Joseph S. Pinkston
Retail supervisor, C-Store.
What are you wearing?
I get all of my clothes throughout the Mercer County area. I get the majority of my suits from Forman Mills, including this one here. Believe it or not, my watch is from one of the little shops downtown in Trenton. When I walk in the store, I’ll go throughout the drawers, the cabinets. There are a lot of things down in those drawers that people don’t see. A lot of people don’t like going shopping with me ’cause I shop for three or four hours at a time.
What’s your role here at the C-store? When did you start working here?
I started working here five years ago. I can’t talk about my job; clothes we can talk.
Have you always worn such vibrant suits?
All throughout my life. My father started me off when I was young. He feels that when I go out into the streets I’m representing him too.
Do students ever comment on your attire?
Everyday. How good I look, how good my ties look. They’ll say, “When I grow up, I want to be just like you.” Things of that matter. It makes me feel great. I’m flattered that you guys recognize me. Like I said, I’m not only representing myself, I’m representing my family. We all dress sharp. Even the ladies.
What do you think of the way most students dress here at the College?
I think that they dress appropriately for what they’re here for. They’re here for college, not a fashion show.
Do you ever plan on changing your style at all?
No. I started dressing sharp when I was in junior high school. Anywhere I am in this world, I’ll always dress sharp. Even when I had that military uniform on. Everyone had the same uniform on, but mine looked better.
How did you keep yourself looking so sharp?
There’s a lot of little secrets about cleaning yourself up. When I shave, I shave my whole face … my cheeks, even my nose. The shoes are always polished. The shirts are always pressed. A lot of the time, I can’t take my suits to the cleaners, so I clean ’em myself. A good iron and a good can of starch work wonders.
What’s your idea of dressing down?
They try to make me dress down, but I won’t. I think just a nice pair of slacks and a button-down shirt. I do have jeans though, I don’t wear them often, but I do have some. It’s hard to get me to wear a pair of jeans.
Would you ever want to work in the fashion industry?
I’ve thought about working in fashion many times, but my life hasn’t gone that way yet. Maybe this is the first day. All of my friends and my lady always tell me you need to go model the clothes. But being the modest man that I am, I get embarrassed, too. We’ll see what the future’s got.
