He is Risen! Happy Easter!

Tradition Lives: At the Supreme Court

It is a relatively obscure fact that the Solicitor General of the United States and his deputies wear a morning coat while presenting arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court.  The Solicitor General is appointed to represent the United States before the Supreme Court in all cases that involve the federal government.  In this role, he and his subordinates appear in nearly 2/3 of the court's cases each term.  The morning coat is part of morning dress which is formal attire for daytime use.  Oral arguments are almost always presented in the morning (and occasionally in the afternoon), making morning dress the appropriate formal attire - as opposed to white or black tie which is reserved for wear after 6:00 pm.

In this sketch of Deputy Solicitor General Michael Dreeben,
we can easily detect the trademark buttons and coattails.

It is interesting to note that during her tenure as the first female Solicitor General, Elena Kagan was not known to wear the coat.  Some interpreted this as a personal choice that signaled here intention to break with tradition, but there is really no support for such an assertion.  Besides, the morning coat is proper daytime formal wear for men and not women.


Acting Solicitor General Neal Katyal demonstrates
that he has high class to match that high IQ.

Whether the Solicitor General traditionally wears a matching waistcoat and pinstripe trousers, I cannot say.  When I have visited the court, it was too distant to tell.  And although I had the pleasure of meeting the current Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, I neglected to ask him.  To be sure, it's a question that I hope to resolve in the future.

Setting these trivial details aside, the use of the morning coat denotes its clear purpose:  formality.  It also speaks to the level of respect that the solicitors have both for their office and for their duty to the highest court in the land.



Gentlemen, This Is Business

A little while back, a friend of mine who was just becoming familiar with the AMC hit show Mad Men suggested that the central male characters were excellent examples for other young men aspiring to dress in classy and traditional manner.  At the time, I had watched all five seasons, and I embraced the proposition.  In point of fact, I always paid close attention to the casts’ wardrobe in the hopes broadening and sharpening my personal style.  With the premiere of season six set to air on April 7th, I was reminded of my friend’s observation.  But now, I am in wholehearted disagreement.



Nothing says "business" quite like
Don's unimaginative uniform.

When I think of the likes of Don Draper and Roger Sterling, I don’t observe stylish gentility, I see business.  There are arguments to be made about the historical authenticity of the show, as drama television tends to exaggerate things.  What is not questioned, however, is the authenticity of the portrayal of the of the early 1960’s business fashion.  Just prior to the height of social turbulence and upheaval, the characters in Mad Men exhibit the preceding cultural mandates of conservatism and homogeneity.




The look we all know and love - but
we know it all too well.

Much like the Helvetica font that they used in advertising, dark suits and plain white shirts presented a clear yet neutral appearance with no intrinsic meaning.  The substance of the message was to remain the ultimate focus.  As men’s fashion expert Alan Flusser noted concerning the 1950s, “typical businessmen literally hid behind his gray flannel suit.”  By crowding out creativity and expression, men’s business fashion had become a discipline and not
an art – a uniform in the ranks of commerce.



Such is the scene in which these advertising executives find themselves.  Even as the show progresses, viewers will note the central male characters wear virtually the same outfit every day at the office.  Roger wears his dark three piece suit, Don his plain gray suit (and of course a fresh white dress shirt from the stash in his drawer), Pete with some shade of dark blue, and Bert Cooper with his bow tie.


If they all look the same, that's because they are.

And yet, for as daring as their advertising campaigns proved to be, their dress habits possessed no comparative virtue.  It exemplified a plain style with a plain message:  “Gentlemen, this is business.”

An English Sunday

With plenteous sunshine and temperatures nearing 60 degrees (F) this morning, I decided to pull out my favorite herringbone tweed jacket for perhaps the last time before spring officially arrives.  Its color is most suitable for use outside the city, and I thought that my leisurely stroll to Mass through the backstreets of my suburban neighborhood constituted a perfect surrounding as the trees are still brown and bare.  I've found that tweed is quite commonplace inside a Church during the fall and winter seasons, making it all the more appropriate.

Layered underneath is a mushroom cable knit cardigan vest that provided a bit of extra warmth for the outdoor walk.  The navy silk knit tie was inserted as a change of pace from my ordinary neckwear.  And in an effort to sneak in a subtle rebellion against the typical white dress shirt (which I wear enough during the week), I substituted an off-white button down oxford shirt.  Nothing too radical, mind you, as I wanted to maintain the tweed jacket as the center piece in this ensemble.

All of this is supported by some gray wool trousers and penny loafers which I am currently breaking in.  Taken as a whole, my outfit had a very English feel to it, and I like that.  Perhaps I'll have a spot of tea and watch some Yes, Minister episodes.

Dress Appropriately for the Office

 

Casual can be stylish too.

I suppose it’s most appropriate to begin this blog with a basic outline of how I prefer to dress and why.  After all, as I suggest in the description of this page, it is accomplished with a particular purpose in mind.  However, I must be very clear that my personal style is something that develops with each passing day.  It really wasn’t something that I paid much attention to until my junior year in college and, at that time, I lacked resources to develop my narrow wardrobe.  But in the past year, my employment has given me both the capital to invest in worthwhile clothing and the venue to practice my newfound pursuit of stylish professionalism.

As with most workplaces these days, my firm has adopted a "business casual" policy which permits a range of options including polo shirts and khakis.  And yet, my office also makes clear that "[t]raditional business attire is always acceptable, if that is your preference."  And indeed it is.  Of course, "business casual" is a poorly defined term with varied meanings.  But the chief identifying characteristic that sets the two guidelines apart in my office is the necktie/open collar variable.  I almost always wear a tie, and this choice places me in the traditional category as opposed to the casual one.

I have intentionally adopted a "traditional" approach to style, as opposed to some of the many other types out there ("trendy," "hip," "white trash," or otherwise).  It is representative of many of the values that I espouse: order, beauty, creativity, and gentility.  And while there are many reasons that I choose to adopt a classic style, the most important threshold motive lies in the enjoyment that I derive from it.  If I found no pleasure in the practice, then I would certainly abandon it.

Over the course of the last year, many people have asked me why I choose to wear the tie and "dress up" in the manner that I do.  It was clear to them that I relish the opportunity to wear a suit (typically when I’ll be appearing before a court) and I avoid the khakis, polo shirts, and tennis shoes that appear around the office.  It was never a hostile question, but its frequency compelled me to consider the subject on a deeper level, beyond the simple aspiration to "look good" or dress appropriately for work.  My answer was never the same.  It seems to me that there are many reasons to dress well, and few to discourage it.

 

One of the most fundamental canons of good style states that to dress well, one must dress for the occasion.  And while it is acceptable to wear very casual clothing to work, I prefer not to set the bar so low (at the minimum).  Of course, style cannot be forced upon anyone, but it often reflects an individual’s attitude toward his occupation.  Traditional business attire is professional and entirely appropriately for the workplace.  It says something about you. Thus, it should speak well of you.