Why Ben Phillips wears suits?

B.B., November 15, 2022

Ben Phillips sports one of his dapper gameday suits. (PHOTO COURTESY of Benjamin Phillips FB Page)

At La Salle basketball games, Benjamin Phillips III almost always shows up in a tailored suit, book in hand, as if he is on his way to an important meeting.

To many, the 6-foot-8 Phillips is an enigma. Why does he wear suits in the beastly heat of the Philippines?

While some may see his outfit as purely aesthetic, the story behind it is far more profound — one rooted in racial struggle and a vision of the future he hopes to build.

Born to an African American father and a Filipina mother, Phillips had a biracial upbringing. Growing up in a culturally diverse neighborhood, he was accustomed to seeing Black and Hispanic classmates. 

But when he enrolled at Miami University for his business degree, he suddenly found himself in the minority. 

While Miami University, one of the original Public Ivy schools, prides itself on academic excellence, the lack of diversity is striking. Only 2 to 3 percent of the student population is Black.

“Coming from a public high school where I saw Black and white kids, I thought the aging kids here are going to Miami,” he recounted. “I only saw maybe two or three people that looked like me in my classes. In some classes, I was the only Black kid.”

Despite being a minority, his goal was clear — earn the education he deserves.

“I wanted to make it a point that I'm here to get my education because nobody is going to have their name on my degree but me,” he declared. “I needed to stand out to my professors, so that I'd be given different opportunities when they were presented to me.”

On the first day of freshman year, Phillips made a bold statement by donning a suit to class. Rather oblivious, he was in for a comedic turn of events.

“I wore a suit to my first business class. The teacher was late. When I got there, I walked into the room and everybody — the white and international students — all stopped and took out their laptops and their papers,” he narrated in jest.

Looking like a ravenous wolf ready to devour his prey, his classmates thought he was the teacher. “They looked at me like, ‘Hey guys, I'm just a student, I'm sorry.’ They all laughed.”

Humor aside, him in a suit made a lasting impression on his classmates and, more importantly, the professor. From that day on, he made sure to sit front and center, where he could be clearly seen and heard.

Many of his peers were unsure how to interpret his actions. Was he sucking up to the professor, or did he think he was better than everyone else?

It was neither of those. His goal is to be a businessman, so he dresses the part. 

“When you're in medical school, you wear your scrubs. If you go to a trade school, then you wear your welder's equipment. If you're in police or fireman school, you wear the uniform. I was wearing the uniform of what I want to be,” he explained. “I'm a businessman, so I'm going to wear that while I'm in school.”

Dressing up simply makes sense to Phillips. Though he admits to being an old-school guy who appreciates class, it is a reflection of his aspirations rather than a desire to stand out for the wrong reasons. 

Even in the Philippines, he wears dapper gameday suits, staying true to his vision.

Like his father, who gave him his first suit, he believes that style helps set one up for opportunities.

“I've been able to speak with people who see me differently than maybe just a portal athlete,” he said. “They see me as what I present myself as, which is an all-around person. That's opened up doors for me outside of the basketball court.”

In life, you never know when your next business deal will come or what rooms people might be discussing you in when you are not there.

Suit or not, Phillips just happens to be in a suit most of the time.

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