My cousin was recently indicted for a financial crime. If he’s convicted, he could go to jail for a year or more. He believes he should look his best at the trial, and so he wants to wear his best suits. I argue that considering the tenor of the times, juries will be harder on men they think are super-rich, so he should dress more casually. Not sloppily, but in a way that allows the jury to relate to him. What do you think?
G. C., Dallas, Texas
Dear G. C.,
I think you should dress him like a waitress. People are innately sympathetic to waitresses, especially in times of economic hardship. If he resists, you might want to dress him in beige. According to John Molloy, a “clothing consultant,” you might be able to “diminish his look of authority by having him wear a pale-beige suit, a pale shirt (not light-blue), and a pale tie. This combination suggests to a jury that this is not really a man of authority and raises the question of how he could have abused what he obviously didn’t have.”
I’ve noticed that many airline passengers stack their coats and other small items in overhead bins. This annoys me. On a recent flight, the attendant insisted that I check my carry-on because there was no space left. Surprise! My bag didn’t arrive with me—it showed up 10 hours later. At what point is a passenger allowed to throw people’s jackets on the floor?