Perhaps if some might like to hear how I construct an outfit. First I looked at the temps. Saw a slight rise to 43 degrees so I knew I don’t want flannel pants. Started with a window pane shirt and a wine zip front. Grabbed some charcoal Calvary twill pants. Thought perhaps I could go without a tie but a tie pulls things together so well typically plus a solid sweater allows for some interesting pattern matches so I grabbed one. Chose to go with a paisley that had the reds to mellow out the shirt/tie pattern mix. Then the last step was the coat. At first I thought I would go with a blue blazer but then I remembered the warp was black under a brown donegal so I grabbed my 30 year MTM tweed. Accessorized with a Pendleton sock, brown wool/silk paisley pocket square, shell cordovan British tan brogues and a model 5 Seiko. For the early morn cold I added a brown wool fedora In picked up in Verona, Italy in 2,000 and a Ralph Lauren cashmere scarf.

There is a great old Johnny Carson episode where George Gobel was the last guest following superstars at the time: Dean Martin and Bob Hope. Gobel delivers this brilliant line “ did you ever get the feeling that the world was a tuxedo and you were a pair of brown shoes?” Not quite the same but dark brown and navy can have that same mismatch look. About half the time when I see the two combined it looks like someone got dressed in their closet with the lights out. Each are staple colors of menswear and while beige, tans, greys, grayish browns, and heathered browns look excellent with navy, typically a deep brown and navy combined just misses somehow…..unless one can tie it in with intention and harmonization. This is what I attempted today. I started with the light blue POW patterned shirt added the merino wool sweater and then constructed from there. I tried to use accessories and the light tan coat to do so. OOTD •Tan and brown parquet weave RL hacking tweed • navy and green silk P Square • Johnathan Richards of Ireland beige with Navy Green and Ochre flat cap • Chocolate merino wool Harold’s polo sweater • CT PoW blue shirt w French cuffs • Harold’s Wool Challis Regimental Tie (1982) • RL wide wale Navy cords • Lucessee European Goatskin Ropers • Orvis green faced field watch https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=485650567408879&vanity=61556239994829&http_ref=eyJ0cyI6MTc2OTAwODE4NjAwMCwiciI6Imh0dHBzOlwvXC93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbVwvIn0%3D

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.

Between November 2024 and Aug 16, 2025 I lost 35 pounds and I finally conquered the flab that had been plaguing me since my last BIG drop in 2,000 (when I had turned 40 and that was only 14 lbs). After moving from Richmond, VA to Claremore, OK-The intensely stressful success at building a wealth management department and conceiving and building a trust division (2,002-2012) coupled with the natural slowing of my metabolism at my age helped contribute to a 40 pound gain in weight by 2014 (205lb😳 at 67.75” tall). Martial arts, fly fishing, and singing in a kilt didn’t protect me from the stress induced binge eating I did here in Oklahoma where the state bird is the chicken fried steak and holy communion is briskets and gravy. After a heart attack in 2017, between 17 straight years of failing to re-attain my year 2,000 - 40 year old weight- I went drastic last year and beat my 40 year old weight (166) by my 65th birthday (160.5 by 8/16/25). I saw this gag gift, the hillbilly diet pill, but essentially it works. Rather, I did some pretty well thought out extended fasts (100 hours built up to over 4 months or 1 per month: 36hr, 72 hr, 90hr, 100hrs) In 2026 my goals are to do some body sculpting: gain muscle of an inch or two in my shoulders, one inch in my chest, (all to save $ on clothes) and lower my body fat percentage from 21.5 % to 13-16%. The plan is to be there by August and the method is to intensify my lifting, swimming and martial arts. Wish me luck. - the things I learned last year are: • Be realistic about your time horizon (sustaining 1lb a week is hard as hell) • sleep and staying out of the kitchen is 90% of it • have accountability partner(s). Not counting my wife I have an 81 year old personal trainer and a 67 year old 7th degree blackbelt I meet with multiple times per week. Have a blessed 2026 - Whatever your goals are fellas. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8NRtHJqwuGA

As in preparing for A BIG night. I basically got dressed up for a 6:30 AM weekly mens group (had 31 guys today) and tonight’s festivities. But I am glad I did as I went out on errands and ran into a lot of friends today. Each year after the 5:00 PM service we host a group at my house celebrating the Birth of the Christ child as well as our friend Robin’s birthday. The group this year blossomed to 18. Should be quite interesting. Bought 14 pounds from our favorite butcher of prime rib $$$$$$$$$. An exciting evening ahead. • MTM Royal blue blazer • CT PoW French Cuff shirt in blue w green • French horn links • green w red and white bow tie • navy w green and red suspenders • burgandy polka dot pocket square • MTM Calvary Twill charcoal trousers • Pendleton national park socks • J Fitzpatrick captoes • Wenger field watch