Repp Stripe Monday. . .

The 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 two pairs of paints, one solid to match the coat, and a second muted patterned pair. Presumably to make business travel for a few days easier? Seemed like a good idea at the time.

Yeah, I know. I know. But the pants are wool, and I like the quiet pattern. Plus they go very well with a blazer and are comfortable even in warm weather. So, I kept 'em even after deciding a dozen or so years ago that the suit (navy coat and pants) did not work for me thanks to a boxy, overly generous cut.

But best of all, I spotted a couple of young guys on campus earlier today in navy blazers, khakis, tucked in shirts, and repp stripe ties of their own with (Wait for it!) red Converse high top Chuck Taylor sneaker. Ok, maybe a bit too David Letterman for some, and there was a recent thread on sneakers with tailored clothing over on the Ivy Style website if memory serves, but these two undergrads pulled it off pretty well. And I must admit to doing something very similar myself a few times years ago.

These two were probably fraternity pledges given the time of year although without the visible beanies or pledge pins of yore. . . Cue Douglas C. Niedermeyer, as played by actor Mark Metcalf, and Dee Snider!

-- 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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