Since medieval times, dress codes have existed in the job field, with knights required to wear suits of armor. Over time, the common job has transformed to include a desk, and the dress codes have shifted accordingly. Regardless, it's important to recognize the expectations of how working men should appear.

It seems that men's suits may be the armor of this century. Having served a purpose for a few centuries, it seems that with the more casual atmosphere in the work place, church and other formerly formal events, men's suits are required and worn less and less often. In fact, it may now be that many men have only one suit: the one they are "married and buried" in.

Today, the common work attire includes something like khaki pants and a collared polo. Of course some specific professionals are still big on the suit, including lawyers and executives.

Why have men stopped wearing suits to the office? Is there something about the suit itself, or has something changed radically in our culture? Both! Men's suits can be very restrictive and unless a man can afford a tailor most suits never fit precisely right. Also, the best fabric for men's suits, wool, requires expensive care and is often hot and itchy. In addition, suits must be worn with shirts and ties that are also very uncomfortable after an extended period of time. So, the lack of comfort in a suit may have contributed to it demise. The knight certainly wasn't comfortable in his heavy armor and I am certain that once the era passed, they were so relieved to just wear their jerkins, the more casual and practical alternative to a metal encasement.

Our society has surpassed casual and has proceeded to sloppy. I have seen degreed engineers, managers no less, working in shorts and messaged tee-shirts. In the past people thought you are what you wear, but now people realize that brilliant people are always brilliant and no $1500 suit will make a dummy any smarter or more capable. Suits are expensive compared to casual attire and usually casual clothes are simple to maintain. And if stained or snagged, these outfits can be tossed or used to wear to mow the grass. Try mowing the grass in a stained wool suit. Repairing a moth-eaten or cigarette burned suit can be costly and it is more and more difficult to find specialist in re-weaving suit fabric.

It's unlikely that the suit will even completely disappear though. There are certain traditions that will always remain appropriate for a suit. A bride will always want her groom in a nice tuxedo. And teenagers will always wear a suit to their formal proms. Concierges and morticians would simply seem out of place in tank tops. And a suit will always be appropriate for a job interview.

What can be done to preserve the men's suit? Perhaps promoting them as part of a sexy lifestyle (similar to toothpaste advertisements)would encourage men to wear suits more often. Perhaps offering to pay large corporations a fee to require all male employees to wear suits to work a certain number of days would increase suit sales. Of course, it would reduce employee morale. What about renting not only tuxedos, but also business suits so that employees who rarely need to wear one could have a very contemporary style available or those who wear suits regularly would have a large variety of suits to choose from without making a major wardrobe investment?

Whether the men's suits stay in fashion or not, we will definitely look back with fondness at the men of yore who donned them regularly to office just like the knights of the past in their protective gear.