A Linen Suit on September 1st?

Here's the top half of today's gear. Very cool and even breezy. But what's with that uncooperative shirt collar?

The Labor Day weekend has yet to commence here in the United States, but the number of days left during which linen and seersucker are acceptable, if we go by traditional sartorial guidelines, are few in number. You can understand, then, my eagerness to try out a Polo Ralph Lauren blue label linen suit that I splurged on last spring.

Following a few minor alterations, it has been hanging in my wardrobe waiting for an inaugural wearing since mid-June. The verdict? Very light, breezy, and comfortable in today's 70-degree, partly sunny, breezy weather. However, my lower back still became a bit moist this morning, despite minimal lining in the jacket, while walking 15 minutes across campus from the building where my office is to another where my Tuesday-Thursday class meets. Anyway, the suit pictured above was worn with a plain brown leather dress belt, brown Allen Edmonds "shortwings," and some fairly subtle brown and white striped socks if you can imagine such a thing.

But it gets much worse, ladies and gentlemen. Since it is supposed to become somewhat warmer and more humid by the time classes resume next Tuesday, after a three-day holiday weekend, I plan to pull out the vintage blue and white seersucker suit (oh, yes) one day next week and maybe also the madras sports jacket with some dress chinos another day. Yes. I know. It's now September 1st. How very gauche of me to wear warm weather attire into the start of the fall season. I'm so ashamed. Clearly, a crass parvenu of the first order here.   But it's not quite time for the heavy wool flannel double-breasted numbers or tweed and corduroy yet either, and one might as well be comfortable. Gosh, with that attitude, can sweatpants and flip-flops worn on a daily basis with a ratty backwards baseball cap be far off?

-- Heinz-Ulrich

The Problem of "Business Casual" Attire. . .

This is how it's done. Business Casual the RIGHT way, ladies and gentlemen. Even during the summer months. A photograph (taken by Studio B Portraits ) which appeared in 425 Business Magazine in May 2017. T his post on the problem of business casual dress began as a quick postscript to a previous blog entry last week but quickly grew and grew as additional thoughts occurred, were developed in more detail, and revisions made. So much so, that it seemed, eventually, like a better idea to make the initial P.S. afterthought into its own entry . Are ya ready, Freddy? Then, here we go. . . ------------ U nless you actually plan to sell beach snacks and trinkets on Cozumel, become a serial barista, or greet customers at a fancy nightclub after taking out huge student loans to attend university somewhere for four or five years, plus an MBA afterward, it's really a better idea to err on the side of (somewhat) more formal work at...

Friday on Campus Style. . .

S omewhat atypically, I was on campus for several hours today helping with an interview that is part of a larger documentary project on which a colleague and I are working. Although I am behind the camera (I'm the audio guy in fact), what better reason does one need to dress presentably? Exactly. Everything worn, barring the recently purchased University of Wisconsin socks, a gift from the Grand Duchess, has been in the rotation for a while now. And, of course, there was the Panama hat, which I'll wear until we pass October 1st when the felt fedoras reappear. -- Heinz-Ulrich

Tan Suit Tuesday. . .

W hile it's now after Labor Day here in the U.S,. we still have almost three weeks left of summer according to the calendar. And since today was bright, sunny, and pleasantly warm (though far from hot), it seemed like a perfect opportunity to trot out my tan cotton suit and tan loafers/belt. Slightly disheveled, yes. And the shoes need some Renovateur to moisten 'em up But not a bad overall look if I might be so bold. -- Heinz-Ulrich

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