Great Outfits in Fashion History: Bill Nye's Statement Blazer

What could be more aspirational than a well-dressed science communicator?

Bill Nye the Science Guy speaks onstage during StarTalk Live! *in Austin, TX on* November 5, 2015.

There are perfectly good celebrity style moments, and then there are the looks that really stick with you, the ones you try desperately to recreate at home. In ‘Great Outfits in Fashion History,’ Fashionista editors are revisiting their all-time favorite lewks.

In a world where ignoring the science of climate change and virology has led to growing fire disasters and a poorly-contained pandemic in the U.S., listening to scientists feels more important than ever. Which is perhaps one of the reasons why so many millennials are sentimental about Bill Nye, the famed TV personality known for his ’90s show, “Bill Nye the Science Guy.”

In more recent years, Nye has pivoted from trying to help kids understand things like gravity and electricity to trying to help adults comprehend the urgency of acting on climate change. Along the way, he’s managed to reinforce the importance of relatable, interesting science communication while wearing some pretty great outfits.

Sure, he’s more likely to spend time with astronauts than fashion designers, but Nye isn’t exactly removed from the world of fashion: He designed his own line of bowties at one point, and he walked — or more accurately, danced — down the runway at NYFW in February. Perhaps one of his best fashion moments, though, came when he was doing his decidedly science-y thing of talking to an audience about something nerdy.

For a 2015 appearance at StarTalk Live, a science radio show, Nye appeared in a statement blazer comprised of at least three different materials. Combined with one of his signature bowties and a white button-up shirt, the effect was professional enough to communicate trustworthiness, but funky enough to be interesting — which, come to think of it, is a pretty apt way of describing Nye himself.

In case you, too, find science professionals aspirational, pick up a statement blazer of your own from the gallery below to wear to your next Zoom meeting. (Real pants optional.)