Christmas Day Style. . .

No sartorial surprises for Christmas Day at home. Truthfully, we were in pajamas until midday enjoying gifts, music, and nibbling on various goodies, but then it was time for everyone to head upstairs and dress. My go-to combination of items, probably in common with many others, is a herring bone tweed jacket (J. Press), pair of tan dress cords, and one of several various ODBD shirts hanging in the laundry room closet. Very easy to toss on the usual braided leather belt, loafers, socks, and and tartan necktie for a pulled together look. that is both comfortable and seasonally fitting.

There is a bad pun in there somewhere, but we'll overlook it in view of the general festivities of the season! You'll forgive the low, rather German expressionistic lighting of these photographs I hope. But they were taken in the living room next to the larger tree, where we had the lights down low to enjoy the tree lights and candles as we had Christmas Dinner in the adjacent dining room with yet more candles.

Happy Day After, in any case, as my much missed maternal grandfather used to kid each year following Christmas Day itself. But remember, it is a season despite what the retail industry might have us think, so there is still plenty of time for family, friends, music, good food, celebration and/or quiet contemplation, depending on one's own views and priorities. So, I will wish you Merry Christmas once again as well as Happy Hannukah, and Happy Kwanza. There three holidays coincide rather nicely this year.

-- Heinz-Ulrich

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Mid-June Thursday Style. . .

A nother pretty typical variation on the theme for late spring, summer, and very early fall. I'm a huge fan of Madras and have several such shirts in the seasonal rotation. Lightweight, exceedingly comfortable, and even dressy when pressed and tucked in, which is the usual way of things here at Totleigh in the Wold. Now, if I had my druthers, I'd still rather be skiing the trails in the upper half of "The Mitten" (of Michigan), in the Upper Peninsula, or Ontario. But summers ain't so bad either, and I'd look pretty funny walking around in cross-country ski attire during June. -- Heinz-Ulrich

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Classic Style

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