Pocket protectors. Highwater jeans pulled up to the neck. T-shirts with slogans like, "Ethernet (n), something used to catch the etherbunny" and "Got D20?". Geeks aren't exactly known for their fashion prowess, but that hasn't stopped them from inspiring trends that would make any Mean Girl cringe.
Here are 5 geeky fashion trends of the 2000s -- a few of which real geeks, dweebs and nerds wouldn't actually be caught dead in.
Thick Plastic Glasses
Guys don't make passes at girls who wear glasses. Yeah, whatever. Used to be that was somewhat true. The trend in the late '90s/early 2000s was paper-thin lenses and so-called "frameless" glasses which practically disappeared on your face. The thought was that the less visible your glasses were, the more attractive you'd look and the more confident you'd feel. Then the tides turned.
Midway through the decade, thick plastic rims became all the rage. We're talking everything from square, horn-rimmed '50s style frames to huge, clunky round nerd glasses. Some gals are even trading in their usual contacts for these puppies -- or wearing glasses for fashion when they don't actually need any vision correction.
"Do these black plastic glasses make my face look smarter?" Why yes, doll, yes they do.
Toe Socks
Geeks love socks. And not just any socks: Striped socks pulled up to the knees, socks with sandals (shame on you, say Stacy and Clinton of What Not to Wear) and the mother of all sock ridiculousness, toe socks. Whoever had the brilliant idea of fitting socks around the tootsies the same way gloves fit around the fingers must've skipped Fashion 101. These things are hideous -- but oh so warm.
The good thing about being a true geek is that you don't care how you look or what other people think of your fashion sense. In the case of toe socks, say what you will. We may look stupid in our holiday striped toe socks (an annual tradition), but at least we'll be warm.
Which leads us to our next fashion faux pas trend...
The Snuggie
It's not just any old blanket. It's the blanket with sleeves. That's great and all if you're home sick with a temp of 102 and you just can't manage to read a book or use the remote without your blanket falling off. But wearing one in public? It's like a big, blue fuzzy sign that says "I have no shame." Not that this became an everyday fashion trend, but folks have found ways to incorporate this armed blankie into their wearing wardrobe. There's the Snuggie Pub Crawl. Wear Your Snuggie to Work Day. And who could forget last year's Snuggie-based Halloween costumes? The Snuggie even found its way onto runways this fall. Sigh.
What can geeks do with a Snuggie? Here are a few brilliant ideas, courtesy of This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Harry Potter robes, here we come!
Crocs
Why not just put giant rubber ducks on your feet and walk around? These ugly plastic clogs started out as heavy duty slippers for gardening and yard work, and then caught on for regular wear. Now they come in pastel pink with glittery gems you can poke in the holes (which just make them look like sparkly pink orthopedic corrective shoes, yippie!). There are even entire Croc stores and kiosks in our local malls.
They may be comfortable to walk in, but so are fuzzy pink bunny slippers. And you don't see us wearing those in public.
Sweater Vests
Some fashion trends we wish would stay dead. Like bell bottoms (designers, don't think you're fooling anyone by calling them "ultra flares"). Or skinny jeans, which make anyone except Kate Moss look like a giant denim ice cream cone.
When we spotted sweater vests at Express and NY&Company a few seasons ago, we we tempted to sneak a pair of shears into the dressing room with a pile of these suckers to make sure no self-respecting woman would walk out wearing one. And guys, there is just no way you're not looking like our Pops when you put on one of these clingy woolen nightmares. Just leave that look to Beaver and step away from the sweater vest, before we start to venture into Elektra complex territory.
