers, space and games. What about sexy nerds? There are really handsome and pretty people in this space, I am telling you. My partner, who is a medical physicist, is one of them. We went to his friend's wedding this June and he had this light blue summer suit on. A lot of his friends told him that he looked very good in it and one of them even said he looked like, he came out of a James Bond movie. It can´t be that sexy nerds are only associated with humanity studies and dark/light academia. Another thing I want to add is that nerds don´t have to be only associated with computers, space and games. I was in High School a so-called outsider nerd because I was interested in Japanese Fashion and some of the words I say in German are more used in Germany than in Austria. (My Stepdad is German) So, I got ostracized for it. I would say a nerd is someone who has interests that are not mainstream. And this can be anything.
I've seen a few people in the "Neo nerd" style around my city centre yesterday. I used to dress as a mixture of Geek chic and soft grunge in 2012/2013 in my late teens.
Gosh, if I could go back in time to my middle school self, I would have told her to stay true to her fashion roots because the "geeky" and "nerdy" outfits that you used to wear (not by choice since we didnt have a lot of money to buy AE, Aeropostale, A&F, or Hollister) would become trendy 15 years later! It's so crazy how a stereotype that I so desperately wanted to get rid of as a teenager because I was tired of being made fun of would now be considered a trend that has become embraced and acceptable.
I'm surprised that you never mentioned the recently popular dark academia style throughout the whole video. In fact, it is very similar to this geek chic thing, but more polished, with matching items, and an air of sophistication to it -basically, it's geek chic rebranded for people who want to see themselves as intellectual, but also beautiful and sophisticated, yet not too sexy or trendy. Geek chic and dark academia are the same thing marketed towards different demographics whose values often clash. The difference is in details, but overall, you can pull off both styles using the same clothing items.
i mention the academia aesthetic at 18:15, while there is some overlap, that style is based on the ivy league look of the 1950s which in turn inspired the preppy style of the 1980s (also mentioned in the video). those styles attempt to emulate the educated upper class not studious outcasts!
Honestly, I've been a geek and/or nerd all my life, but I was more of a ghetto nerd due to the fact that I grew up in the streets. However, I never really cared about what other people thought of me as a child, so I ended up hanging out with people who just liked me for me, whether I was a geek or not to them. Now, as an mom, I still embrace my geek like lifestyle down to a T, and hopefully, my daughter will grow up to love herself for who she is, just like I did growing up.🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓
Golf punk is slightly different though. I love the style and am especially ready to be able to buy a knee length a-line skirt again. I thrifted many back in the day but have since gained weight and they haven't been easy to find in recent years. My only issue with some of the 2020 version shown was how similar many look to a school uniform, I don't want my personal style to be mistaken for a school uniform adjacent look.
Great video! I wondered if it helped fashion in particular when nerds and geeks were positioned directly across from the sexy and hot counterpart. Example: hottie and the nottie (not really that movie as she was positioned as 'disgusting' and not really smart or weird) but the term itself - which I believe changed the nerd and geek definition yet again to just someone who is a little weird more-so screech from Saved by the Bell but less smart than a Nerd and less technology inclined than a Geek. That then lead to the reality show Beauty and the Geek.
Watched a vid where a TH-camr (I forget her name) mentioned how she hated the bayonetta glasses trend because they were too nerdy for her to get into, and I was like, that’s the point!
I have a request! Maybe you could do Magical Girl fashion rankings? Specifically Pretty Cure or st least one of the seasons because you will never run out of style to comment on there! Also maybe doing videos on fashion from celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Melanie Martinez? Thanks if you read this!
here is a letterboxd list featuring the geek chic style letterboxd.com/moderngurlz/list/geek-chic-a-study-of-style/ (i'll add to it when i can)
and a pinterest board for some style inspiration! www.pinterest.com/moderngurlz/a-study-of-style/geek-chic/
@ModernGurlz Can you do a outfit study on house bunny 2008
Maybe d.e.b.s.?
So glad that my bad eyesight has come back into fashion
😂😂😂
fun fact about anna wintour: she hated that she had to wear glasses in school and so started wearing prescription sunglasses so that noone could tell. She preferred to look aloof than to look like she needed glasses
@@understitchYT That's really interesting! I think that demonstrates a lot of creativity, to be able to take a feature that can't be changed (like bad eyesight) and then incorporating it into your sense of style. Glasses that are used for the geek chic style, on the other hand, act more like a disposable costume accessory, mimicking the appearance of a functional item while being completely useless in and of itself, thus cheapening the whole look and undermining its own image of trying to look 'smart'.
Same 😅😢
Same 😂
I love that Geek Chic is coming back into fashion. Many sitcoms and films of the 80's or 90's depicted geeks as being undesirable or dorky, but I'm glad that more people are understanding that it's cool to be smart. Also, the nerdy girl usually gets to keep her glasses, and isn't made over at all, which is refreshing to see.
feel like glasses have never realistically been deemed "unfashionable" outside of movies, like the video says theres always some sort of fashion aethestic that celebrates this look, from preppy to dark academia. Geek-chic "coming back" is just this style in y2k.
the style reminds me of a horror atagonist.
i totally read this as ''but I'm glad that _mole_people_ are understanding that it's cool to be smart'' lmaoo
Wait which good shows/films demonstrate the nerdy girl keeping her glasses. I’d love to see more of that as someone who was really made insecure by the makeovers when I was a kid.
bae just love yourself
@@PhotosSakina
I agree, I’m tired of labeling every aesthetic a “core” or “girl”
"Girl" is also somewhat non inclusive to men and people outside the binary. "Core" is just anoying in my opinion, but I don't have anything bad to say about it, beside it being over used
@@estherliseyou’re so anti-girl omg
But wouldn't it be funny for it to be called corpcore...
@@estherlisegirl…it’s not just used for girls in the literal sense. it’s part of lgbtq slang such as “the girls are fighting”
You will not erase women.@@estherlise
Not specifically fashion-related, but as an autistic person I'm glad you delved into the history of how geeks are viewed in the mainstream because many of the traits people have used to describe 'geeks' and 'nerds' also apply to autistic people who likely fell into that category. We are often made fun of due to our special interests and therefore given those labels, and are often pressured to suppress our enjoyment and even our styles to fit a societal norm. The fashion associated with it may go in and out of style for neurotypicals, but we've been around long before it was considered cool and we'll be around long after. Would recommend reading Unmasking Autism for more, as it covers similar territory.
Was about to comment something similar. Also, Unmasking Autism is such a great book!
Yes! As she described it I was like … this is just vile anti-autistic language.
Autistic liberation forever! Slouching, being very passionate about special interests, not being super aware of how you look - may these be trends that never die, because they’re a beautiful part of our human collective ❤️
Idk how I feel that I've been dressing this way unironically my whole life. I had no idea there was a name for it, and that it was popular.
Lol trendsetter
Be comfortable in knowing you've always dressed as yourself. And maybe be prepared for the people who will tell you you're out of style once the trend changes again. That is a particularly annoying experience.
Yep. Been my style for decades. I'm 49. To be fair, I am a geek. Love sci-fi etc.
they make everything a trendy aesthetic these days it's so annoying 🙄, they're making nerdy girls an aesthetic like what ? 💀
Geek Chic isn’t back, it never left!
100% agree
I watched an interior design video that showed what the 2010s trend was an how it has modified itself into a 2020 trend. I think geek chic never really goes away but the silhouettes and prints change across the decades.
The anoying thing is just that it's now becoming more mainstream and trending. And with the circle of tik-tok trends, I fear that it wild in a couple of mounths, be once again seen as "outdated". This would once again make the "geeky look" looked down upon. I just wished that styles could be more indvidual and less trendy...
Im a tired girl who wears glasses yes it never went away for me
My thrift addiction has netted me a considerable sweater vest collection. I'm finally ahead of a curve 😂
What I enjoy the most about this style is it inherently does not pander to the male gaze AT ALL. I’m noticing that lately with trends.
i dont know, i dont want to shame anyone because i dont know their intentions but when i look at the last bit in the video that mentions bayonetta (who, while iconic, you have to admit is a video game character that is oversexualized) and the women featured who sport the bayonetta style glasses, i do feel there is an element of male gaze sex appeal. it reminds me of p*rnographic materials where teachers or librarians are featured as a kind of taboo subject. there is something interesting happening there with those glasses that make them very appealing in my opinion, the juxtaposition of glasses that should be inherently ugly but become so sensual when styled and modeled in the right way is fascinating and hard to look away from. so i dont wanna say this style is inherently sexualized or shame people for liking it, but i wouldnt say the male gaze is totally absent either.
@@jits8767 I completely agree with you. Unfortunately, I wouldn't say that this look is free of male gaze, starting with those glasses which are also an inspo from the oversexualized character (they CAN be their own thing just like they were before games which is just cool glasses but nowadays there are a lot of men who will look at them and say they are hot or sth like that, they wont pick any other glasses just those. I guess that games, media and p*orn ruined an image of them at least for me...). Tbh, if i had to picked one style that would be free of male gaze i would go for skate look or sometimes a hip hop look? Its just my opinion but I in skate look girls wear usually big shirts, loose jeans, socks, sports shoes, hats, long sleeves under tshirt and they look really comfy, they can personalize it and look girly or do the opposite, it seems to me that this is an outfit which doesnt really pander to the male gaze...And the same goes for the hip hop- it can still be comfy and baggy but you can add some part that is tight or revealing but it doesn't really restricts your movements
I think it really depends on how you style it and if you go for the baggy silhoutte or a tighter one.
Also culturally it is unfortunate to say that the male gaze is never truly absent in literaly anything. @@jits8767
@olint424 OMG Yes, to the latter parts of your comment! I'm Punk fashion-wise (a nerd personality-wise), and I just don't see the Skate Punk look anymore outside of myself and other Punks. It's hard to highlight a BBL in oversized cargos I guess lol. At any rate, I couldn't agree with you more as a Punk lady who's always dressed for comfort.
@jits8767 the joke of bayonetta is that she is sexy but men cannot take advantage of her and ogle her
Okay but "Casual Bayonetta" is my new favorite phrase. Hearing it actually made me guffaw out loud at work.
I was waiting for you to bring up the geek backpack rapper era in the 2010s! It mixed hip hop culture with geek chic with hipsterisms. It’s a style that was sported by so many black celebrities- catapulting polo, Tommy H, and Coach to popularity among younger people. It could be argued Kanye West was the originator, but OutKast also had a role with reclaiming the dandy look.
Wow I would love to hear more about this angle!
THIS!!!!! YES, Kanye started this,or made it popular, and I loved this. It was insanely popular, and I hope she does cover it! 👍❤️
Geek chic is an answer to whatever is happening right now in fashion, which is an obsession with perfection, glamour, and excessive glitter. Miuccia is truly a pioneer in this 'ugly chic' field.
As someone who had to deal with comments about wearing glasses to the point where people would snatch my frames (although that stopped for a while) and the irony was that the bully-in-chief would land up in glasses during exams, I have mixed feelings about geek chic. I mean, it can be great when mixed with dark academia.
Hurray, fellow dark acadamia fan. More Neon Bassanova here.
“Neo-Nerd” just sounds really cool!
So basically half of the population should be popular now as everyone is looking like this in everyday life
only fashion if you look like a supermodel
I'm so glad you covered the difference between geek and nerd 😂
This is interesting to me, as someone who does not participate in fashion culture (as in, I wear what I do regardless of it being "fashionable," "expensive," "trendy," etc.). I gravitate to basics that fit and feel comfy. Lately with the weather finally getting cold where I live, I usually grab a cardigan rather than a jacket or hoodie. I also have to wear glasses (contacts often cause troubles) and at work I have to tie up my hair. Maybe I'm slipping into that librairian look, but I vibe with it! It's comfy, it's natural for me, and it looks nice without being too dressy or effortful. I'm 100% down for geeky office wear inspiration to come back.
I love that your sponsored ad part is actually a fashion look book. I enjoyed watching the outfits you put together and didn't skip the ad.
We appreciate how well you've articulated your insights. Keep working hard.
To me, part of being a 'geek' is almost the category of geek one can be, like film geek, book geek, computer geek etc. though, I agree this probably came from the evolution of computers, and popularity of basing one's personality and style around their main interest/hobby, which I assumed is a modern evolution, but of course, Im sure there were those who did as such in the past, like the model train people of the 80s, space people of the 50s/60s and hippies of the 70s. It's just that now we all feel pigeonholed to brand ourselves a certain way in order to establish a personality on the internet well after our time in schools is over, and that feeds into it. These are just random thoughts, I havent strung them together really yet, but the video made me think, thank you
So funny I was this nerdy girl my entire life, got bullied by girls and guys for wearing huge glasses because of my bad eye sight and now it's a trend. Wow, people are hypocrites.
did anyone else have a moment in the 2010s where the popular girls who made fun of kids with glasses went to school wearing fake geek glasses bc it was in style at the time?? No? Ok just me then
YES! Some of the kids at my school who did this wore contacts… and put on fake glasses because they wanted the aesthetic as a costume but still looked down on people who actually just wore glasses 🙃 Did some of them even wear 3d movie glasses with the lenses popped out?
Yes! I came here to comment that I thought the geek look came back in 2016!
They did the glasses thing back in 2008 too, but that was the scene/emo proto tumblr girl thing 😬 the big black frame glasses that turned into the hipster mark. still mean about actual glasses wearers 🙄
Yes!! I remember you could walk into stores like Hot Topic and they'd be selling those fake nerdy glasses sometimes with Hello Kitty frames to make you look cuter.
Here! Here! And actually my glasses were the reason my husband started liking me lol. I used to wear purple geeky glasses and he thought I looked endearing. Mind you he was a pretty popular guy with girls throwing themselves at him, yet he fell for me bc of my geeky look.
I literally just ordered a pair of glasses with my new prescription. When picking them out both my partner and I said they looked very "sexy librarian". Lol, good to know I'm on top of the trend!
I have a -8 eyesight and cannot do anything without my glasses like the only time I don’t wear them is when I sleep lol. And I also love wearing stylish clothing and I always dress nice so I’m rlly happy this is back in style
I loooove this era! Late 90’s minimalism and I can wear my small frames without getting laughed at? Count me in 😍
I think it's worth mentioning that the nerdy/sexy librarian style for women became fetishized by some since the early 2000. Hence the "sexy librarian/secretary" term.
I find it kind of difficult to have to deal with something that you were mocked during your teenage years to be mainstream now.
It's quite difficult when you are the geek/nerd mocked to be brave enough to openly enjoy something.
Not so geek chic, but seeing mainstream stores openly selling Anime/Manga stuff with no problem, like it's normal now to enjoy this kind of thing.
Yeah and now all the mangas are really expensive while western comics are cheaper. I got a thick Dylan Dog for only 2€. Back in the day the opposite would be the case.
i’m the definition of a geek and y’all have no idea how much excitement i felt when i saw the title 😂🤭
This is me 95% of the time. I literally wore my Monster High sweater vest with the logo and white button down shirt with a hot Barbie pink blazer and gray dress pants paired with gray high tops today to class. I own way too many sweater vest for the hot weather. I’ll have to look at this video for non sweater vest outfits that are more weather appropriate!
But this me to a core, I dress like this almost everyday if not in a streetwear mood.
This sounds amazing, keep being yourself 💖
@@em.the.awful.waffle thank you.
my big thing with these trends, is that if you’re persistent & smart you can find stuff at a thrift store (or thred up/poshmark etc) to match any aesthetic. these things were in style not too long ago, we don’t need to shop fast fashion to engage in the trend
My glasses are not a fashion statement. I literally need them to see.
Girl shut the hell up it’s just glasses it’s not a culture
after spending most of my school years being subjected to a strict uniform dress code, im sooo averse to most of the clothing that falls into the geek or preppy category… 😂 but i still do appreciate the idea that the style isn’t so strict about looking “flawless” and that most of the staple pieces to pull off the look are easily accessible to most people 🫶✨
The accessibility is key for me, someone who is not a teenager or a single-digit clothing size. It's a look that I have worn for years and be modified for many types of occasions, and also a look for people of many ages and shapes. How many other trends can say any of that?
Is it just me who kind of feels like the 20 year rule thing isn’t really applying anymore? There’s definitely still a lot of 2000 trends going around but i and a lot of other people have been wearing more of a combination of 90s and 70s style
@5:57 makes me wonder if “nerds” at this time were also more likely to be poor? The lack of fashion sense being a lack of resources? No handkerchief for money reasons? Idk but this video is bringing up lots of interesting questions like that thanks for making it!
My dad is an OG Trekkie from the 60s and proudly points out all the time how he READ the Star Wars books before the movies came out (they were ghostwritten but basically were the movies before the movies) because he was so into sci fi...now he's self identifying autistic lol. That's just how it goes sometimes lol but I am glad that special interests and hyperfixations are easier to find community in now with social media and the internet.
As a guy that is VERY much rejected by all forms of society in every aspect, the growing acceptance of different styles and looks is appreciated as it opens up new doors for those less fortunate in the looks department. Society is very vain and shallow though, so even if you 'fit' into what's trendy you have to be the RIGHT kind to actually not get dirty looks.
I'm not a fan of the look but I do appreciate that these styles can be found at thrift stores.
What would you consider your favorite style currently? I'm always curious when someone shares that they don't like something what's the baseline of their likes
I remember in the 2010s hipster trend and my mum and I bought fake glasses and I’m pretty sure I had a jumper covered in moustaches, and I remember wanting to look like Polly the geek from St Trinians (2007 movie)
wow i didnt it was a style with a name, I just felt it was a natural progression and merging of current style. In my eyes I see a mature 2000s look, combining ballet core & bloke core. Also I love it, I feel like everyone in berlin is wearing it. And since I holding one with my dear life to the y2k trend, now combining it with my other love suits, its been a lot of fun.
What a fabulous, wonderful, fun, enjoyable video! As a baby born in late 60's, i lived through so much of this and the dose of nostalgia was beautiful. As a recent channel finder, i 🫡 you. ❤
This is definitely my style. I'm a musician but I always did pretty well in school and went to a private school for most of my life. Sadly the style there was lacking but now that I go to school in nyc i feel more comfortable learning into a laidback, preppy style. It's just so easy and comfy
This adds up. I recently ran out of contacts & had to go back to wearing my thicccc a** glasses 24/7. I’ve had so many randos lately compliment me on my glasses & wasn’t aware that “geek” was back in style.
Ahhh thank you so much for featuring me! I’m so here for the return of geek cheek, or office core as I like to call it. It’s the most fun I’ve had with my outfits for a while 🖇️📈💋
I love the Bayonetta style outfits, but I usually stay far away from black work attire. You end up looking like you work everywhere you go. It's the dress code for many stores and restaurants.
Finally my time to shine 🙏🏾
The twee girlies are quaking
So happy Secretary got a shout out! That's one of my favorite movies!
This is how I dress most of the time because I have prescription glasses due to bad eyesight and my style is casual and sometimes a bit ''geeky'' because idk. But I still need to swap out my glasses to a more oval shape, to make it more accurate😅😅
Another really great video. I love that you teach history in addition to talking about fashion. And how different pop-culture trends influence things. Honestly, you’re one of the most underrated channels on all of TH-cam. I love your stuff. And this geek loves the idea that he can sometimes be chic. Lol.
Nicknames I like : Neo Nerd; librarian core
Don’t like: golf punk! Lol
neonerd is precise and concise, I like it! this video was so informative and I loved the runways shots with analysis.
Finally our time to shine 🙈. Just waiting for grandma-core to resurface again 😌
Would love to see a more detailed comparison of the light and dark academia and geek esthetics, if there’s enough content
12:05 When she mentioned Punk and Grunge, I almost cried a little. Someone remembers us🥲
I was literally just scrolling through your old videos for something ti watch lmao, so happy you uploaded!!
I can’t wait for us to come back around to twee. It was so cute and fun
Finally, someone recognizing Penelope for the style icon she is ❤
I loved geek chic as a tween. I'm now into academia
Love how you analyze fashion!!
This has been my go to style since I can remember- as I've always been considered a geek/ nerd- taking Janine from ghostbusters as a role model ❤ my rockabilly look has now been updated with my 'geeky' glasses and I love it ❤
I see it, Caroline Polachek was just on one of the late night shows and her outfit was total geek chic
Also just to add on, I am glad that it’s back in fashion, like shout out to glasses for being a functional accessory that fits MANY different aesthetics fr
this is so timely I was JUST thinking about the fact that all the “cool” girls I know are wearing glasses and blouses
neo chic is PERFECTTTTTT!!!!
Considering the popularity of academia styles, I'm not surprised geek chic is back.
I love your study of style videos, ALWAYS 🔥❤️✨💖🥰
i feel like community has a lot of characters who dress exactly like that : abed, annie, frankie and elroy are the main exemples but the other characters as well have a very geek chic inspired wardrobe
This is one of my favorite TH-cam channels 💖
omg you should do a video essay about the hunger games cultural reset and the resurgence, ya dystopian fiction, etc. etc.
Always so thorough and informative
Oh yeah, i definitely had the rectangular glasses at 16. Also 2004's Napoleon Dynamite 🧨
My prayers have been answered. Love this series! xx
Omg ModernGurls talking about Bayonetta,, my worlds colliding😻
I do find it interesting how the geek style is being styled. Especially nowadays, I feel that some outfits are more like secretary style rather than actual geek style. The only thing that they have in common is the glasses. I would say that this is just business casual. Another thing that is a little icky for me is that throughout the decades nerds have been associated with being unattractive, just because their interests are computers, space and games. What about sexy nerds? There are really handsome and pretty people in this space, I am telling you. My partner, who is a medical physicist, is one of them. We went to his friend's wedding this June and he had this light blue summer suit on. A lot of his friends told him that he looked very good in it and one of them even said he looked like, he came out of a James Bond movie. It can´t be that sexy nerds are only associated with humanity studies and dark/light academia.
Another thing I want to add is that nerds don´t have to be only associated with computers, space and games. I was in High School a so-called outsider nerd because I was interested in Japanese Fashion and some of the words I say in German are more used in Germany than in Austria. (My Stepdad is German) So, I got ostracized for it. I would say a nerd is someone who has interests that are not mainstream. And this can be anything.
There is a Bernd das Brot video that perfectly illustrates your last two sentences. 🍞
I inherited my grandparents wardrobes when they passed so I’d say my style is relatively geek chic lol
YOU ARE SO PRETTY!!!!!!
Love this breakdown. Thank you for all the research you do to make this content.
I've seen a few people in the "Neo nerd" style around my city centre yesterday. I used to dress as a mixture of Geek chic and soft grunge in 2012/2013 in my late teens.
Gosh, if I could go back in time to my middle school self, I would have told her to stay true to her fashion roots because the "geeky" and "nerdy" outfits that you used to wear (not by choice since we didnt have a lot of money to buy AE, Aeropostale, A&F, or Hollister) would become trendy 15 years later! It's so crazy how a stereotype that I so desperately wanted to get rid of as a teenager because I was tired of being made fun of would now be considered a trend that has become embraced and acceptable.
I'm pretty geeked this is becoming trendy because it's basically been my work uniform for the last decade lmao
I'm surprised that you never mentioned the recently popular dark academia style throughout the whole video. In fact, it is very similar to this geek chic thing, but more polished, with matching items, and an air of sophistication to it -basically, it's geek chic rebranded for people who want to see themselves as intellectual, but also beautiful and sophisticated, yet not too sexy or trendy. Geek chic and dark academia are the same thing marketed towards different demographics whose values often clash. The difference is in details, but overall, you can pull off both styles using the same clothing items.
i mention the academia aesthetic at 18:15, while there is some overlap, that style is based on the ivy league look of the 1950s which in turn inspired the preppy style of the 1980s (also mentioned in the video). those styles attempt to emulate the educated upper class not studious outcasts!
it's harry potter for 30+ millennials who don't wanna wear school uniforms
Ohh please do hipster trends. There were some rlly cute looks! Great video as always!
Honestly, I've been a geek and/or nerd all my life, but I was more of a ghetto nerd due to the fact that I grew up in the streets. However, I never really cared about what other people thought of me as a child, so I ended up hanging out with people who just liked me for me, whether I was a geek or not to them. Now, as an mom, I still embrace my geek like lifestyle down to a T, and hopefully, my daughter will grow up to love herself for who she is, just like I did growing up.🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓
It's criminal that u didn't mention Tina Fey's character Liz lemon from 30 rock. Iconic geek 🤓
Ik this is so off-topic from the video, but ur smile during ur ad read was so presh
This looks like how Melissa Benoist was styled in the 2015 Supergirl TV show when was in her civilian persona Kara Danvers.
i am so happy its back its so cute
Golf punk is slightly different though. I love the style and am especially ready to be able to buy a knee length a-line skirt again. I thrifted many back in the day but have since gained weight and they haven't been easy to find in recent years. My only issue with some of the 2020 version shown was how similar many look to a school uniform, I don't want my personal style to be mistaken for a school uniform adjacent look.
I love Bayonetta omg!! 💖💖💖 also I love NeoNerd bc it reminds me of Matrix
I love this channel! great job as always
remember that hipster 2013 frames w no lenses?? I feel like now the Bayonetta lenses r the new version of it
I love your videos your so thorough with your research!!
Great video! I wondered if it helped fashion in particular when nerds and geeks were positioned directly across from the sexy and hot counterpart. Example: hottie and the nottie (not really that movie as she was positioned as 'disgusting' and not really smart or weird) but the term itself - which I believe changed the nerd and geek definition yet again to just someone who is a little weird more-so screech from Saved by the Bell but less smart than a Nerd and less technology inclined than a Geek. That then lead to the reality show Beauty and the Geek.
Watched a vid where a TH-camr (I forget her name) mentioned how she hated the bayonetta glasses trend because they were too nerdy for her to get into, and I was like, that’s the point!
This was such a fun video to watch
Gonna order some pretty vintage Vera Wang oval prescription glasses, thanks for reminding me
i think resurgence of geek chic is due to bayonetta
god I love your channel ❤️❤️
absolutely loved this video 🫶🏼
I have a request! Maybe you could do Magical Girl fashion rankings? Specifically Pretty Cure or st least one of the seasons because you will never run out of style to comment on there! Also maybe doing videos on fashion from celebrities such as Taylor Swift and Melanie Martinez? Thanks if you read this!
The way you describe geek chic minus glasses, sounds like blair as well. And no one would call her a geek.
I love your channel so much 🥺