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 3-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 3 days (starting today until Jan 19th) - 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 Monday Jan 19th - 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. 👇

I wore the same suit that I wore to my company holiday party in 2024 as I did at the end of the year last year. It's a grey 3-piece. In 2024, I styled it with a black shirt and black shoes, the main colors in the tie and pocket square were earth tones. In 2025, I wore a white shirt, a burgundy grenadine tie and paisley pocket square, and brown shoes. I'm happy with both looks. That's my boss in the second shot - I think our outfits actually complimented each other (and no, she was not my date, LOL!)

Out and about for lunch in the City today. All black underneath the camel overcoat.

Last weekend I had the Perfect Date while on vacation in Tokyo. The lady in question was a friend of a friend. She's tall (for a Japanese woman), beautiful, full of life, knows herself and what she wants. We really resonated with each other. Her confidence, temperament, intelligence, rhythm, presence, everything just clicked with me. I planned the date carefully - the locations, the timing, the flow, my outfit. But then when I executed it, all the details faded into the background for me, and I simply needed to remember where to go next. All that groundwork paid off in that during the actual date everything seemed effortless to me - and hopefully to her as well. Even small hiccups like spilling eggnog on my shoe or not being able to get a cab easily later on made no difference. It felt like sprezzatura expressed as a date. Christmas isn't actually a holiday in Japan, but Japan really does the atmosphere well. We went to a Christmas market in the mid-afternoon, got oriented with each other, and had a good time chatting there. Then in the early evening we went to the Blue Note Place in Ebisu, for a Christmas show by a J-pop performer. Though I didn't know the artist, my date did - but she wasn't aware that was who was playing that evening, so it was a nice surprise for her. The food and music were excellent! After all that we went to a speakeasy bar. The good mood continued to flow along with some amazing cocktails and great conversation. My date was from Kyoto, and spoke the Kansai dialect, which is really honest and direct (and fun). I speak standard (boring) Tokyo Japanese, but I can keep up a conversation in Japanese with almost anyone. It was really fun talking to her! The energy between us was great. The night flew by. When it was time to go, I walked her back to the subway station. The streets were lit up with Christmas lights and the whole scene felt like a movie - just run whatever romantic music you like over it. At the station gate, we shared a long, warm hug. I didn't know when I'd see her again. But I saw her off with a promise to meet each other again whenever I came back to Tokyo. Once I lost sight of her in the crowd, I turned away and walked off into the night. I just felt really good about it all.

Elderly black woman called me out in the train station “Son, you’ve got style.” Heading north on the Coastal Starlight train.