The year seems to be flying by. Being in Cairns isn’t all that bad, the weather is warmer and the guys in the office are loads of fun. Today’s outfit consists of: That dang Work Polyester Polo, M.J. Bale Santoro Jacket, a Neutral and Blue cotton, linen, wool, silk, in a lightweight gingham check, M.J. Bale Sinatra Trouser made from 100% Egyptian cotton in Empire Denim, Anson leather Navy Strap with a traditional buckle in Silver, OTAA Happy Penguin Socks, CNES MTO Oxford with Goodyear welted construction crafted from Italian crust leather, SOTD - Mancera Red Tobacco WOTD - Islander Watches Greenport, Slate Grey dial with sky blue accents.

Like the hypermajority of men, I have not received compliments even once in my life until I started following RMRS's advice. Now? Almost every time I go out. It's uncanny. At first I was always so confused but now I take it in stride. I don't have too many opportunities to go out except for work (where we have a uniform) or the gym (I'm NOT dressing up for that, the clothes would get destroyed), but when I do? At least two random strangers will say something about the fit, or the hat, or a simple "You look nice!" It's awesome, and this particular outfit gets the most. Yes, I still need to get my stuff actually tailored (I have a tailor nearby, I just need to find the time), but so far? Major boost to the self-esteem. Although a rather unexpected development, unrelated to the clothes themselves but rather the weight loss that have coincided with them— as I have been taking care of my health, I have been sweating way more, when I was honestly kind of expecting the opposite. Any suggestions to handle that? I've tried layering to try and absorb and/or hide the sweat, but it ends up looking like I jumped into a pool after just a ten minute drive, and according to the weather reports next week is going to be even worse. 😭

THE CONTEXT: Today we decided to go on a temple visit. I was thinking of pairing my multicolored textured Tee for some time until I decided to test a look based on the well-known versatility of a denim jacket. THE TOP: A canary yellow-black textured Tee with a white horizontal stripe along the torso. I loved this so much for the vibrant color. I got this about five years ago but only wore twice so far 🙂. I was just not brave enough to carry the sporty look for my age (I am 47, so I thought such colors are reserved for school boys). THE OUTER LAYER: Light-wash denim jacket (Levi's). This is advertised as a trucker jacket, but you will see from the image that it does not have a cropped look. May be my height (5 ft 9 in) is a little short for their factory cut and sewn fabrics. I wear size M (almost) always. THE BOTTOM: Beige MTM chinos with high waist. Finally, I am slowly replacing my wardrobe bottom pieces with MTM high waist ones. I LOVE the old-money style. THE WATCH: Brown belt, gold-on-silver dial frame. This was gifted by my ex-boss, has great sentimental value, and is a workhorse in my wardrobe. THE BELT: Tan (reversible with black). I have punched extra holes to accommodate my reducing waistline (I have been working out religiously for a while 😀). I might punch another hole soon (until the trouser starts rumpling at the waist when I will have to get the trousers also altered - gosh, this is a pain). Btw, hole-free belts like Anson are not reasonably priced in India. So, I will stick with this for a while. THE FOOTWEAR: Tan penny loafers in "nubuck" leather (the layer of tissue beneath the rugged, full-grain layer and above the delicate suede layer). I maintain this by spraying and brushing regularly (using a silicone spray); incidentally, about a month back, a sales guy at a footwear store complemented me for maintaining the shoes (which, surprisingly to me, he thought was rare). THE BRACELET: Brand new aquamarine, which nicely matches the washed look of my jacket.