Classic Style

    A dark, wet Halloween today, so time to break out the flannel three-piece, which is one of my favorites during the cooler/colder months.  My sole concession to the day is the orange necktie which is a Brooks Brothers 'Makers' and, in my view, perfect for the fall season given its colors.   The fedora, worn without irony, is a Borsalino 'Noir' model, which works wonderfully well with a trench coat.  Hey, everyday is dress-up day in my little corner of the world.  Here's a tip.  When you dress everyday, and become used to doing so, it ceases to feel like a costume, and you become less self-conscious, eventually forgetting about your clothes all together once they are on your body.  Which is what you want.  Of course, it helps if you observe older male family members doing so routinely during your formative years, but that's not entirely necessary when you have the right approach.  Take a page from Carol Dweck's book and adopt what she has termed a 'g

  S till dark here in Mid-Michigan this morning (it's 7:40am as I write this), and the library cafe is not yet open, so I am delaying, misdirecting, and wasting time.  Smoke, mirrors, and self-delusion in other words.   Hmmm.  That seems to have become our national pastime you might surmise from the daily news of the last, oh six or seven years.  And you thought is was baseball. In any case, an Aquascutum jacket up top with various other items for a not entirely unpleasant combination of cooler weather gear today. -- Heinz-Ulrich

    T he Young Master and I had some fun yesterday (Sunday) afternoon while digging out a few exterior  seasonal decorations from the furnace room.  Enlarge the top photograph to see what Mr. Bones is reading about at my son's suggestion. Personally, I would be happy to skip the Halloween decorations outside beyond a couple of jack-o-lanterns glowing on the front porch for trick-or-treat evening, but The Young Master, who turns 13 this week, still enjoys it, so what are you gonna do?  He will be answering the door this year, however, rather than heading out himself.   But fear not all you advocates of kids hopped up on sugary treats!  His Tae Kwon Do studio has organized a trunk-or-treat for Saturday afternoon, in which our son will indulge following his morning classes toward Black Belt Recommended status (testing in December). Fall Break the first two days of this week, so a bit more work from home since, officially at least, the university is not closed for faculty and staff.  J

    W orking at home yesterday (Friday), Zoom meetings of one kind or another with a visit to the barbershop during the afternoon, so a bit more casual than usual, but still belted and tucked in.  As usual.   Not visible is the navy blue preppy fox surcingle belt purchased a year or two ago from Country Club Prep .  Many of their items border on the obnoxious in that Big 10 or Pac 10 university merchandise kind of way (but with a southern twist), but a few things are kind of interesting.  The belt is one, hence my purchase of it. The navy corduroy jeans are a recent acquisition from Land's End (they still do a few things well), and yesterday was their inaugural wearing.  The shirt, a Christmas gift a few years back from The Grand Duchess, is either Land's End or L.L. Bean, and the shoes are, of course, from Allen Edmonds.  A gift from dear, departed ol' Mom about 10-12 years back.  My go to at home shoe between October and the end of April each year. Yes people, you can be

    S ounds like a line from a Carpenters tune. In any case, chilly autumn weather is here!  So, I have started the twice yearly routine of swapping warm weather attire for cold weather, and moving things between the cedar closet in the basement, the wardrobe in our bedroom, and the overflow closet in the TV room across the upstairs hall.   Good thing too since today is dark, wet, and seasonal.  And if I cannot have winding, snowy ski trails through the forests of Norway or Michigan, than I am perfectly happy with the wet, colder conditions forecast for this week (' vaermeldingen ' as they say in Norwegian). All of which is a long-winded way of explaining today's heavy wool blazer, flannel pants, Merino wool socks, trenchcoat with liner, and one of my long woolen scarves plus a Tattersall umbrella from Brooks Brothers. The fedora is from Optimo Hats of Chicago, and was a 50th birthday gift from my late mother.  Since these are made to order, it was not ready for shipping un

    W hile perhaps not as spiffy as BBC announcers long ago once were in the studio, dressing a bit more nicely for 'at home' activities puts one in a frame of mind to get things done and make things happen on a Thursday.  Fear not!  I am cleanly shaven for several Zoom meetings today (Friday).  Ah, working life in the 21st century. . . -- Heinz-Ulrich

    T he attire for today.  Key items include a vintage Black Watch necktie from Reis of New Haven, found in my wonderful old thrift/charity shop  across the street from Bro-Menn Hospital in our old haunt Bloomington, Illinois, which reliably had all kinds of good menswear there from -- presumably deceased -- doctors and lawyers.   How do I know?  Because categorically no other men of any age or profession in or around Bloomington-Normal dressed presentably that I saw in the 100 [10 actually.  It just seemed like 100.] years we lived there.  And I mean no one.  You had to go to Chicago or possibly Springfield [the state capital] to find reasonably well-dressed, though not necessarily stylish, men in Illinois.  But that is probably true most places the further one travels from large governmental and/or financial centers everywhere. . .  As well as the two coasts in the U.S.  The pants today are leftover from a long gone 'trio suit' by Jos. A. Banks.  These come with a coat and t

    A chilly, dark October day here this morning, so time to break out the flannel shirts, corduroy jeans, and suede camp moccasins .  The shirt is tucked in, of course, and the jeans worn with a navy and lime green ribbon belt.  Hey, even when you're home for the day, there's no reason to look like a walking, talking dirty laundry hamper.  Right?   Now off to make the bed before finishing the script for today's episode, a 10am meeting, and then recording followed by post production and sharing with the world. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  A lovely Indian Summer day forecast for today, so back to the light tan shoes and belt, which seem ideal for sunny, warm days.   The wool jacket is by Luciano Barbera and, again, has been hanging in the overflow closet for more than two years thanks to pandemic disruptions of life and work.  I finally managed to get it to the tailor's for the usual minor alterations in late April or May last spring, so this is its first wearing. Hmmm.  The upper half does not quite seem to work looking at these photographs again.  A bit busy pattern-wise.  Two patterns too many?  Possibly a different shirt, or a calmer pocket square (white linen?) would help things harmonize more effectively.  A textbook example of the sartorial occasional risks involved when mixing patterns.  Sigh.  Should've reached for and pressed a light blue OCBD instead.  Ah, well. Live and learn as the saying goes. Tomorrow, probably a rugby top and corduroy jeans though.  I'll be home all day recording, producing

  S ome might sneer at brown suits -- and I would not myself wear solid brown -- but I enjoy pulling this micro-houndstooth model by Samuelsohn from the overflow closet now and then.  A midweight, it's perfect for an early October day here in Mid-Michigan.   Once again, the shoes are from Allen Edmonds, the necktie is Brooks Bros. 'Makers,' and the shirt is an old Land's End item that, while it has been hanging around in the closet for years, must not have been laundered or worn very much because there is still enough sizing in the material to produce very crisp pressing with my handy iron.  As I discovered early yesterday evening.  -- Heinz-Ulrich

  P heasants and loafers?  Sounds like an old Jack Jones tune . In an case, here's the attire for today as I shift from teaching  a hybrid course late this morning to juggling one of four or five ongoing projects of my own this afternoon after a spot of coffee and a small lunch.  Highlights include a vintage Polo University Club jacket, a necktie from J. Press (Naturally!), and Lake Forest loafers from Allen Edmonds. The overcoat is an old Hart, Schaffner, and Marx number thrifted a dozen of more years ago while the fedora for this week is one of several by Borsalino now in regular rotation from October through April each year. My son. aka The Young  Master, asked me yesterday why I dress so differently from other parents at his Tae Kwon Do studio, where he had a midterm belt test Thursday evening, a retest Friday evening (board breaks), and belt ceremony Saturday morning.  Whew!   I simply replied that a special occasion calls for dressier attire -- the usual blazer, khakis with b