If there is one great thing about being a middle-aged man, coming in to work every day, rain or shine, it is this: you don’t ever have to worry about how to dress. It’s a no-brainer. A well-cut suit, plain shirt, subtly patterned tie and formal, polished shoes. That’s it. There are small variations to consider, boldness of tie pattern, width of shirt collar, sobriety of sock. Hefty magazines are devoted to these infinitesimal themes, contradictory arguments shooting back and forth with the fervour of a medieval theological debate. But the commandments are pretty much set in stone. It’s hard to go wrong.
对每天风雨无阻去上班的中年男人来说，要说人到中年有啥值得炫耀之事，那就是从来不必担心自己的穿着。可以说不费吹灰之力——一身做工精良的西服、素色衬衣、精细图案的领带以及擦得锃亮的正式皮鞋，仅此而已。当然有时需要略微做些改动——领带图案需醒目些，衬衣领口要宽一些、袜子得庄重些。大量杂志专门在这些鸡毛蒜皮的细节上做文章，就像中世纪吵得不亦乐乎的神学辩论一样，东忽悠一下，西忽悠一下，前后自相矛盾。但穿衣戒律仍是基本保持原样，很难会出啥差错。