Wearing a suit while playing pool...

crawfish said:
I do it all the time. I actually make it a prerequisite to play me. You must dress for the occasion. No tie. No action.
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Yah thats what she said too. Course it wasnt a tie she was talken about.:D
 
Good thread. A topic along these lines came up the other night. I was talking with a guy who used to work at a men's clothing place that is now out of business because nobody wears a suit. (Can you imagine only a few years ago this place would bring suits to your office to try on and fit. You didn't have to be a CEO either, a guy would come to the office and fit you for some suits and match up some ties, and not with $2000 suits. Stuff normal guys could afford.) Both of us like hats but rarely wear them because they are almost alien. Neither of us wears a suit everywhere because it seems strange now. Both of us know that in the past men dressed better. We are thinking about dressing better because people probably think we're idiots anyway, so we might as well have a tie on. I mean, he knew a guy who wore a shirt and tie to work in his garden. My father-in-law's father made sure to put on a suit to go Christmas shopping. He was a blue collar guy in an era of less prosperity but owned some dressier clothes to go out in. Nothing wrong with it.

I am not going to be an activist like when Tony Soprano and Artie Bucco were offended by the guy wearing a cap in a restaurant, and I doubt I will put on a suit to play pool. But it would be nice to see people dress more like they did in the '50's. I can't imagine men going out in the '50's in cargo shorts and flip-flops, and their date wearing sweats with a slogan or logo on the butt. :grin-square:
 
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sfleinen said:
.

Oftentimes, when I'm running late returning from Manhattan, after I'd fed and walked the dog, I find myself grabbing my cue case and leaving for league with what I have on -- full business dress. No need to "get in comfortable clothes," because I'm already comfortable.
-Sean
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I agree, but recently when I was out after a long day wearing a suit, I got some strange looks. A couple people thought it was stange to be wearing a suit and this was at a nice place on a weeknight. Wearing a suit where I live out at dinner on a weekend would really stand out. And maybe that is good, but I tend not to over do it. Maybe the only way to bring back the suit is to wear it everywhere as guys used to do.
 
i don't wear a suit often, but....good suit pants are more comfortable than jeans to me. call me crazy, but really they are light, soft and turn more heads. granted they cost more and you can't just throw em in the wash, but man they are comfy.
 
SKUNKBOY said:
I think you need to look around a little. Des Moines is a big town...surely there are 4 others like you somehwere that aren't on a team. Remember, you only need three original players to form a State Team...the other two just need to be sanctioned in the same league. Keep looking, you'll work it out.

As far as the suits go...that would be cool. We have a team in CR that wants to wear Kilts:eek::eek:, but the board thought that to be a little too far over the edge. I think they do walk around the Tournament showing off their legs, just not playing in the event.

Good luck to you in future endeavors. Will I see you in the Singles events?

L8R...Ken
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No, you won't see me, even in the singles events this year. Too many personal issues for me now and I don't want to go up there alone.

Thanks for the advice.

I think kilts would be great and not offensive in any way. They're dress clothes for Pete's sake.

Jeff Livingston
 
I am normally playing tournaments with a suit, but without the jacket. Like the snooker-players do.

I prefer to play in it, and how silly it might sound: When dressing up for the tournament in the morning, it is part of me being mentally prepared for the tournament. "I am putting up my tournament clothes, it's not just another day playing pool".
 
I like to be comfortable when I'm playing. I don't like wearing anything with a long sleeve. Every other game played has uniforms or appropriate attire for that particular game. I hate seeing people showing up to play in tournaments with tee-shirts and wearing hats. We need standards for dress, I can't see suits because they can restrict your body movements and the extra clothing leads to another way to commit a foul.

The way people dressed in the old days was more of a status thing. Many people at baseball games also wore suits and top hats. These were people you saw in photos. They were seated up front, again a status thing.
 
chefjeff said:
I've often been fascinated by the old photos of the greats. In those, most of the guys are wearing 3-piece suits. I've often wondered how/why those guys wore these restricting clothes and yet still played great pool.

I just read this article that goes into how this economic depression might result in men wearing suits all the time as a means to display the value they can offer potential employers. Even the bums sleeping on park benches were all wearing suits.

Compare that fashion to today's "fashion."

Not only the economy will affect style, imho. With the non-smoking nazis being so successful, a suit won't be as likely to get smelly/smoky like it would have before the anti-smoking thugs had their way. That makes wearing one a little less costly.

I've often thought of putting on my best suit to play league but didn't as I didn't want to constantly explain why I was wearing a suit.

Anyone considering wearing a suit to the pool hall. Why/ why not?

Jeff Livingston
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I've told this story before, but whaddahey, it fits:

Back in the late 70's I was stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base, just outside of Great Falls, MT. One year, The Corner Pocket up there decided to bring in Frank McGowan, former 14.1 champ, for an exhibition. The manager asked if I'd be willing to be the sitting duck and play him 125 points of straight pool, before McGowan shot some trick shots. I said sure.

Well, I don't know what I was thinking. But I had seen Mosconi do his exhibition several times before. And I kinda suspected that McGowan would follow the usual routine for these affairs and show up in a suit, or a coat and tie. So, for reasons that are still unclear to me today, I decided that the appropriate thing for me to do in this situation was to also wear a suit. The only problem was that, at the time, I only owned one suit. It was a perfectly fine suit: a three-piece; in light gray; white shirt; bright red tie.

Think Bond. James Bond.

So it's time for the exhibition. There's a room full of people around one table and McGowan comes in, and I don't know, he takes one look at me -- three-piece suit; in light gray; white shirt; bright red tie -- and he kinda goes catatonic or something. I guess it would be like going out duck hunting and the first duck you see flies by in a tux.

Well, somehow I get the first shot. Clearly, I've thrown Frank off his game.

I start to run the balls. I get into the second rack. And then the third. Frank goes to the bathroom. I get into the fourth rack. The balls are *wide open.* And then comes the shot that I still remember today: a little baby two ball combination on the rail behind the rack that, as Danny McGoorty would have said, a drunk Girl Scout could've made if you held her up to the table long enough.

And I took it for granted and I hung up the ball.

I was told afterwards, by a friend who went into the bathroom at that point, that McGowan was in there washing his hands. When my buddy told him that I had just missed, McGowan went, "He missed?!" And McGowan comes flying out and quickly proceeds to make a dish of, "Shredded Duck ala Lou," with an 80-something run and then a 50-something.

Sooo, to answer your question: Yes. I've thought of it and actually done it.

But I don't really recommend it :-)

Lou Figueroa
 
I think it had more to do with Brunswick controlling the billiard and pool world at the time and the image the company wanted to project to the public. Remember that to Brunswick pool wasn't pool--it was always "pocket billiards!"
 
Hmmmm... I guess I'll feel a bit underdressed during tonight's practice session on my home table, when I'll be playing barefoot and shirtless.;)
 
Jeff...While I am a t-shirt & jeans guy at heart, whenever I perform a trick shot show, on my tour, I am ALWAYS dressed in a coat & tie, dress slacks, and dress shoes. Why? It's my way of thanking my audience, and being a professional. I learned long ago, that if you want to market yourself as a professional, you need to dress and act like a professional...which means, in term, that you will be PAID like a professional. In 15 years on tour, playing in a coat & tie has never affected my ability to play well in exhibitions.

Scott Lee
chefjeff said:
Anyone considering wearing a suit to the pool hall. Why/ why not?

Jeff Livingston
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Lou...Did you know that, along with George Franks, Frank McGowan OWNED the Corner Pockets parent company. The HQ was in Billings, and it was one reason why I decided to move to MT in the early 80's (thinking I might be able to get a job with them). Unfortunately they went out of business the year before I moved up there from CO! :eek::(:D Both George and Frank were excellent players!

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

lfigueroa said:
I've told this story before, but whaddahey, it fits:

Back in the late 70's I was stationed at Malmstrom Air Force Base, just outside of Great Falls, MT. One year, The Corner Pocket up there decided to bring in Frank McGowan, former 14.1 champ, for an exhibition. The manager asked if I'd be willing to be the sitting duck and play him 125 points of straight pool, before McGowan shot some trick shots. I said sure.

Well, I don't know what I was thinking. But I had seen Mosconi do his exhibition several times before. And I kinda suspected that McGowan would follow the usual routine for these affairs and show up in a suit, or a coat and tie. So, for reasons that are still unclear to me today, I decided that the appropriate thing for me to do in this situation was to also wear a suit. The only problem was that, at the time, I only owned one suit. It was a perfectly fine suit: a three-piece; in light gray; white shirt; bright red tie.

Think Bond. James Bond.

So it's time for the exhibition. There's a room full of people around one table and McGowan comes in, and I don't know, he takes one look at me -- three-piece suit; in light gray; white shirt; bright red tie -- and he kinda goes catatonic or something. I guess it would be like going out duck hunting and the first duck you see flies by in a tux.

Well, somehow I get the first shot. Clearly, I've thrown Frank off his game.

I start to run the balls. I get into the second rack. And then the third. Frank goes to the bathroom. I get into the fourth rack. The balls are *wide open.* And then comes the shot that I still remember today: a little baby two ball combination on the rail behind the rack that, as Danny McGoorty would have said, a drunk Girl Scout could've made if you held her up to the table long enough.

And I took it for granted and I hung up the ball.

I was told afterwards, by a friend who went into the bathroom at that point, that McGowan was in there washing his hands. When my buddy told him that I had just missed, McGowan went, "He missed?!" And McGowan comes flying out and quickly proceeds to make a dish of, "Shredded Duck ala Lou," with an 80-something run and then a 50-something.

Sooo, to answer your question: Yes. I've thought of it and actually done it.

But I don't really recommend it :-)

Lou Figueroa
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+1 for Scott's point. But on the topic of pool clothes... I notice a lot of the local shooters go for a certain kind of really casual clothes. I've sort of subconsciously gotten into this unofficial dress code too. It's basically windpants and a T-shirt. I go for dark blue, black, or gray, but some wild n crazy guys might do red and white. When I see this outfit in a pool hall I now assume that person can play a little.

I laughed a little when I went to VNEA finals and in our 2nd match saw a dude dressed more or less exactly like me: dark windpants with white stripes running up the side and plain gray/blue T-shirt. This is my daily shooting outfit and it's completely comfortable and I never think about it while shooting. I almost make a point of emptying my pockets before playing.

No objection to suits, but if they restrict shooting ability in any way something must be done, it isn't right to the player even if it pleases the spectators to see it.
 
SKUNKBOY said:
Cheffeff...can you get your state team to wear a suit at the ISPA:D?
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Jeff's team no longer plays ISPA/BCA in Dsm.

Considering this is the only tournament where you need to wear team shirts atleast, i like your idea :) Sadly noone will do it unless its a team who has no shot to cash. Playing/waiting around all day up there in a suit is not my idea of a good time. Would be fun to see i have to admit.
 
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