Two things I rarely ever wear, the shark cowboy shirt and shorts. Wife and I went to the lake today, and I got to break out my old fishing pole. Since it was a non stop drive from home to the lake I figured I could get away with wearing something out of the ordinary. Boston Scally Captian flat cap Shark cowboy print short sleeve shirt Cargo shorts Darn tough dark gray socks Jim Green Bush war boots Garmin instinct tactical watch Norwex fanny pack Like I said, not something I would ever wear in public, but luckily nobody saw me today other than my wife.

Day late. Collars and Co performance black and white patterned polo over tan Twillory performance shorts. Brown Anson belt with silver buckle and brown suede Beckett Simonon sneakers. Orient panda watch and Versace Eros Energy! Also wore my Stetson Aficionado hat celebrating my son's 21st birthday with his close friend's, his Aunt's and our close friend's.

Going on a grocery run with the wife, figured I'd post an outfit since so much has changed. I'm almost down 250 pounds now, and no longer need to shop at big and tall stores, so here's the fit for today: Filson Waxed Canvas Low Profile Logger - Dark Khaki Old Navy Heavyweight Henley - Butter Cream Anson Dark Brown Heritage Buffalo veg tan belt with Antiqued Gold buckle Lee Extreme Motion Relaxed Straight denim - Dark Caravan Thursday Challenger Black Label boots - Whiskey Predator Horween leather Cameo/fit check on the jeans by my good buddy Maxwell...

We planned our day around Deans Shortbread and the Keith to Dufftown Whiskey train. Threw on my new tattersall and burgundy silk/wool club tie over my Orvis duck cloth khakis (so old and faded now they anre more of an almost cream color). Duff town is home to GlenFiddich and Balvenie. The old train is a 1960 version. Fun hour and half ride down and back by several distilleries. The highlight of the day was probably the falconry the big bird is an Eurasian Sea Eagle. Right now we are sitting at the ice cream shop at the port city of Portsoy (part of Peaky Blinders was filmed here at the 17 century port on the North Sea)

I have been developing a motto for myself and my family: I don’t pay retail for anything. That does not mean I buy cheap shit. In fact, it means almost the exact opposite. I like quality. I like things that are well made, built to last, and worth taking care of. I just do not see any reason to be the guy who pays the highest possible price to get them. My Omega Seamaster GMT is a perfect example. I bought it used from a reputable reseller with its papers. Someone else paid the new watch price and absorbed the depreciation. I got the watch I wanted and then took it directly to Omega and spent about $700 having them go through it and refurbish it. Now I have a beautiful Omega that should be good for years before I send it back to them and have it serviced again. Same thing with my Red Wing 9030 boots. I bought them used. Someone else paid retail and did the painful work of breaking them in. I got a great pair of discontinued Red Wings and sent them back to Red Wing for new soles and a proper checkup. When they come back, I will have a refreshed pair of boots that can be worn, maintained, repaired, and worn some more. I have even started approaching fragrances the same way. Before spending $300, $400, or $500 on a bottle of cologne, I buy a small decant and actually wear it. I find out how it smells on my skin, how it develops throughout the day, whether it lasts, and whether I actually enjoy reaching for it. If it earns a place, then I start looking for a legitimate tester, gray market seller, or another way to buy the real thing without paying boutique retail. There is a bigger lesson here that applies well beyond fashion. Somewhere along the way, we started confusing buying something new with buying something good. They are not the same thing. Quality has value, while newness has a premium. A well made watch can be serviced, good boots can be resoled, quality clothing can be tailored and repaired, and good tools can outlive the person who bought them. The objective should not be to constantly replace things. It should be to recognize quality, acquire it intelligently, maintain it properly, and get years of use from it.