Best Stylist for Nerds

Turf: Urban Living

You’d think there’d be somewhere in Seattle, home of the world’s richest geek, for local nerds to turn for a look that’s hip without being mainstream . . . and you’d be right. Stylist RACHEL BINDERUP, who’s worked at Belltown’s Vain salon for five years, is known to her adoring clients as “the nerd whisperer.” Six months ago, she explains, several of her regulars realized “that they could come in and be all uncomfortable and gawky . . . and I would just kind of put something together and they would leave really happy.” According to Binderup’s fans, she says, her special way with nerds borders on ESP: “They wouldn’t have to speak, but I would still understand them.” When asked to define a nerd, she barely hesitates. “Somebody who is supersmart, superknowledgeable, all those good things. But someone who’s somewhat uncomfortable in their own body, own society; they just always kind of feel like they don’t belong.” Maybe so, but with Binderup on their side, at least Seattle’s nerds can be comfortable in their own hair. Vain Salon, 2018 First Ave., 206-441-3441, www.vain.com.