New research - We're not all badly-dressed geeks, say Manchester scientists

Sophie Powell, a 24-year-old PhD student from The University of Manchester

Not all scientists are drably-dressed boffins - and two cool academics from Manchester are determined to prove it.

PhD student Sophie Powell, from The University of Manchester and Sam Illingworth, a science communication lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University has launched a fashion blog to celebrate all things stylish in science.

The new blog, called Sartorial Science, invites scientists to send in snaps of themselves and share cocktail dresses fashion inspiration.

The Tumblr site has proved a hit with scientists and fashionistas alike with entries pouring in from across the world.

Sophie and Sam insist the blog is not a ‘vanity project’, but a way of showing that scientists can be fashionable too.

Sophie, 24, who is researching arthritis, said: “Sartorial Science is all about challenging the stereotype of what a scientist looks like in the eyes of the public and actually, other colleagues.

“It’s really because, as a young woman, there’s a fear I won’t be taken seriously if I care about the way I look, which is kind of frustrating.”

Sophie also publishes a blog called The Scientific Beauty, where she explains the science behind the latest beauty products and writes about being a female researcher.

She added: “As a 14-year-old school girl, I was good at science but I remember feeling unsure if it was for me, as it seemed that it was for dowdy, middle-aged ‘boffins’..

“But hopefully this blog will challenge that. And I hope it will encourage young people into science when they realise that actually, we are real people with real interests.”

Sartorial Science is not just about selfies though. It is also a place to learn about each contributor’s research and interests.

Some of the blog’s visitors include clinical psychologists in Costa Rica and zoologists in Belgium.

Sam, 31, said: “I read an article about the terrible evening dresses sense of scientists and researchers, and it really annoyed me because it just isn’t true.

“We hope that this site encourages scientists to help us break down the stereotypical norms that they are associated with.

“We also hope it acts as an aspiration to others, demonstrating that scientists come in all shapes and sizes, many of which are fabulous.

“So far I have be very impressed sartorial elegance of my fellow colleagues.”