Average Guys Can Wear Pink. . .

Today's classic look on the way out the door and back to campus early this afternoon.

In my continuing quest to have a little fun with color and pattern, as well as encourage others out there to give it a whirl too, here are a couple of photographs featuring today's ensemble. You know what, guys? It's perfectly alright to wear some pink now and again. Time to abandon those very silly, hyper-masculine American ideas we hold dear about what so called "real men" do and don't do, wear and won't wear. You can kick up your everyday style quite a few notches when you throw that overly cautious nature of yours to the sartorial wind and add several more visually interesting pieces to your wardrobe.

Today was the first outting for the vintage Reis of New Haven Black Watch regimental stripe necktie, which I found at my best local thrifting spot a year or so ago, but it has since been buried in the back of the closet until unearthed again last night. The London Fog topcoat is something I found late last winter on Ebay at a ridiculously low price, but I don't believe it has ever shown up here before. The Land's End cotton oxford cloth button-down shirt has been with me for 9 or 10 years. The other items have shown up here before, in one form or another, at various times.

We've just had two or three very chilly days with some light snow here, unusual in this neck of the woods for the first half of November. So, the first half of the week saw tweed, corduroy, and Fair Isle sweaters galore beneath a heavy wool duffel coat. However, the weather and temperature moderated today, so back to some lighter wool flannel and the topcoat as well as tasseled loafers with some funny socks peeking out from underneath. Today's combination of garments and accessories put an extra spring in my step on the way to and from campus and helped me forget about the ever increasing amount of gray in my eyebrows for a little while. A good object lesson in how the right clothes can positively affect one's mood and outlook regardless of the various and sundry challenges life might throw one's way during the workweek. Still, how sad to begin the graying process at only 29! ;-)

-- Heinz-Ulrich

Here's a slightly better shot of the vintage London Fog Glen Plaid topcoat. Just the right weight for a cooler day in the upper 40s-lower 50s Fahrenheit.

Comments

J. Press Goodness. . .

F resh out of the UPS box, three examples of J. Press goodness on a Friday morning. These shirts are replacements for three recently worn-through, more than 20-year old OCBDs from Land's End (two) and L.L. Bean (one). They were purchased shortly after I took my first teaching position at a now defunct local college outside of Minneapolis, immediately following graduate school, as the fall semester kicked off in September 2003. While some professional gear hung in my closet already, a few additional items were needed at that point to round out the weekly rotation. Said shirts all finally fell prey to small rips showing up in the now very thin, but incredibly comfortable, fabric within six weeks of each other this winter and early spring. So, time for a few replacements. The old friends will find new life as summertime lawncare shirts. Of the three new items above, my favorite shirt is on the right, but one cannot go wrong with a light blue OCBD either, so we're in good

Time for the Ol' Switcheroo?

W ell, here we are approaching mid-April. And it might just be about time to swap the cool and cold weather attire for warmer weather gear this coming weekend. Mid-70s Fahrenheit yesterday, and low 70s today. Cooler after that later in the week, but I can probably stow the heavier wool items and cords in the cedar closet and safely bring out the warm weather suits, odd jackets, and pants until the fall. Still time of one last hurrah today however. Cooler enough this morning for a tan pair of cords paired with that recently arrived J. Press jacket. The latter is light enough, although it is wool, that I might just keep it handy since we can certainly have chilly days in May and June. While classes end on the April 19th this year, I'll still be on campus occasionally into June, so it's not exactly time for khaki shorts, Madras, seersucker and short-sleeved polo shirts just yet. There's also conference coming up in New Orleans at the start of June, so still some oppor

Job Talk #3. . .

C andidate #3 is, for my money, the person for the job. Considerable experience, broad perspective, well-connected throughout the college and university due to an array of collaborative pursuits of one kind or another, coherent and detailed vision laid out for the next three years and beyond. Yes. I am not on the committee that makes the recommendation to the dean, who will make the final decision and send the letter, but, were it up to yours truly, this is the guy. And he wore an actual suit (mid-gray), dress shoes, white shirt, and necktie as an added plus. 20 years or so my junior, but someone gets it. -- Heinz-Ulrich

Classic Style

Search This Blog