The Geeky Peacock: Geeky Fashionista Profile: Tara Theoharis

Tara Theoharis is an incredibly talented, statue-esque goddess of a woman. Despite being one of the most gorgeous people I have ever met, she is somehow one of the kindest and warmest people, as well. She blogs, models, acts, and generally embodies awesomeness and grace in every possible way. Her most noteable endeavor is perhaps playing Tiffany in the fantastic web series Job Hunters, or her involvement in the YouTube channel Satire - most of their videos go viral!

She is well spoken, interesting, kind, gorgeous, and has a classically chic style edged with geekiness that I feel most women should attempt to emulate if they want to infuse femininity into their geeky personality. That's why I'm absolutely thrilled that Tara is this week's Geeky Fashionista!

Molly: Tell me a little about yourself and why you're a geek?

Tara: I run the blog "The Geeky Hostess" and find it my mission to create the coolest geeky parties, find the neatest gifts, bake the tastiest cupcakes, and add a bit of feminine flair to the geeky community. I feel most at home at conventions, love board games, and spend a large part of my time watching awesome shows. My faves include Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, Dexter, the original Twilight Zone, and comedies like Arrested Development, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Community.

When not catching up on shows and blogging, I spend my time in front of the camera modeling and making web content such as Job Hunters and videos for Satire. I'm a huge fan of memes and online culture (my day job is in marketing and social media) and have had a few different things go "viral," including one of my wedding pictures.

Molly: How would you describe your personal style?

Tara: My personal style is classic with a hint of geek. I choose outfits and styles that flatter me and my body over what's the most trendy.

Molly: What inspires you, fashion wise?

Tara: Seattle inspires me. I dress in layers year-round--you can almost always see me in a tank top, sweater, jeans, and boots. Plus, you can tell a true Seattleite by the amount of black and gray in their wardrobe.

Molly: Who's your fictional fashion icon?

Tara: Ooh, that's a tough one! When the movie version of "The Devil Wears Prada" came out, I had just cut my bangs very similar to Anne Hathaway and got a lot of comparisons to her. Let's just say if I had the money, I'd totally wear all of her outfits. Hathaway rocked another great wardrobe in The Dark Knight Rises, and I'm doing my very first official cosplay as her Catwoman. So can we just say any fictional character of Anne Hathaway?

Molly: Have you always been fashionable?

Tara: I've always had an interest in fashion, but you can find your options pretty limited when you're super tall all your life. Finding jeans that fit was a nightmare, and I couldn't find any shorts/skirts long enough to be able to wear to school without getting glares from the security guards. I'd say I became a bit more fashionable when I discovered a hair straightener at the age of 16.

Molly: In Job Hunters, your character dresses very "preppy". Does this mirror your style at all? Was it challenge to portray this style?

Tara: Although I've always been a goody-goody and fairly preppy, Tiffany is definitely more preppy and girly than I am (and wears a whole lot more makeup!). However, many pieces of her outfits came from my closet, they were just pieced together in a way I never would have worn them. It was a challenge to wear them in the sense that I wouldn't wear them in real life, but the costumes themselves helped transform me into that character. I wasn't fully perky until I was in those clothes.

Molly: You've modeled a lot. Did modeling affect your fashion sense at all? Do you feel more pressure to dress well as a model?

Tara: Modeling has definitely affected my fashion sense. You learn to dress in a way that is flattering and rich--you must balance the line between trendy and classic, and as a high school and college student, I needed to have a fashionable, designer look to myself that wouldn't cost much money. You learn which clothing lines fit you best, and you invest in a few more expensive pieces that are classic and flattering. For anything trendy, I add to my wardrobe from places like Forever 21. I find I dress in a lot more black and slimming pieces since being a model, and I've learned the importance of nude strapless bras and thongs! I definitely feel pressure to dress well when I'm at go-sees and jobs--it takes me forever to find the perfect outfit!

Molly: As a particularly gorgeous girl who also happens to be geeky and fashionable, do you ever experience backlash or disbelief from the geek community? (ie: You're too pretty to be a geek, etc)

Tara: Yes. I could talk circles around this subject, but I try to stay away from controversy, and have found many other woman have already said what I wanted to. I try to show that it's ok to embrace your femininity and your geeky side. I shouldn't be embarrassed that I love to go shopping, and I shouldn't be embarrassed that I play Dungeons and Dragons. No one should tell you what you can and can't like.

Molly: Why do you think people have this sort of attitude towards pretty women who like nerdy things?

Tara: Companies have realized that geeks are a huge market to appeal to, and they know that similar to any other market, sex sells. It makes sense that attractive women would be hired to promote and sell geeky things. Because of this, an attractive geek in the wild can be seen as a marketing ploy or a gimmick. Guess what: there are a LOT of attractive geeks out there. And a lot of them are genuine!

Molly: Do you think being fashionable while being a geeky professional is important?

Tara: Yes! As a professional, I like to give a pulled together appearance, but still put a bit of "geek" in there. A lot of men in my industry wear geeky t-shirts with a blazer, so why can't I? I incorporate geeky tees with blazers or skirts, or wear a more "normal" outfit with a piece of geeky jewelry. It serves as a great conversation starter without being too distracting or unprofessional.

Molly: What's one article of clothing and one beauty product you couldn't live without?

Tara: I always have to have a pair of great fitting, designer jeans. They're the thing I spend the most money on, because I wear jeans almost every day and it's the only way I can find jeans that fit me!

For beauty products, I'm a lip balm/lip gloss junkie. The one I can't leave the house without is Philosophy's Kiss Me lip balm. It has the perfect consistency and leaves a nice natural shine.

Molly: Any tips for geeks who want to be more fashionable?

Tara: Focus on finding items that fit you and flatter your body. No matter how awesome that geeky t-shirt is, if it's super baggy on you, it should be left at the convention. Don't be afraid to mix feminine with geeky, and wear items that make you feel confident. Everyone looks their best when they're confident and comfortable!