First off, go read Bozanimal's Blog. There is a very entertaining on-going series entitled "Geek to Chic". I highly recommend it.
This little bit is just a response to this little bit at the end of his blog.
"I'm a conformist
Ryan106 stated in a comment in G2C 2 that I was a conformist. Well, I am. This series is for those geeks that - like me - need fashion help so they can fit in, get a date, get a job, or who are otherwise tired of being teased. While they teach you in school, "It's what's on the inside that counts," you are judged by what is on the outside. Every first grader finds this out their first day on the playground, and it does not stop until your dead.
And if you have ever been to a wake and heard someone say, "They did a great job, he looked nice." then you know you can even be judged by your appearance after you are dead.
Before I start on this rant, maybe I should share several things with my audience. I am a soon to be 25 year old geek. My hobbies consist of movies, comic books, video games and progressive rock music (There is no drummer alive better than Neil Pert except Mike Portnoy, if you know what I am talking about, welcome to the circle.) I am geek, hear me roar. It is not a meager roar, it is probably a good hearty roar.
My geek friends and I dress however we feel. My mainstay of clothing happen to be whatever jeans I can get my hands on and a trusty comfy t-shirt. Maybe a Patriots jersey thrown in for good measure.
Me circa 2004 (Note, I have been wanting to burn that jersey since 2001 after Bledsoe left for the Bills.)
Notice one thing that picture spits out at you in the face.
Not seeing it yet? I'll spell it out for you.
Confidence.
Sure, change can be a great thing, but just throwing some nice clothes will not help you out. I have known people who dress amazing, but are still mocked because they have no moxie.
This reminds me of a good story. It was the 6th grade and I wanted to ask a certain girl to the dance. My moms advice was to dress up really nice one day and go ask her. I took her advice and dressed up to the nines. I looked amazing, but I still couldn't get the spine to ask her. That's when I turned to my closest confidant and fellow geek, Papa Wheeler.
My grandfather helped me hone my inner geek by introducing me to the following items;
-Computers (My first interaction with a personal computer ever was his, this was when I was about 4 years old)
-Gaming (Mixed up mother goose and Joust both running in lovely EGA glory on his computer)
-Science (Popular Science and a variety of books ranging from Paleontology to Geology could be found around his house)
-Comedy (Three stooges and Ghostbusters were a common occurrence in his VCR)
I was driving around with him on a quest to find two things, powerball tickets and a book by a local author. This trip would take us into Massachusetts. This is when I told him about my problem and that I tried doing what my mother suggested. After taking a sip from his coffee, my grandfather told me "You can put a fresh coat of paint on that Geo of yours but it isn't going to change the fact that it is a Geo."
"What?" Was my response.
My grandfather explained to me that it is all about how you carry yourself, it's not about how you present yourself. It's all about having a handle on your ego. It's about walking standing straight up and not slouching. It's about confidence. This is when I realized what is was all about.
I came into school on Monday, made some random talk with the girl and then asked her to the dance. She said yes. I happened to be wearing my super mario brothers Nintendo club t-shirt and jeans at that time.
Sure, you might have some great looking clothes, but once the girls come up and start talking to you, they are going to realize there is not much underneath that Forty-Five dollar Abercrombie and Fitch shirt besides a geek. They want a bit more.
I am not going to downplay dressing nicely. It helps when you go out on a first date with a girl or when you are going to a social occasion where it might help to be a bit cleaned up.
This was the best example I could find of looking slightly cleaned up and presentable. That is usually what I wear on a first date minus the aviators and beard. You can still notice my confidence in this picture.
Between the two pictures the only difference is a nice shirt, a pair of jeans and facial hair. Still note that between the picture, I am still exuding confidence.
I was never beat up, picked on or harassed when I was a geekling because of the confidence I had in myself and the things I can do. A kid would call me fat or pudgy and I would come back with a comeback so harsh it would land me in the principals office within the afternoon. Think you should be scared of the principal? No, remember you have confidence in the justice of what has happened. What you said was right and what you did was right for the situation. Even if the scales did not tip in your favor, just be confident that it was the right approach.
The one thing I will say about looking amazing is it comes handy to a job interview. If you feel that a certain job is important and that you need it, one thing that will separate a winner from a loser is a nice suit. Go ahead, drop that 100 bucks on a nice suit, or if you are short cash, go to a second hand store and look for something that looks great on you. If you pick up something at a second hand store, go get it dry cleaned professionally so you can get rid of the moth ball smell and it will feel fresh to put on. Not only will you look amazing at the interview, but you will feel great too helping to boost your confidence.
Every job interview I have travelled to and worn a suit, I have received an offer EVERY TIME.
The point of this little rant is that you should feel comfortable and confident no matter what. You should not have to what you look like just to fit in because it will be truely what you are not. Friends and romance will come naturally to those who believe in themselves. This is not a disney line of garbage, this is a tried and true philosophy of mine. Be true to yourself, don't be a jerk, and carry that swagga. Remember, even if you do not look amazing people will always remember the first impression of you. Make it one they will enjoy.
Log in to comment