Next to Godliness

‘Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.’ Mark Twain

Though cleanliness is of course next to Godliness even the Unacceptable Geek should need no guidance on that matter. However, after cleanliness comes clothing, something many geeks are often keen not to think about. Though this may be divisive, the Acceptable Geek Club believes clothing is important, perhaps to the point where it goes right to the heart of Acceptable Geekdom. Though it is generally best to eschew fashion this should not be taken as a carte blanche to dress in a grubby, ridiculous manner – especially if one expects anything resembling acceptability. Certain items of clothing should never be worn, and those that can should never be ill-fitting or overly worn. Though trends come and go the following rules are best observed:

1) You can never spend too much money on Jeans
Though it is hard to ever prove laws outside the natural sciences the inverse of this is certainly true. Jeans that cost too little appear that way, wear badly and can make your crotch, ass and worst of all, ankles, appear strange. Jeans, especially blue jeans, will likely form the mainstay of your clothing and can make a massive difference to any outfit. As such, you should ensure they are the best quality possible. Even without reaching the designer label expense of Diesel and Evisu quality jeans can be bought: Levi’s are (obviously) timeless and Gap jeans are also surprisingly good and regularly on sale.

2) Never wear a T-shirt you can’t defend
The obvious fashion choice for the geek is a quirky, often film or computer game based, T-shirt. Though generally an excellent choice, avoid the overtly nerdish (Treasure Island Dizzy is a no) or anything too difficult or boring to explain. In short, unless you are an expert in Che Guevara, and are prepared to justify his rather brutal military tactics, don’t go out with his face emblazoned across your chest. However, a T-shirt of David Hasslehoff made to look like Che Guevara is a different matter.

3) Never completely ignore the High Street
Though generally unpleasant places to shop, the likes of Next and H+M can occasionally turn up good pieces. A knowledge of their stock is also a good indication of current trends that you can then partially adopt or viciously mock. They can also be particularly good for work clothes and basics.

4) Don’t go for ‘a look’
Perhaps the worst mistake a geek can fall into is to go for ‘a look’. Most often, this will be something vaguely gothic. There are many dangers here, not least of which is looking stupid. The real worry, however, is that most people who go for ‘a look’ do so to avoid a stereotype, but in doing so end up just being a slightly less popular one

In general, Acceptable Geeks are quirky, interesting and creative people. However, clothes can be all these things too. And even if they are not to you, there is no need to look life unsightly. Unfortunately, we all make snap judgements on the way people dress. Why hinder one’s self when dressing well is so easy and so good for self-esteem?