Cloaked in confidence: Notes on dressing well.

Just off a flight from LaGuardia to Cleveland, I was returning home from a speaking gig in New York.  Still dressed in my keynote best, I was staring ahead, zombie-like, on that moving sidewalk thing at the airport when, from the other direction, came a voice. “You’re killing that blazer!” smiled this perfect stranger. (I actually was killing that blazer).  “Thanks!” was all I could manage as we were moved at 3 MPH toward opposite ends of the airport. A total stranger just complimented not only my sport coat, but my style. Things like this happen when you’ve got it all going on sartorially. I have a fair number of sport shirts and button down shirts, but on the day in question, I was wearing a men’s dress shirt. Notice I didn’t say a “guy’s” dress shirt? What’s the difference? Watch any movie with Humphrey Bogart or Pierce Brosnan in it, and try to picture Owen Wilson or Seth Rogen in those roles. Got it now? What happens when clothes fit great, are well made, and complement your style? Here are just a handful of scenarios: Women notice you.  (Hey, it doesn’t have to go anywhere. I just thought it was worth mentioning.) You feel like you’re in one of those cool movie scenes where you and your posse are walking in slow motion with music playing over the scene. People ask you for opinions, advice and directions. You get 5-star service in a 3-star restaurant. If you happen to run into Bruce Springsteen, he calls you The Boss. You have a sudden urge to torch your hoodie collection. You know the difference between a plaid sport shirt, a gingham dress shirt and a microcheck no-iron shirt. And you drop these in conversation. You wish there were a men’s dress shirt hall-of-fame, because you’re pretty sure you’d be in it. So, what else was I wearing at the airport? Picture these Thomas Deans pieces with a red bow tie (all the better to show off the colorful stacked buttons down the front of my dress shirt). Did I tie the bow myself, or was it pre-tied?  Do you even have to ask?   [caption id="attachment_617" align="aligncenter" width="259"] Blue-and-white textured TD Collection Shirt[/caption]

Grey 3-Button Check Blazer $895

  [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="540"] Grey Suede Lug Sole Wingtip Brogue[/caption]