Other than being pretty partial to the ombre hair look, the general consensus over here at CellarPaper HQ is that we the love nerd girl chic look that actually existed before Alexa Chung started wearing loafers and APC. In high school, I was pretty much ODing on manic panic fumes to dye my hair all sorts of rainbow colors; one guy at school even called me "Enid" because of my penchant for dyed hair, big glasses, and vintage dresses. Regardless, the whole looking super cute while wearing flats has existed since the dawn of time (look it up, seriously) or at least, since the '90s.
Our favorite nerd girls: L to R: Liv Tyler from "Empire Records," Chloe Mortez from "Hugo," Winona Ryder from "Beetlejuice," Michelle Williams (Queen of Nerd Girls) in "The Baxter," and Thora Birch in "Ghost World."
Nerd Girl style is anything that is slightly tongue in cheek, full of photographic prints, a bright unexpected color or pattern, often featuring flats or a really interesting high heel, but ultimately the whole outfit looks organic, as though it the girl just happened to find it in some small, hole in the wall store. It's never looks that styled or thought out, but that is what is so great about it. Hence why Alexa Chung is a style icon, her outfits are usually cute, incredibly quirky, but not overly saccharine sweet (two eye blinks in your direction Zooey Deschanel), and look like she woke up and pulled things out of her closet. She doesn't look like she uses a stylist. Alexa Chung's nerd girl ensembles wouldn't be out of place on the red carpet or in a comic book store, and that's a hard feat to pull off.
Having Thora Burch, Winona Ryder, and Liv Tyler inspire-guide one through their high school fashion sense is super great and all, but sometimes you need a shirt that covers your belly or doesn't, you know, have a dinosaur on it. Here are some grown up (i.e. you could wear this to a job! maybe!!) nerd girl pieces that we are currently obsessed with.
Printed Zara Skirt
This skirt is g-r-e-a-t, it looks super comfortable and the print is really graphic and cool but also incredibly wearable.
Bella Freud "Les Filles" Sweater
I love French things even though I can't speak a word of it. I do, however, know that "les filles" means the girls and that gray sweaters with intelligently funny phrases go with everything.
Preen x Aldo Rise Shoes
Preen x Aldo Rise collaboration shoes featuring digital images from Preen's S/S2012 show. Super cheeky and interesting. I had to use this term but it's definitely a "statement shoe," a statement which says yes, I love prints and digital media, and my feet should be fancy sometimes, too.
Carven Jacket
I love the sunny yellow color in this jacket, the four buttoned double breasted look, and how the jacket edges and pockets are edged in khaki. It looks super vintage, kind of sweet, and well tailored. But the best thing about this coat? It's a great basic in a good color. Yellow can be basic just as much as white or black.
If you were a super nerd girl, you would wear all of these pieces together. At least, I would, and I bet grown up graphic designer Enid or Alexa Chung would as well. You know why? Because all of these pieces would look great together.
