Do It with Dignity. . .

Few men today come across more dignified in their attire and behavior than cardiologist Dr. Andre Churchwell on the left, or Italian clothing and style mogul Luciano Barbera on the right. No one could accuse either man of lacking passion, depth, intensity, or humor when it comes to their respective lives and vocations, making both worthy of emulation in my book.

The concept of dignity, when it is thought of at all these days, seems to get a bad rap in many quarters. Clearly, too many people perceive dressing and behaving with dignity as somehow dull, flat, lifeless, without color, and lacking in passion. They, therefore, go so far in the other direction with their appearance and what can only politely be called 'behavior' that there seems to be little hope for us as a society sometimes.

Merriam-Webster's online dictionary defines the term dignity like this:

1: the quality or state of being worthy, honored, or esteemed

2a : high rank, office, or position b : a legal title of nobility or honor

3 archaic : dignitary

4: formal reserve or seriousness of manner, appearance, or language

While that's a bit of a mouthful, who among us would not want to come across as worthy, esteemed, and (when necessary) serious among our family, friends, and professional acquaintances? The Dignified Devil website provides a number of excellent (and humorous) illustration on how to dress and conduct ourselves with greater dignity. Check it out by clicking on this link: Dignified Devil. Be sure to scroll down through all of the examples of dignified versus undignified dress and activities.

I don't know about you, but I'll risk coming across as slightly more staid in the sea of reality TV-inspired "boys" flooding the landscape currently by opting for a more dignified appearance and demeanor. Any day. And that's something other average guys, who want to kick their own style a few rungs up the sartorial (and social) ladder, would do well to consider too.

Comments

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,

I Might As Well Be Spring: The Attire for Monday. . .

C old, blustery, and wet here in Mid-Michigan today although we might possibly have a couple of inches of wet snow at some point. It just started actually. Still some limited cross-country skiing up north at one of the Nordic ski centers we like, apparently, but I have not been able to get away for that. But it is springtime according to the calendar. Attire-wise, I managed to stow the fall and winter stuff and bring out the spring-summer-early fall gear on Saturday. Always fun to rediscover what you have not thought about in several months. Equally satisfying to discover items that have not ever seen the light of day. Such is the case for today's shirt from J. Press (hanging in the closet for a year or more) and the necktie, which (hanging on the back of my tie rack, where I keep all of my repp stripe numbers) for 8-10 years. Imagine that. -- Heinz Ulrich P.S. Believe it, or not, someone actually just used word "please" (rather than the brusk "Can I ge

A Little Sisterly Advice. . .

A s promised, my Washington, D.C.-based sister (she lives within walking distance of The National Cathedral) has sent some photographs of one recent combination of items that are pretty typical of her attire for both work and during her off hours. Without further ado, let's turn things over to my sister for her particular philosophy on how to present oneself in a put-together way regardless of the situation or occasion: As a wardrobe minimalist, and one raised on Ivy Style, every item in my wardrobe has a purpose. Living in the city, and walking almost everywhere, my clothes need to function in an active capacity. While I have a classic style, it is most often married with functional edgy pieces (boots, skinny jeans, etc.). In the past 15 years, I have gravitated to a neutral color palette for the clothing items in my closet and, at present, my wardrobe is comprised of 65% black items, 15% blue (including denim), 15% grey, with the balance most likely white (shirts, tees, p

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