Sartorial Faceplants. . .

Perhaps the ultimate in skiing faceplants. How did they get him (or her?) out?

Some days, just nothing seems to go right, and that has certainly been the case so far today with regard to clothes and the pretense of attempting to dress stylishly. To wit:

1) Already too late early this morning to take the time and head back upstairs for a different sports jacket or blazer, a brass button (the buttoning point button) came off my mid-blue blazer this morning as I rushed out the door. The first time this season I've worn that particular blazer too. Should've known right then that the stars were not aligned properly today. Sigh.

2) Mid-morning, during office hours to which students rarely come (unless you make them visit you by making it count as part of their grade), one of those tiny metal pins that keeps leather watch straps attached to the actual wristwatch broke on my Bulova watch. This is really maddening since it has not been three months since I had the pins and strap replaced at the jewler's. Argh!

3) While chekcing my appearance in the mensroom mirror late in the morning. I noticed what looks like powdered sugar residue in two highly visible places near the crotch of a pair of Luciano Barbera pants that I've worn maybe three times before today. Since the pants went to the dry-cleaner's after I found them in a thrift shop, and I never eat anything like powder sugar doughnuts when I am dressed nicely, these spots are vexing to say the least. WHAT are they from, HOW did they get there, and do I really want to know? Hopefully, no students or colleagues noticed, but it's unsettling to say the least. Grrrr. . .

4) A pick-up of several items at the dry-cleaner's on the way home revealed that, apparently, no special attention was given to removing a small spot of car door grease from a pair of gabardine dress pants when I dropped them last Friday although I pointed out the spot, and the clerk put some red tape next to it. Today, not only is the original spot in full evidence, but a second spot has materialized a few inches away. #$%&#*!

Hopefully, that's the last of it, but I think I'll ask my wife to avoid making any dishes with tomato sauce this weekend.

Faceplant -- In skiing and snowboarding, a kind of fall where your face is planted unceremoniously in the snow for all to see and chide you about later.

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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