‘Four-eyes’ couture

When it comes to trends in the fashion industry, this one must be revenge of the nerds.

Nerd-inspired styles have invaded fashion magazine pages and storeroom floors, showing that the “geek” look is now, well, not so geeky.

Items such as thick-rimmed glasses, suspenders and pleated pants were runway hits in recent fashion shows, changing the stereotype of nerds everywhere.

But don’t take fashion advice from Steve Urkel just yet.

Today’s nerd wears simple, tailored pieces that take a modern twist on retro style. The look takes a rational approach to fashion and prides itself on minimalism.

It’s no surprise nerdiness made its way into mainstream fashion. After already dominating other realms of pop culture, nerds are now considered pretty cool.

The TV show “Glee” managed to take what used to be considered a nerdy high school extracurricular activity and turn it into TV gold.

Even though they receive relentless bullying and the occasional slushie to the face, the show’s Glee Club kids are considered some of the coolest TV characters today.

Bands like Vampire Weekend sing about East Coast prep-school life in such a catchy way that you wish you were educated enough to understand all the intellectual references in the lyrics.

And in a world where Apple CEO Steve Jobs can introduce the iPad like he’s the host of a live show in Vegas, being a nerd – or at least dressing like one – is not so bad.

Now, megastars such as Justin Timberlake have been spotted in sweater vests and suspenders. Lucky Magazine also recently dedicated a few pages to showing women how many styles they can derive from one oversized oxford sweater.

During Fashion Week in New York City last year, the Chicago Sun-Times tech columnist Andy Ihnatko pointed out that several designers created their collections with a geek’s lifestyle in mind.

From jackets with iPod storage pockets to Nike tennis shoes that track a runner’s pace to their electronic device of choice, designers have learned to cater to their nerdy clientele.

I’m glad being a nerd is a good thing in the fashion world because it’s much better than looking like you just rolled out of bed.

You never know, maybe wearing a blazer and glasses makes you feel smarter, and in turn, raises your IQ a little.

At least the trend gives hope for the term “four-eyes.” Maybe it won’t be such a put-down anymore.