This short sleeve Ralph Lauren seersucker shirt is an innings eater for me in the summer and one of my favorite shirts. You need a few of these guys on your team if you’re in the south. They’re not anything you’re thrilled to put on in the morning but they’ll get you through the extreme heat in style. These aren’t hard to find second hand online. I got this for cheap without a flaw.

Unfortunately today many outlet stores aren’t worth it. Outlets used to be where brands sold their defected items and you could get some great deals on quality clothing because of a minor defect no one would ever notice. Today outlet stores are usually a completely different line from that brand. Usually made with cheaper materials and lower overall quality

No one tells you this but you can just measure a shirt you like and base future purchases off those measurements

You need to thrift old Brooks Brothers and Ralph Lauren pique polos for cheap. They’re the perfect summer shirt if you live somewhere that gets really hot. Trust me they’re not any warmer than the t-shirt you’d wear instead. They’re really durable and because you thrifted them for a few bucks you can sweat in them and really beat them up without really caring. The perfect summer shirt for just running around town with the wife and kids

Disappointed to report that the Spier and Mackay paper chinos didn’t pass the fit test. The rise is great but the leg is too tight. Still on the hunt for a pair of lightweight chinos

Scooped these up for $30 when Sperry had their big sale last month. These definitely aren’t a pair I’ll wear very often, but for $30 it felt like a must. They’re definitely not anywhere close to a formal shoe but they’ll be a nice pair to add some juice to a casual outfit on the water.

Just found a Brooks Brothers pique polo at the local thrift store for $5. The bottom of the sleeves has a tiny bit of wear you’d never notice unless you were inspecting the shirt but otherwise in great condition. Complete steal. The perfect shirt to throw on to run some quick errands in the summer

Tying together a couple recent posts. The shirt I wore yesterday is a pink PRL Yarmouth OCBD that I bought second hand for $30. It doesn’t have a single blemish and I doubt it’d been worn more than a handful of times. If you like a fuller shirt like I do you can find the Yarmouth cut all over the place for next to nothing. Buying a few these is a great way to build out your OCBD bullpen and you can do it for less than $100.

Leaned back on the front porch with a Nic Nac up top and a cold beverage in hand. I can hear the college baseball game coming through the open window. Mid day heat has finally rolled out and the sun is not far behind it. We’re winding down a great weekend nice and easy

Today’s church threads. Probably the last morning cool enough to have some fun with layers for a minute. While I took this picture @MartyBent was droning through the entire Constitution in the background while @ODELL and I checked out. Enjoy your Sunday night. Back to the mines in short order.

I don’t think people realize how cheap it is to get a really solid Ivy/Prep wardrobe base if you’re willing to buy second hand from thrift stores or online. You can find Ralph Lauren OCBDs without blemishes for $30 or less online and if you’re lucky enough to find them in a thrift shop these things are going for far less. You can build an awesome stable for the price of a single shirt from one of these “high end” plastic slop brands like Peter Millar or Lululemon and look twice as good.

A portion of my wife’s ancestry is from Finland. She and her grandmother would always bake this sweet desert bread called Nisua when the family would get together. My ancestry is from the British Isles and I’m a huge fan of my wife’s homemade scones she makes from sourdough. Her blueberry scones are great, but the orange cranberry ones are second to none. This morning she made Nisua scones for the first time. Both of our ancestors would probably be shaking their heads at these things but they’re perfect and going great with this afternoon coffee

My wife doesn’t spend a fortune on clothes, which I’m thankful for because we don’t make the type of money you need to spend loads on a wardrobe. Her way of keeping the cost down is buying pieces that can go with the majority of everything else she owns. You’ve probably seen the Steve Harvey clip where he talks about buying a few jackets and pants in neutral colors and being able to alternate them to make several combinations. That’s pretty much what she does and it’s definitely a good way to save, but it can feel pretty boring. You don’t need to stand out with a pair of red chinos or a pink cable knit every time you walk outside, but sometimes you do. Dressing is meant to be enjoyable. There are times we want a little more than whites, tans, and browns. My wife and I recently had our anniversary so I bought her this awesome purple Shetland sweater from O’Connell’s. It’s something she’d never buy for herself because of the price but also because of the bold color. She’ll never go buy a light blue skirt or yellow pants to pair with it, but it’ll go great with plenty of the neutral tones she already has and will be a blast to wear. Once you have the basics it’s time to venture out into the fun stuff.

My son loves to put things (like this book) in his mouth that he shouldn’t and I’m constantly telling him no and taking the thing away from him. Now whenever I don’t have my eye on him and he grabs something he’s not supposed to he always lets out a quiet “no” right before he puts it in his mouth. He’s just copying me and he doesn’t even realize he’s telling on himself. That’s a good reason there aren’t more slobber stains on things than there already are.

Sperry has a 30% off sale going on right now. Of course the most popular colors are exempt but it’s a great time to grab a pair of boat shoes for the summer if you’ve had your eye on a color that isn’t super popular

I can’t get on board with the madras look. Maybe that’ll change but it rarely looks like a summer pattern to me. It’s a busy look and most of the time the colors are just too dark. Summer is simple and light.

Watching my wife and kid laugh together is my greatest simple joy in life

75 and sunny. Still in my church poplin which now has a nice mid day wrinkle and is quickly losing buttons. I’m sitting on the front porch drinking prosecco Aura maxxing

So many factors can pull what you chose to wear in different directions. We did mass this morning at a small church on the beach. It’s a hot sunny day perfect for casual attire. Perfectly suited for shorts if that’s your thing. At the same time shorts just don’t feel right in church unless it’s really hot. We went with the standard stone chinos to keep the uniform a little more reserved but I love this teal poplin stripe at the beach. There’s no better place for this color untucked

A small watch with a leather band just feels right when the weather heats up. We’re wearing broadcloth, poplin, and seersucker. Our watches should feel warm too. The metal bands and bulkier watches can rest for now