Mr. Cameron (Cam) Martin was referred to me by Manner of the Month
founder Mindy Lockard. She described Cam as a young, successful businessman
who is always smartly
dressed and recommended I invite him for an interview. Cam agreed and I discovered there is more to his story than just a nice outfit.
For the first 15
minutes
of the interview, Cam essentially interviewed me. I was flattered and
taken off guard. Sad, but true, people have become so disconnected they don't ask more
than a name and title. Cam was genuinely interested in knowing more
about me, Wasabi Nights and the Trunk Club. Perhaps he was assessing my wealth potential?
When
it was my turn to ask the questions, I quickly discovered Cam's success
isn't just financial. As he proudly showed me a framed photo of his
gorgeous wife Nicole, and their two, angel-blonde daughters, it was
obvious his success is equally balanced between his personal and
professional life.
Cam grew up in Eugene, OR and began his
adult life as a professional golfer before entering the "working man's
world." He is a former state amateur champion and an All Pac-10 Conference selection. He
attended UNLV's golf program, but missed the college atmosphere and
transferred to the University of Oregon; graduating with a degree in
Sociology. Soon after, he went pro for a brief period.
Competitive golfing runs in the family; his brother is Casey Martin, the former golf pro who sued the PGA
Tour and won. Cam still loves golfing, but unlike his brother; who
stayed in the golfing business, Cam went to find a different green.
As a Portfolio Manager for IMS Capital Management, Inc.,
Cam's green is managing money. Lots of it. He and his firm are responsible for managing over $300 million for private clients and institutions.
Working in the investment world, Cam's dress code is
business formal. He jokingly said "I'm one of the four men in Eugene
who wears a suit every day to work." He described his work-clothing
style as "traditional" and said he likes to look "right" at work. He
mostly wears navy and gray suits and has bought his dress shirts from a
tailor in Irvine, CA for the last nine years.
Does your wife help you buy your clothing?
I
pick out my own clothes. I don't enjoy it though. I have to be at
work by 6:00 AM and to be honest, I don't want to have to think about
my clothes.
What do you like to wear when you are off work?
My
favorite is jeans and a T-shirt. I only wear that at home though. I
don't feel comfortable out in public without a collared shirt on.
I notice you are wearing pleated pants. Tell me why you like to wear them?
I always associated pleated pants with a conservative look. I'm not really sure why I wear them though.
Some
men in suits, look like "men in suits." You have a style that is
uniquely your own and I love that you aren't afraid to mix different
patterns and textures together.
Thanks. Practically everything I own is patterned. I sometimes worry that I mix and wear patterns too much!
Most wives I know would LOVE for their husband to dress more professionally. Does your wife comment about your clothing?
She
is very kind and says I "look nice," but she doesn't comment much. I do value her input.
In an super-casual town like Eugene, I know you receive compliments from people about the way you dress. Tell me a few you remember.
My
daughters notice I look different from most of the other men here,
probably because I wear a suit. They are very complimentary. It's
very sweet.
A recent compliment I received was from woman in her early twenties at the Downtown Athletic Club. I was there for a business lunch
and as she walked past me on the stairs, she said "Oh my God!!! You
look so nice!!" It was so unexpected. It made my day.
I know you wear a suit to work everyday, but do you always wear a tie? What about cuff links?
If
I am meeting with clients, I always wear a tie. I wear cuff links once
every few weeks. When I am not meeting with clients on a particular
day, I might leave the tie off, I just have to make sure I wear a
v-neck undershirt that day since the top of my dress shirt will be open.
Living in a small, casual town like Eugene, what hopes do you have with regards to men's clothing?
I
would love to see people care more about how they look. I think it
would be a positive move for our community; especially downtown.
Everyone has secret fashion peeves. What are your men's clothing peeves?
When I see men wearing suits that don't fit well, shoes that don't
match the belt and when men don't button the right buttons on their
jacket.
During the last part of our interview, Cam turned the tables on me and he became the interviewer again!
Cam:
I know pleated pants aren't in, but I don't want to invest in a bunch
of new suit pants just to find out the trend changed again.
Lisa: The
issue with pleated pants isn't so much about trend or fashion. It's
more about what looks best. Flat front pants are more flattering in general.
Back in the day, Carey
Grant was well known for his pleated pants. However, back then, men's
pants had a much higher rise and the waistband nearly touched the
bottom of the ribcage. Men wore suspenders to hold their pants in place and wore a longer jacket that covered up
their hips (and the pleats) so the overall look was better. Since then, men's pants
have become lower waisted and jackets shorter or just not included.
This makes the pleats very obvious as they puff out into a pear shape
creating "hips". Pleats can also give the man a saggy looking rear end. Worst of all, while I understand pleats may feel more comfortable, when men sit down, their pants puff up into Mr. Elephantitis! I
referred him to my post about pleated pants for more information.
Cam
then asked me for advice on some specific belts, accessories and
clothing etiquette. He is obviously a man who cares about his
appearance and is interested in keeping his style appropriate and up to
date. I think it would be refreshing for other men to know that even
nicely dressed men have style questions and ask for advice.
I
admired Cam's comfortably, elegant manner and his understanding of some
of the essentials many men naively overlook. For example, he knew to
plan ahead and wear a v-neck undershirt on days he wasn't going to wear
a tie (or might remove the tie). Otherwise, his undershirt would show.
Simple things like this, especially in a business formal office, make a
big difference in your overall appearance and impression.
Lastly,
Cam described his style as "traditional" but when I commented on his
enormous Nike watch, he laughed and said "you can't take the sportsman
out of me!" Despite Cam's gentlemanly manner, I can tell he is a
driven man. He is in it, to win it. I see lots of green in his future.
Thank you Cam for your time and genuine interest in our interview. It was such a pleasure to meet you!
-Lisa Bruckner Trunk Club Expert
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