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.

Went to work the other day and my coworker (on the left - that's me on the right) pretty much had the same fits, totally by coincidence. I think we rocked it pretty well. Everyone was like "Are you guys twins?" "No?" LOL!🤣 Edit: I really liked his denim jacket!

Not the best photo, but rare evidence of me in the wild not wearing a suit. The polo shirt was custom-made because I couldn’t find one that fit my frame. It has a chest pocket and reinforced collar inserts to stop it flopping about (inspired by a Bond film, though I’ve forgotten which). Fabric: 96% mercerised pique cotton, 4% spandex. Dangerously casual chinos: high-waisted, 5cm waistband, double-button closure, fishtail back, button ticket pocket, coin pocket, and side adjusters with chrome fastenings. Double pleats, no belt loops, real horn buttons. Out of shot are the brown Chelsea boots that match my bag. I apologise for the poor quality photo. It was very bright. I will sack my assistant; or at least stop her food for a while.

So, not Outfit of the Day, as in today, but outfit of the days they were worn (hah!) I don't wear a suit often, but I love wearing them, so the ones I have I picked carefully for different occasions. All three are from Indochino, which is convenient as there's a showroom near me, I'm in their system, and I like the service I get there. I may never be able to afford bespoke, but I'm totally sold on made-to-measure. I've posted these pics before but I thought it was interesting to line them up and compare. The first is a navy suit. My most formal, workhorse suit, that I'd wear for business or other formal occasions. Normally I wear brown oxfords with it, but that night I went with double monks for a bit more style. The suit jacket is standard notch lapel. Can't tell in the photo, but the fabric is nailhead which has a great feel and look, especially up close. It was the first made-to-measure suit I bought and I spent a lot of time considering the options, though I did keep it pretty basic and simple. This suit is a great go-to. The second is a grey sharkskin 3-piece. This is the suit I wear when I want to make an entrance! I wanted a little more flair with this so I went with a wide peak lapel, slanted pockets, and cuffed trousers. The picture there is at my company's holiday party. Again I went with double monks (black this time) and a black shirt for that party atmosphere. I recently dressed this suit down by wearing it with a black t-shirt (w/out the vest) and black leather sneakers, which was pushing it for me but it worked (I got a few positive comments about it). Didn't get a pic of that unfortunately. The last is what I think of as my summer suit, and indeed the pic was taken at an outdoor wedding. This light brown suit is 100 percent linen, which I love. The fabric is a heavier weight linen but it's still quite light and breathable. I wanted something more casual and relaxed compared to my other two suits. I was looking at some Italian suits with a similar cut and style for inspiration, so I got the jacket with an unstructured shoulder, patch pockets, and wide notched lapels. Trousers are cuffed, and pleated with side tabs, not belt loops. I haven't done it yet but I think I can dress this one down easily, and I'm going to try it with a blue linen shirt and white leather sneakers, though it looks great with penny loafers too.