"Suck in that stomach and put on some color!"

Several classic menswear illustrations featuring splashes of color and/or pattern that help to illustrate the point of today's post.

The title of today's post is a weak paraphrase of Shellie Tomlinson's 2008 book intended primarily for girls and women in need of some assistance with their sense of personal style. But that same advice is also applicable to a lot of men, who have also become lost in that impenetrable frumpy fog that has descended over so much of Western society since the early 1990s.

It's really no secret, or shouldn't be. Following the advice of those tough as nails drill instructors on Army and Marine bases that turn new recruits into fighting men and women, stand up straight, suck in your gut, and hold your shoulders back!

Better posture goes a long way toward making us look a hell of a lot better than we otherwise might. Even when clad in so called 'casual' attire and 'athleisure' technical gear. Puh-leeze!

Maintaining good posture is especially important in our era of either sitting hunched over computer desks, laptops, or staring into those godforsaken iPhones that have become permanently attached to so many peoples' hands. Standing and sitting up straighter is not only more healthy, but it makes us look better in our clothes, helps us to step lively, and appear more purposeful.

The next step would be for guys to get over themselves a bit, quit worrying so much about what others might think, and add some judicious splashes of color -- a necktie, a non-matching pocket square, with understated socks -- and pattern (fairly subdued unless we're going all madras during the summer, or bold tweed in cooler weather) to their overall look once they've got the basics nailed down (better personal grooming, pressed and tucked in shirt, decent leather shoes, matching belt, etc.).

You know. After these same gentlemen manage to move beyond presenting themselves for public consumption while wearing the usual sorts of sloppy attire that succeed only in making a person look like his self-image, self-worth, and personal outlook have hit absolute rock bottom. Cue UFO with Michael Schenker from 1974!

I know. I know. I am nothing if not a confusing, tangled, hot mess of contradictions.

-- 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 attire any time you head into the

The Average Guy's Guide to Classic Style Now on Ebay!!!

Another great old Laurence Fellows illustration of menswear from the classic era, the 1930s. T he Average Guy's Guide to Classic Style is up and running on Ebay. -- Heinz-Ulrich

"If you see something you want. . ."

The above photograph has been "borrowed" from the J. Press website. "I f you see something you want," advised my late mother, "buy it. It won't be there when you go back later." A favorite (and wise) adage hers that I still follow whenever possible. So when this item appeared on clearance at J. Press, I mulled it over for a couple of days, and then clicked the requisite boxes to make the online purchase. Should be here within the week. Once upon a time, I had a similar jacket by Corbin that I foolishly purged before we left Central Illinois ('Illi-noir' anyone?) for Michigan almost 10 years ago. Not sure what I was thinking at the time since I did like the item and wore it routinely. This one will be a bit nicer and help me make sartorial amends. At least to myself. -- Heinz-Ulrich

Classic Style

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