However, based on the number of questions my colleagues and I received this year, I feel like we all welcomed an opportunity to bring some silliness to the 40 days of the legislative session.

Throughout the year, I’ve asked for nominations, been tracked down by eager lawmakers and sent photos of legislators whose peers thought they should be included.

This is the third time I’ve compiled this list, launching it in 2019 but deciding that 2020 wasn’t a year we should spend time discussing fashion. So before you send me angry emails that your favorite wasn’t on the list, I ask that you check out the honorees from 2021 and 2019 first. With 236 lawmakers in the building, I can’t justify having repeat appearances just yet.

Standing disclaimer time: Everything I know about fashion I learned from “Project Runway” and “America’s Next Top Model.” I am by no means an expert.

If you know me, you know that on any given day you can catch me looking like a disheveled mess.

Most of the lawmakers I spoke with said they felt it was important to present themselves to the world in the best possible light. Many said while they felt one’s appearance shouldn’t matter, there are many who will judge a person at first glance.

For the men on the list, it’s difficult to get too creative. Most wear dark tailored suits but play around with patterned ties, pocket squares and socks. The women have a little more leeway to have fun, but it usually came down to fit, tailoring and color to make the list.

And with that, I give you the AJC.com picks for the 2022 best-dressed* state lawmakers, in alphabetical order:

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

State Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell

Senate Public Safety Committee chairman

Occupation: Small business owner and business executive

Fashion inspiration: “I’ve always wanted to look like Ronald Reagan.”

Favorite fashion tip: “A nice complement of colors and look in order to impress people.”

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

State Sen. Michelle Au, D-Johns Creek

Occupation: Anesthesiologist

Fashion inspiration: “I have to be honest, I really don’t think that much about what I wear. ... In my regular job, not only do I wear the same thing every single day, I wear the same thing as everyone else every single day.”

Favorite fashion tip: “I wear a lot of white and gray and blue because those tend to go together. But then I do have select items that are a bright color. Like today like these shoes (are a pop of color). Shoes are easier to use as a colorful accessory.”

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Rep. Terry England, R-Auburn

House Appropriations Committee chairman

Occupation: Agricultural consultant; antique farm equipment restoration

Fashion inspiration: “I don’t really think about it. But my suits have gotten updated over time.”

Favorite fashion tip: “I don’t go looking for anything in particular. I’m wearing a purple tie today for Alzheimer’s. I lost my mother almost six years ago, and I lost my mother-in-law this year to Alzheimer’s. I always make sure I wear a purple tie when I do my budget presentations because I think it’s a nice nod.”

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

State Rep. El-Mahdi Holly, D-Stockbridge

Occupation: Educator

Fashion inspiration: “It’s the Holly men, the men in my family who come from seven generations of Christian ministers. I also have an appreciation for older clothes — I love going to antique shops and consignment stores, and I just have an appreciation for the clothing of yesteryear. And I was influenced by an army of fashion-conscious Morehouse (College) men.”

Favorite fashion tip: “I quote John Witherspoon’s character (in “Boomerang”), ‘coordinate.’ And study fashion faux pas, so that you can know when to test them and create your own style.”

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

State Sen. Billy Hickman, R-Statesboro

Occupation: certified public accountant

Fashion inspiration: “I just always want to look the best I can look.”

Favorite fashion tip: “I want to make sure it looks neat, and that it presents a positive image. I don’t want to be subdued, like today (in a blue suit); I want to jump out at you.”

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

State Sen. Kim Jackson, D-Pine Lake

Occupation: Episcopal priest

Fashion inspiration: “My hat love comes from my grandfather. He had a hat for every holiday. And then, I’ve been a clergy person my entire adult life. So it wasn’t until I got elected that I started wearing anything that wasn’t black. So it’s been a new journey of just trying to play around with different styles.”

Favorite fashion tip: “I believe in having a tight shoe game. Shoes are always essential. But I also think you should always wear something that you feel comfortable in. So if it doesn’t feel comfortable, try something else.”

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

State Rep. Josh McLaurin, D-Sandy Springs

Occupation: attorney

Fashion inspiration: “I’ve joked before that sometimes when you date people growing up, there’s like a girlfriend or a boyfriend for different categories of clothes, cooking, whatever. I definitely had a fashion girlfriend at one point who confronted me and said, ‘You have to think about this differently.’ ”

Favorite fashion tip: “Building out an outfit is like a pyramid. It has to have a solid foundation that isn’t too flashy, and the key is to choose accents well and limit their use at the top of the pyramid.”

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

State Rep. Bonnie Rich, R-Suwanee

House Reapportionment Committee chairwoman

Occupation: attorney

Fashion inspiration: “My mother. She has a classic style that’s timeless and professional while still being feminine.”

Favorite fashion tip: “I like for my clothes to fit right and to be the right length and fitted properly, so I have almost everything that I wear altered.”

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

State Sen. Randy Robertson, R-Cataula

Senate Retirement Committee chairman

Occupation: retired law enforcement, public safety consultant

Fashion inspiration: “My dad never left the house with his hair uncombed. I remember when leisure suits came out in the ‘70s, my dad had probably six different colors. ... He was just a big believer in hygiene, table manners and being dressed neatly.”

Favorite fashion tip: “Grooming. I think I get a haircut about every 10 days just to try to keep it cleaned up because I was extremely shy as a kid and my self-esteem was not where it needed to be. And so I just got focused on that part. ... And I don’t like wrinkled clothes, either.”

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC

State Rep. Erica Thomas, D-Mableton

Occupation: TV producer

Fashion inspiration: “I love vintage. I think it’s timeless. I think it’s very, very important to look good because when you look good, you feel good. So I want to inspire other young women that are in political spheres or running for office to know that you don’t always have to wear a pantsuit.”

Favorite fashion tip: “I like to be different and like to be myself, and I express myself through my clothes and to always put my best face forward. ... So never ever is there a day when I wake up in the morning and say, ‘Dang, I’m just going to throw something on.’ ”

*Disclaimer: No algorithms were used in creating this list.

Previous best-dressed* legislators:

2021: Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-Rome; Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming; Rep. Matthew Gambill, R-Cartersville; Sen. Sonya Halpern, D-Atlanta; Sen. Emanuel Jones, D-Decatur; Rep. Donna McLeod, D-Lawrenceville; Sen. Nikki Merritt, D-Grayson; Rep. Bee Nguyen, D-Atlanta; Sen. Brian Strickland, R-McDonough; and Rep. Matthew Wilson, D-Brookhaven.

2019: Rep. Park Cannon, D-Atlanta; Rep. Matt Dubnik, R-Gainesville; Senate Majority Leader Mike Dugan, R-Carrollton; Rep. Houston Gaines, R-Athens; Sen. Harold Jones, D-Augusta; Sen. Jen Jordan, D-Atlanta; Sen. John Kennedy, R-Macon; Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta; Rep. Sam Park, D-Lawrenceville; Sen. Freddie Powell Sims, D-Dawson; and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan.