SUITS! SUITS! SUITS!
I have recently been in New York and Chicago for the clothing market and can honestly say people look better. Walking on the streets, in bars and restaurants and in corporate offices the look was suits and dressing for business. Dressing for business should be taken seriously. As written in Menswear magazine see the top ten reasons for suits

1. MEN DON'T CARRY HANDBAGS but they do have palm devices, cell phones, glasses, big wallets, car keys and other accessories that can weight down-and bulk up- a pair of pants. Guys need a place to store all this stuff for easy access and a belt holster just doesn't cut it. A suit or sport jacket offers the perfect solution for holding all of your every day items.

2. MORE THAN HALF OF AMERICAN MALES ARE OVERWEIGHT but when they wear a suit, it's really hard to tell. On the other hand, in those khakis and stretch knit golf shirt, the operative word is "handicap".

3. BETTER CLOTHING DOESN'T REQUIRE FREQUENT DRY CLEANING. The need for weekly dry cleaning is a myth promoted by the dry cleaning industry. The truth is, you can wear a suit several times, over a few months, without sending it to the cleaners. Just let it hang out in your closet. The wrinkles will disappear and so will the cleaning bills.

4. CASUAL PANTS DON'T DO OFFICE WORK. Today's cotton khakis are designed for light duty. When you stand up after a long time in your office or in your car they have a way of accenting the features you may not want others to notice (see #2). Dress pants have a way of making your body look better than it is.

5. EXECUTIVES WANT TO LOOK IMPORTANT. Forget all the dot-com stuff about everybody being equal and accessible. The boss wants everybody to know who he is, and those who want to be bosses will find a way to look important as well. This is a fact of life. We may have ignored it for the last year or two but essential truths always have a way of re-emerging.

6. SUITS ARE EASY. SPORTSWEAR IS HARD. Every guy knows which shirts and ties match each suit in his closet. He can get out of the house quickly and confidently. Not so for casual clothes, Mixing and matching is tricky work. You may let your wife buy your clothes, but she's not going to dress you each morning.

7. GUYS LOOK BETTER IN TIES. At some point in your day, you will come in contact with a guy in a tie. Last year you might have said "What a loser, he doesn't have the freedom to dress casually." This year you will think to yourself, "Hey, that guy looks pretty good all dressed up." Eventually, your eye will adjust to the new reality that business people dress for business, and you will become one of them.

8. YOU CAN WEAR A SUIT OR TIE 100 TIMES AND IT STILL LOOKS GREAT. Is there another article of clothing that can make the same claim?

9. NOTHING IS A VERSATILE AS A TAILORED SUIT OR SPORT JACKET. Whether you wear it dressy, casual (with and open collar, knit or sweater) or just hang it on your office door, you always look put together and professional.

10. WOMEN LIKE GUYS IN SUITS. Maybe it's a power thing, or maybe it's because suits hide your flaws. Whatever the reason, I don't question it, I just get up every morning a dress for success.

--Stu Nifoussi