It's fairly well-known that clothes can make the man.
But don't forget the accessories.
Look at Republican front-runner Donald Trump. He went from being a forgettable host with a memorable catchphrase on a forgettable reality TV show to being the leader among GOP presidential primary hopefuls.
While most of his springboard bounce to the top can be attributed to the anti-politician wave that our Washington leaders have generated, Trump's one constant throughout his surprising rise has been his hat.
You know the one: "Make America Great Again."
Jay GreesonIt's a money slogan. A catchphrase that resonates.
Among the many great political moves Trump has made - and even his biggest detractors would have to grant him some credit for his ability to change the subject to suit his strengths - the hat has become his calling card.
With that in mind, I made some stops around the area to look for the next great political motto on a ball cap or T-shirt available at a truck stop or mall kiosk.
First the hats.
"Me So Corny." No. While self-effacing humor can be charming, this just calls to the obvious.
"Keep Calm and Twerk On." Let's keep calm and move on.
"I'm surrounded by idiots." This has potential, but if you are to be judged by the company you keep, well, this one hurts more than helps.
"It's a princess thing." Too elitist and European.
"How in the world did I get to be this old?" Rule one of politics is never be found in bed with a live boy or a dead goat. Rule two is never make fun of the elderly.
"Wish this was hair," and "What do we want? A cure for dyslexia. When do we want it? WON." These won't fly in our overly super-sensitive PC culture.
"West Virginia. I've got the black lung, Pop." Never a good idea to single out a state - even one as singularly out there as West Virginia.
As for the T-shirts, well, the options are just as diverse and equally as asinine.
"Don't blame me. I woke up like dis." Pretty sure the educational folks are not going to be keen on the purposeful mistake.
"Sun's out; guns out." Definitely a possibility to get the NRA support, but this is more for muscular arms than a statement on the arms in America.
Any shirt with a cuss word on it. C'mon people, we can be better than this.
"I'm not arguing, I'm just explaining why I'm right." This is really the philosophy that got us into this mess in the first place.
Maybe The Donald struck gold with his hat, and that magic may not be able to be duplicated. Heck, the decision to hide that messy mop was a no-brainer, but putting the rallying cry for the masses across the front has worked better than anyone could have projected.
Whether that momentum carries when the Republican field thins is the big question now.
When that thinning does happen, maybe one of the candidates could bring out the classic "I'm with Stupid" slogan.
The question then is who will it be pointing toward.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com and follow him on Twitter at @jgreesontfp.