It usually takes me about 60 seconds to construct an outfit. Started with brown 5 pocket Bill Blass Cords, added a CT Oxford basket weave blue shirt and the second day wearing a cardigan sweater. This merino wool olive with the blue shirt offers many possibilities. I threw my RL parquet weave tweed ( I used to describe this as a barley corn but that didn’t sound right so using the style dictionary Antonio created I realized it was a parquet-like the floor -weave). My 1 minute assemblage stretched out to three because with olives and blues there are so many choices. I got down to three ties. I settled on my newest tie-a deep plumb wool challis club tie and my reversible wool pocket square (opposite side from yesterday). Orvis field watch and 1982 Cole Haan Waxhides and argyle socks finished it off.

"He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions." Confucius Have a good day and a wonderful weekend. No one knows everything. So continue to learn and grow brothers.

Channeling my inner @Brian McGuire tonight. Or at least listening to his voice in my head 😜 Yesterday he had made a post about wearing a tie. I had already thought about wearing a tie out to dinner this evening with my wife while we’re away in the city for a day or two. I do enjoy wearing a tie just don’t get the occasion as much as I would like. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Alright gents - we’re kicking off a fun challenge starting TODAY. We often talk about leveling up our style. But the truth is, no man decides to level up just because he bought a new suit. He buys the suit because he first decided he was done playing small. We all have a "Line in the Sand"—that specific moment where the old version of you no longer fit the man you wanted to become. Today, we’re kicking off a 7-day challenge to honor those stories. This isn't a "who looks best" contest. This is about the Turning Point. Whether it was a promotion that felt out of your league, a breakup that forced a reality check, or the day you became a father and realized you had to lead by example - we want to hear about the moment you stopped cutting corners. HOW TO JOIN (Super easy) Drop your story in the comments under this post. Use this quick format: 1. The old you (What did "average" look like for you then?) 2. The moment (What was the specific wake-up call?) 3. The shift (What was the very first change you made?) 4. The result (How are you showing up differently today?) Optional: Feel free to attach a "Before" photo to show the physical side of that internal shift. HOW THE CHALLENGE WORKS - Challenge will run for 7 days (starting today until Jan 23rd) - Post your story in the comments of this post (not separate posts) - Our team will personally pick the winner at the end - Winner will be announced next week Friday Jan 23rd - Winner gets a surprise gift from Antonio 🎁 WINNERS WILL BE PICKED BASED ON - Detail and quality of your comment (70%) - Thumbs up from others (5%) - Paid members will have plus points. RULES & LIMITATIONS - Must be Level 5 or higher to win - Free shipping (USA only; forwarding addresses accepted) The floor is yours. What was the moment you decided to level up? Let’s hear it below. 👇

Had a 7:00 Rotary meeting to be followed by a WFH day. Let me get the OOTD out of the way. MTM Black and White Houndstooth, Hanna Donnegal Tweed black w white flecks, black cotton long sleeve polo shirt over a grey Glen plaid shirt, yellow/gold Robert Talbot tie, Levi’s button front black 501 jeans, Pendleton Socks, Salomon black trail runners, Seiko Model 5 automatic. The Tie- I and a few others in this community come from an era where the outfit I have on today would be extremely casual for a workday. On any given weekday every middle to higher end restaurant at breakfast, lunch and dinner would be full of guys wearing a tie. In my college days in the early 1980’s it wouldn’t be terribly unusual for guys to don a tie to go out on a weekend on a date or with a group of guys if they were headed to a nice series of bars. In Richmond, Va where I spent the majority of my 20s and 30’s from about Thanksgiving through the end of the year most dinner parties through the end of the year - guys wore ties to each other’s house. The Tie especially a tasteful classic is the one garment that can “tie” together the entire ensemble. That’s what today’s OOTD is trying to portray. In trying to find a way to upgrade my black w black polo and jeans combo- I grabbed the glenplaid shirt and a yellow with black pretty formal styled tie. This allowed me to upgrade with the sportcoat ( except for the hat - the last item chose). I could blather on about the sad loss of ties in menswear and how the degradation of men’s classic style has coincided with it but I would rather stay on the positive side. Why not learn the art of adding a necktie to complete an ensemble. It’s as much a feature of completing a color combination as it is about formality. The bland department store monotone outfits of the past 10-15 years has A ) guys all look like a GAP ad and B) afraid to add colors and accents that finish an outfit. I challenge any guy who rarely wears a tie to take their significant other out, even if to an Applebees quality restaurant and tell her that your wearing a tie (enough time in advance- gals get funny about being out dressed). Or do like @Alan Dormire and @Chad Smith and I, wear a tie on a wfh day. At first you might feel very weird. But think of it like that first day at the gym, or singing in public, or casting a fly rod, or using a new driver.