How many of you watched the TV show “How I Met Your Mother”?  ‎I didn’t watch it regularly, but for awhile it was a standard TV choice on airplanes, so every few months or so, I caught an episode or two. Among other things, I learned there’s this ladies’ man named Barney (played by Doogie Howser (AKA Neil Patrick Harris)) who instructs his bros to “Suit Up!” when they go out for a night on the town. By “Suit Up!”, he literally means put on a suit because … as ZZ Top summed it up best … “every girl’s crazy ’bout a sharp dressed man”.

You know who else also epitomizes this philosophy? The rapper Pitbull (favorite Pitbull song = “Give Me Everything”). Unlike a lot of other musicians who wear ripped or saggy jeans or track suits, he’s always suited up like he’s ready for a corporate meeting to negotiate his next record deal. My sister thinks it’s the hottest thing ever, even in his music videos where he’s dancing all night in the club … which we all know in reality means he can’t take his jacket off even though he wants to because his shirt is SOAKED.

I don’t think women suiting up has the ‎same effect for a night on the town, but it’s something we women have to do from time to time for our day jobs. Personally, I think it’s really hard to find a unique suit that has a flattering cut, so I always have my eye out and may snap up a suit I really love even if I’m not in the market for a new one.  I gravitate toward classic pieces that I think will be in style for quite some time and tend to choose more skirt suits than pantsuits because (1) I don’t have to get them hemmed and (2) they are a little more forgiving of any weight fluctuations I may have from year-to-year.

When I saw this Oscar de la Renta suit on Net-a-Porter (http://www.net-a-porter.com), I just had to splurge on it, even though my company allows business casual attire and I rarely have to wear a suit. The fabric is unique because it’s this amazing blue and green tweed that I think would complement almost anyone’s coloring. And the peplum jacket has a matching belt that I can cinch at the waist to make the shape of the suit a little more feminine. I just feel great every time I wear this suit, which is good because suit days at work are usually important days.

And if Barney told me to “Suit Up!”, this would totally be my go-to … even if everybody would be asking me what meeting I was coming from and why didn’t I go home to change first.