New Casual Belt Style. . .

This particular belt is a nod to my (idyllic) formative years in southeastern Pennsylvania just outside Philadelphia. It used to be a common occurrence then to see male and female Ring-necked Pheasants taking off and landing in, or around the many cornfields in the area. Especially in the late fall and early winter after the harvest and before snow fell.

Just five days after placing an order for three new casual belts with Country Club Prep, a small box arrived on our doorstep later yesterday, containing not one but three new belts very similar to that pictured above.

I am extremely satisfied with the purchase. Today, I sport one such new belt with some very faded pink shorts and an equally well worn blue and white micro-check cotton twill short-sleeve shirt with a button-down collar. It's amazing how much more comfortable you feel when your pants are not slipping constantly down your hips.

This comes after two months -- the initial order was placed in mid-May mind you -- of trying to track down the missing three items from a well-known New England maker of such belts. I waited until late June before sending a polite, short email asking about order status since the USPS online tracking information indicated it had been delivered here on June 3rd!

A short series of terse, non-committal answers followed via email from two or three company representatives, including the dreaded, "It's out of our hands now". That's a direct quote from the second communication received in reply to my initial (polite) inquiry. Puh-leeze.

Finally, I threw in the towel and asked (politely) for a refund just after July 15th, which, to the company's credit, was prompt.

I then began casting about the 'net for a place that sells similar casual belts, stumbled upon Country Club Prep, found three models I like, and placed the order using the refunded funds.

If you too are in the market for a casual belt or three to wear with chino shorts in the summertime, or any ol' time, they have many on offer with all kinds of designs, motifs, and colors at various price points. Rapid, pleasant communication and service too. Check out Country Club Prep.

-- 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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