Dressing for the Summer Holidays. . .

Another feast for the eyes from Esquire magazine as it once was. Although the illustration dates from the 1930s, the basic look is still sound in 2018.

It's Memorial Day here in the United States, a day when we remember our war fallen. It is also the traditional start of the summer season here, typically observed with parades, backyard cookouts, and sometimes larger parties, although the precise kind of event and/or observation differs slightly depending on where in the country you might find yourself.

It's an early scorcher here in Mid-Michigan today, high 80s to low 90s Fahrenheit (31C.-32.7C.), and if it's also hot where you are, you might be wondering how to dress comfortably for an afternoon or evening to mark the occasion. Here's a small hint. Dressing comfortably for the heat need not involve a threadbare t-shirt from your college days, a wife-beater, grungy cargo shorts, or those flip flops you've been wearing for the last five summers. And then some.

Instead, make the environment you inhabit and the event you'll attend, even if its just the immediate family in your back yard, a more elegant affair by kicking up your style a notch or three. Think short-sleeve Madras, twill, seersucker, or polo shirts on top, and chino, Madras, Bermuda, or seersucker shorts on the bottom. Or even Ghurka shorts like the guy in the red shirt sports above if you want to be a bit edgier.

Toss on a casual belt of some sort with a pair of espadrilles, canvas, or leather deck shoes, and you've got a hot weather casual attire winner. Not only will you feel comfortable in the heat, you'll feel better about yourself, and you'll dress up the event a bit. Even if that's only for your spouse, partner, children, and/or any company who might drift through. And mark my words, your boyfriend/girlfriend/partner/spouse will certainly appreciate that extra little bit of effort to look more presentable.

Whatever you do, we here at Classic Style hope you'll have the good graces not to schlepp around in anything resembling cruddy sweats or hoodies. And guys? Unless there is a swimming pool, lake with boating, or a beach nearby, it will probably be appreciated by everyone present if you keep those shirts on. No one else really wants to see those fuzzy gone-to-seed midsections and chests. It's really best to keep that kind of thing under wraps unless you actually plan to join the kids with cannonballs into the deep end.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

Comments

Up North Style. . .

Bad Dad makes a friend. YMP and Bad Dad on the shores of Lake Michigan. Or was that Crystal Lake? The Grand Duchess takes a selfie in her kayak. How NOT to impress the girls sunning themselves along the river. YMP and Bad Dad kayaking on the Platte River headed toward Loon Lake. J ust back from a week in Northern Michigan in a charming and spacious house on the banks of the Betsie River outside of Thompsonville. A largely pleasant seven days despite some challenging episodes with the Young Master, who has picked up some very questionable habits and language from his friends in the 8th Grade during the school year just ended. But otherwise, we enjoyed ourselves and contemplated remaining for a few days longer since the house was available. In the end, we decided to return home as planned originally since neither my wife, nor I wanted to spend the remaining days chained to our computers in Zoom meetings from our vacation destination. I actually managed to leave the laptop and ip

Mid-June Thursday Style. . .

A nother pretty typical variation on the theme for late spring, summer, and very early fall. I'm a huge fan of Madras and have several such shirts in the seasonal rotation. Lightweight, exceedingly comfortable, and even dressy when pressed and tucked in, which is the usual way of things here at Totleigh in the Wold. Now, if I had my druthers, I'd still rather be skiing the trails in the upper half of "The Mitten" (of Michigan), in the Upper Peninsula, or Ontario. But summers ain't so bad either, and I'd look pretty funny walking around in cross-country ski attire during June. -- Heinz-Ulrich

A Lazy Saturday at the End of June. . .

A sleepy first half of the weekend here at Totleigh. Warmer and quite humid ahead of an approaching cool front here in Mid-Michigan. Perfect for yet another pair of chino shorts an a seersucker shirt -- tucked in of course -- with the usual leather deck shoes and ribbon belt. Otherwise, not much accomplished beyond a page or so of writing and monkeying around with audio settings for an upcoming podcast episode. However, I was not completely useless yesterday! I made a huge fruit salad for dinner, which the Grand Duchess and I enjoyed a short while later at the table on the back porch. The Young Master, as is his wont on Saturday evenings, took his dinner on a tray in the TV room upstairs where he whiled away a couple of hours on Flight Simulator, flying some sort of commercial airliner to some destination across the Atlantic or Pacific. I would have loved that sort of technology at about nine or 10 way back during the late 1970s, aka The Stone Age. As it is, my sister and

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