Got a lot done yesterday and the positivity from that is carrying over into today. Complex project deliverables from yesterday and ready to be tackled today. Nothing gets me geeked out more than needing to solve complex problems, especially when my input can have a large impact on my client getting a billion dollar product approved. Mostly an office day today, so no need for a formal suit. • Blazer — DOJ-010 (Ralph Lauren): A classic navy wool blazer with rope shoulders and polished brass buttons, combining Italian-American tailoring DNA. The full polyester lining and small notched lapels keep it versatile across business formal and smart casual contexts—ideal for a video-conference day that spans P3 internal discussions to vendor meetings. • Shirt — DS-033 (Brisk): A mid-blue Pima cotton twill dress shirt with a 5" spread collar and barrel cuffs. The light but sufficient drape and single chest pocket make it a clean, professional canvas. The twill weave adds subtle texture that reads well on camera without visual noise. • Undershirt — US-002 (Ralph Lauren Polo): A dependable white cotton crew-neck undershirt that disappears under the mid-blue shirt. No show-through risk and comfortable for all-day wear during back-to-back video calls. • Tie — NT-031 (Kirby Allison): A navy silk tie with white and black basket weave pattern from Kirby Allison—3-fold construction with self-tipping and 3.5" width. The subtle geometric pattern adds visual interest on camera while maintaining boardroom-level formality. • Pocket Square — PS-004 (Charles Tyrwhitt): A silk and wool medallion pocket square in light blue, navy, brown, and white. The brown and navy tones tie together the blazer and slacks while the light blue echoes the dress shirt—harmonizing the entire upper body for the camera frame. • Slacks — SL-006 (JW Nordstrom): Dark brown wool slacks with a slight sheen and classic no-pleat construction. The low rise and regular cuff provide a traditional business silhouette. The dark brown grounds the navy blazer beautifully and creates the perfect odd-jacket combination.

The last work day of May. It's been a great month for the company and we finished strong with on-time delivery of a complicated project - the best kind. June will be a life-altering month with my eldest son graduating from high school, community college, all events within a week of each other. My youngest is feeling quite sad from it all, as he loves spending time (and deeply reveres) his older brother. As a father, I am blessed to have two boys, 4.5 years apart, who absolutely love each other, enjoy spending time together, have not had an argument in years, and now already recognize how Logan going away to college will change their relationship forever. I've been working with my younger son to understand that this is a part of how they will be for the rest of their lives, so figuring out how to still engage with each other meaningfully while living apart is just the next phase of their relationship. One, that if he works at it, will be just as rewarding as what he has now. And yeah, that breaks my heart a little too, but this is the role of the father and I heartfully take it on. So... with that emotional roller coaster, it's time for... the purple Oxfords! When I brought them out yesterday to set up today's outfit, my wife looked at me and groaned a bit. I told Nathanial that these shoes will be his when I finally pass away. After my wife said, "they are going in the coffin with you", he said, "no way - I'm totally getting them!" That's my boy! Today's outfit has a total outfit cost-per-wear of $103.39. Use your items well, keep them well maintained, and your outfits will be incredibly valuable every time you wear them. Today's outfit is a deliberate study in purple tonal harmony—a sophisticated vest-and-tie combination perfect for internal video conferences with out-of-state employees, plus an in-person meeting at the Torrance Office. • Shirt — DS-031 (Charles Tyrwhitt): A lilac Burlington Weave Prince of Wales Check dress shirt in classic fit with French cuffs and a point collar (5.75" spread). The subtle check pattern adds visual depth without overwhelming the camera, while the lilac base sets the purple theme for the entire outfit. Cost: $55.07 | Wears: 5 | CPW: $11.01

There’s a special kind of quality family time that comes from standing side by side on the range, sharing laughs, friendly competition, and a commitment to safe firearms training. Days like this are about more than ringing steel targets—they’re about building memories, passing on skills, and enjoying each other’s company away from the distractions of everyday life. The sound of steel, the smell of gunpowder, and the camaraderie of family make for an unforgettable afternoon. Time spent together is always valuable, but time spent making memories on the range is hard to beat.

The town where I live, Stockport UK , was once the global epicentre of the felt hat industry. It produced millions of hats annually throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Today, my wife and I took a guided tour of the Hat Works museum, a once-functional factory full of the old machinery, steeped in historical millinery. We learnt a lot. For example, the links to the slave trade and Frederick Douglass, and Abraham Lincoln’s letter to the workers here. The industry-fuelled mass extinction of beavers in the UK, which saw them being shipped over from Canada (before a more sustainable solution saw 150,000 dead rabbits every week instead). The punishing poisonous process of hat-making itself, that led to countless deaths. And the money made, that was manipulated in an underhand fashion to prevent the GDP of Stockport eclipsing that of London and likely rewriting geographical history. Then there was the Gallery of Hats, with over 400 historical examples of hat styles from around the world, from the functional to the fashionable to the fantastical and everything in between. After lunch at the charity-ran cafe and art installation, we exited through the gift shop… where we both bought a hat! My wife went for a purple Winter Cloche Wool hat, which frames her face wonderfully and shows off her excellent hair. After much deliberation, I went for a black Pork Pie Wool hat, partly because I like the semi-formal nature of it but mostly because it gives off Heisenberg vibes. Both hats are Dentons, a company that is still local to me and very well regarded. If you’re in the neighbourhood and at a loose end, I can highly recommend the museum and the guided tour. And the hats? They’re pretty decent too.