Men of style | Illustrated Naples

Jamie Dockweiler | Family man

As one of the lone men in the crowd at Chapeaux in the Gardenthe Botanical Gardens, the November event that acts as the unofficial kickoff of the season, Jamie Dockweiler has the 39; used to stand out. Dockweiler, who wears a hat from his Kentucky Derby forays, began attending in 2007 when his wife, Heather, chaired the elegant fundraiser. Hats are not the only fashionable affair for the Dockweilers, who co-chaired the Naples Angel Ball Community School. They regularly attend the American Heart Associations Heart Walk, and he sits on the board of directors of the Naples Zoo.

Dockweiler, sales associate at Premier Sothebys International Realty, appreciates the flexibility of real estate as it allows him to focus on his daughter, Celie Rose, 8, and his son, Maxwell, 10. Being present for his children and developing lasting bonds, just like his own mother did, has always been his plan. If someone asked me what I wanted to be when I was older, it was to be a dad, he remembers. Time with my family is the most important thing.

Although he has gained a reputation as an elegant man, he admits that fashion has not always been on his radar. I was so involved in sport, I didn't pay too much attention to it. It was while pursuing a diploma in sports management at Kennesaw State University that he worked part-time at Gap and became more aware of what he was wearing. You get big discounts, and that's when I started building a closet, says Dockweiler, who now prefers designers like Brunello Cucinelli and John Varvatos.

As Dockweiler thrived in the sport, he knew they weren't for everyone and stressed the importance for kids to find a place where they belong. For Celie Rose, this place was the Naples Performing Arts Center, where she took the stage in 10 performances. From its parental perch, Dockweiler started helping the nonprofit, which started with a few dozen students and now has over 700, including those with special needs, enrolled in dance classes, theater and music. There is today a lack of performing arts in schools, he says. the center encourages their love for the arts, builds their confidence and helps them grow.

Ron Ciesla | The accomplished gentleman

When he's not dressed for fairways, Ron Ciesla is ready for the meeting room. No matter where it goes, Ciesla firmly believes that looking good is a sign of gentlemanly respect.

When you dress well, people treat you differently, he says, adding that this even applies to travel, advice he shared with his adult children. Always wear a blazer and you will be treated differently by airline staff. I always try to look like a gentleman. I think this is very important, and I was losing that. The whole idea of ​​civility and being a gentleman is lost. There is a neglect that has crept in. You can be laid back and not be sloppy.

Ciesla adopted this appreciation of formality at a young age. Growing up in Bernardsville, New Jersey, he explains that his family was relatively poor, but he took note of how one of his uncles strived to always have a style about himself, he remembers. It was something I admired about him. At family gatherings, he might have a nice fedora or a blazer and tie, little things that set him apart from the rest.

A childhood in New Jersey gave way to a career in New York. In 2001, he was recruited for a position at the Northern Trusts office in Naples, where he was Executive Vice President and General Manager. It was time to move his family to the small coastal town he first visited in the late 1980s. After September 11, New York changed for me, he says.

Ciesla didn't bond with golf until he married his 32-year-old wife, Karin, and they started playing together and meeting new friends. Their two children turned to sport, even participating in school teams. Golf is my passion, says Ciesla, who sits on the board of directors of the LPGA Foundation and wishes to enhance the professional and social networking opportunities of women through play. It is very useful for the work that I do. I saw the benefit it brought to my son while he was chasing him. I saw doors open. I saw it differently for my daughter. There is a civility that is not present in other professional sports.

Dominic Lacquaniti | The sewing craftsman

The jackets are not negotiable, says Dominic Lacquaniti, a man of tailor-made style whose passion for fabric is in his blood. The guys have to dress up. It changes your outlook on life. I change Naples one sports coat at a time.

The force behind the D. Lacquaniti Bespoke custom clothing workshop grew up taking a nap atop the piles of fabric from his father, a New Jersey sewing company. He studied briefly at the Fashion Institute of Technology before learning alongside textile designers in New York for 17 years. In 2012, he joined his father, Rocco Lacquaniti, who relocated Roccos Tailor Shop to Naples in the late 1990s.

Since resuming operations six years ago, Lacquaniti has imagined a Naples look and promoted the ladys tuxedo. Three local tailors create handcrafted clothing for men and women D. Lacquaniti Bespokes, as well as Italian tailors from the old New York school that I have known for ages, he says.

When it comes to inspiring fashion designers, Lacquaniti turns first to fellow Italian Gianni Versace. He comes from the same part of Italy as my family, he explains. He had to fight really big people to be successful. He was the oppressed.

The demand for Lacquanitis custom creations is so high that its concierge modification services come second and only by appointment. These days, I'm drawn to Miami for high fashion clients, including celebrities and athletes, says Lacquaniti, who is considering other ways to grow. It's not work; it is my passion. I love to see the change in people. It is my medicine. I love that my clients give me the opportunity to create beautiful things for them.

For his own clothing choices, Lacquaniti who has a quick mind and a disposition as sunny as Naples confesses that he often dresses according to his mood. If I feel depressed and want to have fun, I will wear a brighter color. We can do this. This is Florida.

Ken Kelly | The Jet-Setter

Naples native Ken Kelly keeps his suitcase stocked with the logical choice Untuckit casualweara for the successful business and humanitarian who has spent a third of the last calendar year traveling.

As a wing commander for Angel Flight in southwest Florida and a leading roofing expert, Kelly has made numerous hurricane relief trips. He has visited 60 countries and carried out non-profit missions for 16 years, accumulating 1,000 hours of piloting in his 2007 Cirrus SR22 after Hurricane Dorian devastated the Bahamas. He met his fiancé, Jennifer Jebrock, a clinical pharmacist at the Jackson Memorial Hospital, after transporting a teenage liver transplant patient from Naples to Miami.

President of Kelly Roofing, who was named roofing contractor of the year in 2019 by an industry magazine, was hand-selected to consult on Teslas' flashing and waterproofing Solarglass Roof. He recently made several trips to Northern California, in fact, for research, development and training for new photovoltaic systems.

After graduating from Barron Collier High School in 1993, Kelly took over the business that his father Joe Sr. started in 1972. He notes that Kelly Roofing is guided by the Japanese philosophy of kaizen , committing all his life to learning and improving. Being selected to work with Tesla really fits that core value, he says. This allows us to be at the forefront and continuously improve, not only internally but for the entire industry.

And while Kelly is constantly advancing in business, he takes a slightly more moderate approach to fashion. I consider myself an edgy conservative, he says. You think I'm conservative until you see my socks. I have pretty funny and crazy socks. This is where the personality comes out.

Kelly has many opportunities to share this fun side. He is chairman of the Collier County Code Enforcement Board and has served on the county's Affordable Housing Advisory Committee for a decade. Years ago, he helped create Hope Contained, a non-profit organization that provides housing by renovating steel shipping containers. Kelly, who was the single father of her son Austin, gives back to the community simply because I truly believe in the mindset of paying for the future, he says. When he needed it most, there were a lot of people who went out of their way to help me.

Ralph Stayer | The High Wife

Ralph Stayer is a philanthropic leader in Naples, where he and his wife, Shelly, have had a huge impact since they moved to Gordon Drive just a decade ago. Next month, hell will be by his side at the inauguration of the Shelly Stayer Shelter for Human Trafficking and Domestic Violence. Built by the shelter for abused women and children in Immokalee, the facility is the first of its kind in the country.

That's the Shellys thing, and I totally support it, says Stayer, adding that they focus 95% of their philanthropic efforts on women and children. We were happy to do everything we could to help, in particular to raise awareness about human trafficking.

Stayer credits his wife, a fellow Wisconsin native, for helping to make him a stylish man. As long as she dresses me, I continue to be fashionable, he says laughing. My wife always looks fabulous, so I really have no choice but to dress well. Otherwise, we will be a weird couple.

Stayer was recognized nationally as one of the best CEOs for transforming Johnsonville Sausage from a butcher shop his parents started in Johnsonville, Wisconsin, in 1945 into a global brand sold in near from 50 countries. These days, he is slowly moving away from his duties and training the next generation to take over. It has always been my intention to create a family heirloom, he says, noting that the seven of his children are involved in the business. God used me to build this business and I am delighted to have my children as stewards. He remains president of Johnsonville Holdings, with three subsidiaries and multiple investments.

This year turns out to be packed for the Stayers. The couple will attend the marriages of two children before embarking on an exotic trip to Kazakhstan, Bhutan, Lebanon and India. But whether he works or relaxes, the king of sausages remains an avid reader who devours more than 150 pounds a year.

He is also co-author of the 1994 bestseller Flight of the Buffalo: Achieving Excellence, Learning to Let Employees Lead. It was fueled by its popular 1990 Harvard business review article, How I Learned to Let My Workers Lead, which is still required reading for most business students. Said Stayer: I think it's a timeless message.

History credits:

Shot on site in Campiello, Naples

Grooming by M Room, Naples