I own two long-sleeve and three short-sleeve casual shirts from DXL: True Nation. Now I enjoy these styles, colors, and brands. I would buy another True Nation shirt if it met my fancy. I’d recommend these types of shirts to anyone. My conundrum is how difficult they are to iron. The problem is that the fabric is made of a tougher linen-cotton blend. So, as much as one doesn't want a dry cleaning bill for a handful of shirts, am I missing any ironing tips? They are always washed in cold water and never put in the dryer. Perhaps my old Army NCOs were right, and I suck at ironing my BDUs and DCUs, lol?

We don't realize how far we've come until we look at where we started. The other day I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few items. Standing in the checkout line, I noticed a guy coming into the store about my height and age. My first impression (and I'm not proud of it) was to wonder if he'd checked the mirror before leaving home. He wore Crocs with black socks, rumpled cargo shorts, a t-shirt that used to be white but had yellowed with age and sprouted a few extra holes at the collar. Over all of this, a baggy green hoodie and a visor cap with his salt and pepper hair poking out the top in unkempt spikes. The thought "I wouldn't leave the house looking like that" had barely finished forming when it was stopped dead in its tracks— up until a few years ago I used to leave the house almost exactly like that. All the time. In fact, I'm pretty sure I still have that exact hoodie somewhere at home! It was a humbling moment. I didn't feel superior. I felt grateful. It reminded me of something important: everyone is on their own journey. The guy who just bought his first tie deserves the same respect as the guy who's been pressing pocket squares for twenty years. We don't know where someone is in their story, and we don't know what got them there. I left the store not with judgment, but with gratitude. Gratitude for the version of me that didn't know any better, and fuel for the version of me I'm still becoming.

After spending about an hour trying on almost the entire store and getting other guest and sales assistant opinions, I decided to jump into the Captain Boots in chocolate. I'll either be back for the cadets or going to Amberjack for another pair of dress shoes soon. We'll see how well this goes!