New Casual Belt Style. . .

This particular belt is a nod to my (idyllic) formative years in southeastern Pennsylvania just outside Philadelphia. It used to be a common occurrence then to see male and female Ring-necked Pheasants taking off and landing in, or around the many cornfields in the area. Especially in the late fall and early winter after the harvest and before snow fell.

Just five days after placing an order for three new casual belts with Country Club Prep, a small box arrived on our doorstep later yesterday, containing not one but three new belts very similar to that pictured above.

I am extremely satisfied with the purchase. Today, I sport one such new belt with some very faded pink shorts and an equally well worn blue and white micro-check cotton twill short-sleeve shirt with a button-down collar. It's amazing how much more comfortable you feel when your pants are not slipping constantly down your hips.

This comes after two months -- the initial order was placed in mid-May mind you -- of trying to track down the missing three items from a well-known New England maker of such belts. I waited until late June before sending a polite, short email asking about order status since the USPS online tracking information indicated it had been delivered here on June 3rd!

A short series of terse, non-committal answers followed via email from two or three company representatives, including the dreaded, "It's out of our hands now". That's a direct quote from the second communication received in reply to my initial (polite) inquiry. Puh-leeze.

Finally, I threw in the towel and asked (politely) for a refund just after July 15th, which, to the company's credit, was prompt.

I then began casting about the 'net for a place that sells similar casual belts, stumbled upon Country Club Prep, found three models I like, and placed the order using the refunded funds.

If you too are in the market for a casual belt or three to wear with chino shorts in the summertime, or any ol' time, they have many on offer with all kinds of designs, motifs, and colors at various price points. Rapid, pleasant communication and service too. Check out Country Club Prep.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

Comments

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

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