To what should we aspire precisely?

Couldn't resist another photograph of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie as Jeeves and Wooster for this particular post.

To what degree should average guys, who are interested in kicking up their everyday style a few notches, aspire? To be no less than spiffy in everyday appearance and behavior would be most spiffing.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

spiff·y

adjective

informal

adjective: spiffy; 1. smart in appearance. "That's a spiffy new outfit."

spif·fing

adjective

Brit. informal, dated

adjective: spiffing; 1. excellent; splendid. "How spiffing you look!"

A Laurence Fellows illustration, I think, showing a few very spiffy gents in their spiffing suits from the 1930s.

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The Pleasaures of a Well-trained Dog. . .

A few final photographs from my visit to my sister in Washington, D.C. last week. These include one of 'Mr. Beau,' my sister's meticulously trained and truly wonderful Doberman, another of my sister, second cousin, step-father, and yours truly on the steps of the church outside Lexington, North Carolina just after our late mother's interment service, two of me solo at the National Cathedral, and a final one of my sister and me hamming it up during a long evening walk the day before I returned to Michigan. My sister routinely walks to the cathedral, about three blocks from her place, to enjoy the grounds and gardens. The Bishop's Garden, in particular, is a place she likes to sit for quiet contemplation and internal dialogues with our late maternal grandparents and mother, very much in keeping with the Episcopal side of things. Our grandfather, who was raised Methodist, became an Episcopalian when he married our grandmother. Before you ask, I am not sure tha

Avoid Careless Chatter. . .

E specially about the personal details of our lives. There is a lot that OUGHT to be kept more private in 2022 than has become the accepted norm for many. With the conscious and intentional cultivation of classic style in mind, however, we want to avoid oversharing and keep a bit more of ourselves to ourselves. Exactly what personal information and how much of it to keep private seems to be a slippery concept though. Here’s my take based on what I was told and observed as a child and young person at home. Basically, one should keep oneself to oneself in all respects (finances, personal worth, accomplishments, politics, sex, dirty laundry, etc.). As my late father used to advise when we were very small, and I am talking preschool and kindergarten, there were particular subjects that were not discussed outside the immediate family. There is a time and place for sharing certain details of one’s life, but most of the time, those should be played very close to the chest,

Classic Style

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