Classic Style

  I f you're a fan of old films noir from the 1940s and 50s, you'll get the reference.  I couldn't help but think of that as I perused these photos shot very early this morning while I waited on my first mug of coffee at a cafe ner campus that I like thanks to their large tables, usual choice of music, and low key (ahem) aesthetic early in the morning. IN any case, we've now had a couple of heavy frosts, and the mornings have a decided nip about them.  Time to reintroduce a few more seasonally appropriate items.  This time, of the favorite tweed, cords, and suede variety.  Not visible is the houndstooth tweed cap atop my noggin that appeared for the first time since last April.  A gift from the Grand Duchess a few Christmases back, it worls very well with a less formal ensemble like today's -- Heinz-Ulrich

  F inally chilly enough for the return of one of my favorite seasonal suits, a vintage Polo wool flannel three-piece number that I stumbled onto quite a few years ago now in a thrift/charity shop in our old stomping grounds of Central Illinois.  No tags, but it had been worn only once if at all and was in my size (40R) although it has had a few minor alterations since then.   Worn here with a necktie from J. Press, shirt from Mercer & Sons, and shoes from Allen Edmonds.  Not visible are the vintage silk Polo braces (small navy, crimson, and silver paisleys) that I usually wear with this particular suit.  Toasty warm and extremely comfortable, yet "pulled together" as my maternal grandmother used to term looking presentable. -- Heinz-Ulrich

I f it's Tuesday, then it must be the cafe just off campus for a solo morning work session and online office hours.  All caught up with everything and sitting in the latter with Zoom open right now and -- surprise, surprise -- no students banging on the figurative door to complain about grades thus far.  And an 11am collaborative work session with a colleague cancelled. What better time to catch up a bit here at Classic Style ? A slightly more casual look overall today with odd jacket, pants, penny loafers, and a knit silk necktie. Given the muted pattern of the jacket, I think a solid shirt would work better, but there we are.  Not a bad combo overall however. The socks are a nod to my alma mater the mighty University of Wisconsin-Madison.  All things being equal, I wish I were still there.   The years I spent in Madison during the 1990s were an amazing time, and campus, at least the older central part of it, is stunningly beautiful.  Especially once ...

  T here was a decided nip in the air very early this morning here in Mid-Michigan, so I broke out a flannel three-piece and vintage topcoat for the first wearing of the season along with one of my much loved genuine fedoras.  Vintage red, white, and blue Polo braces and solid navy Merino wool dress socks completed the ensemble.  The mark of a poorly dressed man, since I looked as unusual and out of place on campus as if I had emerged from a flying saucer in a glittery silver spacesuit.  Something I am completely comfortable with whatever the Beau Brummels of the style world might advise to the contrary.  Happier standing out than blending in with the hoodied masses you understand. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  T he weather finally turned last Tuesday following several hours of heavy rain and strong wind early Tuesday morning. Since I have no classes Tuesdays, I spent a delightful few hours working remotely in a coffee shop not far from campus where I also held Zoom office hours although no students turned up.  Also bumped into two former students from Fall 2018, both of whom are working as baristas in said establishment.  I hope they are not still occupying Mom and Dad's sofa in the basement recreation room by this point in their young lives, Attire-wise, transitional stuff, combining khakis and penny loafers with a J. Press number that has a decided autumnal vibe about it.  One of my favorite odd jackets between October ad April each year.  I wouldn't call it a heavy weight jacket by any stretch, but it traps enough air in its rough weave to keep you comfortable on a chilly, damp day.  Truth be told, I also sported a trench coat with the liner zipped out along...

A  busy couple of weeks with grading the first round of collaborative projects and chasing down team members who either neglected to ensure their names were on the materials submitted, or team members whose names were left off that work because they contributed nothing to the team effort.  Isn't putting your name on your work one of the most basic things?  Sigh.   Even with team reflections as but one component of collaborative projects, it remains exceedingly difficult to get a clear picture of the actual dynamics within learning teams.   It almost seems that most undergraduates would rather let a teammate receive credit for no actual contribution to the team effort than rat 'em out to the professor.  Mafiosi in training, the Code of Omerta, and all that jazz I guess.  Never go against the family, eh?    In any case, here are a couple of shots of last Monday's attire before the weather really cooled off later in the week.  Ru...

  C an you believe we are at the end of September already?  Where in the world does the time go? In any case, a wonderfully sunny, pleasant early autumn day, so summer items still suffice well, thank you very much.  A not unpleasant assemblage of attire, include a Mercer & Sons shirt with a knit silk necktie from J. Press along with many of the usual suspects.   Stuff like this makes dressing presentably both easy and a pleasure. -- Heinz-Ulrich 

S till sunny and pleasantly warm temperatures here in Mid-Michigan, so the warmer weather suits, sports jackets, and odd pants continue to serve me well each week.  With this Samuelsohn suit in mind yesterday (Sunday) evening, I ironed one of the light blue OCBDs in the rotation and chose this particular bow tie (the first of the 2025-2026 academic year) along with a pair of blue seersucker braces, navy socks, and the shoes pictured.  The usual Panama hat topped off everything.  Not a bad combination of items in my view.  I felt rather natty as I made my way from the car to the building where I teach the face-to-face meetings of two section for my hybrid course on social problem dramas. Henrik Ibsen to Lynn Nottage for interested parties. -- Heinz-Ulrich

U p and at 'em early yesterday (Tuesday) morning to meet the Grand Duchess at the garage where she dropped her Subaru Outback before we drove the rest of the way into campus together in my Subaru Outback.  Had a few minutes waiting for her arrival to snap the above two photographs and added the third one featuring the socks during later Zoom office hours in my office.   And you guessed it.  Crickets (as they say). Of course, student learning teams have their first major collaborative project due Friday evening by 11:59pm, so I imagine there will be lots of last minute panicked emails  after 5pm Friday.  By which time it will be far too late in the game.  And I will not be online checking university email during Friday evening, or over the weekend.   Sorry for not being sorry about that.   If there was one thing I learned during the pandemic, you've got to set and maintain boundaries.  Otherwise people will walk all over you giv...

A delightfully cooler day with gray skies and the occasional light shower.  But not too chilly for this vintage wool-silk blend suit.  A matching brown belt, of course, with navy socks featuring very tiny silvery-gray microdots.   An ideal combination of items for teaching two classes in an older building that lacks climate control in the classroom areas although open windows early this morning kept the space comfortable.  Even when filled with approximately 50 undergrads each, not all of whom realize the need for daily showers and deodorant I fear.   A later meeting followed for a promotion committee of which I am part this year.   The only man present dressed thusly. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  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

  A pleasing combination of more recent and vintage items made up today's ensemble, including the usual Panama hat, navy socks with tiny gold dots, and an oxblood belt to match the shoes (more or less).   Such attire never fails to draw the odd favorable comment from passersby regardless of their age.  Never necessary, but nice to hear when compliments come along.   And hey.  If we can bring a moment of pleasure to those around us through how we present ourselves, why not? -- Heinz-Ulrich

T he Grand Duchess and I journeyed back to campus yesterday evening for a rather large exhibit/event at the university's art museum.  Well organized and attended by everyone you might imagine from students to people in the local art community, the event featured various works curated by the African Studies Program (my institution has actually cultivated a close relationship with various sub-Saharan African regions/countries for over 100 years), and another by an artist who bases her work on women in folklore who transcend the norms imposed upon them by society.  "Unbecoming" in her own words.   It was all terribly interesting, in particular the different materials with which the artists work. We bumped into quite a few faculty and administrators -- as well as the museum curator -- all of whom the Grand Duchess knows and/or works with from time to time.  I know a few of them too but more distantly.  It was fun to meet a few new faces, chat about the artworks...

U p and at 'em very early today to get things accomplished befoire an 11am meeting with a colleague to get down to serious business editing a joint documentary video project. . . That has gone on far too long already.  Only to find he cancelled the meeting due to political unrest in his home country and related personal upset.  Well, it's not like he has a corner on that particular market.  But still.   Concerned about family members I suppose.  I'll have to touch base with him later this afternoon to see how he is. Still, any excuse to dress presentably is a good one.  And I managed to take care of quite a few other things before heading home to continue the second half of the workday from my office here.   Currently wrapping up my usual lunch of 35 Kellogg's Frosted Mini-wheats with a mug of reheated coffee.  An apple will round out the midday "meal" if we can call it that.   Late afternoon mowing and dethatching of the front...

G etting back into the swing of things sartorially speaking with a little help from Brooks Brothers (suit) and J. Press (shirt).  All items pictured have been part of the usual rotation for some years, barring the shirt, which was a new addition last spring.  A Panama hat and my usual tan leather attache case completed the ensemble for today. -- Heinz-Ulrich  

  T he strong Friday evening and Saturday breeze had calmed by yesterday evening, so the Grand Duchess and I went ahead with our delayed campfire plans after dinner and into the evening, with some coffee, tea for her, and later hot chocolate.  We do this a few times each fall at the near end of the driveway before the weather grows too cold for things like campfires.   The Young Master chose to remain inside with Flight Simulator, which gave us the chance for some much needed calm.  I tossed on a red University of Wisconsin fleece and my red L.L. Bean anorak shell, that I've had for more than 20 years, once the sun dropped.   It was a bit nippy later in the evening, but the warmth from the fire kept my ski pole legs warm until we called it a night once the fire finally died down about 11:15pm.   The Grand Duchess was smarter than yours truly and donned a pair of jeans whil e I got the fire started about 7:00.   And no.  Before ...

  W hile it's now after Labor Day here in the U.S,. we still have almost three weeks left of summer according to the calendar.  And since today was bright, sunny, and pleasantly warm (though far from hot), it seemed like a perfect opportunity to trot out my tan cotton suit and tan loafers/belt.  Slightly disheveled, yes. And the shoes need some Renovateur to moisten 'em up  But not a bad overall look if I might be so bold. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  "K ids, how was the clambake?" m y maternal grandfather always used to ask my sister and me, usually just before the family sat down to the dinner table in the evenings.  He was asking about our school day in his semi-humorous way of course.   You don't realize how significant those kinds of happy interactions were until many years later.   I often think back and chuckle about a near-idyllic life with our grandparents outside of Philadelphia in the 1970s, 80s, and into the very early 90s.  Especially when the fall semester starts up in late August each year for some reason.    Oddly, it has felt, without a doubt, like fall here in Mid-Michigan since mid-August, with temperatures in the 70s F. during the day and even the upper 60s (yesterday and today) with sunshine, occasional clouds, intermittent rain, and breezy spells.  Late September arrived about seven weeks early it seems.   And I actually observed, while on an evening ...

  B ack in the sartorial saddle today for classes at 8am and 9:10!   Items by J. Press, Mercer & Sons, and Allen Edmonds made the early hour a bit easier to stomach.  As did a cup of fresh dark roast before I headed to the first meeting with my students.  Seems like a couple of decent large groups of young minds although it's always difficult to tell based on just one meeting.  I'll have a better grasp on personalities and work habits after about six weeks. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  T he Grand Duchess fills the house with music late on a Saturday morning.  Ahhhh. . .  -- Heinz-Ulrich

  A ll suited up for the first day of his 10th Grade year.  Where does the time go? -- Heinz-Ulrich

U p and at 'em frightfully early today for an 8am dental cleaning before starting the rest of the day in earnest.  An interesting time while there in any case.   The hygienist, it turns out, is third generation Swedish-American (her grandmother came the the USA as a very young woman in 1941), and she spent quite a bit of time in Sweden as a girl and teenager.  Needless to say, we had lots to talk about as we compared notes.  When there were not cleaning tools or suction in my mouth that is.   We also laughed about the good natured rivalry between Norway, where I once lived and studied, and neighboring Sweden.  Not unlike our own Minnesota versus neighboring Wisconsin.   When possible, we even spoke a little Swedish during the procedure.  Always fun to stretch my language muscles when the opportunity presents itself. I have had more interesting linguistic and cultural experiences at this particular dental clinic than any other. ...

  M any associate summertime cooking and meals with backyard barbecues, hamburgers, hotdogs, potato salad, and the like.  And all of that is delicious.  But for me, the most typical (late) summer meal consists of things like tomato sandwiches and sliced cucumbers with a copious amount of mayonnaise, salt, and course ground black pepper.  To go with the previously showcased iced tea of course.  Dinner this evening was our second go-around with tomatoes from the local CSA and a few grown here at home on our back deck in big pots by the Grand Duchess.   Holy cow!  Nothing quite like August tomatoes.  And we'll have more of the same tomorrow (Monday) evening. Parenthetically, the pepper mill above is part of a set that I now have although these were on the dinner table at my grandparents' place all of my life until I asked my grandmother for them sometime in the mid- or late 1990s when I was living in Madison, Wisconsin.  Without a word, she...