Sharp Dressed Little Man

Or Casual Comfort?

While doing a bit of basement cleaning the other day, I came across a photo I knew about, then forgot about, but now rediscovered. Given the time period, my mother took an extraordinary amount of photos of me and of the family.

And many came out pretty well. I always thought she had a pretty decent eye for photography. (One day here I’ll write about her trips to Europe and the photos she brought back from there.)

Anyway, here I am - I’m going to go out on a limb here and say this was the only time in my life I looked good in a double breasted suit.

The photo is timely because in a couple weeks, Little Bean is going to be performing for the senior living set in a piano recital and we’ll somehow have to make her look presentable. And by presentable, I mean less Jerry Lee Lewis and more Chopin, though maybe those seniors could use a little Great Balls of Fire in their lives. We’ll see.

Anyway, the picture. I suspect this was one of our Sunday church outings, mainly because they didn’t dress me up like this even for family visits. This could even be Easter, though the picture has no month or date. I can’t remember, exactly, how or even if I felt any way in particular about being dressed up as a kid. In Catholic school, later, I technically was always dressed up every day in a uniform.

In my earliest work days, which were basically retail, I never had much need for formal dress. And certainly as a cop beat journalist, dressing like this would actually get in the way of doing my job.

I did go through a weird, cringey period when I first came up to New Hampshire and fashioned myself some like of businessman when I took to wearing cuff-links and suit jackets - ugh. And now, at the library, I want to present myself as neat, but casual. Not exactly academic, but book nerdy. So vests. Nice shoes. Collars. That sort of thing.

I can recall only one time when I wore a tux - high school graduation. (Wait, I may have wore a tux for my cousin’s wedding?)

And so, little me, dressing up just wasn’t going to be in your future I’m afraid. I doubt I’ll ever find myself playing poker in a famous casino in Monaco or attending the coronation of a queen, so my sharp, tan double breast with the fedora will have to be my high point I guess.

I still do have my grandfather’s cuff links though. Maybe they’ll come in handy some day.