At her campaign opening rally on Roosevelt Island on Saturday (to be distinguished¹ from her campaign announcement, in April), Hillary Rodham Clinton donned her now-signature look: a bright blue pantsuit with a matching bright blue shirt underneath². She stuck out a mile, matched her H campaign logo — which was also the design of her stage — and looked appropriately patriotic³, especially when standing⁴ next to Bill Clinton in his red polo.

上周六，希拉里·罗德姆·克林顿(Hillary Rodham Clinton)在罗斯福岛(Roosevelt Island)举行了首场竞选集会（这与她4月份的竞选声明有所区别）。集会上，希拉里展示了当前的标志性形象：宝蓝色裤套装，内衬配同色衬衫。她非常醒目，和H形的竞选标识相称——集会演讲台也被设计成这个形状。希拉里体现了恰如其分的爱国感，尤其是当她站在身穿红色Polo衫的比尔·克林顿(Bill Clinton)旁边时。

Renta, and his death in October left her without a go-to label. She has known Mr. Lauren for a while: She presented him with the James Smithson Bicentennial Medal last June for his $13 million donation to help restore the Betsy Ross flag, and wore another blue Ralph Lauren pantsuit to do so.

一方面，这是个聪明的选择：过去几年，克林顿夫人的设计师其实是奥斯卡·德拉伦塔(Oscar de la Renta)。去年10月，德拉伦塔去世，致使克林顿夫人失去了惯用的品牌。她认识劳伦有一段时间了：去年6月，她给劳伦颁发詹姆斯·史密森两百年纪念奖章(James Smithson Bicentennial Medal)，表彰他捐款1300万美元帮助修复贝齐·罗斯旗(Betsy Ross flag)，当时她穿的是拉夫·劳伦的另一套蓝色裤套装。

And his personal narrative⁵ — Bronx boy made good — pretty much embodies⁶ the American dream. The clothes he sells are, in part, based on the aesthetics⁷ of that dream: the West, and the Gatsby version of Long Island. He understands sartorial⁸ stagecraft as well as any designer on the New York Fashion Week calendar, if not better.

拉夫·劳伦的个人故事——布朗克斯(Bronx)出生的男孩通过努力获得成功——是美国梦的典型代表。他的服装部分基于美国梦的审美：美国西部以及盖茨比(Gatsby)版长岛的风格。他熟悉裁剪技术以及纽约时装周上的每一位设计师（对后者可能更为熟悉）。

Yet there’s a possible weak spot in the relationship. Because for a candidate who has been pushing her connection to, and understanding of, the middle class — and whose speech while wearing the pantsuit was largely about closing the income gap — Ralph Lauren is a relatively⁹ inaccessible¹⁰ brand. It is also one often worn by and beloved of that sector¹¹ of the population, the chief executives and financial wizards, she somewhat disavowed.

不过，希拉里和拉夫·劳伦的合作可能有个弱点。作为候选人，希拉里努力展现自己与中产阶级的联系以及对他们的理解，她身穿这身裤套装所进行的演讲也主要是关于缩小收入差距，但是拉夫·劳伦是一个相对昂贵的品牌。穿着、喜爱拉夫·劳伦的往往是首要高管和金融奇才这类人，对这部分人她多少有点否定。

An average Ralph Lauren Women’s Collection pantsuit, which this was — not, in other words, a style from the more accessible line, Lauren Ralph Lauren — is a few thousand dollars (a pinstriped wool jacket alone, for example, is $2,450 at the online store). That is out of reach for most voters.

希拉里所穿的裤套装属于拉夫·劳伦女装精选系列(Ralph Lauren Women’s Collection)，而非价格相对便宜的劳伦拉夫劳伦系列(Lauren Ralph Lauren)。精选系列的女装均价几千美元。比如一件细条纹羊毛外衣，在网店上的售价2450美元，大部分选民买不起。

It might not matter, given that voters also want their candidates to look presidential, which generally means good. Except that one of the story lines surrounding Mrs. Clinton has been how she is out-of-touch with those she claims to represent. It seems to me that working with a famous and high-end designer could provide ammunition¹² for the opposition¹³. And why even take that chance?

或许这也无伤大雅，选民也希望自己支持的候选人看起来有点总统气质，总的来说就是穿好点。不过，人们围绕克林顿夫人展开的众多故事中，有这样一种看法：她和自己声称所代表的人群缺乏联系。在我看来，和一个著名高档设计师合作，可能会给对手留下把柄。为什么要冒这个险呢？

But maybe the fashion issue, with its potential sexism charges, is just too touchy¹⁴ for anyone, except fashion people like me, to go there.

不过，也许服装问题及其潜在的性别歧视，对大部分人来说太过敏感，不敢提及，除了我这样的时尚界人士。

Personally, if I were working out sartorial strategy on her team, I might suggest the issue be avoided entirely¹⁵ by opting¹⁶ for a contemporary label like Theory, which is known for its pantsuits, professional dressing¹⁷ — and anonymity¹⁸. Its chief executive, Andrew Rosen, is a fashion mogul who has made something of a personal mission out of saving the New York garment district.

我个人的想法是，如果我在她的竞选团队里制订服装策略，我可能会建议通过希尔瑞(Theory)这样的当代品牌来彻底避免授人话柄。希尔瑞以裤套装、职业装和大众化闻名。该品牌的首席执行官安德鲁·罗森(Andrew Rosen)是一位时尚大亨，从拯救纽约时装区开始，成就了一番事业。

But that’s me. And to be honest, I would not be surprised if, in the end, Ralph Lauren does become a Clinton wardrobe mainstay. If the campaign can avoid elitism¹⁹ charges, the brand will make her look confident, and absolutely convincing on the global stage.

不过，那只是我个人的看法。坦白地说，如果拉夫·劳伦最终成为克林顿衣橱中的主要品牌，我不会感到意外。如果竞选能回避人们对希拉里的精英主义的指责，这个品牌将让她看起来很自信，在国际舞台上绝对具有说服力。

According to a spokesman, the designer already works with the candidate “regularly.”

据一位发言人说，拉夫·劳伦已经“经常”和希拉里合作了 。