Paul Ryan is the first national ticket candidate to have been born in the 1970s. That means he was among the first generation to spend their young adulthood in an era when suits were no longer regular, everyday attire for men, and, increasingly, weren't even worn to work.
Every man used to know how to wear a suit properly. Even a blue-collar worker would wear one to church on Sundays. Today, I'd venture to guess a large swathe of American men could go a year or more without ever being in a situation where they would be expected to wear a suit. They aren't required in the office anymore. They aren't required in church anymore. People don't dress up to go to the movies or get on airplanes anymore; the glamor of both of those activities has long since faded away. We've become a nation of elastic waistbands and Crocs and flat-brimmed baseball hats.
I have visions of a horrific future in which people campaign for president in badly fitting short-sleeved golf shirts and rubber-soled shoes.
Considering how much Romney has avoided wearing suit this time around, you may just be right.
