Almost 4 months to the day after losing my 18+ year IT job, I received an offer I'm accepting. As it happened I was already planning on killing some time at a hat shop in Boston that looked worthwhile. Ended up walking out with two caps that should serve me very well in my first New England Fall/Winter...

So gents, Ive been having a “discussion” with my wife about Chelsea boots. I have these two pairs currently; the polished dark tan ones are my dressier boots for evenings, dinners and some more formal occasions, often paired with navy or beige chinos and appropriately coloured button down. The darker brown pair in the muted matte finish are my more casual daytime boots for things like casual lunches, or even maybe a weekend shopping trip etc, and I’ll often wear them with indigo jeans or my more rugged olive chinos (my fave combo), a long sleeve Henley, or t-shirt and overshirt, and I absolutely love wearing them. Here’s the thing though; my wife reckons that because they’re boots, both pairs are automatically formal wear, and should only be worn for formal occasions, and consequently I almost feel shamed out of wearing the darker ones for any kind of casual situation. I’d love to hear your thoughts to help clarify the situation in my own mind if nothing else. I have also got a pair of sand coloured desert boots on order for spring/summer casual wear, and I’ll be getting a pair of Thursday boots Captains soon too, for a more rugged look (can you tell I’m starting to really get into boots 😉). Oh, and for context, as I’m in Australia, I’m currently living through the cold Victorian winter.

Back in November 😬 @Antonio Centeno sent me a very nice thank you for supporting the group as a premium member. When I received it I was both shocked and perplexed... Shocked at the generous gift, and perplexed with how to best use it. Now to explain: Some of you may know I'm in the middle of a weight loss journey that started at 570 pounds in August 2024. As of today I've lost 217 pounds, with about 93-123 pounds remaining to get to my goal range. I found Antonio's channel when I started shopping for new clothes, trying to figure out who I am stylistically. The gifts, by the way, are a Navy Silk Knit Livingston Tie, Stainless Tie Bar, and Berlin Paisley Pocket Square from The Dark Knot. Needless to say, in this transitional period, suits have not been a part of my current wardrobe, hence the conundrum... I've finally decided what I'm going to do with these gifts, and I hope that I'm doing them justice. When I stabilize in that goal range, I'm going to celebrate by, among other things, getting my first proper suit, in dark grey herringbone, with an equally suitable pair of Chelseas to go with it... @Antonio Centeno , thanks again for the gift. I really appreciate it. I'll be sure to share the milestone with the group when I reach it.

Since I was down in Texas visiting my in-laws I decided to take advantage of the gigantic Boot Barn locations they have down here... Looked at a bunch of different Justins, Dan Posts, and Tony Lamas... I didn't want to go too flashy and ended up finding this pair of Dan Post Snyders that screamed "I'm your first cowboy boot!". Ended up getting them online for under $200...

Arriving early September! Some watches are built for the summit. The Highball is built for the hour after. This is your Friday watch. Your rooftop watch. Your "one more round" watch. The Highball doesn't take itself too seriously — and that's exactly the point. Bold enough to get noticed across the bar, relaxed enough to wear all weekend without a second thought. Because not every adventure involves crampons and altitude. Sometimes it's just good company, a cold drink, and nowhere to be until Monday. Wear it well. Drink responsibly. Technical Specifications: Movement: Seagull ST-3600 manual-wind mechanical Case: 42mm diameter Lug Width: 22mm Crystal: Domed sapphire Caseback: Display caseback Special Swag with order when using RMRS member code: Monterey Watch Co. All leather jewelry tray courtesy of Tim Hermes, Monterey Watch co-founder. (DM me for RMRS code)