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Congratulations!
You have finally landed on the one page on this entire site (and on the entire internet for that matter) that is purely without bullshit... my soapbox page. There are a lot of times during our show that, whether it's because of time constraints and other obligations, I don't always get to address some issues that I feel don't get the attention they deserve. There are even more times when I just don't feel like waiting until the show the next day to get some things off my chest. Thus, I have started the "Rob's Soapbox" page. If you have clicked on this page looking for someone to coddle your fragile sense of self-esteem, or tell you what you want to hear or to reinforce your outdated world view, then exit this page right now and go somewhere else. If you are in search of the last forum for reason and common sense left in the world, then sit back, relax, and enjoy. I make only one promise with this soapbox page... if you read long enough and often enough, you will eventually be offended. So here's my latest soapbox. Listen up, 'cause you just might learn something... |
May 9th, 2005
THE ANSWER TO THE AGE OLD QUESTION IS: THE MAN MAKES THE CLOTHES
Every time the topic of my wardrobe comes up on the show, we are inundated with questions and comments about what I wear, why I wear it, how much it costs, and why I spend so much on my clothes. Allow me to address some of these questions.
For years, clothing manufacturers have been telling you that clothes make the man. It's in their interest to say something silly like that, because it talks people into buying a $3000 suit they have no business owning. Don't get me wrong, I'm the first to say that great clothes make you feel better, but the idea that high quality clothing somehow transforms a loser into a winner is laughable. Clothes do not give self-esteem, they reflect it.
If you put a man with no etiquette, class or self-respect in a beautiful suit, you get a big dumb blow-hard who wasted money. If you put a man who hates to dress up in the same suit, you get a man who looks good and is incredibly uncomfortable, which will ultimately translate into a man who behaves nervous and un-assured.
The truth of the matter is that whether you are wearing a $3000 suit or a $30 pair of jeans, it's the man that makes the look work, not the clothes. My mother taught me that if you look good, you feel good, but that doesn't mean that we all have the same definition of "looking good." Whether my mother meant or knew it when she said that over and over again, what she was saying was that in order to feel your best, you should wear the thing that looks the absolute best on you, within your "style."
For example, a guy that loves his sports teams and likes to wear jerseys every day wants to wear the most authentic, stylish, newest jersey from his team, with matching hat. When he wakes up that morning and puts on his best jersey, he'll have an extra spring in his step and added confidence in his gate. He is no different than a guy like me who wakes up and puts on his brand new $3000 wool suit and has the same added spring. The first guy would feel awful in my suit, and I would feel like an idiot in his jersey, proving that it's the man that makes the clothes, not the clothes that make the man.
As for why and how I chose my style, I'm not sure that I did. Styles some time choose people based on how they carry themselves, the types of people they associate with and their careers. Small-minded people try to demean my wardrobe by saying idiotic things like "why do you dress up to be on the radio?" This statement shows complete ignorance and contempt for what I do and also says that nice clothes are reserved for certain types of jobs. Ridiculous.
When our show is over I meet with management officials at the radio station, attorneys, clients and sometimes executives. All of those people will be dressed in professional attire and by matching or outdoing them I at least level the playing field. Again, use the reverse situation to prove the point; imagine showing up to a pickup basketball game wearing Dockers and shirt and tie. The guys will laugh at you, assume you're a nerd and treat you with contempt. In a corporate setting, why place yourself in that position to begin a negotiation? Walking in to a room of lawyers wearing a baseball hat and sweatshirt places you in an immediate subservient position.
Furthermore, I dress up even if I don't have any meetings because it goes back to my mother's rule of feeling and looking your best. My style dictates that I wear silk pants and a sport coat. There's no reason to jeopardize my self-assurance by showing up to my job in a sweat suit.
As for how much I spend on clothes, the answer is a lot. I love my clothes and I buy the best because I can. People scoff at the thought of spending $150 on a pair of jeans or $400 on a French cuff dress shirt, but that's their problem. I believe in style and fashion and looking and feeling my best. Find your style, buy only the nicest clothes that fit that style and stick with it. Define yourself as opposed to letting others define you.
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