Skip to main content

Saturday Shuttle Style. . .

 Saturday shuttle style -- or 'Mama Taxi' a Spanish friend of ours used to call it -- above, featuring an OCBD shirt from L.L. Bean, 3/2 tweed jacket from J. Press, and the pocket square from the folks at Put This On, which sadly has made a distinct move into so called dad and/or workwear style during the last couple of years.  PTO seems to have lost sight of its original raison d'etre -- how to dress like a grown-up -- that so resonated with me back in 2009 or '10 when first I stumbled upon it.    


And the bottom half, featuring Land's End corduroy jeans and suede camp moccasins by Allen Edmonds.    Not visible is a red and navy surcingle belt from Leatherman, which was a Father's Day gift two or three years ago.



The Grand Duchess has been away at some conference for university administrators since the middle of the week, so ol' yours truly shuttled The Young Master to his Tae Kwon Do and piano lessons midday after we enjoyed a late breakfast of eggs, sausage, and English muffins with orange juice together at the dining table.  The Young Master likes a three-minute egg.  Not really soft-boiled any longer, but not quite hard-boiled either.  I'd like to think Raymond Chandler and Dashiell Hammet might still approve.

 ++++++


The martial arts studio that our son is now a member of is very clever in the way that they incentivize children to keep at it, and The Young Master earned his first (black) stripe for breaking a board with a well-placed forward kick today.  The clear emphasis on positive choices, self-discipline, and self-awareness, as well as respect for oneself and others is fabulous, and just the thing our rather spirited child needs at 9.5 years of age.  There are some cognitive and learning disabilities present in our son too, so any help we can get with focus and compliance is most welcome.  

What my wife and I  also really appreciate is the studio's additional stress on physical and mental fitness rather than an over-reliance on technological gadgetry, which is pervasive now.  The pull of television seems almost quaint by comparison.  But already, we have noted a number of positive changes in The Young Master during the last month, so we plan to continue with this as long as he remains interested.  

If the possibility exists, I would heartily recommend martial arts training of some sort for other children as added support for parents when it comes to instilling good habits and either heading off, or stopping potential problems before they start.  Goodness knows there are enough potential stumbling blocks out there for young people in 2019.

++++++


As far as today's attire goes, it's just one more variation on what I have either observed on older male family members throughout my life and/or worn since my teens when ol' Mom would occasionally show up with a blazer, tweed jacket, a pair of loafers, or similar for the young me.  

This process began roughly during my twelfth year.  Invariably, there was also a calm, concise explanation to me as to why items like these are occasionally necessary in a man's closet even when he does not wear a suit or 'dress up' every day.  My mother, I now realize, was just as instrumental in my sartorial training as my father, maternal grandfather, various uncles, and great uncles up and down the eastern seaboard. 

The specific look highlighted above is both comfortable and relaxed yet versatile.  You don't really look or feel out of place anywhere.  These days, a sports jacket and corduroy jeans would be right at home in most casual workplaces Monday through Friday, and the combination works equally well for weekend errands,  evenings out, or just hanging around the house on a quiet afternoon although I exchanged the jacket and shirt for one of my lighter rugby pull-overs once we returned home.  

In any case, it's amazing what a  sports jacket, a pair of casual leather shoes, and a tucked in shirt with a belt can do to transform any guy regardless of his age, weight, or height.  It always astounds me that so many men have managed somehow to reach adulthood without picking up on this reasonably simple fact of life.

 -- Heinz-Ulrich

Comments

  1. lenzaeyeMarch 29, 2019 at 12:42 AM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

All opinions are welcome here. Even those that differ from mine. But let's keep it clean and civil, please.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

Popular Posts

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,
2 comments
Read more

Chilly Late April Wednesday Attire. . .

    Y ou know, if it is going to remain this cold and blustery, I need about eight inches of snow for some more cross-country skiing.  But since the white stuff is long gone, it was time to fish through the cedar closet down in Zum Stollenkeller and pull out some cold weather attire for a seasonal reboot.   But I decided to forgo the usual gray herringbone jacket from J.  Press (my go-to tweed  sports jacket) and instead opted for this number from Hart, Schaffner, and Marx plus the tan cords that hang on the same hanger, so strenuous mental effort was not required.  Pressed the shirt after tucking in the Young Master last night at 8:30, grabbed these shoes, and socks, and Bob is your mother's brother as they say.   Occasionally gazing through the large library window to my immediate left this morning, and I keep hearing that old Jobim tune drift through my mind this morning (aided by the windmills), as sung by Astrud Gilberto ( together with Leonard Cohen and Paolo Conte, the musi
Post a Comment
Read more

The Pleasaures of a Well-trained Dog. . .

  A few final photographs from my visit to my sister in Washington, D.C. last week.  These include  one of 'Mr. Beau,' my sister's meticulously trained and truly wonderful Doberman, another of my sister, second cousin, step-father, and yours truly on the steps of the church outside Lexington, North Carolina just after our late mother's interment service, two of me solo at the National Cathedral, and a final one of my sister and me hamming it up during a long evening walk the day before I returned to Michigan. My sister routinely walks to the cathedral, about three blocks from her place, to enjoy the grounds and gardens.  The Bishop's Garden, in particular, is a place she likes to sit for quiet contemplation and internal dialogues with our late maternal grandparents and mother, very much in keeping with the Episcopal side of things.  Our grandfather, who was raised Methodist, became an Episcopalian when he married our grandmother.   Before you ask, I am not sure tha
1 comment
Read more