LOOKING SIDEWAYS

MARK LUETKE

It was hard to ignore while I was dining out recently at my favorite casual but pleasant restaurant.
The woman of a certain age at the next table was dressed appealingly: nice slacks, stylish top, tasteful jewelry, a flattering touch of makeup. Meanwhile, her husband sat across from her in worn jeans, sweatshirt, and white socks with well-worn athletic shoes.
I see this often enough that it begs the question: When did we start dressing like slobs?
Admittedly, I may not be a proper critic–I’ve always made a habit of picking clothes that are a notch above. As a kid, my mom made me wear a coat and clip-on tie to church. My professional career demanded a suit at business meetings, and I took such care to look put-together that one client always greeted me as “Mr. Brooks Brothers.” Even in retirement, I wear nice jeans at a restaurant—mostly with a collared shirt or a t-shirt and pullover top. But I seem to be the exception.
Go to any public place today—a concert, the mall, a sit-down dining establishment—and it seems like the overall standard of dress for everyone has reached a low point. Still, it seems less so for women.
“Women’s attire hit a low point during the Pandemic quarantine, when we all were forced to work from home. Business was conducted via Zoom, so people only had to look good from the waist up. That carried over into everyday life,” explains Jane Wurth, owner of the classy but hip women’s clothing shop Ragazza.
“Some women have carried over that Pandemic look by wearing big shirts and leggings or torn jeans in public. But many others—especially those under 50-are now dressing nicer than they have for the past 10 years. Many are leading a return to wearing dresses. It’s just one piece that only requires some simple jewelry to look good.”
With that said (and since June is Men’s Fashion Month), let’s look specifically at the sorry state of gentlemen’s attire—and what can be done to help turn it around.
Tom Lindsley was Sylvania’s foremost influencer on how local men “dressed up” for 34 years as manager and owner of Robert’s Menswear. He sold suits, shoes, ties and white dress shirts from the shop in SouthBriar Plaza on Main Street. The wardrobes were not only for executives to wear at the office, but also grooms, groomsmen, and first communicants. He offered golf attire and country club casual slacks and sweaters, too.
But just as he added a new showroom in the early 2000s that stocked more than 350 suits, “the market changed,” Lindsley told me. By then, baby boomer business professionals were moving into leadership at corporations and large private companies. Consistent with the (rebellious) tone of their era, they resisted the suit and tie wardrobe that was traditionally required by their older bosses, he explained.
Lindsley said the first concession to style was on “dress-down Fridays” which permitted khaki slacks, casual shirts and loafers in the office once a week. That was eventually expanded to five days a week, and it was etched in corporate culture when employees worked mostly from home and visited the office only occasionally during Covid, he said.
So today, “casual means sloppy,” says fashion consultant Judith Rasband. People prowl the grocery store looking like they are just coming home from a sleepover. Grown men have no problem wearing a baseball cap while eating at Outback. Even U.S. Senator John Fetterman roams the halls of Congress in a baggy hoodie and shorts.
Of course, people such as attorneys and bankers still dress up for work. Former clothier Lindsley, now a full-time Realtor with Danberry, says he wears a suit and tie to closings. That said, he and Ms. Wurth agreed to share with our readers three rules that can turn every 2025 male into a gentleman again.
“First, understand that a guy doesn’t need to wear a suit to look respectable these days … it’s more in the way you put yourself together,” Lindsley says. He counsels that even on a regular Friday night out, a man should show a little thought and preparation to complement what his companion is wearing.
“Consider a dress jean or khaki slacks—these days khakis come in many colors. A knit shirt is fine, or a nice sweater or quarter-zip in the fall. And pay attention to the footwear! Don’t wear tennis shoes on a nice occasion: rubber soles on a casual Bass, Sperry or New Balance shoe are perfect.”
“Second, a man’s closet should have at least one choice of attire for more formal occasions, like attending a wedding or funeral. Khaki slacks and a button up shirt will do fine; a tie can be optional. A respectable dresser should have at least one sport coat, too,” he says.
Finally, our experts underscore the obvious for a gentleman who figures out he’s dressing to complement his partner’s attire, not for a bowling night. Wurth suggests, “If a gentleman can’t figure out what to wear for a particular occasion, he should ask any lady in his life—his wife, sure, but also a daughter, sister, longtime friend.”
Adds Lindsley, “Check yourself out in the mirror before leaving the house. Your simple goal is look neat, clean, pressed and comfortable.” In other words: not like a slob.
Longtime Sylvania resident Mark Luetke has served on city council, the board of education, and numerous foundation and community boards.