proverb · Words worth keeping
That suit is best that best fits me.
That suit is best that best fits me.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The best option for someone is the one that fits their particular needs. The suit makes suitability the measure, without implying that personal preference alone decides quality or that the same choice will serve everyone.
What the words are saying
The proverb judges the suit by how it fits the speaker rather than by a universal claim of superiority. Figuratively, an arrangement can be excellent for one purpose and unsuitable for another. A useful choice begins with the actual requirements, including access, comfort or the work to be done, then compares how the options meet them. The saying does not require ignoring cost, shared responsibilities or relevant evidence. Nor should it turn a person’s different needs into a defect. Its point is to make suitability explicit so that an impressive or popular option does not displace the one that actually serves the purpose.
Everyday example
A reading group chooses a smaller accessible room that supports conversation rather than a grand hall that does not suit its members or format.
When to use it
Use it when a choice needs to be matched to a particular purpose or set of needs.
What it does not mean
Fit includes practical requirements and effects on others, not preference alone.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1560 · Suit
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English
