Too Slick to Stick: The Fatal Flaw of the Teflon Don

How to dress to control your perception— without becoming a spectacle.

How the Decoy Effect shapes perception, dictates focus, and ensures you stay in control of your narrative.

A series exploring the psychology of personal style

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“Honesty is a blunt instrument, which bloodies more than it cuts.”

Law 3: Conceal Your Intentions, The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene

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John Gotti, one of the most notorious gangsters in American history, played the role of mafia kingpin with effortless charm. Unlike his predecessors in the Gambino crime family who thrived in the shadows, Gotti reveled in the spotlight— basking in the glow of paparazzi flashes, silks, and diamonds. While other bosses blended into their surroundings, Gotti dined at high-end restaurants, openly spoke to and courted the media, and flaunted the empire he presided over. He seemed untouchable— evading the FBI at each turn and earning himself the nickname The Teflon Don. He was handsome, charismatic, feared, adored, and utterly blinded by hubris.

While his predecessors cloaked their power in understated suits, cloaked inside of the shadows, Gotti had became a spectacle. He was too admired, too envied, too visible ever be able to survive. His overexposure made him an obsession for prosecutors, relentless to catch this man who had humiliated them time and time again.

When his downfall finally arrived, it wasn’t in a blaze of glory, but in the whispers of his grandmother’s apartment. A tape recording taken by his own men, his most trusted second-in-command, was handed over to the FBI without his knowledge. The blinding of his hubris blazed so brightly he never saw it coming.

Gotti’s downfall wasn’t inevitable—it was self-inflicted. He failed to recognize that true power isn’t about being seen; true power is about being in control of what others see.

His mistake wasn’t dressing well—it was dressing without strategy. Unlike Gotti, those who master perception understand that style isn’t just about expression; it’s about direction. This is where The Decoy Effect comes into play—a way to command attention while keeping your true power concealed.

The Decoy Effect: Using Statement Pieces to Distract and Control Perception

Misdirection isn’t just a trick of the eye, it’s a psychological principle that can shape how people perceive the world. In the realm of personal style, you can use this to your advantage by allowing your fashion choices to act as decoys— guiding attention where you want it to be by concealing vulnerabilities and/or intentions to align your appearance with your end-game.

How the Decoy Effect Works in Style

This works in three steps: drawing focus, diverting attention, and controlling your narrative.

1. Drawing Focus: The brain is wired to notice contrast and novelty. A statement piece, a bold necklace, oversized belt, red lip— these anchor attention, making them the focal point others will naturally be drawn to.

2. Diverting Attention: By controlling where people look, you shift their focus away from aspects you’d rather keep concealed—whether it’s an insecurity, hesitation, or hidden strength.

3. Controlling the Narrative: A statement piece doesn’t just attract attention—it shapes perception. It crafts a narrative about who you are while keeping other elements ambiguous.

One of the most famous practitioners of this was Rasputin.

Dressed in tattered robes and accentuated with his wild, unkempt beard, Rasputin appeared and proclaimed to be a wandering mystic, an eccentric religious figure. Unbeknownst to those around him, this was a very carefully curated disguise that allowed him immense freedom. By deliberately dressing in a way that lacked regal refinement, he was able to move closer and closer to the tsarina and the royal family, allowing him to infiltrate the highest levels of power unchecked. He gave dramatic, entrancing sermons and held people captive with his piercing gaze, all the more reinforcing his narrative of mysticism. This misdirection was powerful— by the time people realized that he was shaping state affairs, his influence was too cemented for them to do anything about it.

A more noble example is Abraham Lincoln.

Lincoln deliberately leaned into his rough, country persona. His lanky frame, ill-fitted suits, and humble storytelling positioned him as a simple, honest man of the people, drawing focus away from his sharp intellect and political ambitions. By speaking in folksy anecdotes, quite different from the political rhetoric, his opponents grew to underestimate his abilities. While critics mocked his appearance and rustic manner, he used their misjudgment to his advantage, securing allies, outmaneuvering rivals, and ultimately leading the country through one of its most turbulent periods.

Like Rasputin, Lincoln understood that when people fixate on the surface, they fail to see what’s happening beneath it.

“Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.”
—Niccolò Machiavelli

Strategic Uses of the Decoy Effect

In Professional Settings

Lean into a classic, not stereotypical, look. Keep your shirts pressed, embrace more traditional attire, keep yourself nicely tended to. Loud, brand name items will diminish this appeal. Your goal is to dress in a way where you would look appropriate showing up just about anywhere. Weave your personality into details, such as buttons, jewelry, a signature color, etc.

Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada uses impeccably tailored, almost classic fashion, which when combined with her by her icy demeanor heightens her stature. Her looks are professional, nearly reserved on the surface, and always elevated. The effort and respect she has for herself each day, exemplified by her impeccable appearance, makes her a very dominating figure.

Social Occasions

Wear something eye-catching that will be an easy conversation-starter. It will allow you to guide the flow of the evening without having to speak to or highlight anything you’re uncomfortable with, such as a blemish, a bad day, or any interpersonal issue.

Gatsby in The Great Gatsby, his extravagant pink suits and luxurious parties created such a spectacle that it made his illusive backstory more a mythical presence than a mere man. Due to the illusion, he distracted guests from the deeply personal motivations behind his carefully curated image.

Subverting Expectations

Lean in. Lean in to what makes you, you. This can be done with a statement piece, your background, a favorite color. Let people think what they want of you. If they dismiss you because of it, even better.

Elle Woods in Legally Blonde—she never abandons her love of hyper-feminine fashion, even when others dismiss her because of it. Instead of conforming, she uses their misjudgment to her advantage.

Let Gotti’s mistakes be a reminder

Power Lies in Mystery: When your style does not immediately reveal your intentions, you create an air of intrigue. This forces others to project their own assumptions onto you, granting you control over their perceptions and keeping them engaged without fully understanding your next move.

Ambiguity Creates a Psychological Advantage: When people cannot easily categorize you, they are more likely to respect, fear, or desire your presence. A carefully curated, enigmatic style prevents others from forming fixed expectations, ensuring that you remain unpredictable and, therefore, powerful. This is the art of distraction.

Style isn’t just about what you wear, its about how much of yourself you reveal. Your style is the poker face that you play to the world— use it wisely, and they’ll never see you coming. After all, even the most notorious gangsters learned the hard way: when you make yourself the spectacle, you also make yourself the target.

With great personal aesthetic,
Alexandra Diana, The A List

Additional Sources:
FBI, Gotti, Courtroom Footage, Wiretaps (1990),