- English translation
Every person has an outfit that fits them well, and that same outfit looks off on anyone else.
- Literal wording
Every garment calls out to its wearer.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying holds that each person has clothing that suits them: it looks good on its proper wearer and looks unbecoming on someone else. The garment is pictured as calling out to the one it belongs to, so the match seems to announce itself.
The image is figurative and describes how well a garment fits a particular wearer; it does not mean that a garment literally speaks. The emphasis falls on individual fit, so the same item may look fine on one person and poor on another, and suitability cannot be assumed from the garment alone.
- When it is used
Use it when remarking that a piece of clothing looks right on a particular person but would look wrong on someone else, as a brief observation about one specific garment and one specific wearer. It is not a general rule about dress codes or what people should wear.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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