(Photo: Horacio Salinas)

Blame it on Ugly Betty, or the dark humor of fashion designers—nerdiness is being warmly embraced again. For men, the stylish dress shirt is now a wrinkled oxford with a button-down collar, accessorized with a skinny tie (preferably in a rep strip that recalls boarding-school attire). To get the brainy-trendy look this spring, start with a short-sleeved shirt from Steven Alan and add this swath of silk from Band of Outsiders, which makes its neckwear by hand in New York, either from vintage fabric or material from an English mill known for producing regimental ties (Band of Outsiders tie, $125 at Barneys New York, 660 Madison Ave., nr. 61st St.; 212-826-8900, and Camp shirt, $148 at Steven Alan, 103 Franklin St., at Church St.; 212-343-0692).