Inaugural Outing of AE Schautal Wingtips/Brogues. . .

Here they are.  Extremely comfortable.  Full leather lining and excellent support as you would expect from Allen Edmonds footwear.

A chilly, sunny Monday in November here today, so perfect weather for tweed jackets, corduroy pants, and suede wingtips/brogues.  I even managed to scare up a pair of heavy green laces sent to me by the Allen Edmonds people two or three years ago when they returned a pair of shoes post-recrafting.  Glad I kept these in the shoeshine box, 'cause they don't look too bad here.  It's funny, but when you've got interesting things to wear, suddenly Monday's don't seem as awful.  

Feeling better about oneself and, indeed, whatever life drops in your lap -- via the the hated and feared email inbox -- between late Friday afternoon and early Monday morning (I do not check work-related email at home during the weekends) is an oft overlooked reason in favor of dressing more presentably.  If more people dressed even halfway better than has become the accepted norm, I am convinced there would be fewer cases of depression and/or the general ennui that seems to afflict so much of Western humanity in the 21st century.  Maybe if we looked better, we'd begin to feel at least somewhat better about ourselves? 

I worked that one out during my first teaching job after grad school in the early 2000s when I began wearing a jacket and tie five days a week.  We were not required to, of course, by the small Minnesota college where I landed that first job, but I know my chair appreciated it, and quite a few students commented favorably on it during my year and a half there.  At the very least, I looked like I belonged at the front of the room.  And, one day, I realized that "dressing up" four or five days a week really wasn't the hell that so many people mistakenly think.  

My maternal grandmother, who was still alive at the time, agreed wholeheartedly when we discussed this point on the telephone one afternoon.  I'm sure my grandfather, a retired executive who worked for many years in Manhattan, chuckled when she related the conversation to him later.  He knew the old, long-haired rocker me you understand.  It must have tickled them pink to discover that their 30-something grandson had finally arrived at certain conclusions for himself and taken steps to get with the program.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

 I also wore some new Merino wool Argyll socks from Dapper Classics today , which were purchased during the recent Halloween promotion, 20% off all socks with orange in them.  Couldn't resist.  A very nice shot of the shoes too.  Gorgeous and just the thing to wear with corduroy pants on a chilly autumn day.

 And the very BOLD Southwick tweed jacket.  A bit matchy-matchy with the orange today, I realize, but no one actually saw my socks as far as I know.  Certainly, none of my students did since I always stand during classes.