Are we in an epsiode of The Twilight Zone, or The Outer Limits?

There are days when I observe the people around me, and how they appear for public consumption at work, in a professional environment mind you, and feel as though I am, in actuality, simply in the midst of a great huge daycare center.

The jettisoning of the tailored wardrobe is merely a part of the larger and ongoing 'democratization' of dress that started to standardize the wardrobe with the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, and whereby we may all eventually be encased in the same synthetic coverall and molded plastic footwear. Still others will tell you the degeneration of the trad wardrobe is all part of the “me” generation’s retreat from social consciousness and public style, part and parcel of a general lack of empathy, manners, and responsibility. More ancient members of the community can often be overheard muttering that we will eventually descend into anarchy, barbarism, and loincloths. -- G. Bruce Boyer

Read the entire article by clicking here!

As one reader has suggested here at Classic Style in the last year and a half or so, it seems like a substantial portion of society will not be happy until they can appear publicly in sagging diapers and/or onesies with food smeared on one cheek, sleep in their eyes, and terminal bedhead. I'll go a step further and submit that we're just about there. Rod Serling (of The Twilight Zone fame) would appreciate it.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

Comments

Gentleman Farmer said…

That is just a wonderful article, remarkably on point, by Mr. Boyer published in what is arguably America’s finest religious journals...

September 26, 2018 at 6:36 AM

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.

This 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. . .
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Unless 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 attire any time you head into the office or meet with clie…

Like Shooting Fish in Barrel. . .

The childhood home of singer Taylor Swift outside Reading, Pennsylvania (very near my old stomping grounds). If memory serves, Ms. Swift took quite a bit of flack several years back, in the early flush of success, when it became more generally known that she came from a relatively comfortable background. Oh, how dare she!

Caricatures. Stereotypes. Formulaic cliches. How many times have we seen the well off portrayed as superficial jerks in popular entertainment?

In the context of a new Netflix series entitled The Politician, can you imagine the righteous indignation, social media uproar, and unfettered rage that would result if a series mocking and deriding the working class actually were to make it online or to television?

--Heinz-Ulrich

Introductions, Thank-yous, and Excuse Mes. . .

When you meet someone new for the first time, establish eye contact, shake hands firmly, and exchange correct verbal salutations.
A somewhat shorter post today. I'm simply worn out after yesterday's marathon writing, proofreading, and editing sessions. Almost 11am here, and so time for the first scotch and water of the day I think. . . Joking, joking! Only joking. We wait until at least Noon on Sundays here at Stollen Central before the process of knocking 'em back starts in earnest. In the meantime, let's briefly talk about introductions, thank-yous, and excuse mes, three areas of social interaction and exchange that too many average guys (and people in general) get wrong in the 21st century.

Where introductions are concerned, the correct thing to say when you meet someone for the first time, and hopefully shake his or her hand firmly is, "How do you do?" Please, please, please do not use the ubiquitous "Nice to meet you" or the even more drea…

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