WASHINGTON — Not many people can carry off a bright red suit — the Romantics could, for their first album — but WTOP sports reporter and anchor Dave Preston has no fashion fears.
And, he’s a man of his word.
On April 12, during the 6:45 p.m. sportscast, Preston vowed he would wear his red suit on air, if the Capitals won the Stanley Cup.
6:45 p.m. April 12: Dave Preston's vow to #RockTheRed suit
They did, and he did.
Preston was willing to share with me — exclusively — 10 never-before-revealed facts about his red suit.
- Preston borrowed the suit from a friend in 2011, and wore it to a Christmas bar crawl.
- The friend Preston borrowed the suit from avoided his call, and refuses to take the suit back.
- The suit is a 44 Long, with a red-on-red pinstripe. Preston wears a 40, so he wears it like David Byrne of Talking Heads wore a suit in the “Stop Making Sense” concert.
- The pants are cuffed, and Preston wears them with a belt.
- The Caps’ Stanley Cup victory is the first time Preston ever wore the suit in the Glass Enclosed Nerve Center. He promised to wear it if the Nats won the World Series. We know how that’s turned out so far.
- The red suit has only been worn four times. In its Christmas bar crawl debut at Clyde’s of Tysons, a guy said, “Hey, clown, let me buy you a drink.” Preston refused the offer.
- The suit is stored in a corner of Preston’s closet, not in a garment bag.
- Moths are unlikely to care about Preston’s red suit because it’s 95 percent polyester and 5 percent rayon.
- Preston’s mother cringes whenever he talks about the suit, or considers wearing it.
- The red suit is available for rental for special occasions.
