Illustration Procrastination. . .

The title of today's post almost sounds like it could be the title of a 1930s-era screwball comedy, starring The Marx Brothers, Bing and Bob, Bud and Lou, and perhaps even Lucy and Ethel, or Jerry and Deano if we stretch things a bit.  A sketch by Sellers, Secombe, and Milligan might also be a possibility.  Maybe even a Little Rascals/Our Gang short?  I can almost hear Alfalfa rehearse his pick-up line intended for the pretty young schoolmarm, with whom he has become so infatuated, "Oh, Miss Crabtree. . ." before comedic misadventure ensues.

In any event, to delay my planned Sunday grading session just a wee bit longer, here comes another crop of classic menswear illustrations -- many but not all by our friends Laurence Fellows and Leslie Saalburg -- that appeared once upon a time in either Apparel Arts, Esquire, or, in the case of the final picture, the German language Das Herrenjournal.  Just like yesterday's post, there is plenty of inspirational material here for men who wish to kick up their everyday style several notches.  That's not to suggest that all of us should aim to dress exactly like those less affected by the economic, social, and political developments of the 1930s, but there is a reason why that particular time remains the the golden age of menswear.  

The attire of that period certainly beats the current slovenly alternative that holds sway over so much of society -- in public and in private -- at present.  Why not take some useful cues from that era in our collective efforts as men to present a more pulled together daily appearance?  Where is the advantage -- personal, social, economic, professional --  in continuing to present ourselves as though we are bottom feeders, who are out of the game before it has even started?

-- Heinz-Ulrich