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

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 attire any time you head into the

The Average Guy's Guide to Classic Style Now on Ebay!!!

Another great old Laurence Fellows illustration of menswear from the classic era, the 1930s. T he Average Guy's Guide to Classic Style is up and running on Ebay. -- Heinz-Ulrich

"If you see something you want. . ."

The above photograph has been "borrowed" from the J. Press website. "I f you see something you want," advised my late mother, "buy it. It won't be there when you go back later." A favorite (and wise) adage hers that I still follow whenever possible. So when this item appeared on clearance at J. Press, I mulled it over for a couple of days, and then clicked the requisite boxes to make the online purchase. Should be here within the week. Once upon a time, I had a similar jacket by Corbin that I foolishly purged before we left Central Illinois ('Illi-noir' anyone?) for Michigan almost 10 years ago. Not sure what I was thinking at the time since I did like the item and wore it routinely. This one will be a bit nicer and help me make sartorial amends. At least to myself. -- Heinz-Ulrich

Classic Style

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