VP at Growth Energy is also founder of popular Off the Cuff blog

Can men wear brown shoes with a gray suit? These days hardly anyone would bat an eye at the fashion choice, but a few years ago Chris Hogan came across a newspaper column in which the writer dressed down a reader for simply suggesting the idea.

Hogan's first thought: "You just crushed this guy's sense of individuality and style." His second thought was he could do better.

Hogan is VP of communications and public affairs at ethanol trade group Growth Energy, but also is founder and editor-in-chief of Off the Cuff, a Washington, D.C., menswear blog. The site, launched in 2006, has more than 30,000 monthly readers and has made Hogan a popular figure in District fashion circles.

"I've had people stop me on the Metro and say ‘Hey, do you write the Off the Cuff blog?'" he said. "It is still a little mind-boggling for me."

Hogan has spent most of his career working for associations. After earning an undergraduate degree in political science from Northeastern University in Boston, he moved to D.C. to become GR manager for association management firm Smith Bucklin. He later held communications positions at the American Petroleum Institute, American Gas Association and International Bottled Water Association. He also earned a master's degree in international management and an MBA, both from University of Maryland.

Hogan joined Growth Energy last year. Associations remain his primary occupation. He has no plans to expand Off the Cuff into a full-time business. Rather, the blog is a creative outlet that has helped the communications professional sharpen his social media skills, as he also posts on Twitter, Instagram and other channels.

Off the Cuff can be viewed at offthecuffdc.com.