10 Things Menswear Nerds and Comic Nerds Have In Common

It's a lot more than you think.

July 22, 2013

Image via Complex Original

One knows that "with great power comes great responsiblity," and one knows that "fashions fade, but style is eternal." Both are equally passionate about their hobbies. The hardcore comic geek and men's style nerd may look drastically different, but the two couldn't be more similar. With San Diego Comic Con just finished, men's market week is starting up in New York, and we noticed tradeshows like Capsule are beginning to feel a lot more like comic conventions themselves.

Whether it's drooling over limited-edition goods with outrageous prices, or having an intense dedication to creators who really understand where you're coming from, the similarities between the style-conscious and the pop culture-obsessed are as uncanny as The X-Men. To borrow a line from Stan Lee, "Face front, true believer!" Here are 10 Things Menswear Nerds and Comic Nerds Have In Common.

10. You pay attention to little details no one else cares about.

OMG you guys! Captain America's costume from Captain America: The Winter Soldier implements the trademark "A" on his cap, the Ultimate Captain America helmet without the wings, and the wing and star chest emblem from his run as Steve Rogers in "The Heroic Age!" This is no different from being able to tell someone is wearing a LBM 1911 sportcoat because of the telltale lapel pin inside the buttonhole. These details may be important to you, but in the grand scheme of things, not a lot of people care.

9. You have an unwavering dedication to your favorite creators.

You have gotten into heated arguments about George R.R. Martin and how he totally blows Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series out of the water. You will shank someone who talks shit about Stan Lee. On the other hand, the clothing nerd cried during Raf Simons' last fashion show for Jil Sander, and can tell you the birthday of all of the members of the Antwerp Six. For savvy streetwear heads, James Jebbia and Shawn Stussy are forever trill, and Rei Kawakubo IS THE GOD.

8. Girls become even hotter if they're into your hobbies.

Actress Felicia Day's apppearance on The Guild webseries and Buffy The Vampire Slayer cemented her place in fanboys' hearts everywhere, her genuine, down-to-earth geekiness had so many nerds smitten. Meanwhile, model Adrianne Ho embodies the stuff Tumblr dreams are made of. She's funny, into brands like BWGH, Stussy, Supreme, and A.P.C.—and she wears them better than most dudes. Is it surprising that so many men see her as a stylish muse?

7. You justify high prices based on your passion.

On the left is Metroplex, a two-foot tall Transformers toy exclusive to San Diego Comic Con 2013. The price? Only $125, at least, that's before it hits eBay. Right next to it is a super ill Engineered Garments Ground Jacket, made from polyester and cotton with a snap-button placket, detachable hood, and a fit that's so on-point you'll swear it was made for you. It'll also set you back $439. In both cases, dedicated nerds and clothing enthusiasts will look at these prices and think the exclusivity justfies the cost of the product. Meanwhile, outsiders will look at both people and think "you paid how much for that thing?!"

6. You get overly excited about things you can't even have yet.

One of the biggest news items from SDCC 2013 was the title of the new Avengers film. It's too bad we have to wait two years for it to come out, and the movie isn't anywhere close to being filmed. The same goes for collections we see at Fashion Week and numerous tradeshows. Alexander Wang's newest collection looks super awesome, but it won't be out for a number of months. Chances are much of it is still being cut and sewn, and the designer is deciding which pieces will make it through production. Lookbooks are a big tease too. Brands like Engineered Garments drop some amazing visuals of clothes that are a long, long time from hitting the racks, but people already salivate over them.

5. You think that for the most part, the media portrays you in the wrong light.

We'll give it to South Park for being equal-opportunity haters here. While their World of Warcraft-themed episode was pretty great, Kanye West's "Fishsticks" parody proved enough to humble even the rapper himself. The visual inspiration for his character came from this street style shot while the rapper was in Paris for Fashion Week. Like comic and video game nerds, fashion people tend to be portrayed negatively in the media. Just look at movies like The Devil Wears Prada or even 2003's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, which both reinforced stereotypes that well-dressed men were obviously gay.

4. Tradeshows are an excuse to full-on nerd out about your shared passions.

SDCC is a sprawling behemoth of nerd culture that big companies have caught onto and are now attempting to cash in on. The same goes for Fashion Week and tradeshows like Capsule. While both outlets still serve their primary audience: comic nerds and fashion industry professionals, respectively, they've both attracted criticism of growing too commercial. Despite that, however, both places remain spots where people who are passionate about a certain thing can meet other like-minded individuals and get put on to plenty of cool things they didn't know about before. And as long as that remains at the heart of these events, their integrity will be intact.

3. The people you talk to the most about your hobby are on the Internet.

Nerds have always congregated on the Internet. From its early days in IRC where seasoned Dungeons & Dragons players would navigate through text-based Multi-User Dungeons to the early days of anime fandom when ardent nerds would translate their favorite TV shows, the web has always been a place where the weird and wonderful can coexist. When dudes started getting really into clothes, the Internet facilated that burgeoning subculture by connecting like-minded people. Whether on online forums like SuperFuture, StyleForum, or reddit, or via the Tumblr word, the Internet made it easier for guys to talk about style—even if they live in the middle of nowhere.

2. You "get dressed" for the occasion.

Cosplay is nothing new for nerds. They picked up the practice from Japanese otaku, and it runs rampant at comic conventions. From shoddily-put-together costumes to amazing Iron Man armor with working details, there are plenty of people who get it wrong and get it right. The same goes for clothing tradeshows and fashion events. People show up dressed to impress hoping to get street styled, while some even get their pets in on the action. It can get a bit costumey when guys try too hard, but there are still a handful of practical tips any man can learn from these dudes who make it their duty to outdress everyone else.

1. Huge events are really about the people watching.

When it comes down to it, the most interesting thing at comic conventions are seeing the kinds of folks who turn up. We see you, lonely nerds with "FREE HUGS" signs, furries looking for a soul mate, and dudes with fox tails hanging out from the back of their jeans. These people have counterparts in the fashion industry too. They include the guy who is always outside smoking, dude who pretends to be on his phone when walking past The Sartorialist, high-fashion girls in Kenzo sweatshirts and Supreme five-panels, and Italian street style icons enjoying a gelato cone at Pitti Uomo.