When deciding to level up my style game, it was almost through necessity. I was (and am) on a weight loss journey, and had hit the midpoint-plus mark when literally all of my existing clothes no longer fit my shrinking frame. I needed a new wardrobe, completely and entirely, so why NOT shape it with intent and chase a New Me? I came to Skool, joined style groups. Looking to learn, but also to inform. My journey, to me, seemed intriguing, unique. I’d have Opinions, and Insights, and Things To Say. Turns out that EVERYONE is seemingly on the exact journey as me. I’m not a special snowflake. But that’s great! I can still share what I’ve learned, so those on the first steps can benefit from the mistakes and decisions I’ve made. So this is the first post in a series that will share my knowledge of the “glowing-up while sizing-down” process. Hopefully it’ll prove enlightening. #1 - Clothes That Fit Are Very Tight. At my largest, I topped 20 stone. I’m short too, so those factors combined into making me largely spherical. And, as a fat man, I leaned into the trope of the Baggy Fit, believing that an oversized jumper would convince the world I was a closet waif. Ridiculous, I know. It was a jumper, not an invisibility cloak. I’m almost 7 stone down from those heady heights, with another couple to go, and my learnings from groups such as these have driven me into clothes that are more stylish and suited to my frame, and clothes that actually fit me properly. And BOY, do they feel tight and restrictive. There are a couple of factors to this. The first is that yes, the fits I’m choosing now ARE a little snug. Because I’m still shrinking, so I’ve chosen clothes with a modicum of future-proofing in this regard. When I hit my ideal size, the gloves will come off and I’ll be exacting in the dimensions. But the second and most important factor is that while the head can do the maths, the heart still believes I’m as big as I ever was. And after literally fifty years of comfort and expanse, there’s a little rebellion against the new slimline casements. How can I wear something so form-fitting?! People will notice how fat I am!!

What to say in your intro? Share where you're from, your reason for joining, perhaps your favorite fragrance, watch or a picture of you dressed sharp! It's a small action, but a HUGE step in you getting value from this community becasue you go from being a lurker to an ACTIVE member. In fact men that introduce themselves are 10X more likely to the actions to becoming their best selves. Bonus Point - By introducing yourself you're guaranteed to level-up. Seriously, you'll get at least 5-20 likes/points (oftentimes more) which will move you to level 2 and possibly level 3. And just like that you have access to more of this community!

Well I’ve had these for many years, 8-9? They were my daily drivers for the majority of that time at work. I came from making yearly Johnston and Murphy purchases after they wore out or fell apart, and got sick of that cycle. Admittedly I knew little of rotation, shoe trees, and good care in general apart from how to clean and shine them. So last December I sent them in for a sole change and reconstruction. They came originally with a hard, semi-lug type sole. I had them changed to a Danite sole. The reconstruction on the bottom looks very good. What I’m disappointed with is how the uppers came back. I was hoping the leather would be restretched and look much cleaner. I’ve heard of instances where that was case. But alas, my neglect wasn’t remedied. So my question is, how would you fix these to look less like the tired, worn out specimens that they are? Is there hope? I’ve seen videos of guys steaming/ironing the leather to reduce the creasing but I’m not sure if these aren’t too ‘gone’.

Heading out with very casual fun shirt, jeans, canvas-like sneakers and a hat. We are meeting a colleague and his friend for lunch in Scottsdale and then will walk around a mall.