"Somehow I associate suits with either dishonest people who use them to try and project false integrity (salesmen, bankers, recruiters, etc.) or servants who are forced to wear them by their masters[1] (porters, security staff, heck in some city offices even the cleaners wore them)."
You associate it correctly in all cases. As somebody who's come to appreciate suits as a powerful tool, it's worth learning the game. Wear a suit to a car buying negotiation and save a few thousand dollars on your next car, or wear the "livery" of your company and find yourself promoted faster than if you don't. It's stupid, but most people are stupid.
(I've learned how to wear a suit without a tie, try and project a comfortable, casual, glamorous [bm]illionaire look, they almost never wear ties with their suits [1][2][3]
You associate it correctly in all cases. As somebody who's come to appreciate suits as a powerful tool, it's worth learning the game. Wear a suit to a car buying negotiation and save a few thousand dollars on your next car, or wear the "livery" of your company and find yourself promoted faster than if you don't. It's stupid, but most people are stupid.
(I've learned how to wear a suit without a tie, try and project a comfortable, casual, glamorous [bm]illionaire look, they almost never wear ties with their suits [1][2][3]
1 - http://cdni.condenast.co.uk/320x480/s_v/scowell_GL_15dec09_P...
2 - http://thenextweb.com/files/2010/11/branson2.jpg
3 - http://edition.cnn.com/video/business/2010/09/27/sesay.niger...