The first time that I saw Roger & Me was an illuminating experience, not only because I had never before realized what a shambles Detroit really was, but also because I had never conceived of a man willfully appearing on camera looking like he’d rolled out from behind an 8 Mile Fry-O-Later. Not only did the man want to depict GM as a bunch of malicious corporate nincompoops with engine grease for blood and rusty scrap metal for hearts, he wanted to do so wearing whatever he damn well pleased.

In the years since then, I’ve heard several commentators excoriate Moore not only for his subjectivity but for being a big fat slob. Well, I’m here today to tell you that you can learn a lot from Michael Moore about fashion, whether you voted for Barack Obama, John McCain, or poor old Ralph Nader.

Be Moore Fashionable Rules

#1: Wear bold glasses.

You can’t do a lot about the face that you’re born with or the terrible vision you inherited from Grandpappy Joe, but you sure as hell can sport some cool corrective lens if your eyes are Sicko. A pair of thick black glasses never made a guy look less dignified, whereas stumbling around blindly to avoid being a four-eyes certainly has.

#2: Choose a signature accessory.

Identifying with a particular fashion genre (punk, prep, urban chic) is a rather large commitment, not to mention, a little sophomoric. Committing to an accessory, however, as Moore has done with the baseball cap, is a perfectly simple way to create a personal sense of style and/or cover greasy hair.

#3: Flaunt what you’ve got.

There are a lot of guys that can’t even grow a full beard or get a weird patchy pattern on their chins, but Michael Moore has a nice thick set of facial hair and he highlights this asset, just as he highlighted the Bush Administration’s missteps.

#4: Work the boyish hair with the grownup suit.

Michael Moore is not the kind of guy that hangs around in a tuxedo, but when he does get gussied up, he knows enough not to overgroom, as a comb-over would make him look like one of those GM squares that he so despises, so he balances formal wear with a carefree do.

#5: Pair outrageous accessories with classic casual basics.

Here Moore looks almost like a precursor to hipster fashion with his trout trucker hat and big glasses, though of course hipsters would wear these items more ironically. Still, Moore manages to keep his outfit from getting too campy by allowing his accessory to take center stage over a neutral jacket and plaid shirt.