Obama has to dress down, he's busy cleaning up your puke!

The BBQ Pit
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Are you seriously doubting that black men look better bald than white men?

Black guys can look good with shaved heads. White guys generally look like thumbs with faces. It may not be fair, but it is true. I know, I know, lots of young white guys try the shaved head look. Lots of them think they look great. They’re wrong. They look like - depending on their physique - either skinheads or cancer patients.

It’s hardly racist to point out that a person with dark skin might have clothes or hairstyles that better suit her/him than a white guy. In fact, this is true between people of the same “race.” The same makeup, hairstyles, or clothing will work better or worse for a person with a pale complexion as opposed to one with a ruddy or tan complexion. Hair color can affect how good certain colours of clothes look.

It’s not exactly groundbreaking to point out that people who look different look different.

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I don’t know, I have a coworker who shaved his head since he was going bald-and he looks good. He doesn’t look like a “thumb” or a “cancer patient.” Or a skinhead. So there are exceptions to every rule.

I say blame the fucking skinheads. Bastards. Fucking BASTARDS.
Personally, I really, REALLY wish Obama would wear this shirt more often.

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It’s one thing to assert that men with dark complexions should stay away from dark colors, and pale-skinned should avoid white, in order to maximize their attractiveness or whatever.

It’s another thing to assert that black men should dress in a more casual manner than whites lest they come across as menancing servants who are trying too hard. It would be as stupid and offensive as a black man opinining that white guys should stay out of suits because they look like little boys playing dress up in Dad’s closet.

Who cares if Scylla’s point of view is racist or not? I object to it because it’s wrong, ridiculous, and mock worthy.

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Ferchrissakes, people. I like you, RickJay, but please read post 247.

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Sure, no problem. Look all I’ve been trying to convey is that although there are some basic rules of fashion, there is no clear defining line as to what looks good and what doesn’t. Sure, as with anything else, the more you know about a particular topic the better the odds that you’ll get thing “right” – wrong, in this case being a fashion faux pas. And yes, there are glaring examples of bad taste; I am particularly miffed by the longevity of the patent leather white shoes and belt combo favored by many a wealthy retiree in Southern Fla. Glad that all the years I spent working in the fashion world were in the NYC/CT area for had it been in Florida, chances are high I would have gone Postal at some point.

Anyhow, as for the case that occupies us here, Obama’s style, I happen to disagree with your assessment of what he should/n’t wear for I find your generalizations both too broad and confining. As I wrote in my prior post, skin tone was only one of any number of qualifiers I used when directing my clients to any particular style. And no, I certainly don’t think that black men in general either “look threatening or like waiters” in any particular suit. Odds are though, that with the amount of inventory we carried, I could make just about anyone look like one of those two. However, to my knowledge, none of my costumers were part of the Cosa Nostra nor did they wait tables at Portofino*, thus that was never a look I went for.

Obama, visually, appears to me as the kind of costumer that made my life easy, for he has both the body-type and flesh tone that would allow me to get him into many/most of our suits and styles – from a very traditional Burberry’s to a happening, stylized, three-button Donna Karan (loved her fabrics). Colors? Well, again, I don’t go by hard and fast rules, but rather intuition and practicality. The former gives me a mental image of the finished product or rather where I want to go with the client, the latter meaning that it’s rather hard to get people out of their comfort zones, thus instead of wasting time trying to convince to try something new/different, you do the best you can within the parameters given. Patterns and hues that work on a particular skin-tone I rather asses in person and not through pictures, TV images or style guides.

Best clients to work with? Without a doubt, the guys (or the wives) that came in and said “I/we like your look. Could you show me something in that style?” I mean, what’s not to love? Walking advertisements for my (former) craft they became. :wink:

In any event, apologies for the ill-timed invective in my last post; it just happens that I can be a bit of a smug prick myself. Tell you what though, I can now see us getting together and not having a go at our respective bald pates – how’s that song go? Something to talk about…

About time too.

PS-For the shiny pate I recommend any number of men’s anti-shine scrubs. Nivea’s products are always a good bet.

*City Island, Bronx. Great restaurant.

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– bolding mine.

The above should teach me to read the whole thread prior to posting. Anyone want skip my prior scroll need only read this post.

Succinctly put.

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Yeah, I am so … underwhelmed myself. Who the hell cares what Obama wears? For that matter who gives a damn about dress codes anymore? It has nothing to do with whether you do a good job or not. It has not a damn ting to do with whether you know anything or are clueless. Maybe more people need to figure out just what they should be doing, instead of worrying about the right “power tie” and all that other nonsense. There are plenty of pretty looking “empty suits” out there already. The last thing we need do, is encourage them. Let’s see some useful competence instead, for a change.

Any asshole can put on some fancy duds. Clothes do NOT make the man (unless you’re a useless and conceited little peacock).