Former D.C. mayoral candidate Sulaimon Brown, who’s gotten far more attention this year than he ever did when he was running for office, refused to take off his mirrored sunglasses while testifying (reluctantly) before the D.C. Council on Monday. We can’t pretend to know why Brown insisted on wearing the glasses indoors, but if he was trying to look tough to the lawmakers grilling him, it didn’t work. “You’re out of your goddamn mind,” Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry growled at him late in the day.

Still, the shades did convey a certain insouciance that some other folks around D.C., past and present, might benefit from.

If Thomas Jefferson was wearing sunglasses at his memorial, for instance, he wouldn’t have minded if people danced there—in fact, he might have joined them.

Wearing mirrored Sulaimon specs, maybe New York Rep. Anthony Weiner wouldn’t have felt the need to send photos of his shaved chest and stuffed briefs to women he didn’t know.

And if former Mayor Adrian Fenty had strolled around the city wearing sunglasses, would voters have even noticed that he didn’t seem to like talking to them?

We’ve also provided a handy set of Brown-inspired specs in case you find yourself in need of some sangfroid while out and about. Print, clip, and save!

Photos by Tolka Rover via Flickr/Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0; U.S. House of Representatives; Darrow Montgomery. Illustrations by Brooke Hatfield