For some people, suits are back. For some people--particularly in the boardrooms and corner offices of the biggest companies--they never went away.

　　对某些人而言，西装又时兴起来了。而对那些在大公司董事会议室和经理办公室里的人们来说，西装从来就没有过时过。

　　The old saw "clothes maketh the man" is as much of a truism as ever. Today, as always, a well-made suit is not just a crucial business accessory; it also sends a subtle message that distinguishes the wearer as a person of discretion, taste and, in many cases, as someone with many zeroes in his annual bonus package.

　　“人靠衣装”这句老话仍然是条真理。今天和从前一样，一套做工考究的西装不仅是商业人士最重要的行头，还能巧妙地表现穿着者的地位和品味，而且在很多时候还能体现其收入的丰厚。

　　What suits don't do to the same extent they once did is reveal the wearer's background. In our sartorially egalitarian age, one doesn't need to be a blue blood or an Ivy grad to occupy the corner office or know the name of the best tailors. The result is that suits have become less a uniform than an expression of individual style. If you're conservative in outlook, the odds are you will dress that way too. Like to be a bit more flashy? Most likely, so are your clothes.

　　然而与以往不太一样的是，西装不再那么明确地显示穿着者的身份背景。在这个穿着上讲求平等的年代，人们不一定要出身名门或毕业于常春藤名校才能入主经理办公室或说得出最好的裁缝的名字。因此，西装更多地成为一种个人风格的体现，而不仅是制服。如果你是个观念保守的人，很可能在穿衣上也保守。想更引人注目吗？很可能你的衣服也会艳丽夺目。

　　What has also changed is the way men buy suits and the occasions to which they wear them. Around the turn of the last century, men of all backgrounds and careers wore ties and a suit pretty much everywhere. These days men are more selective about when and where to dress up or dress down. A board meeting? Wear a suit. A business lunch? Ditto. A corporate retreat in Tahoe? Not if you don't want to look like the hotel manager.

　　人们买西装的方式以及穿西装的场合也都发生了变化。在20世纪末，各行各业的男士差不多在各种场合都穿西装打领带。而如今男士们对何时何地盛装打扮或穿着随便有了更多的考虑。开董事会？穿西装。商务午餐呢？还是西装。要是在塔霍湖参加公司组织的休养呢？如果你不想看上去像那儿的酒店经理，就别穿西装。

　　Suits are also becoming hip. Design houses like Gucci, Prada, Yves Saint-Laurent and others are coming out with suits that are definitely more appropriate for nightclubs than the boardroom. The idea is to appeal to younger customers who rebel at the thought of wearing a necktie, let alone a day job, but still have the money to spend on a $1,500 suit.

　　西装本身也越做越时髦了。像古琦、普拉达和圣罗兰以及其他一些服装设计公司推出的西装绝对更适合去夜总会而非进会议室的时候穿。这样做无非是想吸引较为年轻的顾客，这些人是谈领带色变，更别提要他们一整天都打着领带了，但他们却买得起1,500美元一套的西装。

        Which Suit Is Right For You?

　　哪款适合你？

　　There are three key elements that go into choosing the Best Men's Suits: price, style and quality. Choosing the right suit presents a closet-full of challenges and opportunities to those faced with building a wardrobe. From suit silhouettes, pricing and fashionable obsolescence to pant fronts, button counts and lapel widths, there's much to consider.

　　选购理想的西装时有三要素：价格、款式和质地。对那些需要购置全套西装的人来说，选购合适一款意味着无尽的挑战和机会。从服装的款式、价格、式样新旧到裤子前部的做法、纽扣数及翻领的宽度，要考虑很多问题。

　　Suits can be broken down into three basic styles: European (i.e., Italian), British and American. Many designers cross cultural lines, such as Bronx native Ralph Lauren.

　　西装大致可分为三种基本样式：欧式(及意大利式)、英式和美式。许多设计师跨越了这种文化界限，像生于纽约布朗克斯区的拉尔夫·劳伦就是其中的一位。

　　For tailoring options, the bespoke suit is the finest. Bespoke suits are created by highly skilled tailors and artisans to fit your every inch. They may take up to five fittings and six weeks of work to complete, and starting prices run upwards of $3,000.

　　从裁剪上来讲，定做的西装是最好的。定做的西装是由技艺高超的裁缝和手艺人按照你的尺寸量身定制的。他们做一套服装可能需要经过五次试穿，花六个星期才能完成，价格要在3,000美元以上。

　　Off-the-rack suits are the least costly and the most convenient option, provided you're happy with the fabric and fit. But these days many suit makers also offer a "made-to-measure" alternative that allows customers to choose the fabric, styling options and details before allowing a tailor to take measurements and forward the order to the factory. A semi-finished suit is then returned to the store for fitting and finishing.

　　如果你对面料满意且穿着合身，买成衣不失为最划算和最省事的方法。但是近来许多西装店也提供“量身定制”服务：顾客可以先选择面料、款式，提出一些具体要求，然后再由裁缝量好尺寸交由工厂制作。在做好之前，半成品西装会送回店里给顾客试穿并最终完成。

        Style Vs. Fashion

　　款式还是时尚

　　Once you get into stratospheric price levels, it makes sense to ask yourself whether you're making an investment or buying a fashion item. Both have their pluses and minuses. While an immaculately rendered and classically tailored suit may last ten or 20 years and never go out of style, it'll hardly get you noticed in a crowd. Meanwhile, slick fashion suits will have you looking like a rock star, but only for a couple of years.

　　如果西装的价格高得惊人，就有必要问问自己究竟是在投资还是花钱赶时髦。当然两者各有利弊。一套无可挑剔的传统西装也许能穿10年20年也不过时，但它却很难让你在人群中凸显出来。而一套华而不实的服装能让你俨然一副摇滚明星的派头，但只能流行几年。

　　"The choice between fashion and longevity is a very personal one," says Michael Bastian, men's fashion director in New York. "The best strategy is to play with them."

　　纽约的男士时尚顾问迈克尔·巴斯蒂安说：“要时髦还是要持久完全是个人的事，最好的办法就是别太当回事儿。”

　　Indeed, playfulness is one of the defining characteristics of the latest generation of suit buyers. "Suits are definitely back, but in a more personal way," says Bastian. "The younger guys are treating suits more as an integrated part of their wardrobe--pairing jackets or pants with less traditional elements for distinctly personal looks. If they wear a tie now it's because they want to, not because their suit needs one."

　　的确，最新一代西装购买者最显著的一个特点就是抱着玩的心态。巴斯蒂安说：“西装的确又开始流行了，但更个性化。年轻一代更多地是把西装当作衣橱里的必要部分，为了突出个性他们会把夹克或裤子和不那么传统的元素配着穿。如今他们打领带是因为他们想打，而不是需要与西装配套。”

　　That same philosophy is gradually making its way into corporate culture. When it comes to a wardrobe, there's no longer the same emphasis on distinguishing between going to work and socializing. Your business wardrobe shouldn't be just navy and gray suits anymore, and your social wardrobe shouldn't be just corduroys. Wherever you're going these days, you're doing business, and you need to feel good about what you're wearing at any given moment.

　　这种理念也逐渐渗入了公司文化。说到衣橱里的衣服，人们已不再强调职业装和便装之间的区别。职业装不应只有蓝色、灰色西装，便装也不该只是灯芯绒的。如今你不管到哪儿都是在忙生意，所以随时需要对自己的衣着感觉良好。

        Building A Wardrobe

　　如何打理衣橱

　　Then there's the matter of how many suits to own. If your company has a one-day-a-week casual policy, you'll need at least four suits to rotate, plus a fifth in case someone calls a meeting on Friday.

　　接下来就是该拥有多少套西装的问题了。如果你上班的公司实行每周一天着休闲装的政策，你至少需要四套西装来倒换，另外还应再备一套西装，以防有人在周五召集会议。

　　Joseph Rosenfeld, an image consultant, recommends that men get started with a three-suit foundation: one dark blue, one dark gray and one black or, if you can't get away with that, dark brown. From there you can branch out into a blue with a Glen plaid, a gray with pinstripes and perhaps some individualistic lighter tones. Men are fickle, and eventually they get bored or tired. Adding a new suit or two now and then makes them feel powerful and good about themselves.

　　形象顾问约瑟夫·罗森菲尔德建议男士们最起码先要买深蓝、深灰和纯黑三套西装，如果你实在受不了黑色的，深棕色也行。在此基础上你可以再买一套蓝色花格呢的、一套灰色细条纹的或者是更个性化的浅色调西装。男人变化无常，早晚会感到厌烦。所以时不时地添一两套新衣服会满足他们的权力感，并使他们自我感觉良好。

　　In the end, looking sharp in any suit is primarily a matter of color, proportion and individual style, and the best way to get the right suit for you is to find a good salesman and stick with him.

　　西装能否穿得漂亮主要是由颜色、比例和个人风格决定的，而要给自己选对西装最好的办法就是找一位有眼光的店员，然后就跟定他。