Early Morning Cafe Style. . .

Just off campus at a certain internationally recognized cafe chain frightfully early this Wednesday morning (just after 6am). Only because the new one -- same internationally recognized chain -- in the main library has yet to open.

But it was blissfully quiet with some innocuous music overhead and stable internet, so I was able to enjoy a large cup of fresh coffee, wade through the usual mountain of non-specific email clogging my inbox, and accomplish quite a bit of actual work before 8am when I moved onto campus and the library, where it was also wonderfully quiet,did some writing, and had a quick planning session with a colleague via Zoom.

It still amazes me what you can get done before anyone else is out of bed with interruptions of one kind or another. And I say that as a one-time devoted night owl and late riser the next morning in the days before our son arrived.

30+ years ago, before getting serious about life and returning to school, the young, long-haired Heinz-Ulrich used to begin my managerial job in the dairy department of a medium-sized supermarket two hour before opening at 8am several days each week. You can get all kinds of things accomplished in the stockroom, cooler, or out on the sales floor without the necessary evil of customers traipsing through and asking (in a heavy Pennsylvania German accent), "Hey, are youse out of the bags of frozen Okra??!!"

But I digress.

The attire for today includes a vintage madras jacket from Corbin, a navy grenadine necktie from Chipp, and various other usual suspects. I am extremely gauche, I know, sporting such a jacket after Labor Day, but the temperatures are still above 80 degrees Fahrenheit today, so why not?

I know. I know. About as much class and sophistication as popping one's chewing gum or grooming in a public space.

-- 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 at...

Gabardine Tuesday. . .

A warm one here today, so I pulled out a linen, silk, and wool blend jacket along with a pair of lightweight gray gabardine pants that I have not worn in some time. Not a bad look, but darker brown shoes and belt would have worked better I think. It's easy to go wrong with tan shoes, and I strayed close to it here. These work well in some contexts, but not this time around. Ah, well. Live and learn I suppose. -- Heinz-Ulrich

Friday on Campus Style. . .

S omewhat atypically, I was on campus for several hours today helping with an interview that is part of a larger documentary project on which a colleague and I are working. Although I am behind the camera (I'm the audio guy in fact), what better reason does one need to dress presentably? Exactly. Everything worn, barring the recently purchased University of Wisconsin socks, a gift from the Grand Duchess, has been in the rotation for a while now. And, of course, there was the Panama hat, which I'll wear until we pass October 1st when the felt fedoras reappear. -- Heinz-Ulrich

Classic Style

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