Nerdcessities: Wearing Your Fandom With Style

Wearing Your Fandom With Style

It truly feels like we are in the era of the nerd (it’s been a way of life for a lot of us but the world has caught up). If you’ve been keeping your nerd credentials under wraps, it’s time to let them shine. While you probably can’t turn up to work or school dressed as your favorite character, you can incorporate your fandom into your look. For inspiration, take a look at these tips for wearing your fandom with style.

1. Slogan and Graphic Tees

Always in fashion, slogan and graphic tees are the ultimate way to wear your fandom. They can be as bold or as subtle as you like, which means they’re perfect for out-of-the-office, casual styles and appropriate for stylish work attire.

What’s more – slogan and graphic tees are something you can wear in every season. Ideal for summer and perfect for a layered look in fall or winter, you can incorporate a tee into virtually any look. Worn under a hoodie from Stussy clothing, they’re a great option for hanging out with friends. Alternatively, wear a fitted tee with wide-legged pants or even skinny chinos for a more smart-casual vibe.

Remember, there’s more than one way to wear a tee, which means you can vary your look and create different styles (and get maximum use out of your favorite shirt!). Full tuck, front tie, side tie, half tie… there are endless options to try.

When it comes to wearing your fandom, you won’t run short on options with slogan and graphic tees. As well as licensed merchandise, you’ll find plenty of styles that are inspired by characters, films, TV shows, and bands. Of course, if you want to keep things subtle, you can always choose a color or print that reflects your fandom.

2. Pants and Leggings

No matter where you’re headed, you can wear your fandom in style when you choose the right pants or leggings. If you’re meeting up with friends, hanging out at home, going to the movies, or hitting the gym, you’ve got the perfect excuse to go all out with fandom-inspired leggings. You’ll find bold, in-your-face prints are all the rage right now, which means you’ll have no problem sourcing comic book strip leggings, cartoon leggings, or even character leggings.

When you need to rock a more understated look, pants and leggings can still form part of your fandom style. After all, what better way to pay homage to Black Widow than via black skinny jeans and a chic biker jacket? If you want to add a little nerd chic into any look, opt for ankle-skimming pants or 7/8 trousers.

3. Glasses

Glasses are the ultimate accessory when it comes to nerd fashion, and they can be a great way to incorporate your fandom into your look. Potterheads will favor frames with a rounded style, while a squarer frame or Wayfarer style will channel your inner Superman or Batman.

If you want to fly your nerd flag but your eyesight is 20/20, don’t panic! Even if you don’t need to wear prescription lenses, you can accessorize with non-prescription lenses. In fact, wearing non-prescription lenses with a blue screen protective tint is one of the best-hidden accessories in a nerd’s fashion armory. Now, you can protect your eyes, reduce glare from screens and look super on-trend when you add glasses to your fashion repertoire.

4. Scarves

Scarves are a fabulous accessory because they’re suitable for any occasion, gender-neutral, and an easy way to add your fandom into your style. Both licensed and non-official designs feature the biggest fandoms, so look out for K-pop, anime, Marvel, Star Wars, Doctor Who, or Harry Potter-inspired scarves on the shelves.

If you’re going to incorporate your fandom into your style with a scarf, there are plenty of ways to do it. While a classic red and gold stripe will single you out as a Gryffindor, you can opt for more subtle styling too. Comic book strip prints are big right now, and many of them are peppered with discreet references to the biggest shows, films, and fandoms.

A warm, knitted scarf may be great for winter, but this isn’t a seasonal trend you’ll have to wait a whole year for. As the weather gets warmer, switch to cotton or linen and elevate your style with a fandom scarf. An oversized scarf is probably the closest you can get to wearing a cape to work, so, if you’ve ever wanted to rock your inner Superman or Wonder Woman in the office, now is the time to do it.

5. Jewelry

Always a great accessory, jewelry is a savvy way to wear your fandom at all times. What’s more – there are endless styles out there, so everyone can find a piece they love. Disney has a well-known jewelry line, but they aren’t the only major brand to release their own jewelry. In fact, virtually all major fandoms will find official jewelry lines that reflect the subject of their adoration.

However, you don’t have to stop once you’ve bought up everything in the official line! Many independent designers and brands create impressive fandom-inspired pieces too, so be sure to think outside the box if you want to find something quirky and unique. 

Although you can treat yourself to an investment piece of fandom jewelry, you don’t have to blow your budget in order to show your allegiance. Some of the cutest pieces are often budget-friendly fashion pieces that will leave you (and your wallet) looking and feeling great.

6. Shoes

Perhaps surprisingly, shoes can be a relatively easy way to showcase your love for your fandom. Sneakers are perfect with casual attire and you’ll find many bold styles that feature characters, slogans, and fandom colors. The Reebok Wonder Woman Nano X Shoes or the Adidas Marvel Iron Man Pure RNR Shoes are a great example of fandoms meeting fashion. If you want to add some geek chic to your look, this is a great way to do it.

When you’re dressing a little more formally, you can still incorporate your fandom into your outfit. Knee-high leather boots are emblematic of Black Widow, while chunky ankle boots are perfect for Batgirls the world over.

7. Socks

When an event demands formal attire, you can still add a little twist to your look by opting for fandom-inspired socks. From a discreet Batman logo, the iconic Superman emblem, or Tony Stark himself, there are limitless styles out there. Socks may not always be the boldest way to highlight your fandom, but you can guarantee you’ll feel more confident when you’re rocking a pair of fandom-inspired socks.

Of course, you don’t have to wait until you are in formalwear to add a pair of nerdy socks to your look. When you’re dressing casually, there are even more opportunities to show your love for your fandom. Be as bold and bright as you like and look out for knee-high styles that can be paired with shorts or skirts.

8. Create Your Own Fandom Fashion

Although there’s an ever-increasing range of fandom-inspired fashion in stores and online, there still isn’t enough to satisfy our appetite for geek chic. If you can’t find exactly what you’re looking for or you want to add a bespoke twist to your style, you can always create your own fandom fashions.
From iron-on patches to full-on fabric printing, there is no limit to what you can achieve. We already know that fandoms are made up of some of the most creative people out there, which means creating your own pieces gives you a great opportunity to let your talents shine. Alternatively, you can support small businesses and the creativity of others by buying from Etsy.

If you want to experiment with creating your own pieces, grab an old pair of sneakers and some fabric pens. Shoes are easy to customize and fabric pumps or slip-ons are easy to work with. Whether you make a few subtle additions, change the color of the sole or give your shoes a complete makeover, it’s easy to create your very own fandom couture.

Another easy option, if you want to design your own pieces, are custom tee shirts and vests. Again, you can use fabric pens, patches, and embellishments to create a new line by hand, or you can design your fandom-inspired fashion using software and have it printed onto the garment of your choice. For growing fandoms, where merchandise may be somewhat limited, this is a fabulous way to combine your favorite show, character, film, or artist with fashion.

Embracing Geek Chic

We’ve always known geek chic is the height of fashion, but it’s taken a while for it to turn mainstream. Now that it has, however, it’s easy to find a wide variety of fandom-inspired clothes, bags, and accessories. No matter what your passion is or how many fandoms you’re part of, incorporating them into your style is the ultimate way to fly your nerd flag.

 
How do you incorporate your fandoms into your wardrobe?

Stay Nerdy!
~Jams