Classic Style

  It's the final day of May 2023, and we're f ully into summer mode here at Totleigh-in-the-Wold.  At least for today.   Now, not everyone is into leather boat shoes, no socks, or even short pants on grown men I acknowledge.  But since the weather forecast is for near 90 F. by afternoon in our neck of the woods, it's how we typically roll here in the Grand Duchy during the warmer part of the year. Before anyone points out the apparent splash of talcum powder, flour, or cocaine across my shirt in the upper photograph, it was actually very bright, direct early morning sunshine creeping through/around the window blinds where I sat enjoying coffee and toast with strawberry jam. . .  sans wife and teen-aged child.  The hour alone with my thoughts was, in a word, heavenly. Time now to take care of some light housework and look more closely into beginning some work in the backyard adding a border to the periphery along one of the beds back there.  Two pa...

  A n 8am meeting online this morning, followed by our usual Friday morning breakfast out at the local quick and greasy that we like so much.  Attire for the day includes the typical pieces by Press, Edmonds, Bean, and Land's End.  The dapper Classics socks are a light green with tiny navy pin dots.   The belt is a braided leather number also from L.L. Bean.  Now back home at my computer, I have changed into a pair of medium khaki shorts, a solid navy Rugnby top. and my well-worn pair of Sebago leather deck shoes along with a navy and orange ribbon belt.  Perfect for getting a few things done at the desk with some late afternoon lawn chores outside before dinner.  Mowing on tap for tomorrow.  Yep.  That's right.  Suburban. . . dad strikes again. -- Heinz-Ulrich

    I drew the short end of the stick today and am off to pick up the Young Master at school for yet another appointment with his orthodontist.  Ah, well.  Just an excuse to pull on some reasonable, adult male attire.  Oh, the horror. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  K illing some time early yesterday (Tuesday) morning over a large dark roast (black) in an off-campus cafe before an 8:30 appointment.  Here's the attire.  And while I really need to brush out those chalk fingerprints on the blazer lapel, they do add a certain nonchalance now that I look at the photograph a second time. For all the palaver about and obsession with dressing "comfortably," I would feel decidedly ill at ease turning up for an appointment, teaching, traveling, or otherwise appearing in public clad in sweats, ripped jeans, or grubby khakis that should have been retired 15 years ago.  Besides, if your clothes actually fit your body, they ARE comfortable by definition. Badda-bing, badda-boom. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  A bit of a chill in the air this early morning here in Mid-Michigan, hence the corduroy jeans and Norwegian fisherman's sweater.  Very appropriate, as luck would have it, for May 17th, which is Norway's national day.   On this day in 1814, the Norwegian constitution was signed by participants in Eidsvoll, ending more than four centuries of Danish rule over the country.  Norway became part of a dual monarchy under the Swedish crown until 1905, but with considerably greater autonomy than it enjoyed as part of Denmark. For my purposes, Norwegian independence in 1814 gave rise to the eventual language controversy, which was/is an important part of Norwegian cultural life.  Various Norwegian nationalists, most notably self-taught linguist Ivar Andreas Aasen, determined that their country needed is own written language.  An orthography that better reflected actual Norwegian speech than did the written Danish that held sway in educated and administrative c...

  J ourneyed into campus early today for the in-person day of our annual Teaching and Learning Conference where I also delivered a paper early during the afternoon.  A combination of Brooks, Press, Bean, Edmonds, and Land's End for a not unpleasant ensemble.  Not readily apparent are the tan, olive, and stone Argyll socks along with a reddish brown braided leather belt.  -- Heinz-Ulrich

  T oday is the Grand Duchess' 29th birthday (once again), so we escaped to our favorite local quick and greasy for breakfast once the Young Master had departed on the school bus.  We both had appointments on or around campus later in the morning, so we breakfasted dressed for public consumption.  I was all J. Press above the waist.  A rare shot of my aging mug, shaving nick and all.   I can't decide if these particular eyeglass frames are more Elvis Costello, or more Michael Caine.  "It takes a man in a tweed suit three seconds to fall from the top of Tower Bridge to the street below.  Now, there's not a lot of people who know that!"  You be the judge.  Anyway, a special dinner this evening with flowers, a few gifts, and some wine by the fire following the Young Master's bedtime.  It's still chilly here in Mid-Fishigan. -- Heinz-Ulrich

    W asting a little bit of time between tasks this morning with a post on today's attire.  Still nippy here in Mid-Michigan, hence the cords and lovely blue houndstooth tweed.  The vintage necktie features Eustace Tilley, who will be familiar to readers of The New Yorker magazine.    We actually had a few hours of light snow yesterday (April 25th) although it melted almost as soon as it stopped during the afternoon.  Today is sunny yet cool, so I felt safe wearing the suede brogues (with matching belt) one last time this academic year.  Easily one of the most comfortable pairs of shoes in the rotation.  Classes for Spring 2023 conclude on Friday this week.  While I have a few events on campus during May and very early June, I will transition to the usual more casual uniform just as soon as the weather cooperates and warms up a bit. In the meantime, a long overdue post tomorrow from my sister in Washing, D.C.  She will share one o...

  T uesday saw me at home looking after the Grand Duchess, who is now almost three weeks into her post-foot surgery recovery.  She gets around alright on her crutches, and is back at work via Zoom meetings of one kind or another.  No different than the previous three years have largely been since Covid exploded in March 2020.  But she need help getting meals, showering, dressing, going up- or downstairs and the like.  So, yours truly has been home most of the week too. Tuesday saw me recording and producing another 7-minute podcast episode for my students, Episode 68 thank you very much, which I embed in the various online course modules I have designed within our learning management system.  I've been teaching hybrid courses this year, and these meet once a week, but most of the collaborative work students do remains online (primary and secondary course materials, project packets, and other assorted "tools").    In any case, no reason to resembl...

  W ell, it might have been warm enough for short sleeves and shorts during the weekend, but winter returned with a vengeance Sunday evening through Tuesday, with intermittent snow showers and rather chilly temperatures.  Fortunately, I've still got a few changes of tweed jackets and corduroy pants hanging in the ol' armoire , so it only took a moment to rethink the planned attire and pull out the above items.   One of my 'go to' ensembles.  When your collection of preferred pieces reaches a certain point -- and you don't need more than a few key items to mix and match --it's easy and fast to assemble combinations that look acceptable without a whole lot of time or thought.  Another instance of the "uniform" doing all of the heavy mental lifting. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  A wonderful illustration sent to my by 'Old School'.  Thank you! A warm and sunny spring morning outside with the birds singing.  After breakfast for the Young Master and Grand Duchess, I'll continue getting the flower beds and lawn into shape for the coming summer followed by some work this evening and maybe a bit of time painting some toy soldiers before joining the Grand Duchess for a glass or two of wine late tonight.   Time now to make a fresh pot of coffee before preparing breakfast for everyone.  Happy weekend everyone! -- Heinz-Ulrich

  A mostly linen  Polo University Club jacket with a J. Press necktie, Put This On pocket square, and Brooks Brothers cotton shirt. Land's End khakis, Polo socks, and Allen Edmonds penny loafers along with an almost matching reddish-brown braided leather belt.  Easy, fast, and looks pretty good. O ne of the "joys," if I might use that word, of having a uniform of sorts is that dressing is easy and fast.  Since I overslept and was late in getting the Young Master breakfasted and to the school bus on time before helping the Grand Duchess -- who is recovering from foot surgery two weeks ago and using crutches -- get showered, dressed, and downstairs for her own day of work via Zoom, you'll understand the need for wardrobe expediency.   Unusually, I have two face-to-face meetings on campus this morning, which meant that the usual Rugby pullover and corduroy jeans would not suffice.  Following a shower and shave, it was fairly easy to open the closet doors ...

  K icking off Week #13 -- But who's counting? -- of the semester/term with a navy plaid sports jacket and pink oxford cloth button-down collar shirt from J. Press combined with various other items for a colorful but not displeasing springtime look. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  H aving fun with color, pattern, texture, and some lighter weight gear now that the weather has turned, and it actually feels like Spring.   Not visible are a dark reddish brown braided leather belt, the usual tan leather briefcase, and a lighter sage-taupe "Temple" fedora from Stetson.  Gentlemen, it's perfectly fine to enjoy your attire and does not necessarily convey that one is a vapid popinjay. . .  Like yours truly. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  W hile I would still rather be skiing up north -- and my favorite Nordic center was still open for business this weekend -- Spring has sprung as we move into the shoulder season with lighter gear for the day to day.  Not entirely sure this particular necktie works with everything else, but figured I'd trot it out and give it a shot. On campus just long enough to meet with my students, and then it's back home to check on the Grand Duchess, who is ensconced on the chaise in the library once again and in various Zoom meetings thins morning.  A quick stop at midday along the way to pick up some dry-cleaning, milk, and orange juice, and then Bob's your uncle. -- Heinz-Ulrich

  O r how we spent the day Friday. The Grand Duchess had surgery on one of her feet yesterday, which left the Young Master (on his Spring Break) and yours truly to hang around the waiting area and cafeteria reading, drawing, and watching Science Max videos on YouTube for a good six plus hours.  My wife's surgery was delayed  by 90 minutes once we arrived by complications for an earlier patient already in the operating room with the surgical team as far as we could tell from the large, color-coded progress screen for patients' families in the large waiting area.  Hurry up and wait, eh?  After the nurses finally wheeled the Grand Duchess away,  Paul and I enjoyed a fairly palatable lunch in the cafeteria before returning to the waiting area to continue our time-killing activities. Anyway, the procedure went well, and we finally returned home late yesterday afternoon after a quick stop at the pharmacy to pick up a couple of prescriptions.  The Grand Duch...

  R ewarding myself with a fresh coffee and a few minutes of blogging diversion after getting through a virtual stack of student learning team projects, submitted Friday last week while I was away.  Projects, Works Cited Pages, and reflections on/self-assessments of each team's collaborative approach to project development and completion.  So, a lot to read over and look through, but by and large, very nice, even interesting work from the young men and women currently under my tutelage. Attire-wise, one more variation of the usual uniform.  I had planned to don a wool flannel double-breasted suit today, but the threat of sloppy rain and snow meant that I changed my mind at the last minute.  I prefer to wear my suits in better weather to avoid soiled lower legs and cuffs due to slush, ice melt, splashes from puddles, and the like.  Avoid dry-cleaning if and when one can and all that. ----------   Another conference goer asked me last weekend where/how I...

  A nother variation of the usual "uniform" this morning.  Probably the last time this season that the wool snowflake socks will make an appearance though.  But hope springs eternal.  For a late snowfall that is. Two of the Nordic ski centers we like in Northern Michigan report very good to excellent springtime conditions and anticipate remaining open for business as usual through the first weekend of April!  Sadly, the weekend is already spoken for, or I'd have the car loaded by midday Friday, so we could head the 2.5 hours north for one last hurrah on the trails until next winter. In any case, this weekend might be a good time for the twice yearly swap of at least some of my cold weather attire for/with some spring-summer items at present residing in the cedar closet downstairs in Zum Stollenkeller .  Caution is necessary however since it can be chilly into May in our neck of the woods. It's best to exchange just a few winter items for spring at first jus...

    A s the saying goes, the Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away.  About 60 minutes after snapping these two photographs, several large drops of coffee somehow managed to leap through the small drinking hole cut into the plastic top of my disposable coffee cup and landed right in my lap! Grrrrr!!! Fortunately, I managed to dab most of it up carefully with the paper napkin I had on hand, and the remaining moisture dried to the point of near invisibility by the time of my first class at 10:20.  But this particular pair of pants must now visit the dry-cleaner, which is always an iffy proposition.  Sigh. I know.  I know.   I can almost hear the muffled derisive laughter from the peanut gallery now.  "Serves him right that pompous ass!"  Ahhhhh, Schadenfreude . -- Heinz-Ulrich

  Day One top and bottom.  Not visible, a light putty-colored trench coat with liner and one of my well-worn Borsalino fedoras. Day Two top and bottom. Day Three top and bottom. Day Four top, bottom, and close-up of my UW-Madison socks. 3/4 of the knit silk necktie rotation during my recent travels.  The perfect conference necktie in my opinion.  Not too starchy, a bit more relaxed, and eminently stylish.   C ontrary to expectations, the Northeastern Modern Language Association conference I attended in Niagra Falls, New York over the weekend went exceedingly well.  My talk was received positively, I heard a lot of interesting work from other academics during the 2.5 days, picked up a few useful ideas to incorporate into my own work with students, and spent quite a bit of time talking to a publisher on Friday afternoon.  I've also got a couple of ideas to propose for panels of my own in Boston next year. When it comes to the travel and conference attire...

  A pparently, a bow tie on Wednesday is becoming "a thing" as the kids say.  In any case, one more variation of the pretty standard uniform since the weather here in Mid-Michigan is still on the cool side though our ski season is, sadly, over.  The only remaining snow consists of a few grimy piles here and there along roads or the edges of parking lots. I leave for a conference early tomorrow and should be doing what my wife, The Grand Duchess, refers to as "The Travel Dance."  But I am too tired, pulled in too many other directions at once mentally speaking, and less than thrilled by the prospect of air travel to get excited about a few days away.  I really used to enjoy flying places, but you do it enough, I suppose, and the shine wears off after a while.  That and commercial air travel on U.S. carriers continues its long slide to bottom.  If you've ever traveled by Greyhound or Trailways in the U.S., there is no longer much difference between the t...