Bill, please don't think I'm picking on you. As I said, you do dress up well when the time is proper.
As I've mentioned in other posts, I really admire a good suit. But I can't afford what I consider to be good suits. And, by "good," I mean $2000 Armani suits.
Go talk to Senator Kanavas sometime. He's a short guy, built like a boxer, and he dresses with class. His suits aren't cheap. I doubt he has them made in Thailand.
But, back somewhere to the original topic. When I go to the Capitol, I wear a nearly 20 year-old suit that would probably cost over $1000 today. I wear white silk shirts, and neckties that, as I've said, I'm picky about. I also wear top-of-the-line Allen Edmonds shoes.
Why?
Perception. The pol's already know that the WCCM is a source for money. Dress well, and the WCCA (now WCPS) has additional respectability.
Is that the game? Maybe. But it doesn't hurt by trying. Plus, I really like wearing suits. I wish I could justify spending more money on new ones.
Following the November election debacle, I called my old friend Tom Reynolds to see how he was handling his loss.
He was actually doing very well, which comforted me.
Tom has always been a middle-class guy, but he has a brother who makes a nice income.
When Tom ran for the Senate in 2002, his brother gave him a full wardrobe of suits and shoes and ties. All of it was the good stuff.
As we discussed the good and the bad that he had endured for four years in the senate, I pointed out to him that he at least got a nice wardrobe out of the deal.
That made him laugh, which made me feel better.
If you're looking for other politico's who dress well, check out Spencer Coggs. He's another short guy, but he's built like a bantam-weight fighter. He fills out a suit very well.
When I mention to my wife that this or that guy fills out a suit very well, she thinks I have some sort of homosexual attraction to the guy. That's just plain bull, and she knows it.
No matter how much I spend on suits or shirts or ties, I'll never be able to fill them out properly. I just get skinnier on the top, and heavier at the middle.
And my wife keeps stealing my clothes.