Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(Aus./N.Z./S.Afr.) a suit.

1920		T.A. Dorgan in Zwilling TAD Lex. (1993) 16: Bag of fruit, that’s suit.
1924		G.H. Lawson Dict. of Aus. Words And Terms 🌐 BAG OF FRUIT—A suit.
1924		O.O. McIntyre New York Day by Day 25 July [synd. col.] An English actor with his checkered trousers and a seal-brown vest – the old tin of fruit.
1924		Truth (Sydney) 27 Apr. 6: Bag of fruit, a suit.
1935		A.J. Pollock Und. Speaks.
1944		Maurer & Baker ‘“Aus.” Rhyming Argot’ in AS XIX:3.
1953		K. Tennant Joyful Condemned 322: Just getting some spots off the old bag of fruit.
1965		Aus. Women’s Wkly 3 Nov. 10/4: You never move your bag of fruit (suit) and meat pie (tie) to the big peach (beach).
1968		J. Alard He who Shoots Last 124: Wot’d ya think of da bag of fruit [prison uniform] dey gives ya here? Now ya got more stripes dan if ya joined d’army.
1979		D. Maitland Breaking Out 73: The blast of fire had a blow torch effect [...] scorching a bloody great hole in his best bag-o’-fruit.
1982		G. Newbold Big Huey 245: bowl of fruit (n) Suit.
1983		R. Aven-Bray Ridgey-Didge Oz Jack Lang 18: Bag of Fruit Suit (clothing).
1984		Partridge DSUE (8th edn).
1998		R. Puxley Fresh Rabbit.
2001		D. Looser Boobslang [U. Canterbury D.Phil. thesis] 28/1: bowl of fruit n. 1 a suit.
2002		Pete’s Aussie Sl. Home Page 🌐 bag of fruit: a suit.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 33: box of fruit A suit. Rhyming slang from 1960s.
2005		P. Howard Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightdress 20: Wearing a tin of fruit that must have cost at least a thousand bills.
2021		Betoota-isms 242: ‘Got my court hearing on Wednesday, gotta duck down to MJ Bail and pick up a new Bag of Fruit’.