Decisions, Decisions. . .

A cartoon, which appeared originally in The New Yorker, sent in by a reader (Thank you, Old School!). Those of you who are into classic neckties might appreciate it. I certainly did.

The spring semester is winding down, and the remaining days to pull myself together and go through the arduous, even hellish, daily process of putting on reasonably nice classic male attire are relatively few. Sadly. But there are still about two weeks and a conference, so we're not quite out of the game for the remainder of Spring and the summer just yet. . . though the comfy, worn dock-siders, khaki shorts and Madras shirts are all ready.
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Still rather chilly here in Mid-Michigan for the middle of April (we had an inch or so of snow on the ground yesterday morning and more is forecast for tonight), so the tweeds, corduroys, and flannel suits are still in the ol' wardrobe and getting an extended season, much like the cross country (Nordic) skiing in the Upper Peninsula this year.

This morning I chose a navy wool flannel two-piece suit that has a very faint micro windowpane pattern on top of the base color. Navy wool dress socks with black half-wing shoes, an old light blue OCBD, navy braces with red and silvery gray paisleys, and a vintage Reis of New Haven necktie -- in red, navy, and dark green repp stripes -- complete the ensemble.
My phone is not cooperating for some reason, so please excuse the lack of photograph,
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I crossed paths with a fellow traveler late yesterday afternoon in a local Starbucks, where I took care of some daily post-class meeting administration on my laptop while enjoying a latte (cue the Fraser and Niles jokes) and waiting for my son to finish with his usual Tuesday after-school appointment.

The man -- also a 50-something based on his mature appearance and quietly confident demeanor -- walked by, paused, and complimented the tan leather briefcase, given to me by my wife the Grand Duchess for my 50th birthday back in November 2016. He wore a navy blazer himself with taupe wool dress pants and dark brown loafers of some kind. Besides the few minutes of pleasant conversation and a chuckle or two between us, it was nice to see that I am not completely alone in my little corner of the world when it comes to attire and outlook.
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By that point in the afternoon, I should point out, that I was dressed more casually than for school, and wore my usual after-school, cool weather duds: a pair of green corduroy jeans with a surcingle belt, an OCBD beneath an old cream and charcoal Norwegian fisherman's pullover sweater (it has been cold here as I say), and a pair of well-worn dark brown suede loafers. . . without socks. I know, I know.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

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

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