OOTD-CW - 10 November 2026 · Real Men Real Style Community

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22h (edited) • OOTD 👔

OOTD-CW - 10 November 2026

Today was a crazy busy day, managing four new opportunities just today, which is the average for a month. Indeed, three of them are with new potential clients with just one from an existing client. That forced me to cancel a lunch with a close colleague with whom I have a meal at everyone one of these conferences going back to 2012. The cancelation is an easy decision given the time constraints of replying to the new opportunities, but the missed relationship engagement is impactful. Graciously, he gave me his full support and encouragement, even insisting I got to sleep early so as to recoup and be ready for the last day of the conference tomorrow. In my field, everyone refers to him as the Godfather of PROs. It's not from a negative take but refers to the level of respect and deference the entire community has for him. It's been an honor to have him as a close friend for years.

The hotel returned the shirt their iron stained. Although a faint version of the mark remained, their cleaners did a heroic job on it. They proactively called me to see how it looked and I shared this evaluation. They really wanted to try again to get the rest, especially since they knew it was a new shirt (only 2 prior wears - of course I have the data!), but I turned it down for two reasons. First, the practical: I needed this shirt today (it came back last night). Second: I believe in not letting perfect be the enemy of good. They did a really, really good job. Indeed, given the depth and tone of the stain, I had no hope for the shirt. I have seen too many of these stains from irons and never seen the hotel cleaners be able to impress me. These guys did. I made sure they knew that this was no acquiesence but satisfaction and appreciation. It's a delicate balance to let them know they were not perfect but they still very much impressed me.

I forgot to put on the planned fragrance today so, once remembered, I applied the new Kinze Ten. It it totally a fragrance from my father's era. However, that is not a dis. It smells great, but it smells like it comes from an older era. The quality of the ingredients is clear. For an EDT, the smell lingers for quite some time. On the toiletry spectrum, I also ran out of preshave lotion/oil and found a local luxury shaving store. Think Taylor of Old Bond Street in London, without the onsite shaving availability. They had a lot of great products, but the only one with a scent I was interested in was the Sandlewood from... Taylor of Old Bond Street. I have not tried that one before so I am looking forward to tomorrow's shave.

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Today’s conference outfit centers on a heather-gray three-piece suit, with green accents bringing color to a restrained gray, white, and black foundation. Traveling gave me an exemption from my usual Tuesday wardrobe challenge—but the outfit still managed to meet its minimum.

• Suit — SJ-016, SL-025, VWC-012 (Nino Cerruti): A matching heather-gray wool-flannel three-piece, with a two-button, notch-lapel jacket, five-button waistcoat, and cuffed trousers. The matte texture provides a quiet backdrop for the more expressive tie. The three-piece flannel was selected for today as this was the coldest day of the conference.

• Shirt — DS-054 (Brisk): A pearl-white cotton dobby shirt with a classic straight collar and French cuffs. Its subtle woven texture adds interest without competing with the flannel or patterned silk.

• Undershirt — US-024 (Amazon Essentials): A white, slim-fit cotton crewneck with mid-bicep sleeves and a printed tag. Its shorter body makes today’s high-rise suit trousers an especially useful pairing.

• Tie — NT-045 (Silvio Fiorello): The “Mandala of the Universe” tie in Duchesse silk, combining forest and malachite greens with rust-orange and cream accents. Its circular geometry supplies the outfit’s focal point, while the gray suit keeps the overall effect grounded. This tie remains the most artistically beautiful design on any sarotiral item I own. It's not necessarily the most beautiful sartorial item overall, but the artistry of the design is breathtaking to my eyes.

• Pocket Square — PS-044 (Shibumi Firenze): The “Yomeimon” Ukiyo-e art square in 100% silk, printed in Macclesfield and hand-rolled in England. Its multicolored artwork introduces an artistic accent against the gray flannel, with the visible palette varying by fold.

• Braces — SB-006 (Kirby Allison): Black-and-white Sovereign Grade basket-weave silk braces with black leather button attachments and silver hardware. They support the trousers beneath the waistcoat without introducing a belt across the three-piece silhouette.

• Footwear — DSh-009 (TLB Mallorca): Black box-calf wholecut Oxfords on the Goya last, with Goodyear-welted construction and beveled waists. Their uninterrupted uppers offer a clean, formal finish beneath the textured flannel.

• Socks — DSo-097 (Gammarelli, via Mes Chaussettes Rouges): Solid-black, over-the-calf cotton-lisle socks with hand-linked toes. They maintain an understated transition into the black shoes.

• Cufflinks — CL-035 (Unbranded): Round green-stone cufflinks in polished sterling silver, recorded in my wardrobe as natural emerald. Their green faces pick up the tie’s palette against the white French cuffs.

• Tie Bar — TA-011 (Sonia Jewels): A polished, two-inch sterling-silver slide-on tie bar. It continues the silver-tone accessory theme without adding another color.

• Watch — W-002 (Movado): My Museum Classic, with its minimalist black dial and polished stainless-steel bracelet. The restrained design provides a visual counterpoint to the mandala tie.

• Ankle Watch — W-001 (Apple): My Apple Watch 10 is worn on the ankle solely for health and activity tracking. It serves a practical role rather than forming part of the outfit’s visible styling.

• Wedding Ring — R-001 (Ellie’s Jewelry): My platinum-and-diamond wedding ring. A constant personal element among the day’s changing accessories.

• Pen — P-006 (Montblanc): The Meisterstück 149 fountain pen in black precious resin with platinum trim, filled with Iroshizuku Kon-peki blue ink. A substantial writing instrument for conference notes, coordinated with the black-and-silver accessories.

• Business Card Case — BCC-001 (Fort Belvedere): A black aniline-leather bifold clasp case with silver hardware and green goat-velour lining. Even the interior quietly continues the day’s green theme.

• Briefcase — CRY-003 (Montblanc): The black 4810 Westside double-gusset briefcase with gunmetal hardware. Its structured silhouette suits the conference setting, while the trolley attachment makes it useful on this trip.

• Wallet — WL-001 (Montblanc): My black Extreme Collection eight-card bifold in carbon-fiber-print calfskin. Another textured black accessory that supports rather than competes with the clothing.

• Overcoat — OC-005 (Alfani): A charcoal wool double-breasted paletot with peak lapels and a below-knee length. Its darker gray extends the suit’s tonal foundation into the outdoor layers.

• Gloves — GL-003 (Fort Belvedere): Racing-green, unlined peccary-leather gloves with hand-sewn construction. They carry the green accent into the outerwear without requiring an exact match to the tie.

• Hat — HW-010 (Stetson): The Frederick fedora in caribou-gray wool felt, with a pinch-front crown and two-inch snap brim. It completes the gray outerwear palette with a more traditional silhouette.

• Fragrance — FR-032 (Knize): Knize Ten EDT, the 125 ml natural spray purchased yesterday in Vienna. Its recorded citrus-and-rosemary opening, spicy floral heart, and leather-led base feel particularly appropriate alongside gray flannel.

Tuesday Challenge: Minimum Met, Even on Exemption

My Tuesday rule favors items among the 80 smallest percentage reductions from purchase price to cost per wear—at least one item, ideally three or four, without sacrificing outfit harmony.

Today’s result: one qualifying item out of 23—Knize Ten. Its recorded purchase cost and cost per wear are both $129.06, giving it 0% reduction, firmly within the target group. The three-to-four-item stretch goal was not reached, but the minimum was met despite the travel exemption.

An interesting wrinkle: a first wear leaves cost per wear equal to purchase cost, so the fragrance still shows 0% reduction after its recorded debut. The takeaway: a cohesive travel wardrobe can still advance the rotation challenge without being built around it.

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OOTD-CW - 10 November 2026