Hey guys, Melissa here! I’m SO excited to announce my new little business venture to you all. I just opened up an Etsy shop called The Basic Geek, where I’m designing and selling geek chic, minimalist art and apparel for fellow fandom lovers!
I’ve always been a fan of geeky art and designs. Artist Alley is always my favorite stop at conventions, and I have often left with dozens of art prints and not enough wall space to showcase them all. My apartment used to be a colorful, eclectic mix of retro/minimalist geeky prints. But when my sister and I moved into a condo last year, we decided we needed to update the look of our place to reflect our new tastes, which have become simpler, more classic, and well… “basic.” As I’ve gotten older, I’ve moved away from the more colorful things, to more classic, sleeker things. I’m all about that minimal black/white, gold, and marble aesthetic right now. But I still want to show off my geek pride! So when I wasn’t really finding the right prints for the aesthetic I wanted, I decided to create my own art.
Thus, The Basic Geek was born…
After designing a dozen or so prints, an opportunity came up for me to participate as a vendor in a local, geeky craft fair here in Los Angeles. I had only 10 days to prepare, so I began working on more print designs and started looking into other products I could create. I ended up designing several bookmarks and greeting cards as well.
Next came apparel.
I love all the geeky options for women’s apparel these days. But I find that some of the unisex fits aren’t always the most flattering for me. And some of the printed designs are so low that I can’t tuck in the shirt, which I usually like to do. I also have trouble styling some of the really colorful pieces. These days I just like to throw on a plain white tee with jeans and head out the door. Super easy. So, I wanted to design shirts that were the perfect wear-everywhere shirts. I wanted them to be classic, chic, comfortable, yet still subtlety geeky to show off your personality.
I started with just a handful of designs, but now I have over a dozen available!
All the shirts I use come from Bella+Canvas, which is an eco-friendly and ethically responsible brand. Their clothing is 100% no sweatshops and has a USA strong production, which are all very important to me! Not only that, but these shirts are INSANELY COMFORTABLE. The tees are soft, flowy, and so flattering. The sweaters are lined with a fleece that is basically one of the softest things I’ve ever worn. Trust me, you’ll want to live in these. I also love how versatile these shirts are! You can do a French tuck, tie a knot, tuck it into a maxi skirt, wear it off-shoulder — so many options! They can be dressed up with a blazer, heels, or skirt. Or they can be dressed down and worn to bed or the gym!
You can browse through my current shirts below:
Tees:
Sweaters:
Everything is black and white, which means it matches with anything and is super easy to style! The designs are simple and chic, but include quotes and phrases that fellow fans will definitely recognize!
I had so much fun preparing for my first ever table at the Geeky Teas and Games January craft faire! I think everything turned out pretty well, seeing as I had thrown this all together in about 10 days. It’s so amazing seeing things you create suddenly become tangible.
I felt so blessed to have the support and encouragement from my sister and boyfriend, who both helped me run the table, and also several friends who came to visit me!
I really enjoyed my first craft fair experience and am excited to hopefully do more in the future! Until then, I’ve been hard at work with my online Etsy shop and have been constantly adding new designs.
I currently have several 8 x 10″ prints available for instant download in the shop as well! You can browse some of the designs below:
I have products featuring popular fandoms like Star Wars, Star Trek, Game of Thrones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, Gilmore Girls, Hamilton, Marvel, DC, and more! If you have a favorite fandom that you don’t see represented yet, please comment with your suggestions!
As for future plans…I’d love to offer different shirt styles soon, including tank tops and crops (for spring/summer) and eventually more menswear/unisex styles. I also have ideas for geeky chic mugs and other home goods, so be on the lookout!
Click HERE to shop my products in this post. To stay updated, you can also follow my new business Instagram account @TheBasicGeek. Hope you fellow geeks enjoy my designs. 🙂 Please share your thoughts with me — I’d love to hear them!
XOXO, Melissa
