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Fashion (时尚)

Style for Less 省钱时尚

详细资料: 创建于 2009年2月16日; 最后更新于 2024年5月25日; 发布于 2012年10月30日; 作者：Mike Lee; 点击数：301

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Life is more than the bag you carry 生命远超出于你提的那只包包

A few years ago, for my 25th birthday, I got a Coach bag as a gift, and it was a big deal. Designer bags are status symbols, of course. “Your whole life is in your handbag,” says Rachel Murphy, 28, a freelance writer. “It says a lot about you. [A higher-end bag] does the same thing as a bag at Wal-Mart does, but it represents financial freedom.”

几年前，我廿五岁生日时，收到了「马车」名牌包的生日礼物，那可是件不得了的大事。当然啦，设计师的名牌堪称身分地位的象征。「你的一生都可说是装在你的手提包里了，」廿八岁的自由作家瑞秋．莫非如此说道，「因为你的包包能透露出很多有关你的事情。高档手提包功用虽然和「沃尔玛」连锁店（译注：以低价策略着称的连锁店）买到的包包并无二致，但却代表了拥有经济自主的能力。

Daphne Cox was a little girl living in the projects when she saw that having a designer bag meant you were successful. Now she has two. “I bought my first Coach bag simply because of that – I had arrived,” says Daphne.

达夫妮．考克斯还是个小女孩的时候，家住国民住宅里，她当时发现，拥有设计师名牌包就代表成功。如今她已经拥有两只名牌包了。「我买下第一只『马车』包包时，单纯只为了一个理由──我已经达到成功的目标了，」达夫妮表示。

Daphne got her second bag, another Coach, as a gift. By then she realized a bag didn’t really equate to success, and she couldn’t even tell a real one from a fake. Now she views designer bags as more of an indulgence than a sense of accomplishment.

达夫妮拿到的第二只「马车」包包，是一份礼物。但那时她根本分不清真品名牌包和赝品之间的差异。如今她改把设计师名牌包视为一种沈迷之物，而非成功的象征。

So to all you college fashionistas eating Ramen noodles to save up for that must-have bag, I feel your pain – but don’t end up chasing purses. Even a $100 bag is real money – two tanks of gas, maybe – especially at a time when we’re all dealing with inflated fuel prices and a shaky economy.

因此，对于那些追求流行的大学生，他们猛吃拉面好省钱来买一只非买不可的名牌包，我只能说，我能体会你们的痛苦，但可别最后落得盲目追求包包的下场。即使是一百美元的包包也是货真价实的钞票买来的啊──价值可能相当于装满两个汽车油箱的汽油呢──尤其是如今大家正面临通膨烈焰下高涨的燃油价格和摇摇欲坠的经济。

A bag should be a well-deserved treat. One day I hope to own just one Louis Vuitton, one that is small and affordable. But I’m never going to be the kind of woman who fills her closet with tons of luxury brands. I still carry Hello Kitty purses and no-name clutches and put plastic jewelry on my wrist and around my check.

提包应当是作为犒赏自己的礼物。未来有一天，我希望能拥有「路易威登」包包，只要一个就好，一只小小的、我能负担得起的包包。不过，我永远不会成为那种衣橱里塞满一大堆奢侈品牌物件的那种女人。我仍随身携带「凯蒂猫」钱包，提着没有品牌的的无带手拿包（译注：又称手抓包），我的手腕和脖子上则佩戴着塑料首饰。

A bag doesn’t make you different from what you were yesterday. But they sure are pretty.

光是一只包包并不会使你和昨日的自己判若两人，虽然那些包包还真是漂亮。

−by Jenee Osterheldt

单词发音

More Information

freelance writer 自由作家 a person who writes independently, usually for various organizations rather than as employee of a particular one

freelance [ˋfriˋlæns] adj. 自由作家（或演员等）的；独立的

project [ˋprɑdʒɛkt] n. [美国英语]国民住宅(计划)(尤指供低收入者用的)[全称housing project] a group of houses or apartments, usually provided by the government for families that have very low incomes

arrive [əˋraɪv] v. 成功；成名 to achieve success or recognition

fashionista [fæʃəˋnɪstə] n. 时尚达人; 潮人 Informal a person who follows trends in the fashion industry obsessively and strives continually to adopt the latest fashions

save up 存钱, 攒钱 accumulate money for future use

must-have 必不可少的 something that is essential to have or obtain

tank [tæŋk] n.（贮水，油，气等的）柜，罐，箱

inflated [ɪnˋfletɪd] adj. 夸张的, 通货膨胀的

shaky [ˋʃekɪ] adj. 不稳固的；摇晃的；不坚定的

well-deserved 当之无愧的 fully merited; suitable,appropriate

clutch [klʌtʃ] n. 女用无带提包 aclutch bag

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A great tailor can be your best friend 顶级裁缝师可以是你最要好的朋友

All wardrobes, no matter how luxe or stylish, can benefit from a good tailor. Tailors and seamstresses have long been relied upon to fix formalwear. But even though they’re an extra step and an extra expense, don’t discount them for your everyday wardrobe, too.

所有衣着，无论有多么奢华或多时髦，都还是能在优秀裁缝师的巧手下增色不少。长久以来，人们一直仰赖男女裁缝师来修改正式的服装，不过，他们同样能让你的日常普通衣着焕然一新喔，虽然修改衣服算是额外加工，也得多花一笔钱。

Here are five things you need to know before you walk into a tailor shop with a closetful of clothes.

以下是你抱着一大堆衣服走进裁缝店之前，不可不知的五大事项。

Communicate clearly and precisely. “Hem these pants” might mean “fix them so that they’re just above the floor” to one tailor and “fix them so they sit at the top of my ankle” to another. Finding a tailor who will learn your likes and dislikes, and appreciate your personal style, is paramount. 言语上的沟通务必清楚、明确。「请缝这裤子的折边」这句话的意思，在某位裁缝师听来可能代表「请修改这裤子，使裤长到地板稍上方之处，好让裤长到脚踝上方」。找到一位不但清楚你个人好恶、又欣赏你个人风格的裁缝师，极为重要。
A good tailor can do more than just sew. He or she should understand fit and be able to suggest design changes that will make clothes look better. 好的裁缝师不只是会缝衣服而已，还对何谓合身很有概念，而且能提供可让衣服更好看的修改建议。
Buy the best quality clothing you can and choose classic styles, especially with garments such as suits. More-expensive clothing is usually easier to tailor because it has more fabric in the seam and the fabric is of higher quality. 尽可能购买最佳质量的衣着，并选择经典款式，尤其是像西装这类服饰。价格较贵的服饰通常修改起来较为容易，因为接缝会留比较多的布料，而且布料质量也比较好。
Be realistic about what to take to the tailor. Can a tailor fix a pair of pants that are four sizes too big? Yes. Is it practical and cost-efficient? Probably not, unless they have special significance. Also: Fixing shoulders is one of the most expensive and time-consuming alterations. 拿衣服去给裁缝师修改时，态度应该务实。例如，裁缝师能修改一条大上四号的裤子吗？答案是可以的，但这个做法是否务实且符合成本效益？可能就不是了，除非这条裤子具有特殊意义。此外，修改衣服的肩膀部位，是花费最贵也最耗时的修改之一了。
Know basic fit guidelines. Men should be able to just grasp the bottom of suit jackets with their fingertips at their sides, and the jacket should just cover the seat. Women’s skirts should fall just above the knee. Shirts should fit through the chest and waist. 要了解合身的基本概念。男性要能用手指尖在身体两侧握住西装外套下摆，而外套长度要刚好能及于臀部。女性的裙子要及膝，或到膝盖上、下方不远处。衬衫在胸部和腰际应合身。