Yesterday I went directly from the shop to a hunting lodge for a night of firearms festivities with my in-laws.

I didn’t have time to change my clothes and needed something that would transition easily from one environment to the next. As much as I love suiting, I’m not about to wear one out in the desert

The trick to pulling the transition off is by leaning a bit more casual with my shop attire and more dressed-up for the range. I find the Refined archetype makes the transition easiest for me.

Rather than a full suit with brogues, I opted for a navy jacket, OCBD, chinos, and desert boots (all of which are staples). I still wore a wool tie and textured pocket square to the shop, which kept the ensemble professional and appropriate while working with clients.

When it was time to head to the range, I simply ditched the jacket, tie, and square, undid the top two buttons of my shirt, and threw on a quilted vest

The shirt, pants, and boots – the primary items of my outfit anchored both looks and I changed the extras as I needed.

This is one of the big benefits of menswear having large roots in military history. The chinos and boots started off in rough environments and gradually became acceptable casual wear in more genteel circumstances.

Knowing how to transition effectively made my life much easier than having to dress inappropriately in one environment or the other, or than having to pack and entire change of clothes.

Understanding the origins of one’s clothing isn’t a must, but it certainly makes it easier to make your clothing work for you in trickier circumstances.

Lastly, if you have any interest in stylish firearms accessories, I strongly encourage you to check out Galco Gun Leather. They made the bag I’m holding I this shot, along with the other bags, cases, and holsters I use. Their quality is top notch and their team is even better.

A common question I get from white-collar clients who wear suits daily is, “What should I get after I’ve picked up both a navy and grey suit?”

It’s a good question and not one with a definitive answer. For those who work in anything but the strictest environments, I recommend choosing a cloth that can be split into separates.

It may be a plain color (like the brown I have on) or something with a pattern to it ( for the most part, not a stripe).

The trick is to choose a color, pattern, weave, or any combination of the three that doesn’t look as if it should only be a suit. The more unique any of those three variables are, the easier it is to split up the ensemble.

The advantage of this is what it does to open your wardrobe. If you buy three suits this way, you have nine different combinations to choose from. It will make your wardrobe appear much fuller, more robust, and more versatile.

Plan new orders in combination with suits you already own to maximize the benefit and really open up your possibilities.

Want more personalized advice on how to improve your wardrobe? I’m currently taking on new clients.

Regardless of what it is a man does for a living, there are going to be parts of his job he hates. We deal with conflict, disappointment, and discouragement on almost a daily basis.

It’s easy to get overwhelmed by this stuff, but at least we don’t have to fight or kill for our lives. From an historical perspective, the “conflict” we have to deal with is about as minor and as minimal as it gets.

That said, it still takes its toll and sometimes conflict can be intimidating.

One thing I try to do when I know I have to make a phone call or attend a meeting I don’t want to is put on my armor.

For me, that’s a three-piece suit. For you, it may be something entirely different.

The point is to wear something that makes you feel powerful, detached, and impervious. When I go into battle with my armor on, I don’t get as defensive – which means most of the men with whom I have any conflict end up acting less emotional and more detached themselves.

Those who don’t? They can butt against me all they want. I’m impenetrable.

The clothes don’t change my physical safety or their level of frustration. They change my attitude, and that makes all the difference.

Want some ideas on what can be your best piece of armor? How about 30?

As I’m walking clients through the design of their suits, we address details like cuffs, pleats, and brace buttons.

For some reason these will elicit an emotional response from a lot of men. I hear, “I’ll NEVER wear suspenders” about 80% of the time – as if they have some inherent evil that takes them beyond the sartorial world and into the moral realm.

I don’t think I would’ve worn braces three years ago, but “never” is a strong word that has almost no place in the world of menswear. It should be saved for the higher spheres of morals and ethics.

Just remind me of this the next time you hear me say I’ll never wear cargo shorts, flip-flops, an xxxl T-shirt with a logo, or a suit with skinny lapels.

Listening to this month’s book (How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big) has taught me a lot already. One of the things Adams talks about is the importance of focusing on things that energize you.

For me, that’s all of this blogging stuff. I hadn’t been able to put into words why I feel the need to create content. I’ve been doing it for years over various formats and it’s always been an itch I can never scratch.

I’ve told myself it’s because I want to make the world better, or that I’m good at it and I feel a moral obligation to expand on my talents, or that I want to offer answers to other men that I had to look for myself.

All of these may be partially true, but really I do this because it gets my blood flowing. I’m finding that’s the case even more when I do videos or podcasts, and the most when I speak about it in real life – be that one-on-one with a client or in front of a crowd.

Dressing well energizes me too. It helps me feel like I can command any room I walk into – even when I’m the lowest man on the totem pole. It gives me energy to be productive and accomplish daily goals.

If I were to show up at a conference in baggy cargo shorts, flip-flops, and a too-big T-shirt, I would have to work against that negative energy to get my mojo going. But when I walk in and know I’m well dressed, therefore projecting confidence and competence, the energy has already started to build.

It’s a positive added to a positive rather than a positive and a neutral canceling each other out.

When I’m energized I’m happier. I’m more playful, funnier, less high-strung, more attractive, more generous, and better all around.

Dressing well doesn’t make me a better person any more or less than having money does, but it can serve to magnify those qualities or work against them.

Start with the basics, get them dialed in, and either expand if it gives you more energy, or leave it there and move on to other endeavors that do. If you feel like it’s a drain to get comfortable at dressing well then don’t focus on it too much. Just become competent and move on. It’s all about that long game.