Being Geek Chic is a blog for stylish geeks, sophisticated nerds and people who enjoy the musings of a complete dork. Join us as we dream of driving the TARDIS, cuddle with our eBooks and test out an iPad sleeve. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi and a team of brilliant lady nerds. Meet the team.
Molly McIsaac (@MollyMcIsaac) – blogger, comedian, model, activist, and above all, geek – is the Lady Geek of the Week! The 23-year-old hails from mellow Seattle, where she blogs about geek culture, fashion, and beauty over at The Geeky Peacock. Just what is a Geeky Peacock? I’ll let McIsaac explain:
“I’m a big ol’ geek. However, I defy the stereotype that this word creates in most people’s minds: I am socially functional, outgoing, fashion forward, and I take good care of myself! I’m a ‘girly girl’ who is not afraid to dress up like a wood elf and beat up boys with a foam sword or to play action figures with myself until 2am. Thus: I am the Geeky Peacock!”
There you have it! Check out her interview with Being Geek Chic:
What led you to start blogging?
I’ve ALWAYS had a lot to say, and for the last three years I’ve been doing geek culture journalism for other websites. The fact that I had to “pitch” articles made me feel very limited - there was so much I wanted to rant about! So one night I decided to finally buckle down and create the Geeky Peacock. Rather than pigeon hole myself and my blog, I decided to make it a blog that was ME - I’d talk about whatever I wanted, post outfit pics, talk about beauty and geeky things and cosplay. Basically, anything that made me happy! And blogging DOES make me happy.
(Editor’s Note: My favorite blog post of all time from Miss Molly is this one: Drinking with the Doctor. Molly, Matt Smith, Arthur Darvill - all drinking in a room together looking fabulous. I am still jealous. I’d trade in my 10 speed, Buddy Scooter and ice skates to life swap for that one night. Alas. Go read it. You know you want to.)
Where do you find your inspiration?
Everywhere! Fashion wise, I try to incorporate geek chic aspects on top of pure fashion. I’m inspired by goths, Japanese street style, magical girls in anime, superheroines, floral and lace and leather, 90s fashion, oversized shoes… For everything else, life and the world inspires me. I am ridiculously excited about being alive and working on projects, so I spend a lot of time looking at art and photography, reading articles about weird, sciencey things, or lurking on fashion websites.
Tell us about your tattoos!
I currently have 7 tattoos, with plans for many, MANY more. As of now I am on hold due to funds and because covering up tattoos for cosplay is time consuming, but eventually I’ll have a full sleeve and a thigh piece.
Right now, my ink includes: A golden snitch from Harry Potter on the top of my right wrist (I got this one a week before the 7th book came out - it was my first tattoo!); a chocobo from Final Fantasy on my upper right arm; a half finished MASSIVE realistic field illustration of a barn owl down my ride side; an outline of the state of Alaska on my left upper arm (where I was born and raised); a mandalorian skull from Star Wars on my right hip; a big red semi realistic beautiful squid on the inside of my left arm (I’m fixated upon cephalopods); and finally “I want to believe” (yes, from X-files) on the outside of my left foot.
If you could take any fictional character out for a drink, whom would you choose and what would you drink?
Severus Snape. Straight firewhiskey. I’d try to get him drunk enough to fall in love with me, and if that didn’t work at least drunk enough to get in his snarky pants.
What would you tell you 13-year-old self?
You know how you’re bullied for all the things you love right now? In 10 years, you’re going to be super cool for liking all of it. You’re better than this, and you’re better than them. Hold your head high and keep loving what you love.
Post by Emma Bauer, who works as BGC’s official intern. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, history scholar, tea drinker, fashion devotee, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic.
Follow her on twitter: @emmalynnbauer
My fireplace mantle is in need of new art.
The first flakes of the winter have touched down in Minneapolis today and you can be sure my fireplace will be raring tonight. It’s pretty much a requirement. But looking at my fireplace made me realize something very important: I am in need of new mantle art.
Help me decide:
These two capture my love of greens. Green is really my favorite color: although, you wouldn’t know it from my blog design. I love it in all its hues: light, dark, teal, mint, grassy. And luckily, green looks great with the espresso wood on the floors and the slate gray color on the walls. So just imagine that…
But I also love black and white.
And let’s be honest: I am obsessed with the moon lately. And the sky. And space. I’m just not able to break from it. But should I really commit to a big cash purchase of a moon print?
In case you like any of these prints, here’s the links to the designs on Society 6:
So what would you choose? Do you agree that green is the best color ever? It’s so calming. Or do you think black and white is just plain chic? Talk to me!
Meet Kristi McKinney, the Lady Geek of the Week! Follow her on Twitter @kitalooclef.
McKinney’s a User Experience Architect at Clockwork Active Media Systems, a digital design and experience agency in Minneapolis. Clockwork helps “businesses succeed by building strategies that tap into the ever-changing online marketplace.”
She’s a web content strategist and user experience guru with gorgeous curly hair that gives her the “uncanny ability to judge the relative humidity in the air.”
McKinney was gracious enough to answer a few of our questions – on her maternity leave! (Congrats, Kristi!)
Q: What has led you to your passion?
A: I came to a career in technology almost by accident. I always enjoyed technology and was interested in the web, but never considered it as a career. I went to graduate school to study journalism and when I was finished, decided that I did not want to move away to pursue a Ph.D. At the time, I was just looking for a good job to help support my husband in medical school and it happened that I ended up in a web content management position. I realized that though I loved academics, it wasn’t the place I needed to be and that pursuing a career in technology made more sense. From there I just followed my interests, which led me to a user experience position at Clockwork.
Q: When was the first time you realized you were “geeky?”
A: When I found my junior high self-sitting inside on a nice summer’s day playing on a MUD instead of hanging out with my friends. (What is a MUD? Find out.)
Q: What would you tell your 13-year old self?
A: Technology is going to dominate most industries in the future, including journalism. Be ready for it.
Q: “I admit it—I’ve never seen/read/experienced: ____”
A: All of the Star Wars movies. I realize this is a cardinal sin for a geek. But hey, I DID watch Total Recall while I was in labor with my daughter. That counts for something, right?
Post by Emma Bauer, who works as BGC’s official intern. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, history scholar, tea drinker, fashion devotee, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic. On twitter: @emmalynnbauer
If you’ve never read The Stylish Geek, I recommend it. Emily incorporates geeky elements into her wardrobe and always looks like she’s having fun doing it. I asked her if I could feature this outfit, because it’s exactly the kind of thing that I would throw a blazer over and run to work.
Here’s what she has to say about her personal style:
“I can go from trendy and chic to rocker and edgy or even to the beachy surfer look. I also own enough geeky tees to last me a month so I try to get one of those in here and there. I also love DIY, thrifting, and vintage styles. Whatever I’m wearing, I need to feel comfortable in it.”
Follow her on Twitter! She’s @embiguous.
Here’s what she’s wearing:
Star Wars Yellow Rainbow tee (Available at MetroPark, $32)
Ditsy floral skirt (Forever 21, similar here, $8.80)
Boutique 9 Dode Ankle boots (buy here)
House of Harlow 1960 style Resin Necklace (buy here)
Black/Gold zigzag stretch cuff (Forever 21, similar here and here, $6.80 each)
Ray-Ban Wayfarers (Available in lots of places, but available on Amazon for $80.00
Nail polish by Essie in Turquoise and Caicos ($5.99 on Amazon
Sophie of Sweetcheeks Stitches (on Etsy, Facebook, and @sweetcheeksshop on Twitter) is our Lady Geek of the Week! Sophie fashions pretty tops, skirts, and dresses in unexpected fabrics, giving us all a chance to be Geek Chic.
Sophie graciously took the time to respond to a few questions I asked her about her geekiness. Check it out!
Q: What has led you to your passion?
A: I’ve been into sewing for as long as I can remember. My grandma used to take care of me while my mum was at work, and she was always on the sewing machine, so I learned a lot from her. I moved to London from my hometown a few years ago, just as my son was starting school. I wanted to be able to take him and pick him up myself, so needed a job that fit round his hours. I took several courses on dressmaking, and last year was given an award at the end of one, and featured in a fashion show. This, along with compliments on items I had made for myself, gave me the confidence to take the plunge and open SweetCheeks Stitches.
Q: What inspires you in the world?
A: Mainly my 6 yr old son, he’s my biggest supporter! He’s a huge geek as well, and loves helping me choose which fabrics to get for the shop.
Q: When is the first time you realized you were “geeky?”
A: I was 10, and it was the final day of term at school. As it was the last day, all the kids were allowed to bring in a toy to play with. People brought games, and balls, all kinds of things, but I took my Walkman. The tape inside? The Wrestlemania album. I still know all the words to Never Been a Right Time to Say Goodbye by Bret Hart.
Q: “I admit it—I’ve never seen/read/experienced: ____”
A: Harry Potter. Never read any of the books, or seen any of the films. I only started selling Harry Potter things in the shop after making a dress for my friend who loves them. Anything I know about it comes from her!
Q: What would you tell your 13-year-old self?
A: Don’t believe anyone that tells you ‘Your school days are the best days of your life’. Being an adult rules. You’ll probably never be a ‘grown up’ though.
Do you know someone worthy of Lady Geek of the Week? Send her name and her website (or blog or Twitter account) to emma@beinggeekchic.com.
Post by Emma Bauer, who works as BGC’s official intern. Clearly, she’s got great taste. She is a PR enthusiast, history scholar, tea drinker, fashion devotee, and of course, aspires to Be Geek Chic. On twitter: @emmalynnbauer
A friend sent me a link to this awesome Darth Vader Dress on Etsy (only $39!) and I just knew it was a great candidate for Geeky at Work. This dress would be great to wear on a date, at the bar or out with friends, but how could you make it work for work?
I wanted to do a super affordable edition of Geeky at Work and this round up is definitely cost-effective.
Everything in this grouping is something you might already own. A chunky colorful necklace is a common item in many wardrobes. One thing to keep in mind when you’re working with a color like red: try not to get matchy, matchy. This $15 necklace from Amazon is great because beads like these tend to have a range of reds in there and the addition of the cream beads breaks it up. The white blazer gives you the structure you’ll want and is super affordable at Forever 21. The boots are currently available at Target (they’re real leather!) and would work with last week’s post and probably work with any dress in fall, winter and spring. This outfit calls out the color in the dress so you can draw attention to Sir Darth, but you can also button up the blazer if you feel like your boss won’t appreciate him as much as you do.
For option 2, we’re using a mustard scarf to add some color and make the outfit more casual for a meeting-less day.
Once again I added red jewelry to bring out the red details (from Etsy seller AndewynDesigns) and the blazer styled cardigan is a wardrobe staple. I love this cardigan because it’s great for work and for weekends with jeans. Plus, the contrasting gray and white serve as a subtle pattern with the neutral.
If you’ve got a geeky item that you’d like us to style for work, please send it to us at beinggeekchic@gmail.com.
