Classic Style

  T aking a break from the tweeds, cords, and double-breasteds this very early morning.  It's 6:59am and 1 degree Fahrenheit everyone.  That's -17.2 C. to much of the rest of the world.  Nice, crisp, sparkly snow underfoot.  The best sort of day for winter sports enthusiasts.  Might just need to get out on some skis this afternoon . -- Heinz-Ulrich

D efinitely having a bit of fun with my attire this cold and snowy Monday.  But several students appreciated the SWIMS overshoes, Stetson fedora, and one, in particular (a young woman), really liked the suit and said as much on her way out at the end of class. Compliments, while never necessary, are nice to hear once in a while. If there are any college-aged or 20-something guys reading this, take note!  Women appreciate a man who is dressed beyond the bare minimum.   The overcoat is a navy blue vintage Polo double-breasted number that has been part of the winter rotation for several years now.  Very warm, and not something you see often in my neck of the woods. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  A s I suggest so often here at Classic Style , directly or indirectly, even when holding up the a wall at home during the weekend, one need resemble neither a schlubb, nor a schlobb when it comes to personal presentation.   Following a hot shower and shave, attire for today (Saturday) includes a vintage L.L. Bean Norwegian fisherman's sweater (the real 'Made in Norway' deal), cords and flannel shirt from Land's End, and the usual Allen Edmonds suede camp moccasins given to me by my late mother 10+ years or so ago.  My go to hausschuhe (as they say in German) for the colder months.   I've been wearing these sweaters for about 30 years, long before I ever realized they were a thing among the trad/ivy/prep crowd.  I just naturally gravitated toward them given my cross-county skiing, linguistic, and academic tendencies.  I'll tell you all about it sometime, but I spent a lot of time in Norway and its immediate neighbors during the 1990s. ----------...

  A late January gift from my dear sister in Washington, D.C.  Full of the usual dark roast made in our French press.  Not to be confused with J. Press. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  I t has snowed lightly here all day, so time to break out the new SWIMS overshoes to protect their leather dress shoe cousins.  Sadly, red was not available to replace my old tattered pair of SWIMS from 2016, so orange it was this time.  But I think I kind of like the change. Otherwise, having a bit of fun combining old friends in new ways along with a recently acquired necktie.  Possibly a bit much, but the heathered pants, solid shirt, and waistcoat calms things down a bit by covering much of said neck wear. -- Heinz-Ulrich

A nother variation of some old favorites this morning.  Lately, I find myself emulating, consciously or otherwise, the principal male characters in the current TV iteration of All Creatures Great and Small .  1930s rural Yorkshire village in other words.  Not a bad way to go in colder weather, although I do hope Mrs. Pomfrey will not call in a twist about her dog Tricky-Woo's digestive tract. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  N o teaching last Friday, but a two-hour professional development committee retreat with four colleagues between 10-Noon to plan a couple of events for the Spring semester.  Which, naturally, resulted in another meeting for further discussion of the matter.  Trying to schedule that now.  Sigh. Still, it provided a good reason to shower, shave, and don various old favorites before the drive into campus.  Similar attire today (Tuesday) with a few differences.  Photos to follow tomorrow. But last week. Friday afternoon, the Grand Duchess, Young Master, and I escaped up north for a long weekend of cross-country skiing in the Grayling-Gaylord area of Michigan.  It was amazing gliding through in the snowy woods atop some fast new Madshus skis (ordered a year ago), which took a bit of getting used to.   Much to my son's pleasure, I took a number of spills during our ski trip, including a spectacular face plant Saturday midday near the bottom of on...

  R eined in a bit sartorially speaking this chilly, wet January morning.  A more pleasing (???) combination of items that is a bit less beyond the pale I think, which is to say more restrained.   Two interesting and unconnected things happened yesterday, both of which are worth relating here.   One, a student stopped me yesterday to compliment that crazy melange of clothes, which, you might recall, wasn't quite what I had hoped once I was fully cognizant and awake yesterday morning.  In any case, said student mentioned that she really appreciated it when occasional professors made the effort to dress with respect for their students and the occasion rather than hoodies, jeans, and work boots (Hey, it's Michigan.).  The student in question is an surely an outlier, but maybe there is hope for Generation Z?  Some of them get the concept of self-presentation though. Second, and closer to home, the Young Master was spotted coaching younger student...

  S ubmitted for your approval (in my best Rod Serling voice).  Today's attire.  College professor Heinz-Ulrich thought he was dressing with panache before he drove into campus this morning.   And while the parking area at school resembled the usual stadium lot across the river from the library, he soon discovered to his horror that it was not.  Heinz-Ulrich had instead arrived at Living Island and become a character in a Sid and Marty Kroft Saturday morning TV show from the early 197os.   Heinz Ulrich was in. . .  The Sartorial Twilight Zone! Hmm.  Perhaps not quite H.R. Pufnstuf-Witchipoo territory, but a little too close for my liking.  Taken in isolation, each item is fine, but the overall combination is a bit, um, colorful.  And certainly also busy.    The unfortunate result of dressing in the dark.  My only defense, and a pretty lame on at that.   A solid necktie, and/or darker plain socks, ...

  W orking from home this morning since I must pick up and shuttle the Young Master to an appointment early this afternoon.  Despite what I would have preferred (spending the say on campus), it made more sense timewise to remain at home and get a bit more accomplished than driving back and forth in midday traffic.   Sigh. In any case, the attire for today includes well-worn and favorite items plus a vintage wool tie which, while it has been in my closet for eight or ten years, has never been worn before today that I can recall.   Time to remedy that oversight, and I'm glad I did.  It looks pretty good I think. Ok, time for a bit of lunch before I fetch YMP from school and head to Dr. Orthodontist. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  "B ack to the salt mines!" as my late and much missed maternal grandfather might have put it.  Coincidentally, his  birthday is today, so I plan to toast him with a crystal glass of single malt by the hearth this evening.   Today is also the start of the new semester, so I have opted for my wool flannel three-piece suit among other things shown.  Notably, the necktie is a vintage Ancient Madder type (Robert Talbot) that, while it does not see the light of day often enough, always knots well the first time through.     Hmm.   I must wear it more often since it is dark and understated.  Although it is patterned, it seems to work very well with a suit. The tweed cap (Ben Silver) was a Christmas gift two weeks ago from The Grand Duchess.  As I kidded with my sister via text message this morning, I feel as jaunty as Peter O'Toole, in the role of French fashion magazine editor Michael James, in What's New Pussycat? (1965...

  S huttling the Young Master around late this Saturday morning into mid-afternoon for his various Tae Kwon Do classes this cold, gray January day.  We could certainly use about 10" of fresh snow in my opinion.  I need some more skiing right about now. Still, some bright post-Holiday Season joy to be had through the usual weekend attire.  All items featured today have been seen here before in one permutation, or another.  My own casual uniform of sorts.  Best of all, I picked up my watch from the jeweler this morning after being without it for three months.  Seems to be keeping good time once again, and the date thingy has been reset too.  Tick-tock.  Tick-tock. -- Heinz Ulrich

  A New Year's Dinner toast.  With apple juice. H appy New Year!  You know, resolutions come and go.  But one that ought to stick around longer than, oh, January 3rd or 4th, has to do with how we present ourselves to the world.   Here's a hint.  It's about more than our attire and accessories.  Improved personal style has to do with standards, mindset, approach, intention, and conduct among other related concepts.   Stay tuned throughout 2023 as we continue our exploration of more mindful personal presentation and interaction with the rest of the world here at Classic Style . -- Heinz-Ulrich