geek chic, revisited.

This spring, there are several "looks" that are popular among the fashion-conscious: the metallic/new-glam, the new minimalist, the bling until you're golden, the grecian, the american-apparel skank/douche, and many others that provide for endless hours of people-watching.

One that is getting mainstream appeal is geek chic, revisited - an aesthetically pleasing look that brings a nice sense of humor to the season.

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Ok, first.
The main idea of the "geek" is that this person has, "a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. Traditional examples include: mathematics geeks, engineering geeks, computer geeks, music or band geeks (audiophile), movie and film geeks (cinephile), gamer geeks, linguistics geeks, Star Trek geeks or fantasy geeks."

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The "geek chic" fashion statement has returned for Spring 07, but this time hitting the mainstream fashion world unapologetically.
We're not talking about the "geek chic" of the underground - which is widely recognized as a counter culture that has been around for generations. (Think Buddy Holly, Devo, The Talking Heads, Beck, They Might Be Giants,...etc.etc.) This time, the geeks don't necessarily feel enthused by the latest sci-fi trilogy, or spend hours researching the origins of obscure words.
Instead, for these "geeks", it's all about the current labels, the right stylist, and the bling to pull it all off.
So it may not be genuinely geek, but it looks pretty genuinely good, nonetheless.
And the best part? Geek chic is fabulously unisex.

Here's a simple guide to getting started:

The Modern Players:

Dior Homme
Luella Bartley
Chloe
Marc Jacobs
Chloe Sevigny
Tina Fey
Ugly Betty

The Key Pieces:

skinny (or ultra-skinny) Suspenders (Dior Homme or H&M)

high-waisted pants (wide-legged denim ones by rag&bone)

white blouses/button-ups (blouse by marc jacobs)

large black-rimmed glasses (costume versions are just as good...)

canvas totes (a la Luella Bartley...) or vintage satchels

funky lace-up oxfords (pointsy, patent silver ones by Luella Bartley..)



short-suits (like this one by chloe)



...in 'retro' colors (oranges, mustard yellows, etc.)

The super geeky add-ons:

Kate Spade pi key ring.



Binary code ring.



Raygun charm.