Strive for Playful Irreverence in Your Attire. . .

Monday's playfully irreverent ensemble.

While it is important to have some general knowledge of "the rules" with regard to menswear, it is equally important not to become so bound to them that you can't have a little fun from time to time with what you put on. I'm not even sure what rules might have been ignored with yesterday's combination of clothes, but it all seemed to look reasonably good once I finished dressing and glanced quickly in the mirror before heading to campus. Here's the rundown:

* Ralph Lauren double-breasted wool jacket in glen plaid, courtesy of An Affordable Wardrobe
* Bachrach charcoal wool flannel trousers
* Allen Edmonds shoes newly shined (old nylon stockings do wonders for getting that glassy shine on the toes and heels).
* Land's End cotton oxford cloth button-down shirt in blue university stripe
* Land's End silk whale necktie
* Land's End leather dress belt
* Allen Edmonds Merino wool socks
* Nameless silk pocket square with hand-rolled edges that's actually a woman's scarf, but the size was right, so hey. . .

As usual, everything shown was either thrifted, purchased new but on sale, or via Ebay. The notable exception was the jacket, a bit more expensive, but worth every penny in my book given it's style, pattern, and absolutely amazing fit. I only wish there had been suit pants to go with it!

The point is that we shouldn't feel absolutely hogtied by the perceived rules of correct dress. Relax a little and have some fun with your clothes. As long as you don't resemble Ted Knight's character on the old Mary Tyler Moore TV show, you'll very probably look leagues better than most guys you'll bump into these days. And that's perfectly ok. We're trying, after all, to kick up our everyday style several notches, find, and develop the confidence necessary to leave the house actually looking like we've got places to go and people to see five days a week. Somehow, bagged out sweatpants, relaxed fit dad jeans, fleeces, and over-sized white sneakers along with a ratty old baseball cap don't quite leave the same impression. Know what I mean?

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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