I have been in men’s style for a long time. From selling suits to being a personal stylist to writing about the style world, I have come into contact with a lot of people who have a lot to say and a lot of influence over what people wear. Designers, influencers, and brand owners all look for the perfect way to tap into what men want out of their look. But, out of all of those people, one person has stood above the rest for me. Brad Smith, a CNN anchor who brings you everything from hard-hitting to wholesome feel-good news on CNN Headlines, caught my eye with the way he dresses. Not only dresses, but also the way he presents himself. So, in true journalistic style, I wanted to pick his brain.
Once I got a peek into his brain surrounding style, I was hooked. I got more than a guy who wanted to look good. I got more than a guy who knew how to send a message with his appearance. I got a guy who thought deeply about it. A guy who not only had a lot to say, but had things I, and a lot of other men, will want to hear. I got a chance to sit down with him, and this is what he told me.
My style feels as eclectic as the news cycle. The style and outfit needs to fit the range of what we are covering, so that’s always the first thought. – Brad Smith
Finding his style on TV
When I sold suits over ten years ago, I had a theory that when a man dresses flashy, it is because he loves attention, but can’t get it any other way than to peacock. I used to watch the talking heads on ESPN, and the guys who were trained journalists, the ones good at their jobs, would always wear the basic suit and tie. The ones who weren’t very good, they always had bright colors and intricate tie knots. Now, the world is a bit different, but that doesn’t mean that Brad Smith wouldn’t have changed my mind even back then. Because the way he dresses isn’t about attention, it is about relatability. He always looks fantastic, and he always finds a way to do it in a way where I am listening to his message, not wondering how he tied his tie that way.
“Someone more fashionably linguistic than me would probably group it into the smart casual bucket,” Smith says. “The thought process always starts with: does this fit feel appropriate for talking about geopolitics in one breath, self-driving cars in the next breath, and then inevitably at some point tell a story about K-Pop Demon Hunters? The energy behind that clothing decision tree always starts with the news cycle. After years of working in stock market and business news environments where it felt like anything other than suits were scrutinized, it’s nice to feel like my attire can virtually meet the viewer anywhere where they are and while being fashionably relatable and hopefully visually appealing.”
Standing out vs standing apart
Here is the thing that my old suit-selling theory had been missing: The difference between standing out and standing apart. A man who stands out with a flash-in-the-pan style, constantly reinventing himself, needs some direction. A man who stands apart from the pack with his style is the man already invented himself and is providing direction. That is the feel I get from Brad Smith. He finds the mix between muted colors with clean lines and out-of-the-box thinking to do something a little bit different. As a fan of that kind of talent, I definitely wanted to know how he pulls that off.
“I get outfit scatterbrain like anyone else – especially as a longtime musician whose creative thoughts run wild, and so I always need to bring myself back to the pocket. ‘The pocket,’ as I think about it in men’s clothing, is the long-established structuring of outfits based on rudimentary combinations that we have learned at some point. We all probably know the conversation, where someone eventually tells you to ‘get one navy, one grey and one pinstripe suit for a rotation, and combine with a white shirt, blue shirt, striped shirt’ – forming the essential business casual uniform. No shade to that at all, because it will never not present extremely professional and polished, but to me, that uniform is just the pocket to build upon. Using the concept of the timeless rotation and gradually broadening it out, adding more colors, then mapping colors to specific days of the week, and then establishing flexible rotations is what brings me excitement with this element of our visual presentation.
“I think the freedom to expand ‘the pocket’ also brings more people into the conversation. We have colleagues who I hold in high regard and they look tremendous on air every day in their suits and fits, and then I’m over here in a leather jacket or wearing jeans on occasion, but am reminded that we’re all working towards the same goal of trying to expand the range of people who feel comfortable visibly and audibly vibing with our broadcast – I’m just playing my position in that effort. When it comes to refraining from going overboard, I definitely sit with the riskier style thoughts for a while. For my wildest ideas, I typically ping stylist and curator Stacey Brice, who also told me something I’ll never forget when I first met her – about threading the needle between relatable, yet permission to be aspirational. It’s a sweet spot that has been enjoyable to explore because it’s also physically comfortable for me on-air.”
Finding himself on screen
Let’s be real, and a little vulnerable here: People of color sharing the spotlight on the screen isn’t that old of a thing. There isn’t a time-honored tradition just under a century old for a man like Brad to fall back on. For him, he is following directly in the footsteps of trailblazers. I had a thought, when talking to him, that if I were in his shoes, I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to dress differently. I would have been trying to fall in step, not rock the boat, wear what everyone else was wearing. Of course, I can make that assumption, but I wanted to know what HIS experience was. Lucky for me, he was gracious enough to open up about it.
“Early in my media career, I wore outfits that felt restrictive because I thought looking like on-air icons would prove I belonged. Over time, I even had to remind myself that the clothes don’t qualify the person — the person qualifies the clothing. Broadcast is a visual medium, and style can offer audiences a glimpse into who you are while complementing the story you’re telling. I’ve only had a couple moments where a boss disliked something I wore — including a grey chalk pinstripe suit the day I interviewed Lindsey Vonn live. But I knew she’d bring bold energy, and I wanted to meet the moment.
“That experience reinforced something I deeply believe: dress for the emotional experience and message you want to deliver. Sometimes an outfit gives you confidence and self-expression that others may not immediately understand. As a person of color in media, I’m especially aware that the freedom to show up authentically was shaped by trailblazers before me — people who challenged narrow expectations in professional spaces, often challenging. For generations, many of us were taught to conform so others wouldn’t feel uncomfortable: avoid certain patterns, soften our style, choose a different silhouette, don’t wear the tan suit at the White House.
“Because of those who pushed boundaries anyway, there’s now greater space for self-expression across cultures and backgrounds. And that evolution matters — not just aesthetically, but because it expands what professionalism, confidence, and authenticity are allowed to look like, and I’d be doing a disservice to their efforts by not attempting to turn the dial in my own personal way.”
The calling card
Now, let’s talk about my favorite looks of Brad’s: The jackets. This man has discovered an untapped resource. Swapping out the stiff sports coat for the casual jacket is one of the best ways to keep something casual elevated. From his leather jacket that makes frequent appearances to the Fabletics Denim jacket that is a personal favorite of yours truly, he seems to have built a calling card, something that people will associate with him. The Brad Smith look (in my head, my first thought was to give this look his initials, but that gave the wrong impression immediately). But I wanted to know how much of this was him, and how much was this orchestrated?
“Fortunately for CNN Headlines, there’s a good runway of creative expression that I’m granted to explore – colors, silhouettes, combinations – and I don’t take that opportunity lightly. The jackets and most outfits are all pieces I would wear almost anywhere, but it all comes back to reading the societal room in deciding what to wear on any given day. I’ve fallen hard for the leather jacket and put that into the rotation, but I’m still a sucker for a double-breasted suit jacket that I can be completed with a t-shirt and sneakers. It’s also been fun playing with a jean jacket on occasion and also working in sport casual sets with classic business pinstripe patterns.”
We all have style icons. Some of us look to David Beckham. Some of us look to Stanley Tucci. And they are some of the best in the business. But it is time we start giving Brad Smith his flowers. He is ready to be put on the pedestal with the others. And he does it with an eloquence many others lack.
