By Lisa Granshaw

My memory of finding a Star Wars top that actually fit me well and wasn’t in the men’s section is one of those memories where the feeling I had at that moment is one I remember better than almost any other details of that day. There was surprise, a little bit of shock, and then a lot of excitement and joy. Before that, I remember the only way I could find shirts to express my love for the franchise was by paying a visit to the boy’s and men’s sections. The guy shirts did not look great, but I wore them anyway. Then I found these Star Wars tank tops in a women’s fit with a scoop neck and in more than one color.

These tanks were the first items in my geeky clothing collection to be a fit I preferred to the guy tees or the other options you could sometimes find for girls that were almost always pink or displayed a phrase I wouldn’t have worn if there were other choices. Finding those tops suddenly made all the difference. While I would, and still do, continue to wear some of my guy tees, when they were the only option it was always a little awkward wearing something that didn’t quite fit. That awkwardness made it feel like maybe this actually was something I wasn’t supposed to like since the companies weren’t making things for me anyway. It’s with some surprise that I think back to how much more confident I felt finding those tank tops and finally being able to express my love for Star Wars in that way. Since then, my collection has expanded as the choices for women have also increased and now I’m still sometimes amazed to really think about the range of clothes and accessories available. Even with all these new items though, I’ve still kept those first two tanks.

There are other memories and moments that have shaped my love of geek fashion and why I think it’s so important, but I often find myself thinking back to this particular tale of mine and the impact of finding those first tops. It’s something that can seem so small and perhaps trivial to some, and yet from the stories I’ve heard from others through the years I know I’m not alone in how increased fashion for women has made such a difference. Each story I hear shows why geek fashion should not be ignored and how it can be empowering to someone to find items inspired by their favorite fandoms made for them.

There’s work that still needs to be done so that everyone can have this experience. I hope that what GeekFold does and the stories the community shares here will further galvanize the industry so we can continue to make strides forward. Anyone can be a geek and anyone should be able to show it, if they want, through their apparel, accessories, and cosmetics.

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