Head of school, Central Christian School
By Katie Pelech
Photograph by Katherine Bish
Joshua Crane has just finished up his second year as the head of Central Christian School in Clayton and his second year in St. Louis. Though he no longer lives in Nashville, Crane still shimmers with residual Southern charm and elegance. In a profession that prizes commitment to order and high standards, it comes as no surprise that Crane exhibits both in many facets of his identity—style included. We sat down with the dapper drillmaster to find out how his fashion sense has developed and to hear about the great lengths he’s willing to go to for his students.
How would you describe your style? I trend on the traditional side. My dad often makes fun of my ties and says they’re too conservative, so that’s kind of a role reversal, for your father to tell you you’re too conservative.
Have you always dressed conservatively? Oh no, I’ve been through many iterations in my life. I was a rapper for a while, hat on sideways like the Beastie Boys, replete with Mercedes chains. I’ve been a skateboarder as well, with the skateboard T-shirts, ripped clothes and that sort of thing—oh, and there was a small season in high school spent wearing tie-dye and aligning myself with the Grateful Dead.
Why have you reined it in? I just like to dress appropriate for the occasion. In high school we wore uniforms, and my nightmare was thinking it was an “off dress” day and that everyone would be in uniform but me.
Why is it important for you to dress appropriately in your current profession? When you’re dealing with a school, particularly a private school, you’re dealing with things that parents care a lot about: with their children and their money. For my role, projecting confidence is important. I want to inspire confidence in people so that they know their children are well taken care of here, and I think dress is an important part of that.
Are there any styles you’d like to try but just don’t think you could pull off? I sometimes wish I was Cuban. I love the food, but I just don’t think I could do the open shirt and all that—I’m too fair for Cuban attire.
Has dressing appropriately ever conflicted with your personal taste? One of the parents gave me a Cardinals tie, and I’m a Yankees fan. I don’t think that’s allowed. Yeah, I almost got fired. Anyway, we had a Cardinals day back in the fall, and it took every bit of me to put that tie on. I still have the rash to this day.
