It is my considered view, which will be disputed by some, that one can never be overdressed. Under dressed? Darn right. We see it all around us everyday.
However, I always make a point of complimenting students when they are really, actually, truly dressed on campus. Usually for some kind of presentation in a business course or other.
Doesn't really matter why they are so attired though, simply that they are and, for a few hours at least, no longer resemble a shambling mound of soiled laundry with legs ambling around a shopping mall or supermarket parking lot with no greater purpose in mind than that.
Today's attire, for the classic menswear aficionados out there, includes a Mercer shirt, Brooks Bros. Makers necktie, a vintage Polo University Club suit, Allen Edmonds shoes, and wool socks by Dapper Classics with some vintage Polo braces beneath the vest/waistcoat that feature an interesting art deco design.
Overdressed for campus? No doubt. But to dress down intentionally? That is a mindset I simply cannot relate to. Never could. Even back in my big-haired rocker days during the heady 80s. I dressed differently then, but I still dressed up.
And occasionally, I even put on a navy blazer, khakis, loafers, and tie when the situation called for it. Often voluntarily.
The point is that you present yourself well for public consumption. And, if you've really been paying attention, you'll know that you present yourself reasonably well for the people you live with too. The habit is not an inconvenience, but rather a behavior more of us should cultivate of our own free will.
Oddly, I don't remember being uncomfortable more than once or twice when attired thusly during my formative years. Any perceived discomfort was usually due the inconvenience of summer temperatures and humidity like you encounter in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Richmond where various family members lived. Ugh!
I did not have linen and seersucker suits in the rotation then, of course, which might have helped the situation somewhat.
But for right now, we're still in the midst of the winter, and that means wool flannel, tweed, and corduroy into early April here in Mid-Michigan. Which is fine by me.
Stay tuned!
-- Heinz-Ulrich
Bravo, Heinz-Ulrich. A beautiful outfit. I too enjoy wearing a suit and do so a few times a week, even though it is rarely expected nowadays when even a sport coats is considered formal. But, as Adelaide said to Nathan Detroit in Guys and Dolls, "We do not have to conduct ourselves like a slob."
ReplyDeleteWhy, thank you Charlottesville! This is one of may favorites. I only wish it were easier to find three-piece suits nowadays. Another in a heathered navy would be nice to have.
ReplyDeleteKind Regards,
H-U