Classic Style

    A sunny, cool autumn day here in Mid-Michigan today, so out came the light tan loafers and belt to wear with a sports jacket from Hickey-Freeman, navy grenadine tie from Chipp, a white OCBD-collar shirt, and some wonderfully soft wool flannel pants from Luciano Barbera. The latter have been hanging in the overflow closet in the TV room across the hall from our bedroom for about a year, but I only managed to get them to the tailor in May.  So, this is their first outing.  The pants are more taupe than they appear in the photograph. The monkstrap loafers, from Allen Edmonds, are a recent acquisition to replace a similar previous pair  that were always too stubby looking on my narrow feet.  The last on which these were made has a more pleasing, elongated appearance in my view.  The matching leather belt (Ben Silver) was a birthday gift last year from The Grand Duchess by the way. Now, some visitors might tsk-tsk my choice of light tan shoe for today,...

  H oundstooth Humpday.  Or shoulder season style if you prefer.   Channeling Bruce Boyer today in any case. A decided chill in the air this late September morning as I walked from the front door to the car.  Hence the overcoat and wool flannel pants among other items.    The overcoat is vintage Botany 500 thrifted eight or ten years ago when we were still in the wilds of Central Illinois.  Other notable items include the Blackwatch stripe necktie from Mountain & Sackett, vintage jacket from Brooks Bros., pants by Sterling-Hunt, purchased NOS a year ago. This is only their second outing since April.  The suede shoes Allen Edmonds have been in the rotation for six or seven years now.  The fedora is a Borsalino, and the briefcase a 50th birthday gift from The Grand Duchess several years back. The shirt is about 18 years old, a Land's End 'Original Oxford,' purchased during my first teaching position after graduate school and start...

  S till having fun with my clothes here in Mid-Michigan this morning between entering grades into the ol' learning management system for some of last week's homework in one course and submitting an abstract for a conference at the end of next March.   A little less beyond the sartorial pale today with a shirt from Mercer & Sons beneath a Belvest cotton suit.  Probably getting a little on the cool side for the latter at this point, but I really like the mossy green color.  By the way, the necktie is Robert Talbot, shoes and belt from Allen Edmonds, and socks from, naturally, Dapper Classics. As I always suggest, dressing presentably need not require much time or thought.  Yes, that is clear based on yesterday's slightly busy ensemble.  Just have everything organized, together, and hang, or lay out your clothes for the next day before retiring for the evening.  Easy! -- Heinz-Ulrich

    T he attire worn yesterday (Monday).  A bit busy perhaps.  A solid color shirt and navy socks of some kind would have toned down and tamed things a bit.  Proof, I think, that even when muted four patterns are too many.   Well, live and learn. But from a distance, it's not quite so used car salesman.   The saving grace is the navy plaid jacket from J. Press, which is competing with navy blazers as my new favorite piece. -- Heinz-Ulrich

    F ollowing a mid-morning thunderstorm, it's a warm one here today with temperatures expected to reach the mid-80s Fahrenheit, so a mix of silk-linen-wool on top with cotton chinos, loafers, and the usual trimmings plus a new pocket square, which I believe is vintage rayon.   The jacket too is a vintage number from Polo that has been around in my overflow closet in the TV room (across the hall from our bedroom) since before the pandemic.  I finally got around to taking it in for the usual minor alterations late last month and figured today was just the time to take it for an inaugural spin before the weather changes and cools appreciably by the weekend.   Already had some favorable feedback from a few observers today, which ain't a bad thing. -- Heinz-Ulrich

    T he attire for today, featuring a pair of gray wool gabardine pants and a pair of tasseled loafers, neither of which have been worn since, probably, Fall 2019 before the plague.  On reflection, plain navy socks would have been better, but this is what I grabbed from the sock drawer in my haste post-shower and shave early this morning.   Typically, I like to be in the car headed to campus before 7am most days.  The problem with that is that it's dark when I dress now.  And I am one of those cranky so-and-so's who refuses to turn on bedroom or kitchen lights in the early mornings save the ones on either side of the mirror on the bathroom.   Hey, it takes a while to adjust to being out of bed , upright, and moving.  Let's not exacerbate the shock and rude awakening with overly bright overhead lights. Know what I mean? There is some kind of strange irony that I returned to school 30 years ago to get away from early mornings unloading a ...

  A not unpleasant start to the sartorial week built around a Brooks Brothers' suit.  The necktie is a navy grenadine number from Chipp, shirt from Land's End (purchased way back in 2008 or so), socks from Dapper Classics, and Allen Edmonds split-toe oxfords with matching belt.    One annoying feature of this particular pair of shoes is that the creasing across the welts absolutely will not hold its dark red-brown color despite my only ever using Allen Edmonds shoe creme (and Safir high gloss neutral polish on the toes and heels).  Drives me crazy because I always forget that between wearings. Recently, I have splurged on some additional Safir shoe care products however and will see if those help the issue given their pigment-rich quality.  Stay tuned. -- Heinz-Ulrich 

  O ne need not resemble a Dickensian ragamuffin during the evening hours, or weekends at home.  For the Young Master's usual three-hour Saturday visit to the Tae Kwon Do studio today, I showered after breakfast and managed to pull on these items (with a navy and orange ribbon belt) for public consumption before we left home.   Yes, the shirt was worn tucked in, and everything was nevertheless extremely airy and comfortable.  I'm not sure when, where, or how this idea took hold that comfort and a downright slovenly appearance are somehow the same thing.   If one actually lives in a hot and/or equitorial area, fine.  I certainly used to spend enough time at my parents' place in the Yucatan sweltering in 115 F. midday heat, yet few of the locals look as down and out as most people do in the U.S.  The same is true for the various people I've met or known from other hot parts of the world like Africa, the Middle East, and Caribbean.   B...

  T he attire for yesterday (Wednesday), a cotton suite by Brooks brother paired with a green and white university stripe shirt from L.L. Bean and various other others plus the, for now, ever present Panama hat..   A different student, also female, stopped to tell me how "Fantastic" she thought the combination of items was as I crossed the Red Cedar River on the way to the car at the end of the day.  Never necessary, or sought as I say, but apparently I must be doing something reasonably well.   The socks are a bit much, but these were largely invisible when standing, so I won't focus on that overly much.  And hey, I attended a meeting yesterday that was actually interesting.  How often does that kind of thing happen? -- Heinz-Ulrich

    "Y ou're looking very sharp there!" said a female undergrad in a stage whisper as we passed each other outside my building.  I answered with about the dumbest reply I could muster, "Thank you!" Such compliments are never necessary or sought, but nice to hear when they come.  Equally heartening is that there are, apparently, still a few young 'uns around who appreciate men (not guys) attired in something  more than the usual t-shirt/hoodie/shorts/flip-flop or water sandal mix. Sunny and temperate late summer-early fall weather in the forecast for the rest of the week, so I plan to continue with suits for the next few days.  Why not? -- Heinz-Ulrich

        W ith the Panama hat (not shown), I look like Mr. Beebe from A Room with a View .  Or maybe one of several murdered vicars in various episodes of Midsomer Murders .  Or possibly an extra from All Creatures Great and Small , or anyone one of several other British TV series from over the years.   And not unlike my maternal uncle -- now a retired Anglo-Catholic clergyman but still teaching at a small, private college in New England -- when he was much younger and living/studying/working in southern England during the 1970s. My Gen-Z students, in any case, do not know what to make of me.  Of that, I am sure. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  N othing quite like a hot shower following athletic activity, or, as was the case today, mowing the back lawn, trimming along the front walk, and then clearing that with the leaf blower before rains move in later today.  Time was of the essence! Even better, fresh clothes and splash of one or another Royall fragrance after combing and parting the hair.  'Cause it's all about the hair, you know.   Today's apres shower scent choice was Royall Rugby.  Ahh. . .   One more Madras shirt and pair of chino shorts with the ever present leather docksiders completed the picture.  At the moment, I feel prepared for whatever might come my way this (Saturday) afternoon.   Certainly, I'm ready for a game of Scrabble with the Grand Duchess on the back porch this evening.  -- Heinz-Ulrich

  Y es!  The Fall 2022 J. Press brochure and look book arrived with the mail late Friday afternoon.  My son and I spent time at the breakfast table perusing it together this (Saturday) morning.  You know, sowing the seeds and all that.   While most items featured in the first two thirds or so of the catalog are a feast for the eyes (and how sad that there are few things I actually "need" anymore), the Fair Aisle sweater vests, in particular, look intriguing.  I've been trying to find one (for myself) the last few years with little luck.  But a birthday and Christmas are on the horizon.   Hmm. . .   Looks like I ought to drop a rather pointed hint to The Grand Duchess before too long. . . "Oh, Sweetheart?" -- Heinz-Ulrich  

    V ery touching this morning to see how so many [though clearly not all] of the British public are rallying around Charles III as he returns to London in the wake of his mother's death yesterday.  There may yet be hope for humanity. Many out there will disagree with me, but I have no issue with constitutional monarchy.  Long live The King!  ----------   Yesterday's (Thursday) attire included the recently purchased and altered navy plaid sports jacket from J. Press along with usual summer and early fall items long in the rotation.  The jacket is a silk, linen, and wool blend and feels divine to the touch.   A real pleasure to wear.  So much so, that I will put it on again for a later trip out this afternoon to run a few errands after a slate of Zoom meetings this morning. ------------    Following late afternoon mowing outside and a shower, the Grand Duchess and I will crack open a bottle of wine this evening for ...

 

  H aving some fun with one of my favorite patterns for a suit today.  A vintage number by Corbin along with a vintage linen pocket handkerchief dating from the late 1940s or early 1950s.  I picked up a dozen of these for very little early this summer, sold in a lot on Ebay.   Remember when we used to see men in different colors of suit besides the now ubiquitous charcoal gray, navy, and (shudder) black?  Besides the casual revolution, what happened to our collective sense of style and panache? Tomorrow, Thirsty Thursday, a real treat is in store.  Watch this space!  -- Heinz-Ulrich

  A not unpleasant combination of items today at the start of Week Two in the fall term.  Feeling amazing in one's attire helps to reduce, somewhat, the pain of wading through and answering student emails (sent during the long holiday weekend) for over an hour this morning.   Great that these young minds seem eager to begin, but many of their questions could have been answered had they simply looked a bit closer at the online course modules for Week One and Week Two.  Sigh. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  A quiet, very casual final-long-weekend-of-the-summer-season here at home, marked by the preparation of my late maternal grandfather's pulled pork BBQ and red slaw recipes.  The Grand Duchess, bless her, always whips up a large batch of hush-puppies to go with the dish, which is authentic.   The tangy sauce is created with, more or less, equal parts ketchup, sugar, and white vinegar with course ground black pepper and Worcestershire sauce added to taste.  I typically add another shot of white vinegar before kitchen clean-up to attenuate the tomato ketchup taste a wee bit.  We enjoyed the dinner last evening on our screened porch and will do so again this evening. Afterwards, we will freeze the remaining meat (from a huge pork shoulder) for a few more dinners at different points this fall.  The slaw, thanks to the vinegar and sugar, keeps well for months and will live in several storage containers in the refrigerator.  It works very nicely as a ...

  S eersucker and Madras?  Sounds like it ought to be a mixed drink of some kind.  Gimme a Seersucker and Madras on the rocks! But anyway. Loud and proud today out ahead of the long Labor Day weekend and traditional end of the summer season here in the United States.  A vintage suit with 3/2 button stance and necktie combined with shoes and belt from Allen Edmonds along with socks by Dapper Classics.  And of course the barely visible Panama hat.   Home tomorrow (Friday), since the Young Master inexplicably has a day off from school just nine days into his school year.  So it's back to chino shorts and short-sleeved Madras or polo sport shirts for the next few days along with Suburban Dad lawn games outside.   I've already started a bit of lawn repair due to summer stress with grub treatment and slow release organic fertilizer.  Next up, some overseeding for the fall with some more slow release organic stuff in another ten days or so...