I started buying suits when I was in high school. The reason? My senior year, I had a couple of internships where I worked in offices. One was a real estate office and the other a bean bag and waterbed factory. I worked as an assistant to one of the sales people.

Here are two of my first career suits.

I also wore these suits to my college campus and my after class part time gig at Circuit City in Beltsville. Back then the store was a warehouse-- and collocated with the Division office. Did my attire get me notice? One summer I worked upstairs for the division office and I also travelled the beltway, mostly during summer months-- to clean up individual store books. I consider this valuable experience in my overall life and skill set. So yes, I do think my attire made a difference.

I have been purchasing career suits for a long time. I wore suits that had the skirt rather than pants. In recent years, my career wear purchasing has been limited to separates for many reasons. The most significant- I no longer go to an office daily and when I do have a meeting, wear mostly separates.

The last suit I purchased, that would not be categorized as a combination of separates is the suit shown below. I purchased it from the Nordstrom in Annapolis, in the Fall of 1995.

I miss buying a little black suit to wear to the office. Yes, I have others-- but as my career advanced-- it was more often black than another color. My skin is caramel in tone-- and black works well for me. I do not think black works for everyone.

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