Jackson Free Press

Remember that old saw, "the clothes make the man"? In Tyrone Davis' case, it's most definitely the man who makes the clothes.

Davis, 52, will eagerly tell you that he's an entrepreneur—the owner of three Subways in the Jackson metro area—that he's a collector of antiques, sports memorabilia and automobiles, that he's a business consultant for Priority Sports and Entertainment as well as a self-proclaimed sports fanatic, and that's he glad to have the Lord in his life. What he doesn't have to tell you is that he's a well-dressed man. You can see that for yourself.

Whether he's working in his office, shopping at Goodwill, the Salvation Army, a garage sale or a flea market, or watching a local game, the tall, slim Davis is always dressed, with a capital D.

It might be the western look—from the black felt cowboy hat to the muted gray turtleneck worn beneath a flowing black big shirt, tail out, that serves as a jacket, to the black-and-white hounds' tooth-checked pants with a small cuff, to the black ostrich belt and its big silver buckle, down to the hand-made, softly glowing black ostrich boots with impossibly long, pointed toes. Or it might be the vintage soft black three-piece suit, with the fedora atop his head—perched just so—to the gleaming golden watch chain draped from the vest pocket to the watch pocket in the slacks, to the two-tone black and white shoes. Davis could have just walked out of a movie starring Fred Astaire or Humphrey Bogart—his vintage mavens.

Davis doesn't leave anything to chance, not that he puts his clothing out the night before. He says he just gets up and gets dressed. Fully 80 percent of his clothing is tailor-made—"I'm into quality when it comes to clothing"—but he does like to find just the right vintage piece, so he's always looking. "I like stuff that's different."

Something else Davis is always looking for is a way to give back to the community. Since he's a sports fanatic, it makes sense that he supports high school athletics and their booster clubs by sponsoring half-time entertainment at several area high schools, including Jim Hill, Provine, Lanier and Wingfield. Beaming, Davis told me he's spoken in classrooms and assemblies, where he shares his philosophy of life with students, no matter their goals.

Davis' message comes in three pieces, sort of like his suits—commitment, loyalty and love.