Across twelve seasons, Raj Koothrappali (Kunal Nayyar) wore a pretty consistent wardrobe in The Big Bang Theory. It was very rare to see Raj deviate from his usual outfits. It usually consisted of a sweater vest over a button-down shirt with a huge collar and a zip-up jacket, along with khaki or cargo pants to complete the ensemble. Series veteran Nayyar was not a huge fan of Raj’s poor fashion sense, and he recently shared his thoughts about the experience in an appearance on The Official Big Bang Theory Podcast. The actor revealed that wearing Raj’s signature look for over a decade turned off his taste in those specific types of clothes, and now, he can no longer wear them!
Kunal Nayyar Understood Raj’s Poor Fashion Sense Worked for His Character
Speaking to Jessica Radloff on the podcast, Nayyar revealed his honest reaction when he learned about his character’s wardrobe after joining the cast. In contrast to his longtime character, Nayyar is a passionate fashionista. Nayyar explained, “I love fashion, to be honest. It’s one of my favorite things. And then I was like, ‘Oh my God, I’m gonna have to wear these clothes.'” One shouldn’t mistake Nayyar’s comments and think of him as a snob complaining about his character’s wardrobe choice. Although Nayyar wasn’t fond of Raj’s dress sense, he understood the necessity of his character having a “ridiculously hideous” taste in fashion.
In the first season, Raj is introduced as a brilliant astrophysicist who works in the physics department at Caltech. Like the rest of the group, Raj is sometimes socially awkward, but he possesses a unique quirk. Raj could not physically talk to women (except for his sister and mother) unless he was drunk or imbibing alcohol, which gave him the confidence he needed to converse with girls. Raj eventually overcame the problem in later seasons, but Nayyar’s point makes sense. Raj’s unfashionable dress sense perfectly fits the character, a brilliant, yet socially awkward scientist who struggles to connect with women. Dressing in those goofy, oversized collars made perfect sense for Raj in the realm of the series.
Raj’s Wardrobe Ruined Those Vibrant Clothes for Kunal Nayyar
Sadly, Raj’s wardrobe across 279 episodes of the series destroyed Nayyar’s desire to wear clothes similar to his character. Nayyar explained that vintage sweaters, cargo pants, and the like are now effectively “ruined” for him. Understandably, wearing Raj’s unappealing outfits every day for twelve years became tiresome, and he can never again look at the clothes the same way. Although vintage sweaters are in fashion now, Nayyar can’t indulge in the trend.
Frankly, Raj’s sweaters or pants were never the issue. The character’s unique look, combining sweater vests with oversized collared shirts, along with an athletic jacket, looked goofy. The athletic jackets do not coordinate well with sweaters and gigantic shirt collars. That said, it’s ironic that Raj’s eccentric outfits resulted in Nayyar’s decision to eliminate anything resembling Raj’s clothes from his own wardrobe. After all, Raj’s clothes reflect his quirks and personality. Perhaps, much like how Raj overcame his issue of being unable to speak with women, Nayyar will eventually find a way to enjoy vintage sweaters and cargo pants again without gagging.
The good news is that Nayyar has the opportunity to revisit Raj in the upcoming Big Bang Theory spin-off, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe. The new series involves comic book store owner Stuart Bloom (Kevin Sussman) traveling the multiverse as he seeks to restore reality, where he will encounter alternate versions of characters from the original series. That opens the door for Nayyar to return as alternate variants of Raj. Who knows? Maybe the new versions of Raj will have a flair for fashion. It would be hilarious and entertaining to see an alternate Raj who, when compared to the original Dr. Koothrappali, is much smoother with the ladies and dresses for success.
