Summer 2025 Writing Group (May). . .

 

With the possible exception of lawn care activities, cleaning out the garage, or changing the oil in your car, there's never any reason not to look reasonably presentable.  People can argue to the contrary all they want in 2025, but I will stick to my guns on that one.  Looking as if you have perpetually rolled out from beneath Oscar the Grouch's garbage can two minutes ago is not how to go through life.  The mindset and habit neither make (nor maintain) a decent impression, do not instill confidence among others, and do not encourage people to take seriously anything that one might have to say.

Of course, I recognize and revel in my outlier status.

With this particular contrarian approach to personal appearance in mind, I took the opportunity to attire myself as usual for the first session of a summer writing group on campus Monday morning.  About 10 of us will meet once a month between May and August to work in each others' proximity on campus, have lunch, and continue for another hour or so beyond that.  The idea is to have accountability partners.  The first such session seemed highly productive for all of us, and I left at least feeling like I had made good inroads on the current project.

Attire-wise, more of the usual suspects although the blazer is a recent acquisition (J. Press), and this was its inaugural wearing.  The sleeves and upper back are lined, but otherwise the item is an unlined, hopsack weave for the warmer months.  A purchase I am very pleased with, and as I mentioned several post back, this will probably be the final navy blazer I purchase.  Barring any unforeseen complications, of course, with tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard, grape juice, turmeric, or the like. 

Otherwise, a combination of different items from different manufacturers/sellers.  The necktie, in particular, is a Robert Talbott number (British Lawn Tennis Society stripe apparently), one of the first such accessories  added to my wardrobe 20+ years ago in my first teaching job after graduate school at a now defunct college in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area.  I had a number of things -- jackets, a charcoal gray suit, several dress shirts, neckties, and such -- already hanging in the closet, but it was necessary to beef up the rotation a bit once the first few paychecks rolled in that fall.  

An enjoyable aspect of an otherwise dreary junior professor position.  The institution actually folded in the 2010s following an SEC investigation.  Of that, the less said the better.  Fortunately, I had already moved on by that time and joined the Grand Duchess in Illinois.  The you-know-what hit the fan for that particular college round about 2011 or so if memory serves.

But I digress.

At any rate, a very traditional combination of garments and accessories pictured above, but everything seemed to dovetail nicely.  There is a reason it's a classic look worthy of emulation in our overly casual about absolutely every aspect of life era.  An overall appearance not unlike many of the men in my immediate and extended family during the late 1950s into the early 2000s.  An ensemble that I will file away in my mind's eye to repeat come late August and September.

-- Heinz-Ulrich