Dining VP likes colorful beach casual, looks best in pink
WHO: Michael Dickinson, 37, of Lewes, vice president of operations at SoDel Concepts
WHY: He was nominated by Pam George, who says: “Many people in the restaurant industry lean left of center when it comes to fashion. It's a creative field full of hipsters. Mike stands out with his penchant for a clean, classic look that's smart yet comfortable.”
HIS STYLE: Colorful beach casual. “I try to put together color combinations that make people happy, including what people call my ‘watermelon outfit,’ a pink gingham shirt and lime green shorts.”
WEARING at Northeast Seafood Kitchen in Ocean View:
OUTFIT ONE – Ralph Lauren button-down shirt and blazer; J. Crew crew-neck sweater; Hudson Byron straight-leg slim-fit jeans; Smathers & Branson braided belt; Sperry Topsider chukka shoes and Hanes tagless undershirt. “The only undershirt that doesn't get the bacon neck after two washes.”
OUTFIT TWO – Vineyard Vines slim-fit whale shirt; Polo flat-front khakis; Vineyard Vines performance vest; Smathers & Branson golden retriever belt; Socksmith shark attack socks; vintage handmade Italian loafers, inherited from his Italian grandfather.
OUTFIT THREE – Ralph Lauren flannel button-down shirt; J. Crew cotton with cashmere quarter-zip sweater; Hudson Blake slim-fit straight-leg jeans; leather Levi's jeans belt; Socksmith killer snowmen socks; Sperry Topsider chukkas; Nixon 5130 chrome watch, a wedding gift from his wife.
WHERE HE SHOPS: “I mostly wear Vineyard Vines, J. Crew and Polo. I also like Hudson jeans, very comfortable. It’s amazing how much difference having nice jeans makes.”
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FAVORITE DESIGNER LABEL: Hudson Jeans
MOST RECENT PURCHASE: A red-white-and-blue knit Smathers & Branson belt with anchors and stripes on it
OLDEST ITEM IN HIS CLOSET: His Muhlenberg College football sweatshirt
GROOMING TIPS: “I tend to be not clean-shaven so I like a good variable-length beard-trimming kit. I also use Garnier Fructis (Power Putty) surfer’s gel on my hair.”
BEST FOOT FORWARD: “I like flip-flops more than shoes. But I have a pair of Clark’s boots that I really like.”
FAVORITE COLOR: Pink or blue. “I look best in pink.”
BEST CELEBRITY HAIR: Channing Tatum.
WORTH THE SPLURGE: “A good pedicure.”
NOT WORTH THE SPLURGE: “A crappy pedicure.”
WISH I HADN’T BOUGHT IT: “I have a couple of cardigans I wanted to be in love with. But they just don’t go with what I wear now.”
GO-TO OUTFIT ON SATURDAY NIGHT: Jeans, a buttoned-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up, a vest and boots.
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ORGANIZATION TIPS: “My closet is grouped by type. All my shorts go on hangers because it’s easier to keep them unwrinkled that way. I don’t keep clothes in a chest of drawers, only hanging or on shelves in my closet. When I go in to get dressed, I can see everything so nothing gets dropped out of my rotation.”
FASHION EVOLUTION: “As a kid, I was overweight and tried to hide it with baggy clothes. I shed the weight, but I continued to wear baggy clothes. My wife Kate owns Jane and Georgie in Rehoboth so she is very interested in fashion and is a big influence on my style. When we first started dating, I didn’t have much of a feel for fit and color. Now I wear jeans that actually fit me. And I have as many pink shirts in my closet as blue shirts.”
FASHION NO-NO: Wearing clothes that don’t fit. “As a reformed ill-fitting dresser, I think that people aren’t aware of it sometimes. Don’t be afraid to ask in the store if they carry something in a different cut.”
INDISPENSABLE WARDROBE ITEM: “I wear zip-up vests almost every day.”
ACE ACCESSORY: “For a wedding present my wife got me an absolutely beautiful chrome Nixon watch.”
BOW TIE OR STRAIGHT TIE? “Bow ties, always.”
BELT OR SUSPENDERS? Belt
DENIM, LEATHER OR TWEED? Denim, “absolutely.”
WHY FASHION IS IMPORTANT: “It’s the first glimpse people get into you before you shake their hand, before you look them in the eye. I dress for myself, but knowing that I will be interacting with all the people that I will meet that day. Fashion can be disarming. If you have to deliver a tough message and you dress in a way that brightens the other person’s day it makes things better.”
Style Files runs weekly in Sunday Life. To suggest someone stylish to feature — your co-worker, teacher, friend, relative or even yourself — please send information to stylefiles@delawareonline.com and include contact information. Pictures are super, too.