All posts in The Suits

As many of you know, I am in a constant quest to find suits that define my style. Due to the fact most men’s suits are boring, the search becomes harder & harder. In most stores you can find the standard three button, black, navy blue, or gray suit. These are fine for most men & I don’t ever knock their choice. However, to me, these suits should come with a bottle of “No-Doze” in the pocket. I want something that makes me feel amped when I wear it, & stimulates those who see it.

On a day when I thought all was lost in my search for a different suit, there in front of me appeared the “Snakeskin”. Wow! To me it was like the prospector who is panning for gold; pushes aside the black sand & the sun shines on a big nugget. Not only did it have the vibrant, shiny colors, but also a style so unique it seems to reach out & bite ya. This suit embodies what I consider a true “Superpimpin’ look.

One of my very favorite nights wearing this outfit was at the Barley House shortly after my Scene magazine cover article hit the stands. I was feeling such a natural high. Looking good in the suit…hanging out at one of my favorite places with a great group of friends…celebrating a wonderful highlight of my dream. Real special times don’t come along in life as much as we would like. Each one needs to be embraced to the fullest. That night, I certainly did……….Till next time………

P.S. NO reptiles died in the making of this suit. HA! : D

A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, a very young kid sat in front of a tv. with only three channels. On Saturday mornings he would watch larger than life superheroes, capable of doing things no ordinary man could. On Sundays he would watch a different kind of superhero. A man who still could do the things ordinary man couldn’t, but the difference being, he was flesh & blood, not a fictional character. It seemed no single man could stop him….he ran with such power & speed it seemed he could fly…. always found a way to defeat his foes. This man’s name was Jim Brown; who proudly wore the uniform of our Cleveland Browns. The very young kid who idealized him was yours truly. This was the start of my life long love affair with the Browns.

During the eighteen years of having season tickets I wore all the typical fan garb to the games. About a year ago I decided it was time to “pimplify“ what I wore in support of our team. Of course the choice was a suit…what else could it be? I went to many different clothing stores looking for an orange suit with a Browns tie. Maybe you can imagine how tough it was to find these two items.

The first time I wore The Browns Suit was the home opener tailgate of last season. (2011). Surprising as it may seem, that was the first tailgate I had ever attended. A true example of one of my favorite original terms “ testicular fortitude “ i.e. balls, is walking into your first Muni Lot tailgate wearing an orange zoot suit, with your hair dyed to look like a Brown’s helmet. PImpin’ ain’t easy…..Ha!

As a part of my suit stories, I usually include one of my favorite times wearing the suit….however this situation is different. Every time I wear this suit showing my individual pride in our Cleveland Browns & the city they represent, it is the most special time. Every time I wear this suit as part of the pride I have in being a part of the greatest group of fans in the NFL, that is the most special time.

Keep the faith……the Browns are back! ……….GO BROWNS!……………..Till next time……

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Why have I never considered wearing, let alone buying, a red suit until recently? Quite frankly, because I never thought I looked good in red. It didn’t matter if it was a shirt, pants, sweater, I never felt comfortable in red. This suit story re-emphasizes why we shouldn’t prejudge something solely on our past experiences or tastes.

Several months ago I was negotiating with Tom Rini to become part of his great Crav Vodka promotion team. I started by looking up his website to determine his marketing look, or style. What jumped out at me was his use of the word “Passion”, highlighted by bold red & black colors. My idea was to break my no red rule & show up at our meeting with a bold red suit, with a black silk shirt & tie; carrying a bottle of Crav.

I went to my favorite suit store and found the suit & accessories I had in my minds eye. The next step was to try it on; having already determined I wouldn’t be happy. When I looked in the mirror, I was pleasantly hocked. Maybe because my expectations were so low, or perhaps I just keep getting younger every day. ( the Horseshoe Casino has set the odds that it’s the first of the two reasons. HA!)

My favorite night so far in the suit, was at a fundraiser which I was asked to make an appearance. It was a blind bachelor auction benefiting the students & families of the Chardon High School shootings. I was way out of my comfort zone that night. As I have always stated as part of my “Pimpology 101” course study; “ life begins where your comfort zone ends” So when the evening ended as a great success, it was a tremendous relief. I met so many wonderful people who selflessly gave of their time, had fun, & made a bunch of money for a great cause. Can’t ask for more than that. ( As a side note, I was auctioned off for $1.17 cents……..Just
kidding……………$1.18 cents)

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We have all at one time identified ourselves with a t.v show that made us feel like one of the stars was created based on our image. That show for me in the 80s was “Miami Vice”, and in my mind I was Sonny Crockett personified. He wore the pastel-colored suits which accented his tan. The women all flocked to his rugged good looks, self confidence, and unique style.

In the eighties the hot clubs in Cleveland were O’Malley’s, Coconuts, and the Bomb Squadron (across from the airport) By coincidence, I met a black man by the name of Eddy, and we started hitting the clubs together. For those of you that remember, Crockett’s sidekick was Tubbs, a well dressed black guy. Well of course when we walked in anywhere we were known as Crockett & Tubbs. ( An association that worked out quite well for us with the ladies.) Hate when that happens….Ha!

I bought this suit about two years in the beginning of the summer. When I first laid eyes on it , many great memories of that era came rushing back. I knew it would be mine, but I had one large obstacle to overcome. If I was truly going to be Sonny Crockett in that suit…..he never wore a tie…..I always wear a tie. As silly as it seems, it was hard for me to go out of my comfort zone and not wear a tie.

The first night I wore the suit was my favorite night with that suit so far. It was a very hot, humid night, and although I was feeling the Miami vibe, as I was walking into the club I was apprehensive as to how the fans would accept the fact I was out of “uniform” so to speak. As soon as I walked in a very beautiful fan came up to me and asked to take a picture with “ Don Johnson” Wow! I couldn’t have asked for a better start to a great night.

As a side note; isn’t it funny that no matter how confident you are as a person, when we step out of our comfort zone ( new style haircut, clothes etc) we wait for that first person to come and say “ I like it “ to feel like a million bucks………till next time

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Ah…..springtime is in the air. It is this time of year when we remember as Clevelanders, why we suffer through long cold winters. Arguably, we have the best spring, summer, and fall seasons in the country. Our thoughts turn to the outdoor sports, such as baseball and golf among others. Today we are going to talk about my goofy golf suit.

As I’ve stated in the past, I am blessed with a great family. Every year my cousin Ronnie ( a.k.a. Big ) puts together a family golf outing, which starts with 18 holes, and ends with a family, friends cookout. Every year i wear an outrageous outfit, trying to outdo the year before. The hands down winner so far, by far, is the goofy golf suit.

I got the outfit from a fellow Progressive worker, who originally bought it as a Halloween costume about five years ago. As I was thinking about what to wear to the next outing, I remember him wearing it to our office Halloween party. I thought it would bring the laugh I was hoping to bring to everyone. However, I had a slight dilemma. That year’s outing was scheduled at one of the stuffiest, highbrow, golf clubs in northeast Ohio. What are my chances this upscale club would escort me off the links on the tip of a boot in my behind.

Even though I including a pic, I must describe the details of the suit. Starting from the ground up, I’m wearing hiking boots with green laces in one, and orange in the other. White knee high socks meet the bottom of my Scottish plaid golf style knickers. A white dress shirt is under a vest, which is made from green astroturf, with actual size plastic golf balls as buttons. I am also wearing a tie made from green astroturf with a golf ball as a tie pin. The outfit is topped off (literally) with a round, French tam style hat. The hat is made from astroturf made to look like a putting green. Protruding from the middle of it is a flag pin. Attached to the pin is a 2 inch long invisible wire with a plastic golf ball on the other end so it looks like its on the green waiting to be putted in the hole.

Sunday morning 8:00 am sharp I arrive at the course with the suit already on. I’m in pretty bad shape already because I was on West Sixth street indulging in adult beverages until 5:00am. As I approached the club’s office to pay for my round of golf, I can see two impeccably dressed older gentleman behind the counter, truly representing the class of this course. I stopped a moment, trying to muster some testicular fortitude to open the door and meet my fate. As I opened the door the two gentleman immediately looked up…to be continued soon

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Hello fans of the “Suit Stories”. Good to have you back!

Today we are going to talk about one of the three original Superpimp suits.

Suit Name:

“Electric Blue”

Where and When Did I Get This Suit?

It is actually the first of the very few non-suits I own. By that, I mean a coat which did not come with it’s own pants. It was an orphan, so to speak, due to the fact someone bought the pants, vest, and the regular length suit coat designed to be worn under Electric Blue. Apparently the boy didn’t have the “testicular fortitude” to wear the knee length jacket.

His loss, was my gain. There it was, hanging in all its glory, all alone, waiting to be “adopted”. Knowing the proprietor of the store was stuck with the coat, I made my offer….$20 bucks. He said it was worth 5 times that amount, and I said, you’re right. However, you already got your money out of it by selling the rest of the suit and nobody is going to buy a bright royal blue knee length suit coat with no pants, i replied.. He looked at me and said, “ You have ‘nads’ the size of bowling balls”! I gave him the $20, he threw in a free pair of socks and I walked out with Electric Blue.

What does this suit mean to me?

The next weekend I matched up the coat with black pants from one of my other suits, found the perfect tie for $5 on sale, and headed out for a night on the town. Although math was never my strong point, I figure I have $25 invested in what is even to this day, one of my favorites. All the compliments I’ve received in the last ten years due to this suit is testimony to one of my original lessons of Pimpology 101..“It’s not what you paid for it; it’s how you wear it.”

My Favorite Night In This Suit:

Since this one of my older suits, with so many great memories, it is hard to pinpoint just one, but i will.

I always wanted to go to South Beach for vacation. I had been to Daytona many times, but there was this mystique about the place where the stars go to hang out. A few years ago I finally got my opportunity. My first night there I wore the Pink Panther suit, the second night the Electric Blue. What a perfect Florida night in late March; 70 degrees with a nice breeze off the ocean. I was walking down Ocean Dr. when I passed one of many outdoor restaurants. There, were seven people from Brazil having dinner together and they called me over to introduce themselves ( four girls & three guys, all beautiful people inside & out). After a few drinks, we went to the “Clevelander“ nightspot. (Look for a complete review of the Clevelander in South Beach, soon on “Superpimp Places”).

South Beach rocks till 4am, then the real party starts. We went back to their adjoining suites for a few more drinks on the beautiful terrace overlooking the lights of this vibrant city.

At this point, as in any good G-rated movie, the lights slowly dim, and the next thing you see is the sun rising.

Until next time,

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