If I could define my personal, day-to-day style it would be simple, classic, and subtle. I wouldn’t consider myself the “obvious geek” who would wear graphic tees that boldly display the name of a video game or character’s face on it. I usually prefer wearing fashion that pays tribute to the geeky things I love in more low-key ways.
In recent years I have been on the lookout for clothes that are casual and comfortable but stylish at the same time. Because of the ongoing pandemic there has been a rise in lounge wear and clothes that are far more dressed down than pre-COVID times. While I have been opting for more T-shirts and hoodies lately, I’m always looking for geek wear that continues to be less overt about game or anime references I absolutely love.
In the past I have written about how I’ve always longed for geeky clothes that go beyond the typical hoodies and T-shirts, clothes that get creative about incorporating a reference to Disney, Star Wars, Doctor Who, or whichever is your fandom of choice. Online stores like Her Universe has responded to the call of marrying geek aesthetic with stylish and cute for the fangirls who want to be both geeky and chic at the same time.
Although the clothes being sold on Her Universe are definitely up my alley, I could never bring myself to buy anything on there right now when I continue to spend more time working from home in sweats and a hoodie than being impeccably dressed up for a commute into the office.
I suppose the pandemic has transformed the way I dress and what type of clothes I prefer to wear now, finding myself looking for more hoodies and T-shirts, the kind of clothes I don’t really wear too much unless I’m going for a workout or a quick errand to the store. But after embracing lounge wear fits, I still prefer unique hoodies and tees that opt for subtlety over obvious geeky references.
In between holiday shopping for friends and family I have encountered good deals on clothes from the BioWare store and Hot Topic. There has been one hoodie at the BioWare store I have had my eye on for a while and it was the Dragon Age Grey Wardens hoodie.
It’s a beautiful blue color with the Grey Wardens emblem on the left chest and back of the hoodie. I particularly wanted this one because it references a video game I have loved ever since I played it but it’s not too overly geeky. For a non-gamer they would take one look at that hoodie and think it’s just a cool piece of clothing with a nice design on it.
Last week Hot Topic recently released brand new, official, and online exclusive Life is Strange: True Colors merchandise from Square Enix. Playing that game more than once already, I have come to love the graphic T-shirts the characters in the game wear. When I saw the same graphic tees being sold on Hot Topic, I immediately snatched up the ones I wanted. These shirts also ticked off my boxes for geeky and subtlety while also paying homage to a game that has become a beloved personal favorite this year.
The True Colors tees and hoodies might be considered way too subtle of a reference for a video game, the graphics looking like any run-of-the-mill graphic T-shirt that has no special reference to a geeky fandom, but that suits me just fine. Maybe no one will get the reference, unless you have played the game yourself, but I’ll always want fashion that’s more understated.
When you choose the clothes and styles you like, you aren’t wearing it for other people but yourself. When I go outside or wear these clothes around the house I’ll know what the reference refers to, and I will proudly take a piece of the game with me as a reminder of the characters and story that will remain with me for as long as I live.
Are you into subtle geeky styles? How have you honored a favorite video game or fandom through the clothes you wear?
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