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Fashion Police Blotter
In last week's Predicament of the Week, we asked readers for an answer to this letter:

Dear Breakup Girl,
What does it mean when someone tells you you've got a "full cleveland?"
-- Chuck

Hey, Chuck, maybe retire the outfit until your next date with Irony. -- BG

From what I've heard, this is your basic 70s traveling salesman stereotypical getup: brightly-colored polyester leisure suit, shiny white belt and shoes, clashing colors, etc. More loosely, someone who is tragically badly dressed.
-- Rachel, Midwestern expert in bad dressing

When I was growing up, a "full Cleveland" was a white belt AND white shoes. As opposed to a "half Cleveland," which was either a white belt OR white shoes.
-- Rebecca

Could this be a variation on a "Full Toledo"? I believe that expression relates to a particular manner of dress: white patent leather shoes and belt, madras pants, polyester knit shirt. Think the ad sales guy from "WKRP in Cincinnati."
-- Lynn

Let me be the Nth to tell you that a "full Cleveland" means white belt AND white shoes. Often worn by members of polka bands.
-- A faithful reader

I believe "Full Cleveland" refers to wearing woefully ugly and unmodish business attire, like a brown polyester suit with a dark shirt with a white tie and footwear that resembles bowling shoes. If I remember correctly, the origin of the term was a slam on Cleveland, as in, that's the kind of getup that passes as proper businesswear in that town. I'm not sure, the term might have a more specific meaning with regard to colors, cuts, and materials, but suffice it to say that whoever said it was not paying a compliment to the guy who wrote in with this query.
-- Ray

It used to refer to wardrobe faux pas. A Full Cleveland refers to white shoes AND a white belt.
-- Julie

This page (internal link there doesn't work) says: the "half cleveland" is a style in the 70's of wearing a white patent leather belt--the full cleveland is belt + SHOES
-- Peter

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