Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), who chairs the House Judiciary Committee, is known for his laid-back, dry-humored personality. Nothing seems to rattle him much — not articles of impeachment against President Bush, which he doesn’t necessarily support, nor contempt of Congress charges against Harriet Miers, which he does.

When it comes to dress, he’s just as smooth, but with a twist. The Michigan lawmaker, in beige houndstooth, often introduces a dash of unexpected color into his wardrobe — a bright orange, green or turquoise patterned tie, for example. Or he steps out in a pair of light tan leather lace-ups.

“I am a shoe nut,” Conyers says. “It’s a variety of shoes that I have.”

Conyers can be seen walking the halls of the Capitol in clothes that defy the tradition of lawmakers dressing off the rack from mystery department stores or at Brooks Brothers.

“People tell me that’s all there is to me — my dressing,” he jokes. “If it weren’t for that I’d probably be anonymous.”

But the chairman says he cannot explain his modus operandi in choosing clothes. And he doesn’t buy in just one place. “Wherever I find them,” he says. “I shop all over. I don’t shop much in the Washington area unless it’s an emergency.”

Though he frequents stores in the Detroit suburbs, he loves to shop in Manhattan.

“I’m shopping all the time,” he says. “I go more for color than for style.”

Conyers can be seen in corduroys (in the appropriate season) and double-breasted suits. He says he used to get his shirts custom-made. He has several leather jackets in both black and brown.

The chairman won’t ever wear jeans. “I don’t have any,” he says, noting that his wardrobe is mostly slacks, suits and gym clothes.