Welcome back to a week of academic outfits, where a stylish person in higher ed shows us what they wear to work! This week, Keerthi, a PhD candidate in video and analog game studies, shows us their fashion and discusses fieldwork outfits, the best places to find androgynous basics, and how to dress “slouchy eclectic grandpa” meets “record store employee” (!)
Keerthi is a PhD candidate in the Netherlands, researching historical video game play and how it connects us to the past. Here’s what they had to say about their style…
On personal style inspiration: My outfit choices always prioritize three things: comfort, intentional silhouettes, and unexpected pairings. I tend to describe my style as “slouchy eclectic grandpa” or “record store employee.”
I get inspiration from movies from the 80s and 90s, microtrends, and my OG fashion icon, my mom. I like using whatever’s trendy right now as a template that I can fulfill using what’s already in my closet. Another fun source of style inspo for me is that I do my nails (or get them done) fairly regularly, and love using the colors in whatever set I’m sporting as a starting point, either to match or to contrast.
Why care about fashion in academia: It’s always hard to be queer or trans in academia, especially so when it comes to figuring out how to present yourself when the notion of caring about clothes is so gendered and belittled. There are pieces that I feel comfortable and myself in that I don’t wear to work because they seem to ‘attract’ gendered language. I also used to wear a lot of makeup, and now barely ever do. This has led to a lot of commentary about how tired or overwhelmed I look. I was tired and overwhelmed before, too, I promise, I just had some funky eyeliner on <3
This is my fieldwork outfit. My research often involves lugging a duffel bag of heavy equipment around the country, so range of motion is a good thing to bear in mind. A scarf might fall off in your sprint to catch the train, but a trusty waistcoat’ll just hang out and hide sweat stains.
Where they shop: The two bog-standard answers are thrift stores and UNIQLO, but I do stand by them. I especially like hunting for Aran sweaters and other statement winter clothing secondhand; big, heavy knit pieces with that classic mariner gravitas just have to be bought used for maximum brood.
UNIQLO is great for androgynous basics and those ‘uniform’ pieces you can buy 3 or 4 of. A few honorable mentions: I’ll always stan Linenfox for business casual in the spring and summer, Lucy & Yak for jeans that look stately and are comfy, and handmade jewelry from Ren Faire stalls to level up any outfit.
The best outfit formula: All black plus one or two colorful things is a foolproof outfit formula. If you’re not a headscarf kinda person, I’ve done this as a necktie/ascot situation, too. Here are some contrasting nails in practice.
The best academic advice you can give: Trust your gut & be a sponge. There’s knowledge to be gained everywhere, but game studies, especially, is like 50 niches in a trench coat. Get acquainted with the concept of local expertise: trust that you know your stuff, and hear out your peers on what they know, too.
You can follow Keerthi on Instagram and Bluesky (@copperkeerthi).
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