Wearing a suit while playing pool...

Richardson said:
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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We will be playing BCA next year if I have anything to do about it. a few weeks ago, a guy on our Valley team (who wasn't even playing but was good n drunk) didn't like what someone on the other team (who wasn't playing but was good n drunk) said and threw him onto the floor and threatened to punch him. Result: Kicked off of Valley league and it is somehow MY fault (for not defending his actions well enough!).

One problem with a suit is it interferes with my ideas of getting sponsors to help pay expenses for our team. Putting a sponsor's name on a shirt is one thing; on a suit?....nah.

Jeff Livingston
 
chefjeff said:
We will be playing BCA next year if I have anything to do about it. a few weeks ago, a guy on our Valley team (who wasn't even playing but was good n drunk) didn't like what someone on the other team (who wasn't playing but was good n drunk) said and threw him onto the floor and threatened to punch him. Result: Kicked off of Valley league and it is somehow MY fault (for not defending his actions well enough!).

One problem with a suit is it interferes with my ideas of getting sponsors to help pay expenses for our team. Putting a sponsor's name on a shirt is one thing; on a suit?....nah.

Jeff Livingston
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I know someone on your team who is capable of this :) Are you kicked out for good ? Plus you could always play in Geoff's vnea. If you do that and can play on tues nights, we have won that division 2 sessions a year for 5 years now. Could use another good team in it.

Yeah, i dont mind wearing a bar shirt. Although the year we won BCA state the night before i bought us shirts at Wal-Mart. Might be something to think about :thumbup:
 
Richardson said:
I know someone on your team who is capable of this :) Are you kicked out for good ? Plus you could always play in Geoff's vnea. If you do that and can play on tues nights, we have won that division 2 sessions a year for 5 years now. Could use another good team in it.

Yeah, i dont mind wearing a bar shirt. Although the year we won BCA state the night before i bought us shirts at Wal-Mart. Might be something to think about :thumbup:
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My teammate is kicked out for good, though "for good" isn't specified in the rules so it might just be for the season. Our team is still playing with a new guy (who is doing quite well).

We talked about doing Geoff's league, especially now that Don Hood owns Smokey's (the previous owner falsely accused me of cheating and wouldn't let it go so I took my $50 a week spending elsewhere). We've done that league before and it was I who had problems (didn't want to give my ssn for a lousy $50 take).

It's always something, ain't it?:wink:

Maybe with a suit on, I'd not have such problems?

Jeff Livingston
 
Yeah, i play out of smokeys still. Don treats us well, his business is slow atm.

I know you well enough to know you arent gonna cheat anyone.
 
Richardson said:
Yeah, i play out of smokeys still. Don treats us well, his business is slow atm.

I know you well enough to know you arent gonna cheat anyone.
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Why, thank you for those kind words....and you've never seen me in a suit!

Jeff Livingston
 
Depending on where I am playing, I usually dress business casual, if I am in a tournament I will more then likely wear the three peice there, and remove the jacket and losen the tie, A good shirt, fitted even with the top button undone and a properly tied tie, will still allow for excellent movement.

The vest then, helps keep everything in line and close to the body. I think playing that now, will often throw the other play off his game due to intimidation more. Dress the Part and most will think you belong..

Plus a nice pair of pants and shirt and tie, just look better, the classic look will never go out of style...
 
CreeDo said:
+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.
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You reminded me of the early '90s when there seemed to be another dress code: male poolplayers wore either jeans or slacks with these short- sleeved, button up silk shirts. The silk shirts were identical in cut and material, and the colors would be various blues and greens, in solids or patterns. There would always be a white t-shirt underneath. And you did assume the guy could play when he was wearing "the uniform."

I used to tease about whether every male poolplayer in the whole country had hit the same sale, and one guy explained that they were perfect because they were natural materials that breathed, they were comfortable short sleeves, and the cue slid without resistance on the silk.

I did think you guys looked very nice.
 
Scott Lee said:
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
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Yep, I knew Frank was part the CP thing. They were nice rooms. Besides the one in Great Falls, I think I played in the CP in Billings and Missoula, '77 - '81.

Lou Figueroa
 
Cuaba said:
Last time I played pool in a suit was about a year ago during a friend's wedding reception. The reception was next door to a nice bar with a couple of well kept Valley's.

The suit definitely attracted action, and by the end of the night I was in a $100 9-Ball set. I think I won a couple hundred and a bunch of drinks.
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Last night I attended a talk in a very upscale place in Chicago, and lo an behold they had a 9 footer in there, with Super Aramith balls, but awful playing but decent looking graphite cues, with good tips.

I had on a sharp gray pin striped suit, white French cuffed shirt and tie, and uh-oh, suspenders.

When I took off my jacket to match the other players, they saw those suspenders and one of them cracked a line about "The Color of Money".

Suffice it to say, playing with those plastic, grippy cues was no fun, but we did have fun, and it was cool to actually shoot some pool with fellows appropriately attired.

Won't forget it any time soon.


Flex
 
Like puttin a scoop of ice cream on a hot dog

Tennesseejoe said:
Some people just have never taken the opportunity to feel the luxury of being first class.
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I am more apt to agree with Fats as stated in Hustler Days on P-218: "I'm the one that saved pool-they helped bury it," Fats would say of the BCA. "All them play in tuxedos,....eight, ten, twelve, fifteen jack-offs playing in tuxedos. That's like...wouldn't it be nice to play golf in tuxedo? Wouldn't it be nice to play tennis in a tuxedo? Wouldn't it be nice to play polo in a tuxedo? I mean, ain't that ridiculous?"

Doing exhibitions in a suit is fine as a gimmic for the public. And, if you feel it makes you play better then go right ahead with your tie and cuff-links, but please don't expect others to do the same.

I Am First Class....... and I don't need a suit and tie to remind me. Thank you very much!

gbru
 
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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My nickname used to be "Joey with a tie". My coat and tie was the sign that said "sucker". ;) I no longer wear the suit and tie to the pool hall as I no longer hustle pool. :smile:

JoeyA
 
I was reading through some old posts and thought I would comment on this one. Mass produced suits today tend to be made with very low armholes compared to those made in the early half of the 1900's. Low armholes make it more difficult to move freely and comfortably in a suit, thus less comfortable while playing pool.

You can see more clearly what I am talking about here:
http://mrlapel.blogspot.com/2008/04/its-all-in-armholes.html
 
I believe that perhaps since billiards was considered to be a game played by the upper echelon of the world in its early days in the 18th and 19th centuries, it became a tradition to wear fancier clothes when shooting pool. At the same time, it was a game played by aristocrats as a gambling device as well. Unfortunately, as the game made it's way down to the masses, so did its reputation as rough and tumble game. I still think that the reason the professional players wore suits in tournaments in the 20th century was a way of legitimizing the game in the eyes of those that felt it s ranks were filled with cheats, sharks, and hustlers. Still, people generally dressed nicer 50 years ago, so maybe I'm wrong.

Now contrast old-time pool dress with bowling, which was more of a 'common man' game. How many times have you seen bowlers in suits? Try never. And don't say that a suit would constrict you when bowling, because we've already decided that it constricts you when shooting pool, too.

I'm definitely a proponent of looking nice, but I think the suit as a garment to be wearing while playing pool is dead. I don't want to accept it, but it's true. Now, for some reason a vest and a bow tie seems to work when a professional is putting on an exhibition for some swanky promoter, but that's the only time you'll see it. The sport coat is done, and it's forever going to be polo shirts and khakis henceforth.
 
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the main reason everbody wore a suite during the 10's 20's and 30's is because the only mass produced shirts were white and long sleved. shoes were black or brown leather. there were no t shirts. there was no color or style unless you covered the stuff with something. buisness man and bumb both wore white shirts. only the elite had access to a taylor and custom shirts with design and color.

bill
 
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.....

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

Jeff Livingston
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They wore them because back then everybody wore suits everywhere that could be deemed even the least bit formal. People wore suits to ball games, to the movies, to go out to dinner, you name it. Every see any videos of old matches, everybody in the audience had suits on as well. How I don't think is that difficult to fathom. They shoot mostly 14.1 and there were no big sweeping movements where your clothing could interfere were rare, no big break, not many power shots (if you did it right). The other how is that you get used to what you have to, if everybody is wearing a suit then it is fair though uncomfortable.

I've never considered wearing a suit playing. Why not, good grief I hate wearing the damn things to a wedding or a job interview. Suits suck and are pretentious and phony as hell, give me a pair of jeans and a t-shirt any day.
 
I used to play in a tournament at school and wear a tie. I think it scared the kids that did not really know how to play. They thought, "Oooh, here is a guy with a suit and a stick, he must be good." Some guy when I walked in said, "D*aaamn you clean up nice."
 
Scott Lee said:
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
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Scott your situation is the exception. When doing a show you are an entertainer, people have expectations and you are wise enough to meet those expectations.
BTW, the highest salaries I have every earned were in software companies where a dress code was non-existence and frowned upon. In my career, such as it is, it seems the more formally a place required me to dress the less well I was getting paid. Go figure.
 
I have some tapes of legends playing from the 1980's when tuxe's were still de rigueur. When "Wimpy" tugs at his collar before each shot I can almost feel the pain. He could still shoot the lights out in formal attire!
 
Do birthday suits count? If so, I like playing in a suit!:thumbup:

I have played in a tie before, but like others mentioned already, I have to loosen it up a bit, so I didn't kill myself. Wearing a suit when playing pool maybe a little much, but the way some people dress, they should really think about going on 'Queer Eye For The Straight Guy'.
 
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A) I'm not comfortable in a suit.

B) In some neighborhoods, like the one I moved from in St Louis, you don't want everybody in the room to know you have money and wearing a suit makes it look like you have money. You could walk out the door and be looking down the barrel of a gun.

That's one reason Hubert Cokes carried those two guns, people knew he had money and he wanted to be prepared.
 
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