NERDS: THE PHENOMENON OF INTERTEXTUAL GARMENT BETWEEN WORSHIP AND DISTINCTION

Printed T-shirts are the characteristic garment, risen to the role of distinctive “uniform”, used by one of the most representative socio-cultural phenomenon of the latest years: nerds. Rather than the style of the garment, more than its aesthetic dimension, I focus on T-shirt explicit semiotic content. This paper aims to show how nerds could be considered as a universal cultural field based on consumption practices. How a label once considered a stigma became something to be proud of. How the choice of clothing becomes a complex tool for identity construction and community making.