Tailor: "I can't give you a price over the phone." WTF?

Go to cars.com, edmunds.com, autobytel.com or any one of a dozen other services and get an online quote.

Make the dealers a counter offer if they're quotes are too high.

It's easy.

And wait until the last day of the month. You'll get a much better deal then.

 

Wait a minute, you have eight suits?

I haven't owned eight suits in my life. Not even leisure.

 

I am in teevee. Counted 133 ties today and 20 suits, accumulated over the past decade. Have probably donated the same amount to Goodwill at that time.

On-air TV people are usually reimbursed for clothing. that's our payback for being stopped and complained to about the weather or our perceived liberal bias when I am at the grocery store with my children.

 

What's your take on the theory that you shouldn't wear a white shirt with your suit on TV?

You almost always see folks wearing a blue shirt, but I prefer to wear white over blue about 80% of the time. And, when I do see a white shirt on TV, I don't think it looks bad.

So, why do people avoid white on TV?

 

It usually pops a little too brightly on the screen, especially if contrasted with something dark. When I was in PR we had a particularly dark-skinned player, and when he wore white t-shirts for TV interviews it gave the camera guys fits. There's also the one-pattern rule for TV, meaning that among coat, shirt, and tie, only one item should have a pattern. It's not a hard and fast rule because you see 2 patterns all the time and some of them look fine. But quite often, patterns that might look fine in the mirror can clash and look really bad on TV.

 

Maybe if you actually did something about the weather for once and quit being a damn commie, they would leave you alone.

 

Two car purchases ago (about 12 years) I had all my ducks in a row. Had the car I wanted pegged, knew what a good price was, everything was in order. After a good bit of dickering, got something pretty close to my price. Then I let the relief at the negotiation's being over get to me. While writing up the bill of sale the dealer popped a couple of little add-ons -- some "security etching fee" and some "transaction fee" -- that added up to a couple hundred bucks. All of which came out of my pocket and padded his bottom line. Again, I was tired and relieved to not be negotiating anymore. Sticks in my craw to this day.

 

I wish I could be you (or at least have you negotiate for me) I am horrible at negotiating. I don't like it, and I am sure the salesmen can tell. I just bought a new car and am certain I did not get the best deal that I could (although it wasn't horrible.) I always feel like they are laughing at me as we drive away. I would pay a broker to do it for me, but in my small town, that is not a service available.

 

On teevee fashion..

As televisions have become sharper, the "don't wear white shirts on TV" has gone away. I wear straight white shirts (point or spread collar) 60% of the time, a light blue 20% and a patterned shirt 20%. I may throw in the occasional yellow or light green a few times a year. I will never wear dark shirts nor will I ever wear a "blue shirt/white collar" combo. That shirt just screams "I am a d-bag who thinks he is better than you"

With every shirt, I almost always wear a bright tie. If a pinstripe suit, then a bright solid tie. If a solid jacket, maybe a pattern tie. Since I have blue eyes, I gravitate towards blue shirts and ties.

To pay quiet homage to Mad Men's premier last spring, I did go retro for one newscast. More gel, narrow navy tie, tie clip. straight out of the RFK Ambassador Hotel Collection.

 

That's the only way I will negotiate anymore. Then again, one of the two car purchases I've made since then was at Carmax.