Skip to main content

A Warm April Saturday at Home. . .

 

 
Above post-long Saturday walk and shower.  A Land's End oxford cloth button-down collar shirt from a time long ago in a galaxy far away, before the company began marketing and selling everything as  'No Iron.'   Said shirt has been in the rotation for at least 10 years, possibly longer.  And yes, that lazy mug needs a shave.


 
And the lower half, featuring my ever present Sebago topsiders (at least during the warmer months) and an equally well-aged pair of Land's End shorts, that over the years have faded to about the same shade of green as my long gone 1976 Volvo 244DL.  I miss that car.  Not visible is a red and navy surcingle belt with a nice brass buckle.


As I mention often enough here at Classic Style, it is entirely possible to dress comfortably, yet presentably without straying into ratty sweatpants territory.  

Presentable attire need to break the bank either.  The pieces shown here were all purchased at reasonable retail prices, on sale, or seasonal clearance.  At the newest, each is several years old.  

That's downright decrepit in the context of 21st century fast fashion.  Still holding up and looking pretty darn good, though, if I do say so myself.

Now, how about a G&T out on the veranda?  No?  Ok, then what about some reheated coffee left from breakfast?  Works for me.  As my late maternal grandmother used to say, "That'll take the paint off your teeth." 

-- Heinz-Ulrich


P.S.

Down 30 pounds since last September.  Everything fits better, much of it loosely.  Minor aches and pains in the knees have gone.  I feel like the younger me again and now weigh almost what I did in 1990 at 23.  The power of (much) smaller portions at mealtimes, no second helpings, routine walking (cross-country skiing in January and February), and snacking on one hell of a lot of apples, pears, oranges, clementines, bananas, and red grapes in the meantime.





Comments

  1. Der Alte FritzApril 11, 2021 at 8:11 AM

    Congratulations on the shedding of pounds, quite impressive.

    I’m partial to blue Oxford cloth shirts, but the 100% cotton version is a royal pain to iron ( does anyone else still use an ironing board and iron?). I prefer the 60/40 cotton/synthetic version that Arrow used to sell as they look the same, are easier to iron, and are more comfortable than all cotton Oxford cloth (especially ones that you have sent out to the cleaner for pressing - which come back stiff and starchy).

    I was reading the weekend version of the Wall Street Journal yesterday and I hate to break it to you, but the no socks look is out of fashion. 😄. Maybe this only applies when worn with long trousers as admittedly socks and Topsiders paired with shorts is not a good look either. If I have to wear socks with shorts, then they need to be turned down half way and only worn with Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers.

    ReplyDelete
  2. CharlottesvilleApril 12, 2021 at 6:38 AM

    All cotton, must iron shirts for me as well, Heinz-Ulrich. I find that they breathe better and drape better as well. I recently gave away a half dozen no-iron, all-cotton OCBDs after deciding that they are just not as comfortable.

    Fritz - All of that being said, I do understand the appeal of easy-care fabrics. I usually send my dress shirts out, but still take out the iron when needed and would not want to iron a stack of shirts every time I do laundry.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

All opinions are welcome here. Even those that differ from mine. But let's keep it clean and civil, please.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

Popular Posts

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...
3 comments
Read more

Vintage Bowtie Monday. . .

  A nd it's September 30th!  Week Six of the Fall 2024 semester.  Already.   To celebrate being alive, today I wore a vintage J. Press bow tie with a shirt from Mercer & Sons, suit by Brooks Bros., and shoes (with matching belt) by Allen Edmonds, the latter resoled in August, 11 years after their last recrafting at the AE factory.   This time, I simply wanted the shoes resoled, rather than a full recrafting, so did not send them off.  I took them instead to the last apparent cobbler in the Lansing area.  But it still took about a month until the work was finished given their backlog of business.  No matter, it was still summer.  And the crowded shelves behind the counter in the shop were good to see.  One of the cobblers is a soft-spoken young guy with long hair (But he knows his shoes!), so hopefully they'll be around for years to come.  All items shown already in the rotation for at least the last two or three years....
2 comments
Read more

Friday on Campus Style. . .

S omewhat atypically, I was on campus for several hours today helping with an interview that is part of a larger documentary project on which a colleague and I are working.  Although I am behind the camera (I'm the audio guy in fact), what better reason does one need to dress presentably?  Exactly.   Everything worn, barring the recently purchased University of Wisconsin socks, a gift from the Grand Duchess, has been in the rotation for a while now.  And, of course, there was the Panama hat, which I'll wear until we pass October 1st when the felt fedoras reappear. -- Heinz-Ulrich      
2 comments
Read more