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.
對每天風雨無阻去上班的中年男人來說，要說人到中年有啥值得炫耀之事，那就是從來不必擔心自己的穿著。可以說不費吹灰之力——一身做工精良的西服、素色襯衣、精細圖案的領帶以及擦得锃亮的正式皮鞋，僅此而已。當然有時需要略微做些改動——領帶圖案需醒目些，襯衣領口要寬一些、襪子得莊重些。大量雜志專門在這些雞毛蒜皮的細節上做文章，就像中世紀吵得不亦樂乎的神學辯論一樣，東忽悠一下，西忽悠一下，前后自相矛盾。但穿衣戒律仍是基本保持原樣，很難會出啥差錯。