Monday DB Blazer Style. . .

A decided chill in the air today. Up and moving quite early, I decided to head to a branch of The (Topless) Mermaid across the street from campus this morning for some uninterrupted work on my laptop with a grande dark roast.

Were there alternatives, I would happily oblige. But for some very odd reason, especially given the size of Michigan State, there is a dearth of cafes in campus town (such as it is). On campus, we have the MSU chain Sparty's, but their coffee always tastes burned, and there is no ambiance to speak of. And although the promised library branch of The Mermaid has yet to open, and one man's ambiance is another man's Sartrean purgatory, the branch of The Mermaid just off campus it was between 6:30-10:30am today.

Delightfully quiet in any case out ahead of the long Thanksgiving weekend since so many students have either left for home already, or have used the approaching holiday as yet another excuse to avoid any sort of commitment, disconnect, and stay in bed. Mentally speaking at least. But that development is nothing new each November. Like so many other professors, I cancelled classes for today based on lengthy experience and anecdotal observation.

A close friend and colleague of mine, who, it must be said, comes from an Asian culture where learning is still respected and valued as an opportunity for self-improvement, has made an interesting observation. US undergraduates, in general, pay lots of money, or take out huge loans, to skip classes and avoid doing much in the way of coursework. There are exceptions, of course, but by and large I think my fiend might be onto something with that.

Anyway, about 90 minutes into my proofreading work on an article, a 60-something (???) women paid today's attire a very kind compliment and added,

"You don't see anyone dressed like that in East Lansing." I smiled, thanked her, agreed, and wished her a good day.

Compliments. Never necessary, but always nice to hear if, or when they come.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

Comments

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

"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

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

Classic Style

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