As a nerd, I have come to see myself as outside of the mainstream. Being out of style is my style. With this contrarian attitude, it is truly a bizarre experience to find certain aspects of my nerdy image to be suddenly Ain fashion.@ Case in point: Aattitude glasses.@ I encountered this phenomenon in Claire=s. They had a whole rack of clear spectacles with thick plastic rims. No UV protection or anything! The idea, it would seem, is to wear fake eyeglasses as a fashion accessory. To someone who actually needs glasses to see properly, this is a strange, but slightly flattering concept. Is there really an allure in the image? Before I had to wear glasses, I actually wanted them. But once I had them, I felt unattractive and insecure in them (or, rather even more unattractive and insecure than I did without them B I had low self-esteem in junior high, like everyone else). I resisted wearing them until my vision deteriorated to the point of real necessity. Since I was unable to handle the discomfort of eye drops and therefore contact lenses, I just accepted my glasses and found relief in the fact that my period of wearing braces and neck gear had ceased. Had the two overlapped, what little respectability I had would surely have not existed.
Flash forward a couple years, and here I am witnessing the rise of Afashion@ glasses. Another trendy teen outfitter, Delia=s has them in their catalogue, as part of a two-page spread entitled Ageek chic.@ This phrase is an oxymoron no more; for Delia=s, Seventeen, and other fashion-followers are parading clothing and accessories that unfashionable folks like me have been into for years as in vogue. Fake spectacles are only the tip of the iceberg. Knee socks, high pants, suspenders, loafers, plaid, pleated skirts, blazers, and the whole Aprep school@ look are emerging on the fashion scene. Say what?
Well, I=ve always liked the school-uniform look, but I never expected the mainstream to agree with me. It=s a positive to be able to find the clothes I tend towards in trendy stores, but it=s weird. I=m more of a discount-rack shopper anyway.
But the Ageek chic@ movement is more than clothing, it seems. While I=ve never seen the T.V. show Ugly Betty, I=ve been compared to its protagonist four times within the last year or so (before I cut my hair.) Each person (two of them total strangers on the street!) followed their comment with some sort of apology/justification: AShe=s not really ugly...,@, AErm, I meant your personality...,@ etc. It=s still a left-handed compliment or a right-handed insult, or whatever, but I guess it shows that nerds can at least be the stars of shows these days, instead of just the comic relief. And maybe get a modicum of respect. That=s something. And maybe t-shirts with the slogan ANerds are Hot@ on them are only the beginning. I say with guarded optimism that the world may be finely taking note of the worth of intelligence.
But, in watching the rise of socially accepted nerdiness, part of me feels a bit defensive. I mean, I=ve gotten used to being outside of the loop. I=ve decided that I don=t even want to be in it! What do I do when the loop comes to me? And hey, how long is it before I have to put up with poser nerds? Part of me felt flattered by those Aattitude glasses@ but the other part scoffed. But I dismissed my scoffing part. I mean, how hypocritical! My whole gripe with the Ain crowds@ of the world is the scoffing tendency to sweep people aside as fakes or failures.
With all this inner squabbling, maybe I=m really having an identity crisis of sorts. Well, I suppose the thing to do is to stop defining myself by other people and just define myself by me. OK, sure. Sounds awfully mature. But I=ve got a lifetime ahead of me to be mature and only two years left to be a teenager. So I=ll horribly paraphrase Robert Herrick and say, Afollow ye fashion magazines while ye may.@
"College-Level Insight" or something like it:
I recall being unsure of how to end this essay and really pulling that Robert Herrick misquote out of nowhere. One of my many mottos: When you don't know what to do, use poetry!
I'm pretty proud of the art in this one. I mean, look at that shading! I never shade anymore. I thought the flat color look better fitting of my cartoons, but maybe I've just been lazy...this looks pretty good. Maaaaaybe I'll go back sometime. Also, photo juxtaposing has serious merit.
And what about the content, Miss College Student? Eh...I think it's good stuff. There's nothing I can think to add to the subject at the moment. Maybe in these two years, I've really and truly grown beyond that stage and reached the maturity I was measuredly avoiding in that last paragraph. Whoa!
Poser Nerds = Hipsters
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