(This was a note to a friend who encouraged me to publish my writing.)
Here's a weird note for you.
Whether working or hanging out, you always look sharp. So how'd you get to be such a snappy dresser? We both grew up in t-shirts and tankers like everyone this side of the golf course. Yet you have evolved to a higher couture while I still haven't gone shopping yet.
The issue comes to mind because I went to another funeral last week. It was for an old guy so I put on the suit and tie, well not the tie, but a clean shirt and shiny shoes. On the way there I decide to get a Big Gulp and while sauntering through the 7-11 parking lot, wearing Sears finest, I'm thinking, "I like being dressed up for a change". But as I fish for change in the side loader pockets I realize I'm not good at wearing these kind of clothes. I have no experience in it. It's a peculiar foreign feeling of being in someone else's shoes. The pants keep moving even after I've stopped and the shirt is a lot tighter than it's supposed to be. When it comes to panache, I'm pretty much a fish outta water (even talking about real clothes makes me use strange words like "panache").
As a clothes horse I'm pretty much a bob tailed nag. Not quite ready for a cotillion. Leaning toward the counter culture, my taste has never quite been at the forefront of fashion. Once Doug Storm borrowed my clothes to go on "Let's Make A Deal". His dog "Lucky" ate them and I never got them back.
My sole suit was purchased to go to the Nixon funeral in 1994. I was working security and they insisted everyone comply with their dress code, a navy blue coat, white shirt, red tie and khaki pants. So I go to Sears and try to put together a winning ensemble. I had no idea what a khaki was, and the clerk wasn't a big help, but when I got to the funeral I saw I was the only one who had complied with the code. Even though my vintage polyester feels good, though tight, I know there is more to dressing nice, more than my thrift store rack has to offer.
How did you become aware of good clothes and what made you want to wear them? You always look great, sharp without a hint of gay, and I want to know how.
