How to Dress Like a Gentleman—and Why
“Dress is a potent form of visual communication,” writes Elliot Ackerman, pictured at his home in Washington, D.C., in 2021. (Alyssa Schukar via Redux)
There is nothing emasculating about being deliberate with your appearance. In fact, to do otherwise is unmasculine and childish.
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When I was 29 years old, I left the Marines and joined the CIA. It was a major transition—I moved from coastal North Carolina to Washington, D.C., and I went from being Captain Ackerman to Mr. Ackerman. But the most intimidating change was something else: I would need a new wardrobe.
I had worn a uniform to work my entire adult life, one designed solely for utility and stitched head to toe with pockets. Suddenly, the dress code demanded a suit and tie. It wasn’t like that for all of the CIA. This was only the dress code for our small office, a unit filled with former special operators. Our boss insisted, whenever we had a meeting with anyone outside of our office or at headquarters in Langley, Virginia, that we dress “like gentlemen.”
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