ALBANY'S MARCH TOWARD EXCELLENCE IN DRESS IS BACK ON TRACK!
		AlbanyCentral has long been concerned with the standard of dress exhibited at City Council meetings.  We were delighted recently when the Mayor showed up sporting a pocket square in his breast pocket, and we immediately ran an article praising this development and urging other Council members, committee chairpersons, issue presenters, and "For The Good Of The City" types  to follow suit.  In this way the visual impact of those meetings would be upgraded (now that they are televised on the new KALB--which, incidentally plays some cool rapper music now and then, if you're lucky enough to catch it).  But perhaps you can imagine our deep disappointment and frustration when the Mayor did not continue to wear a pocket square!  So there was no example to follow and no one else has worn one, as far as we can tell. However, hope springs eternal, and we were again heartened to note a fresh attempt to bring council attire in line with Albany's expanding aspirations,  as our City segues into its role as the East Bay's newest municipal powerhouse.
		Willie Brown has had an amazing carreer.  For years he was the most powerful political figure in Sacramento and more recently he provided leadership to the West Coast's most exciting city, San Francisco.  Well-known for dressing with impeccable taste, perhaps his most noteworthy and signature accessory was (and still is) the fedora hat he customarily wears.  And so it was with great delight that we observed a former mayor of Albany at a recent City Council meeting following Willie's lead by sporting a well creased brown fedora, as he expounded on some weighty matter for two minutes (instead of three, due to the lateness of the hour). His appearance far outstripped that of the other speakers who paraded up to the microphone in their typically scruffy Albany attire.  While "dapper" may not be quite the word, we strongly believe that fedoras (known as "trilbys" in the U.K) add a classy touch.  And so we applaud this speaker and hope that others will wear a fedora too, now that they have a new example before them to follow. Please Note: While a porkpie hat is a recognized variant of the fedora hat, it should be avoided where possible.  A number of years ago it did regain some popularity when it was worn by Gene Hackman as "Popeye Doyle" in the movie The French Connection, but it is rarely worn today and certainly Willie has never been seen in one.    Back