The 40 Worst-Dressed Cities in America (according to GQ)

35. Raleigh
If you're in Raleigh, your shit better have pleats. It's basically the town's mascot. And here's it's unofficial motto: "The world is your golf course." Southern bankers cruise from home to work and back home to change out of their off-the-rack, BOGO suits and into amoeboid polo shirts and hippy trousers. It's a great city to swoop in for the kill at happy hour. Girls in these bars have never seen a tailored anything, so it's easy to turn a head.—Andrew Richdale

WHAT?!?!?

Today I got a call from Penn Holderness, anchor for NBC in Raleigh. He asked if I had heard about the new ranking from GQ noting that Raleigh was designated one of the 35th worst dressed cities. Yes, I had, as I had just finished discussing it with my producer Kim Green of My Carolina Today. As I told Kim, and later Penn, I think there are so many transients living here - how could we earn that label? Sure, there are many people that have grown up here from generation to generation and they may know nothing but the pleated pants, but isn't that just stereotyping the rest of us?

What about the guys that actually developed their own sense of style? Case in point, as I stated to Penn. Here he was interviewing me in his navy pinstripe suit, obviously custom made. I doubt he can buy off the rack with his build, although he was sporting a pair of flip flops on his feet. As the interview winds up, I address the fact that he is wearing flat front trousers with flip flops and obviously has his own sense of style (actually Penn mentioned his feet sweat - with the temps this high, I think everyone’s feet are sweating). I simply stated that the men wearing flat front trousers are more fashion foreword, and also don't have a gut. Generally, it is guys that have a larger belly or backend that need more room to cover their girth. So, pleated khakis have nothing to do with being poorly dressed, or with being from Raleigh.

I have witnessed the fashion growth in the Triangle over the past 20 plus years. We actually have stores for guys that dress for the hip hop scene, as well as the guys who prefer more of the urban feel. As for custom-made or tailored clothing options, there is even a new guy in Apex by the name of Charles Ryan who has designed a machine that will calibrate your exact size to custom make a shirt or suit. So Andrew Richdale, put that in your pipe and smoke it. We are doing just fine!