Beige Suit Thursday. . .

The upper half today. Suit and tie are Brooks Brothers, the pocket square is from Put This On, and the shirt is a silky, soft number that I purchased from Land's End about 15 years ago. How much longer can it last without fraying or a small hole developing somewhere? Time will tell.

And the lower half, featuring some recently shined Allen Edmonds split toe oxfords. Not shown are a pair of plain, mid-blue cotton dress socks from Dapper Classics.

Fooling around with the phone for a few minutes earlier this morning as I waited in my office for a couple of students to drop by the last designated office hour this semester. Yesterday, two different young men in two different courses indicated they desperately needed to talk to me. Sigh.

It's not unusual by the end of any 15-week semester for panic to strike a certain number of students once they realize -- as advised in my 12+ page syllabi. . . Yes, 12+ pages!!! -- that they should have taken the course, its material, assignments, and policies much more seriously, much sooner than they did. As though a last minute conversation will somehow make a difference when there has been no communication and little, if any prior involvement from the students in questions since early January. There always seem to be six or eight such cases every December and May, but I suppose that's not too bad in light of the numbers I teach each semester, usually 130-150 students across three courses.

By the way, one of the two who assured me he would come by this morning actually made it. And the second? Ah, well.

Sadly, today was also the final day of classes for yours truly this semester, so with the exception of a few committee meetings and a conference presentation during the next couple of weeks, the opportunities for donning a jacket and necktie will be relatively few and far between from now until the end of August. Somehow, a suit and tie seem like overkill for trips to see the dentist, doctor, and ophthalmologist, so I'll stick to the usual penny loafers, khakis, and blazer over a pressed shirt when those particular errands roll around.

-- 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...

Gabardine Tuesday. . .

A warm one here today, so I pulled out a linen, silk, and wool blend jacket along with a pair of lightweight gray gabardine pants that I have not worn in some time. Not a bad look, but darker brown shoes and belt would have worked better I think. It's easy to go wrong with tan shoes, and I strayed close to it here. These work well in some contexts, but not this time around. Ah, well. Live and learn I suppose. -- Heinz-Ulrich

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

Classic Style

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