WHY CAN’T WE LOOK MORE LIKE THE GANGSTER OF THE PAST ERA?

Have you noticed how people are getting more and

Mugshot of Herbert Ellis circa 1934

more casual these days? I remember the day when people dressed up anytime they left their homes. And if it was to attend church, women donned hats, gloves, heels, and stockings. Today I see people in sweat pants, torn jeans, over-sized T-shirts, and flip-flops. Don’t get me wrong. I can do casual dress, too, but if I go out in public, I still want to look my best. Co-workers used to ask me why I was so dressed up. I didn’t know how to answer that. I wanted to say, “Why are you not?” To me, it just showed more professionalism. Nowadays Casual Friday seems to be every day in the workplace.
I feel sure you have seen some of the young men walking around with their pants dropped almost to their knees and their underwear exposed for the world to see. Once I was on a police ride-along when the officers had to pull up a handcuffed young man’s pants before he could get into the patrol car. I’m sure his mug shot turned out very different than the photo I chose of Herbert Ellis taken in 1934. Even though Ellis was charged with receiving stolen goods, indecent language, and receiving and throwing a missile, he looked his best for his mugshot. Back then, a person was always dapper even while committing a crime! A mobster would not think of going out on the street in anything but his best suit and tie. They might have been thugs, but they did know how to dress nice.

So what has happened to us over the years? I say if Dashing Ellis could get all dressed up to make his livelihood in crime, can’t we dress up a little to go to the store? Hey you guys that I see on Saturday mornings in pajama pants and sweats in the grocery store, well,— I’m talking to you!