Flannel Three-Piece Wednesday. . .

It is my considered view, which will be disputed by some, that one can never be overdressed. Under dressed? Darn right. We see it all around us everyday.

However, I always make a point of complimenting students when they are really, actually, truly dressed on campus. Usually for some kind of presentation in a business course or other.

Doesn't really matter why they are so attired though, simply that they are and, for a few hours at least, no longer resemble a shambling mound of soiled laundry with legs ambling around a shopping mall or supermarket parking lot with no greater purpose in mind than that.

Today's attire, for the classic menswear aficionados out there, includes a Mercer shirt, Brooks Bros. Makers necktie, a vintage Polo University Club suit, Allen Edmonds shoes, and wool socks by Dapper Classics with some vintage Polo braces beneath the vest/waistcoat that feature an interesting art deco design.

Overdressed for campus? No doubt. But to dress down intentionally? That is a mindset I simply cannot relate to. Never could. Even back in my big-haired rocker days during the heady 80s. I dressed differently then, but I still dressed up.

And occasionally, I even put on a navy blazer, khakis, loafers, and tie when the situation called for it. Often voluntarily.

The point is that you present yourself well for public consumption. And, if you've really been paying attention, you'll know that you present yourself reasonably well for the people you live with too. The habit is not an inconvenience, but rather a behavior more of us should cultivate of our own free will.

Oddly, I don't remember being uncomfortable more than once or twice when attired thusly during my formative years. Any perceived discomfort was usually due the inconvenience of summer temperatures and humidity like you encounter in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Richmond where various family members lived. Ugh!

I did not have linen and seersucker suits in the rotation then, of course, which might have helped the situation somewhat.

But for right now, we're still in the midst of the winter, and that means wool flannel, tweed, and corduroy into early April here in Mid-Michigan. Which is fine by me.

Stay tuned!

-- Heinz-Ulrich

Up North Style. . .

Bad Dad makes a friend. YMP and Bad Dad on the shores of Lake Michigan. Or was that Crystal Lake? The Grand Duchess takes a selfie in her kayak. How NOT to impress the girls sunning themselves along the river. YMP and Bad Dad kayaking on the Platte River headed toward Loon Lake. J ust back from a week in Northern Michigan in a charming and spacious house on the banks of the Betsie River outside of Thompsonville. A largely pleasant seven days despite some challenging episodes with the Young Master, who has picked up some very questionable habits and language from his friends in the 8th Grade during the school year just ended. But otherwise, we enjoyed ourselves and contemplated remaining for a few days longer since the house was available. In the end, we decided to return home as planned originally since neither my wife, nor I wanted to spend the remaining days chained to our computers in Zoom meetings from our vacation destination. I actually managed to leave the laptop and ip

Mid-June Thursday Style. . .

A nother pretty typical variation on the theme for late spring, summer, and very early fall. I'm a huge fan of Madras and have several such shirts in the seasonal rotation. Lightweight, exceedingly comfortable, and even dressy when pressed and tucked in, which is the usual way of things here at Totleigh in the Wold. Now, if I had my druthers, I'd still rather be skiing the trails in the upper half of "The Mitten" (of Michigan), in the Upper Peninsula, or Ontario. But summers ain't so bad either, and I'd look pretty funny walking around in cross-country ski attire during June. -- Heinz-Ulrich

A Lazy Saturday at the End of June. . .

A sleepy first half of the weekend here at Totleigh. Warmer and quite humid ahead of an approaching cool front here in Mid-Michigan. Perfect for yet another pair of chino shorts an a seersucker shirt -- tucked in of course -- with the usual leather deck shoes and ribbon belt. Otherwise, not much accomplished beyond a page or so of writing and monkeying around with audio settings for an upcoming podcast episode. However, I was not completely useless yesterday! I made a huge fruit salad for dinner, which the Grand Duchess and I enjoyed a short while later at the table on the back porch. The Young Master, as is his wont on Saturday evenings, took his dinner on a tray in the TV room upstairs where he whiled away a couple of hours on Flight Simulator, flying some sort of commercial airliner to some destination across the Atlantic or Pacific. I would have loved that sort of technology at about nine or 10 way back during the late 1970s, aka The Stone Age. As it is, my sister and

CharlottesvilleFebruary 10, 2022 at 6:45 AM
Bravo, Heinz-Ulrich. A beautiful outfit. I too enjoy wearing a suit and do so a few times a week, even though it is rarely expected nowadays when even a sport coats is considered formal. But, as Adelaide said to Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, "We do not have to conduct ourselves like a slob."
WSTKS-FM WorldwideFebruary 10, 2022 at 10:20 AM
Why, thank you Charlottesville! This is one of may favorites. I only wish it were easier to find three-piece suits nowadays. Another in a heathered navy would be nice to have.

Kind Regards,

H-U

Classic Style

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