Suit Shopping

A friend of mine is shopping for an interview suit. I told her I'd be hard-pressed to find a suit for myself if I needed one. Working as a video editor doesn't exactly call for spiffy professional attire. If I look fairly "together," and matching, and am basically comfortable both at work and in my travels around town delivering children, I figure that's enough.
 
Talking about my friend's suit search, however, made me wonder--if I ever did need to buy a suit, what kind would I buy? Would it be a very traditional color, or something trendy? Would it be tailored or more forgiving in shape? Would it identify me as in charge or in line? Apart or approachable?
 
The more I thought about it, the more I began to realize what a range, both of suits and of people wearing suits, there could be, and what a range of messages a suit might send about the person in it. What I was picturing as a strictly dark-colored, tailored suit might not fit my body. But the truth is, it might not fit my attitude either.
 
I suspect that if and when I buy a suit, it will be one that accommodates the shape of my body and the shape of my life. If it says, "I'm in charge." it will likely add, "What can we work out together?" While acknowledging a "suit culture," it will also acknowledge the culture from which I come--a culture of comfy clothes, and show black, and funky sneakers.
 
For, you see, a suit is not just a uniform. Like so many things, it's merely a different way to express ourselves. What kind of suit will we wear? It depends--what are we trying to say today? It's not all black, and brown, and blue, and it doesn't have to confine us--it can define us as well. Who are we today? Chances are, the suit will give you some idea.