Classic Style

  W ell, it might be spring according to the calendar, but it certainly looked, felt, and acted more like winter today.  Gusty winds, cold temperatures, and occasional snow flurries.  Ideal weather for a vintage flannel three-piece suit by Polo.   Worn with braces, Merino wool dress socks, and the necktie of my alma mater.  A staid but not unpleasant combination of items for trotting students through one last in-class work session on their second collaborative project ahead of the Friday evening due date.  My beige trench coat and tweed driving cap completed the ensemble.  A fedora was my first inclination but I feared the wind might lift that from my head and lead to regrets.  The driving cap, by contrast, managed to avoid the wind gusts and remain seated firmly in place during those outdoor sojourns while on campus today. -- Heinz-Ulrich          

  Y et another variation of the usual theme for this cold, snowy, and wet Thursday in the latter half of March.  The combination of the shirt, jacket, and this particular necktie, which has been in the rotation for close to 20 years, is a favorite.  I actually keep the jacket and this pair of dress cords on the same hanger, making it easy to piece in the other items without a whole lot of thought, and Bob's your uncle.  Showered, shaved, and out the front door before you know it. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  A nother one of those blasted very early in the morning appointments today, this time to have a filling replaced at the dentist.  Actually, an easy in and out given the time I arrived.  It was so early, they took me back and got to work without delay.  Something to be said for that.  The shot of Novocaine to the gums, not so much. ------------   I have a very old friend, who I've known for 40+ years.  We go way back and played in a few hard rock bands together in around Philadelphia back during the heady days of the 1980s.  The two of us still talk about twice a year, and once in a while the subject of personal attire comes up.   His take is that he enjoys looking nice, but doesn't have a lot of time.  My own position, as you might recall, is that looking reasonably good needn't require much time at all provided your have a few essential items hanging in your closet that can be mixed and matched without a whole lot of thought....

    A fter a morning and early afternoon of Zoom meetings with various committees and a couple of working groups, I drove the 10 minutes into East Lansing to Whole Foods to pick up some things for the evening meal.  At the checkout counter, the cashier (female, approximately mid-20s) complimented the attire shown and asked where I'd been today.   I thanked her and replied that I had been in online meetings all day at home, and added that this was the first opportunity, just after 4pm, I had managed to get out of the house.  Big smile from her with the reply "Well, now you've had a compliment!" The admittedly flirty exchange outlined above supports a point that I make here with some regularity.  One, women of almost any age notice a man dressed somewhat more nicely that has become the average.  Two, dressing even reasonably well can turn mundane tasks into pleasant exchanges.   As I mentioned in a recent post, preaching to the choir here ...

  C ool once more here in Mid-Michigan today, even chilly this morning with frost in the night.  Ideal weather for a heavy, wool flannel double-breasted suit with the added pizzazz of a self-tie bow tie.   Managed to get the latter tied on the second attempt this morning, and it looks reasonably imperfect.  Part of the charm of a bow tie as I explained to the Grand Duchess in reply to her question as I prepared to leave for campus early this morning.   A trench coat (with liner zipped in), gray plaid wool scarf, and a felt fedora completed the picture.  All set for a late lunch with Barmy and Tuppy at The Drones' Club. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  A slightly more casual iteration of the usual Monday through Friday uniform here at Totleigh in the Wold.  The occasion was a faculty learning community a colleague and I were leading, as guest facilitators, on how to integrate and support international students more effectively within the college writing classroom.   It went reasonably well, but the discussion around our presentation and reflective questions leads me tho suspect we were not telling people anything that they did not already know.  Ah, well.  A pleasant hour and now it's done.  Certainly many other things in need of doing this coming week.   The latter half of the spring semester, in particular, is always brutal with the speed at which time elapses and the sheer number of tasks to address within that seven or eight week window.  It's almost head-spinning. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  M y program director (chair) and I joked yesterday, at the start of a Zoom meeting, that both of us had worn real pants throughout the pandemic when the world, it seemed, conducted daily business online with only our upper bodies visible.  Assuming one even bothered to turn on his/her/their camera of course.   I then observed, before we got down to yesterday's business ourselves, that his claim would make a fantastic t-shirt slogan.  "I wore pants throughout the pandemic!"  Wish I'd thought of it myself in about 2022 as we emerged from the worst of it.  I might now be living on the proceeds in a quieter, less chaotic and bellicose part of the world.  Ahem. Sartorial kidding aside, today's attire includes items from various merchants (the usual suspects), all of which combine easily to produce a not displeasing effect for late winter-early spring (though I'd still rather be skiing).  We're definitely in the shoulder season here in Mid-Michig...

  P ost-Spring Break has suddenly become very busy.  Somehow.  Some way.  As life is wont to do in the third decade of the 21st century.  One must sometimes squeeze in early (horribly early) morning appointments with the dentist, doctor, ophthalmologist, and so forth when openings become available.  Which is how I managed time early today against later commitments, hustling out the door to the car without my preferred necktie of some kind.   I've since rectified the situation and added a dark red knit silk number to complete today's ensemble.  The belt for today is a dark reddish brown braided leather item that typically is paired with these loafers.  Not an exact color match, mind you, but close enough to work reasonably well together.   Now, why bother dressing in a slightly more sophisticated way for appointments (even the early ones)?  Well, as I always advise -- and it holds true -- staff, specialists, technicians, an...

  G iven the warmer temperatures and sunshine here in Mid-Michigan today, the uninitiated might never guess about all of the cross-country skiing I've managed during the last two months.  But all good things must come to an end (Sniff!).  So, time for some lighter attire that isn't tweed and corduroy, which hold up better when we have snow, ice, and frigid wind.  Wool flannel and some dressier shoes than we've seen in a while along with one of my favorite vests/waistcoats, which was a Christmas gift from the Grand Duchess several years ago. -- Heinz-Ulrich

    O therwise know as cleaning style.  Dental cleaning that is.  I dressed thusly for a routine visit to the dentist this morning with a few other errands on the way home afterwards.  No necktie today given the risk of spraying rinse or other substances as one lies there in the reclined chair like a large mouthed bass in the bottom of a fishing boat.   Now, there must be a reason the gray herringbone tweed jacket is as classic as it is.  Without a doubt, the easiest item to pair with other things almost without a thought.  As I have mentioned before this particular model from J. Press has become my go-to sports jacket for cooler weather .  It quite literally works with anything else in my wardrobe, casual or dressy.   If there were only three main garments to include in a starter wardrobe, I'd suggest a gray herringbone tweed jacket, a navy blazer, and a solid charcoal suit. Impossible to go wrong with these hanging in your cl...

  O ne of the instructors up at Forbush Corner Nordic Center (outside of Frederic, Michigan 10 minutes up Interstate 75 from Grayling) snapped this photograph of yours truly fooling with a pair of skis outside the shop and lodge during the weekend of February 21-23.  I was up there again during February 28-March 02 for a final round of pushing myself to the limit and one last lesson for the season given the warming trend that is expected even up north later in the week.   I can report, however, that I have finally managed to achieve that holy grail of cross-country skiing and at long last can balance on one ski and then the other while moving along flats and downhills at a swift pace, alternating between the two legs.  This is where maneuverability and speed enter the picture.  Balance and weight transfer in other words.   And after only a quarter century.  What can I say?  I am slow on the uptake.  Sadly, I have yet to find a ski j...