Jeff Schrag, Springfield’s new mayor, is not a suit-and-tie kind of guy.
His fashion sense has shocked a few Springfieldians with high sartorial standards. Over eight years, after all, we grew accustomed to the polished suit-and-tie fashion of Mayor Ken McClure.
But with the changing of the mayor came a changing of the wardrobe.
Schrag aspires to authenticity. And to him that means sandals or running shoes, shorts and a shirt with “Mothers Brewing Company” embroidered on it.
Schrag, 58, created the business, sold it, and is a minority owner now.
I approached him for our discussion on men’s fashion after I had, once again, failed to make it to Paris for Fashion Week.
I wanted to converse with Schrag about men’s fashion because — to be honest — it is a topic as foreign to me as animal husbandry. He consented.
Q: How would you, Mayor Schrag, describe your sense of style and fashion when it comes to how you dress?
A: I wouldn’t. I feel completely unqualified on all manners sartorial. I feel as unqualified to talk about that as I do about fitness. … Now, if you want something definitive, my friend, I’m opposed to the Oxford comma, and I will happily go on record in my opposition of the Oxford comma.
Steve: We agree on that.
Jeff: I don’t know the first thing about all matters sartorial. As will be evident throughout this interview.
Q: Do you feel pressure to up your fashion game now that you’re mayor of Springfield, fashion capital of Greene County?
A: I don’t. I think voters want authenticity. A game I can play well is being authentic. I try really hard to be the same person to everybody.
Q: Let’s say you’re going out to buy a shirt or a pair of pants. Where do you go?
A: I buy a lot of clothing at Bass Pro. I buy nicer clothing at Blackwells.
Q: What’s Blackwells?
A: A high-end men’s fashion store in the Brentwood Shopping Center. If my wife is buying something for me, she buys it at Blackwells. I buy some things at Dillard’s — especially when I can buy them at an end-of-season sale. Missouri embroidery does my embroidery.
Q: Embroidery? Your clothes are embroidered?
A: I buy work shirts and things at Missouri Embroidery.
Q: These are your shirts that have “Mother’s Brewing Company” on them?
A: Some of them. There’s also a shirt type called “The Dickie.” That’s a classic work shirt. So there you go. I do know something sartorial. Oh my God!
Q: Are any of your shirts embroidered with your name?
A: I have “Mother’s” shirts or an emblem with the new city flag. The official flag. I have had a series of shirts and vests and things made with the city logo on them.
Q: How many shirts do you have with “Mother’s Brewing” embroidered on them?
A: Probably a dozen.
Q: How many T-shirts do you have that say “Mother’s Brewing” — no embroidery?
A: I probably have 50, but I’ve been giving some away. I have trouble throwing them away. I don’t know what to do with them.
Steve: You could have an event at Mother’s where you give away some of your Mother’s T-shirts.
Jeff: Only chunky men can come. We wouldn’t want an all-you-can eat buffet because we’d lose money.
Q: Do you have any particular brands of clothing you prefer?
A: I buy Levi’s jeans. Bass Pro has its own brands and I’m embarrassed to tell you I don’t know what they are.
Q: When were you married and what did you wear?
A: We got married in 2019 and I wore jeans and a blazer. I will endeavor to get you a wedding photo.
(Note: He did endeavor. But the photo wasn’t very good. Here’s a photo from a different 2019 wedding.)
Q: How many suits do you have?
A: I have an old one that I probably can’t fit into; I have one real suit.
Q: When was the most recent time you wore it?
A: Mike Kehoe’s inauguration as governor in Jefferson City.
Q: With a tie?
A: I’m pretty sure I did. Sometimes, if I’m wearing a suit, if I can get by with no tie I will. I like that better.
Q: How do you feel about wearing a suit and tie?
A: I do not like doing that. Steve, I am not in great shape. Buttoning the top button of a shirt can be tough for portly gentlemen.
Q: When do you feel that you, in your mayoral capacity, should wear a suit? Are you obligated to wear a suit, say, when you go to a funeral?
Jeff: At this funeral, am I in the box or am I in the audience?
Steve: Let’s say you’re in the audience.
Jeff: For Steve Pokin’s funeral?
Steve: Yes. What would you wear to my funeral?
A: Typically, I go the visitation and I’d try to put on a blazer over whatever I want — you’re asking me to think about fashion and what I wore or what I might wear — but I don’t think about fashion. I don’t know what I wore at the last visitation I went to. I don’t remember.
Q: How about sandals? Do you wear them year-round?
A: Not outdoors, but indoors, yes.
Q: Although you describe yourself as not having much fashion sense, you own a cufflinks business. Do you actually wear cufflinks?
A: It’s Pioneer Formal Accessories. It’s an online business. Most of the dress shirts I have are French cuff, other than that one that I just bought that actually fits my neck. So, yes, I do wear cufflinks.
Q: Here’s a hypothetical for you. It’s July. You’ve been invited to speak at the ribbon cutting for Springfield’s first Trader Joe’s. And to be clear — when I say “Springfield” I mean Springfield, Missouri. This is historic. What will you wear?
A: Two thoughts. No. 1, if there is actually a certificate of occupancy for Trader Joe’s in Springfield I will call you, Steve and let you be my guest at the ribbon cutting and we can decide what I should wear together. No. 2. What about the meteor heading toward Earth and Springfield is Ground Zero? What do I wear then?
Q: I’ve got one more hypothetical. President Trump is coming to Springfield. Maybe it’s for the Trader Joe’s ribbon cutting. He wants to meet you. What do you wear?
A: What I should do is dress as much like Elon Musk as possible — so that he thinks I’m really smart.
This is Pokin Around column No. 282.
