Wednesday Zoom Office Hours Style. . .

As above. . .

So below.

The attire chosen for today's online office hour and later meeting. I have not donned this particular combination of items, the blazer and pants routinely hang together on one hanger, since before mid-March last year when we suddenly found ourselves in lock-down, all learning was suddenly shifted to an online mode of delivery, and the majority of my waking hours began to be spent at home.

Like many others, there was less occasion to dress along traditional lines for work. Most days, in cooler weather during the academic year from September through the end of April here in the U.S. at least, it is either a Rugby top or long-sleeved flannel shirt (tucked in with a belt) and corduroy jeans in one color or another with suede camp moccasins.

However, I still make the effort two or three times a week to dress for online Zoom meetings with students and colleagues. And you know what? I enjoy doing so, damn it! Dressing presentably really does pick up one's spirits in a way that more casual clothing simply cannot. It certainly puts an added spring to my step for several hours on either side of such meetings online.

But back to the combination of items for today. After so long, I'm terribly pleased with both the look and fit of this particular double-breasted blazer and gray flannel pants, worn here with silk navy and paisley braces since I've lost about two inches around my waist since last September.

Wearing a belt with pants that are now slightly roomy results in buckling material around the waist, which is slightly uncomfortable. Braces have the added benefit of keeping your pants where that ought to be all day rather than unsightly drooping or sagging around the rear end and hips along with constantly hitching up the offending garments.

There is nothing quite like putting on clothes you have not worn for more than six months, and everything fits and drapes better than it ever has. The recent weight loss has meant that shirts once again have ample room across the shoulders and chests, collars are much more comfortable when buttoned and worn with a necktie, and pants/trousers no longer pull across the seat. Jackets and suit coats too hang like they should with no gapping at the vents since there is less of, well, one's seat.

Ah, vanity.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

P.S.

Best of all, I managed to squeeze in a little over an hour on my skis this afternoon. The trails were a bit on the icy side and need to be regroomed, but the sun was bright, the air and snow temperatures cold, and I had the place to myself, seeing only one other skier during my two circuits around one network of the marked trails. I came home tired, relaxed, and content (though not overly winded) in a way that only intense physical exercise can achieve.

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

CharlottesvilleFebruary 3, 2021 at 2:40 PM
Another nice look, Heinz-Ulrich. I almost always wear single breasted coats and blazers, but like you I make the occasional exception, and a DB navy blazer with gray flannels is one of the best exceptions one can make. Well done!
WSTKS-FM WorldwideFebruary 4, 2021 at 3:40 AM
Thank you, Charlottesville!

Best Regards,

H-U

Classic Style

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