好的衣物，讓人心安。
對於服裝，慢慢累積下來的想法大概可得出自己的定論，最好的衣物便是長途旅行時所帶備的衣服，而且最好是唯一的一套。T恤難免要多帶幾件更換，但褲子和襯衣很多時就是出門那一套了，尤其在不太流汗的冬季。
Good clothing promises peace of mind.
I could work out a thesis on clothing based on my thoughts over the years. The best kind of clothing, in my opinion, is the kind for long haul travel. The essentials. You may bring along a few spare t-shirts, but it often comes down to the same trousers and shirt – “the outfit” – you always go out in, especially in cool weather.
美國俄勒岡州的Pendleton羊毛紡織廠製作衣服已足足有一個世紀，其中以格子羊毛襯衣最為聞名。而我選用的是簡單耐看的純黑色Board Shirt，寬闊的剪裁讓我有足夠空間添加其他禦寒衣物。每一回把它穿上，都可以感到這是一件「溫暖的襯衣」，甚至高興得不介意冷颼颼的空氣迎面而來。
Board Shirt 這個款式誕生於60年代，設計甚至省去了胸前口袋的鈕扣和衣身的曲線底邊，直直的外形，既是毛衣，又是襯衣，又是外套，彈性使用可以應付溫差大的天氣。假如我現正身處歐洲某個國家，今天晚上剛好預約了一家令人期待的精緻料理餐廳，我會非常幸慶自己帶上了這件襯衣，並懷著興奮的心前往。
For more than a century, Portland-based Pendleton has been known for plaid wool shirts. My go-to is the timeless Board Shirt in black. Big and boxy in all the right ways, it fits great with thermal innerwear underneath. You’re magically warm in the midst of a cold drizzle.
Conceived in the 60’s, the Board Shirt traded chest pocket buttons and a curvy bottom for a square fit. When you’re looking for a go-to outer layer for brisk days but the need for a coat is questionable, that is precisely when the Board Shirt comes in handy, providing warmth without weight. If I was in Europe and on my way to a fine restaurant, I would feel so glad to be sporting the Board Shirt.
踏出家門之後，某種意義上便是回復自己隻身一人向外闖，如果在只能挑選少數衣服的前提下，那必然是跟自己透徹磨合得建立了百分百信任感的衣物。但正如命中能夠磨合的事物一樣，數量恐怕不多。
越來越買不到合適的服裝，那便乾脆不買或不更換，如果這是一種結果也沒辦法。活到一個年紀，總算多少能瞭解自己的需要，只想順應自己的心意而活。反過來說，還不夠瞭解的話，不是太說不過去嗎？
The symbolic meaning of leaving home for somewhere is to have an adventure with ourselves. If we were only to bring along a few things with us, surely clothing that fits perfectly – and that we can trust – would top the list. Yet, in life, things with which we can forge such a genuine, trusting connection are few and far between.
If the task of finding that connection proves so difficult, one might as well stop trying. After all, as we reach a certain age, we should have more or less an idea of what we need and how to live life the way we want – enough so we don’t have to fight tooth and nail for it.
傍晚時分，海邊依然吹著冬季尾聲的冷風，我二話不說穿起這件羊毛襯衣出外散步。日落後天空的顏色加深，總是讓它看起來更加遼闊，一對飛鳥閃著紫色的光從遠方落入我的視線，劃過畫面。我已經把身上襯衣的事情忘掉。
It’s evening by the seaside and the wind is gusting. Heading out for a walk, I put on my Board Shirt. The day becomes a grey-blue smolder. A pair of birds fly through that ever-developing canvas, their path a chemtrail of purplish light. I have already forgotten the whole thing about my plaid shirt.
