Being Geek Chic is a blog about one woman navigating the male-dominated industries of production and tech. It's written by Elizabeth Giorgi, Founder, CEO and Director of Mighteor - one of the world's first internet video production companies. Learn more about Mighteor here.
After spending the last few columns looking at work clothes this time I’m taking a break and contemplating stylish outdoor wear. In the episode “Darkness Falls” Mulder drags Scully on a “nice trip to the forest” to investigate the disappearance of a group of loggers. Scully takes this as an opportunity to drag out her collection of XXL men’s shirts and a technicolor raincoat which absolutely did not inspire my choice of coats for a camping trip age 12 OK? While the wardrobe department attempted to create a practical outfit for Scully’s trip many of their choices were anything but. Instead they succeeded in creating a strange, shapeless mass of clothing not really suited to anything, least if all hiking through a forest.
Scully’s denim shirt is a great practical choice for a hiking trip but she still doesn’t need it to be sized so large that her hands disappear entirely. This dark denim shirt from Next will be just as versatile but maintains her figure with a great feminine cut.
Check Out: Denim Shirt ($31)
The vest Scully wears over her shirt in the original outfit seems to serve very little purpose with its two tiny pockets. Far better would be this practical vest from H&M with plenty of pockets for carrying everything she might need while leaving her hands free for investigating.
Check Out: H & M Vest ($46)
In the original outfit Scully seems to wear a second black top under her shirt. While another great choice for practicality, and at least she’s trying to do layers, having a polo neckline means the top sticks up over the neck of her shirt and looks plain odd. A great choice would be this grandad top from Superdry which will keep her warm yet is also perfect on its own if she gets hot back at the cabin in the evening (and who wouldn’t with Agent Mulder there?)
Check Out: Superdry Top ($80)
Leggings were everywhere in the early 90s but that doesn’t mean they’re suited to the forest where they risk getting wet & rubbing for the rest of the day. A proper pair of hiking pants such as this pair from Regatta are a basic necessity for keeping warm and dry as well as adding yet more useful pockets.
Check Out: Regatta Pants ($46)
The final item on this outfit is probably one of the most vital to get right. A sturdy and well-fitted pair of hiking boots is essential if you want to avoid injury making them well worth investing money in. This pair from Zappos match comfort and practicality with great style.
Check Out: Lowa Renegade Boots ($220)
Sophie Brown is one of the core contributors over at GeekMom and so far the only Brit, which sometimes makes her feel guilty for not being a bigger fan of Doctor Who and Sherlock.
She is a die-hard X-Phile who loves cross stitching and baking cupcakes whilst marathoning sci-fi shows on Netflix. She is also an occasional cosplayer, spends far too many hours reading and writing X-Files fanfiction, and is attempting to learn Latin this year. You can email her at [email protected], especially about anything X-Files related, but be prepared for a very long answer.
Find her on twitter @easyqueenie.
This time on Scully Chic I’ve been looking at this spectacular number which Agent Scully wore for the first half of the season one episode Jersey Devil. The original outfit mixes a navy blue suit with a shirt in an especially garish shade of glowing salmon-pink which Scully has buttoned up to just below her ears. The skirt cuts across her knees at precisely the wrong height, the jacket comes down to approximately four inches above her hemline and the less said about those white stocking the better.
I genuinely liked the navy color of her original suit and wanted to keep the original blue and pink color scheme so I began by toning down the pink shirt to a more complimentary shade. This stretch cotton blouse by HUGO also has a beautiful, flattering cut that feminises the neckline without becoming inappropriate for someone in law enforcement.
Check out: HUGO Light Pastel Pink Stretch Cotton Emna Blouse ($108)
Rather than sticking with a traditional suit, I began with a pair of classic navy pants. These simple ones come from the petite range at Debenhams so they should be the perfect length for Scully too.
Check out: Debenhams Petite Satin Back Crepe Trouser ($37)
Over her new shirt and pant combination, I chose this stunning trench coat. Scully often wore trench coats throughout the show but mostly oversized, unflattering ones; this Martin Grant design shows just how great the good-old trench can look when cut correctly.
Check out: Martin Grant Poppins Trench ($1323)
Scully always needs a large bag but the battered and clunky one in her original outfit wasn’t doing her style any favors. This Dooney and Bourke briefcase will keep her papers in order and looks great.
Check out: Dooney & Bourke Double Gusset Buckle Briefcase ($670)
This outfit is all about classic style so all it needs to finish it off is a pair of time-honored black patent leather heels. This pair by Kurt Geiger are about as classic as you can get and the open toe adds that little extra hint of sex appeal.
Check out: Kurt Geiger Admire Black ($99)
Sophie Brown is one of the core contributors over at GeekMom and so far the only Brit, which sometimes makes her feel guilty for not being a bigger fan of Doctor Who and Sherlock.
She is a die-hard X-Phile who loves cross stitching and baking cupcakes whilst marathoning sci-fi shows on Netflix. She is also an occasional cosplayer, spends far too many hours reading and writing X-Files fanfiction, and is attempting to learn Latin this year. You can email her at [email protected], especially about anything X-Files related, but be prepared for a very long answer.
Find her on twitter @easyqueenie.
Editor’s Note: This awesome fashion post comes from GeekMom Blogger, Sophie Brown. If you have a Scully Chic recommendation, you can contact Sophie with the info after the jump.
When I was growing up, my role model in practically everything was Agent Dana Scully from The X-Files. Now I’m an adult and I still look to Scully as my role model in many areas, however one thing I don’t take her advice on is fashion. The outfits inflicted upon Gillian Anderson in the early seasons of the show are often just a few short steps away from human rights abuse, there’s even a blog dedicated to taking apart these wardrobe atrocities. However I started wondering if, with a few changes here and there, it would be possible to create stylish, functional outfits based on her originals; outfits that keep the feel of Scully but that you might actually consider wearing.
My rules were simple:
The outfits must keep to the spirit of the original outfit, sticking where possible to the colors, patterns and cuts used on the show
The outfits must be practical for the scene in which she wore it; most often that means office-wear which would also be suitable out in the field on investigations. My exception to this rule is shoes. What I consider practical footwear for an FBI agent and what was considered OK on the show are two wildly different ideas, for footwear I’ll be sticking with the show’s ideals so five inch stiletto heels are acceptable.
