More Advent Tweed and Plaid. . .

Thought about a suit today. But since I must meet with a few different students to, essentially, tell them "No" to requests for extra credit, or that making up 15 weeks' worth of missed work in just a few days before the term ends is neither realistic, nor possible, I need to appear less threatening.

That might seem funny were it not the case.

So many people view suits negatively now, and most undergraduates in Michigan are not used to seeing men attired thusly, so I decided to go with tweed and cords once again. You know. To appear more approachable and friendly as I tell them, "Sorry, but no. Students have enough to do already without throwing something together in a hurry at the last minute for a few points."

After two Covid years, students are suddenly coming out of the woodwork in great numbers with these kinds of requests. If they would simply a) do the work, or b) produce stronger work to begin with, these kinds of predictable discussions would not happen. We really are doing our best as a society to raise young people who cannot plan ahead, self-regulate or otherwise cope with their lives.

Sigh. But let's talk clothes instead!

A combination of items today that seem to gel better than yesterday's various pieces did. You cannot go wrong with a herringbone pattern grayish tweed jacket and tan cords. Snow, rain, or a sloppy mix of both predicted for tomorrow (Wednesday), so this will probably be the last time for a while that suede shoes are part of the mix.

The Grand Duchess and I are playing hooky tomorrow (Wednesday) and driving down to Ann Arbor -- once the Young Master boards the school bus -- to visit a cafe, pick up my skis with newly mounted bindings, and do a bit of shopping/looking around. Should be fun!

I'm thinking a navy vintage 'Made in Norway ' L.L. Bean Norwegian fisherman's sweater (Two of mine have been in the rotation for 30 years or so) and -- Wait for it! -- a pair of tan corduroy jeans along with ski socks and my venerable L.L. Bean duck shoes.

-- 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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