Appointment Style. . .

Not bad, but it's just about time to visit the barber for a trim. The ol' hair is getting a bit puffy on the sides and top.

Well, the summer break is in full swing for yours truly here at Totleigh-on-the-Wold even though the Memorial Day Weekend is not yet upon us. Besides working on an article and a few other professional commitments, all of which can be done from home, it has settled down pretty nicely here since turning in final grades a couple of weeks ago.

However, there was reason to don presentable attire this morning once the Young Master was loaded aboard his school bus. The Grand Duchess and I had an appointment with our attorney in Downtown Lansing to finalize and sign our will, so what better reason? I decided that a suit might be a bit much for me, although I was happy later to see that our lawyer was thus attired, so I opted instead for a sports jacket (Hickey Freeman) and odd pants combo. Not visible is a braided brown leather belt and a pair of light green calf length dress socks with small navy polka dots.

The necktie shown here is a knitted silk number in a wine color, purchased from Land's End a couple of years ago, that seems to have become my "go to" the last few weeks when I have had journey into campus, or elsewhere wearing somewhat more professional dress than my usual summer wardrobe. Longtime visitors to Classic Style might recall that the latter consists typically of chino shorts worn with a casual surcingle belt and either a short-sleeve knit polo top, or one of my many cotton Madras shirts with a pair of leather Sperry top-siders. Casual, comfortable, and yet pulled together. What a concept.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

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Mid-November Monday. . .

A few minutes between classes this morning, so I snapped pictures of today's attire and accessories. The first wearing this season of the Optimo 'Dearborn' fedora, and the tie is a vintage number from Orvis, a nod to my late father's fly-fishing and fly-tying hobbies. It's been two or three years since this particular necktie's last appearance, so high time to pull it out and knot it carefully around the ol' neck. Managed to nail it on the first attempt too. Could this be the start of a trend? -- Heinz-Ulrich

The Problem of "Business Casual" Attire. . .

This is how it's done. Business Casual the RIGHT way, ladies and gentlemen. Even during the summer months. A photograph (taken by Studio B Portraits ) which appeared in 425 Business Magazine in May 2017. T his post on the problem of business casual dress began as a quick postscript to a previous blog entry last week but quickly grew and grew as additional thoughts occurred, were developed in more detail, and revisions made. So much so, that it seemed, eventually, like a better idea to make the initial P.S. afterthought into its own entry . Are ya ready, Freddy? Then, here we go. . . ------------ U nless you actually plan to sell beach snacks and trinkets on Cozumel, become a serial barista, or greet customers at a fancy nightclub after taking out huge student loans to attend university somewhere for four or five years, plus an MBA afterward, it's really a better idea to err on the side of (somewhat) more formal work at...

My Preferred Oxford Cloth Button-Down Shirts. . .

One of several light blue cotton oxford cloth button-down collar shirts in my rotation, worn here with a wool flannel navy blazer and a vintage Italian silk necktie once sold under the Rooster label. An orange-brown with silvery paisleys, ideal for the autumn. T he other day, a regular visitor to Classic Style for the Average Guy left a comment in which he asked for information and my recommendations on the classic oxford cloth button-down shirt, commonly abbreviated to 'ocbd.' "Me? Are you tawkin' to me?" Oblique Robert DeNiro references aside, let's talk oxford cloth button-down shirts. This particular type of shirt is one of the bedrock items every man should have a few of hanging in his closet, especially when he wishes to present himself to the world in a way better -- yes, I said better -- than what has become the sad accepted average among so much of the male populace. First things first though. Lots of people automatically...

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