Double-breasted Whales. . .

The upper half of today's ensemble. The navy silk necktie with tiny green whales is worn with a very comfy old spread collar shirt that is just starting to fray along the cuff edges and collar points. Sadly, it will need to be retired from the dress rotation before long. But it irons up well and feels almost like silk once on.

And the lower half, featuring one of three or four pairs of black dress shoes that get far less wear than those in brown, tan, or cordovan. Navy silk braces with dark red paisleys hold up the pants.

Having a little fun with another 6/2 double-breasted suit, whale necktie, and cream cotton pocket square on this chilly, cloudy Monday here in Mid-Michigan. I usually try to offset the seriousness of such attire with some kind of slightly irreverent 'critter' tie: whales, poodles, prawns, terriers, pheasants, parrots, and the like.

Depending on your point of view, it either makes the entire getup less intimidating to young people who rarely interact with anyone in a suit, or it just edges one even further into clown territory if the double-breasted variety thereof is not your thing. The jury is apparently split when it comes to double-breasted suits and blazers. Either way, I enjoy them, and they certainly are uncommon in my little corner of the world.

My wife, The Grand Duchess, has lobbed the word 'eccentric' at me a time or three over the 20 years we have been together when it comes to how I approach life in general. And attire more specifically. But I don't see it.

I asked her during one such discussion a few years ago something along the lines of, "Explain how I am eccentric." To which she retorted with exasperation, "How are you not??!!" I had no good answer at the time.

Still don't.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

Mid-November Monday. . .

A few minutes between classes this morning, so I snapped pictures of today's attire and accessories. The first wearing this season of the Optimo 'Dearborn' fedora, and the tie is a vintage number from Orvis, a nod to my late father's fly-fishing and fly-tying hobbies. It's been two or three years since this particular necktie's last appearance, so high time to pull it out and knot it carefully around the ol' neck. Managed to nail it on the first attempt too. Could this be the start of a trend? -- 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...

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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