John Roberts: Young, Fit, and Not Bald

If Judge John Roberts gets confirmed for a seat on the nation's highest court, he would likely be the dreamiest Supreme. A fit and healthy 50-year-old, he accepted President Bush's nomination for the high court sporting a dark gray suit, a full head of hair, and (watch out, world!) French cuffs. More than anyone on the Supreme Court, he's got the look of a strapping American good guy. Even experts in men's style approve.

"He's an attractive man," Montgomery Frazier, an image strategist, said. "He's ultra-collegiate - reminiscent of a Kennedy vibe. I look at him and I think: stalwart Republican."

"Finally we've got some youth in the political world," said a trend analyst at Fallon Worldwide, Tom Julian. "He's a fresher face at 50 years old."

Judge Roberts was born in Indiana, and his corn-fed looks bring to mind another Indiana pol. "I keep getting a little bit of Dan Quayle when I look at him - into a little Greg Kinnear," said Mr. Julian.

"He's a handsome dude," Wayne Vincent, owner of Red Salon in the West Village, said. An expert in men's haircuts, Mr. Vincent has been the hair stylist on ABC's "One Life to Live" for 10 years and has kept up the looks of the fictional Buchanan clan, a family of Texas billionaires.

Though Judge Roberts certainly has more hair than most of the male Supremes, he's no James Traficant - who sported a bizarre bouffant do. Still, there's room to improve, according to Mr. Vincent. "Its not a real hair cut. The idea is right, but the cut is not," he said. "It's not even on the top. On the left side of his ear, it bubbles. In the very back, he's got a hair that's flipping out."

The problem may be in who's doing the cutting. "Most men go to a barber instead of a hair stylist. Barbers don't cut to the shape of the head," Mr. Vincent said. "But once someone can get to these people, and really cut their hair, they'll know the difference."

In Mr. Julian's assessment, the cut calls to mind the hair of high-level executives, specifically Robert Iger, the appointed CEO of Disney. "It's truly corporate, classic, groomed. A little Waspy," Mr. Julian said.

Close examination of photos of Judge Roberts yields one very distinctive detail, according to Mr. Frazier. "He's got a cleft chin that gives him a Dudley Do-Right look - a Kennedy Dudley Do-Right," said the image guru, whose firm, M3 The Image Group, has consulted for celebrities and networks.

If the confirmation were based on style points alone, Judge Roberts could win based on his decision to wear French cuffs and cuff links. "It shows more of a cultivated style level. It's obvious that he doesn't buy his shirts at K-Mart," said Mr. Frazier.

"When you see a lot of dignitaries and Europeans, they're in French cuffs," said the creative director of the men's sportswear brand Perry Ellis, Jerry Kaye.

Mr. Kaye, though, said he was against Judge Roberts's red necktie. "It's one thing to be conservative, but you can have a little flair," he said. "He could move on from that Brooks Brothers rep tie."

What would Mr. Kaye pull from his collection for the nominee's weekend at home? "A clean, crisp look with flair to it," he said. "A very simple, classic sweater with a pair of lightweight, plain-front trousers. Maybe jeans, again with a little boot cut. Just a little style."