Suits are a wardrobe essential, but not just for the 9-5. This season we’re taking things outside of the boardroom. First up, we meet Thomas Cleminson AKA Coach Clem to talk first suits and fitness…
Name Thomas Cleminson AKA Coach Clem
Age 27
Profession Personal Trainer
Tell us about your job...
My job is pretty varied! I work one-on-one with a network of clients in Kensington and then I also work as a coach at Core Collective. It’s pretty multifaceted, I specialise primarily in strength conditioning, gymnastics and mobility training and I’d say my passion lies in helping people move in ways they never could, without having any pain.
How did you become a PT?
Initially I was meant to join the army, but I was kicked out, not for anything bad - I have eczema! They’d just privatised the recruitment process and with that Capita were following everything by the books. So, what would normally be a “watch out” ended up as a three year deferral. While I was on deferral I, worked as a bouncer for a bit, but then I decided to follow another passion and that was fitness.
Have you always been into fitness?
Yes definitely, my parents were both in the military, that’s why I lived overseas. When I was growing, my dad always had me up to go running from when I was about nine, so I’ve always been fit and I’ve always played sports. Definitely done my fair share of sweating!
Do you think every guy should have a suit?
Yeah, every bloke should both own and have a suit if they have the means to. It’s a nice thing to have, it’s nice to feel good. If I wore a suit everyday it would take the fun out of it, you wouldn’t feel as special. For that reason alone every guy should have one.
What do you like about your RI suit?
I like the colour, it’s so much lighter than I would usually go, I’ve always just gone for darker suits. But I like how light it is, it stands out like my socks! I like the paisley print too.
Why does your profession suit you?
I think I’m quite outgoing, very social. I’d self destruct if I wasn’t working around people. And I get to choose my hours too. My energy is part of my job and who I am, so my job suits that very well. If I was in an office environment I’d be too energetic.
How does your profession influence your style?
More often than not I’m in sports gear but it does mean that when I’m in suits or formal wear, I try to make it as special an occasion as possible. I wouldn’t just grab a random suit out of the closet; I’d put effort into it and specifically go out and get something for that occasion. If I’ve got an event or a reason to get fancy, I’m gonna fancy the sh*t out of it.
How does this look compare to your 9-5
Vastly. My style is usually quite cool but understated. For work I’m normally in black shorts, a dark t-shirt and a snapback if my hair doesn’t need to look pretty and always a pair of jazzy socks. Today it’s the Virgin Mary set. It’s stuff that’s just super easy to chuck on, but wherever I can, I always like to have something on that pops. Be that a yellow jacket which I wear quite a lot, there’s always just got to be something, I don’t know why I just quite like it!
Do you remember your first suit?
Yeah I do! I got sent to boarding school when I was a kid and because my parents grew up in the military, everything was uniform. The same with boarding school, everyone had to be dressed the exact same, but when you got to sixth form that was the first time you were allowed to specify what you wore, it still had to be a suit but there were no specifications on what that suit had to be. I’d been watching a lot of Suits the TV show and really liked Harvey’s style. I thought I was the sharpest guy in sixth form but it’s one of those where you look back and realise you were out of shape, not quite developed. But I thought I looked fit.