Success is a lot like a bright, white tuxedo. You feel terrific when you get it, but then you're desperately afraid of getting it dirty, of spoiling it in any way.

O’Brien likens success to an immaculate white tuxedo: exhilarating to wear because it signals achievement and status, yet anxiety-inducing because it is fragile and conspicuous. The metaphor captures a common psychological aftereffect of “making it”—once recognition arrives, the fear of losing it (or being exposed as undeserving) can eclipse the pleasure of having it. The image also hints at the performative nature of public success: like formalwear, it is something you put on before an audience, and any “stain” (a mistake, scandal, flop, or bad review) feels amplified. The quote wryly critiques how success can become a burden of maintenance rather than a stable reward.