by Jeanette M. Coon

What do I wear today? Do I wear a suit or do I wear "business casual" – whatever that means!

The onetime suit-a-day executive is checking his Palm Pilot before hitting the closet each morning. More diversified dressing is emerging, and men are now dressing according to their appointment schedule. They’re dressing up in suits for an important meeting with a client, and they’re wearing a sport coat for something internal in the office.

People are more serious today and they are looking at their office wardrobe more seriously. With today’s economy such as it is and with people losing jobs right and left, the average guy knows that he has to look like he means business at business.

The man at the corporate level is dressing up again. He’s wearing classic dressy suits again – chalkstripes, solid charcoals and muted plaids. And in a broader spectrum of colors. Not everything is black.

But men are not wearing a suit every day. Their alternative? Dressy sportswear with good trousers, a nice polo or woven sport shirt and a blazer-type jacket.

Certainly, business casual is not dead. Far from it. But business suits are definitely back. Is it the slower economy? Is it just a natural progression? Is the Oval Office dress-again syndrome kicking in? Perhaps it’s just that the professional man is starting to tire of casual dress on a daily basis. He’s thinking suits and suit wardrobes again.