第一夫人的裙子打破了一个复活节传统

The nudge the first lady gave President Trump, apparently to remind him to put his hand over his heart for the national anthem at the White House Easter Egg Roll on Monday, may have become the tell that went round the world (and then there was that giant bunny on the president’s other side). But her choice of dress was, in many ways, just as revealing.

在白宫周一举行复活节滚彩蛋活动(Easter Egg Roll)期间，第一夫人轻推了一下特朗普总统，似乎是提醒他在国歌响起时将手放到自己的胸前。这或许成了全世界讨论的话题（还有出现在总统另一侧的巨大的兔子）。但从很多方面看，她自己的着装选择同样很能说明问题。

A spun-sugar pink midcalf sleeveless layered organza confection by Hervé Pierre, the designer who created Mrs. Trump’s inaugural ball gown, it was made according to her instructions, Mr. Pierre said. And though it looked as classic as an Easter dress could be, it was actually something of a break with tradition, at least from recent administrations.

那是埃尔韦·皮埃尔(Hervé Pierre)设计的一条外饰精美透明硬纱的嫩粉色无袖长裙——特朗普夫人参加总统就职舞会时所穿的礼服也是出自这位设计师之手。皮埃尔表示，这条裙子是按照第一夫人的指示制作的。尽管看起来像是一条经典复活节连衣裙的样子，但它实际上有点打破了传统，至少打破了最近几届政府的传统。

In what way? You might ask. It looked like a throwback to the days of “Easter Parade.” Well, yes. In exactly that way.

在哪一方面呢？你可能会问。它看起来像回到了举行“复活节游行”的时代。嗯，没错。就是这么回事。

Since the Easter Egg Roll was revived under Betty Ford, most of the first ladies who have hosted the event wore suits, or at least jackets, suggesting it was a professional commitment. Hillary Clinton displayed her penchant for rainbow-colored pantsuits when she was host, resplendent one year in buttercup yellow, another in grass green. When the Obamas were in the White House, they significantly relaxed the rules, the president often going without a tie or jacket, and Michelle Obama most often in pants with a J. Crew T-shirt or cardigan and Converse (one Tracy Reese floral dress excepted). The message was one of a new, more relaxed, modern and active era.

自贝蒂·福特(Betty Ford)令复活节滚彩蛋活动在白宫复兴以来，主持这一活动的第一夫人大多是穿套装，或至少是短上衣，以显示自己是在履行一项专业职责。主持这项活动期间，希拉里·克林顿(Hillary Clinton)展示了她对颜色鲜艳的套装的偏好，有一年穿着耀眼的乳黄色，另一年是草绿色套装。当奥巴马夫妇入主白宫时，他们大大地放宽了规则，这位总统往往不打领带或不穿外套去参加这项活动，米歇尔·奥巴马(Michelle Obama)则大多穿长裤搭J. CrewT恤或开襟毛衣，脚穿匡威(Converse)运动鞋（只有穿翠西·瑞斯[Tracy Reese]碎花裙那次例外）。这些着装传达出的信息是，这是一个更放松、更现代和更具活力的新时代。

But just as the Ralph Lauren suit that Mrs. Trump wore during the inaugural parade called to mind Jackie Kennedy and Camelot, the pink dress called to mind another, more rarefied time. It was for neither work nor play, but rather a Great Gatsby garden party.

但就像特朗普夫人在就职游行活动上穿的拉夫·劳伦(Ralph Lauren)套装让人想起杰奎琳·肯尼迪(Jackie Kennedy)和肯尼迪执政时期，这套粉色的裙子让人想起了另一个更加虚无缥缈的时代。这裙子既不适合工作，也不适合游玩，而应该出现在《了不起的盖茨比》(Great Gatsby)中的花园派对里。

Indeed, in its unique, made-to-order-ness, it was itself a rarefied garment — Mr. Pierre does not have his own commercial collection, so he will not be reproducing the dress, as he acknowledged — and thus in line with Mr. Trump’s image-making. This is not about outreach or accessibility. It’s about aspirational role-play of a highly telegenic kind.

实际上，这条有着独特定制风格的裙子，本身就是一件脱离现实的服装——就像皮埃尔自己承认的，他没有自己的商业服装系列，所以不会复制这条裙子——因此符合特朗普的形象塑造。这跟主动接触和可亲无关，而更关乎那种极其上镜的高大上角色扮演。

(Some online commentary suggested that the color was “millennial pink,” and hence a kind of generational nod, but given that Mr. Pierre identified it as “peony” and said Mrs. Trump had chosen it herself, that seems unlikely.)

（一些网上评论表示，那种颜色是“千禧粉”，因此代表一种代际认可，但考虑到皮埃尔称它是“芍药”粉，而且表示是特朗普夫人自己选了这种颜色，情况似乎不太可能是那样。）

That’s why in so many ways Mrs. Trump’s clothes increasingly seem like costumes for a series titled “In The White House”: a perfect camera-ready version of what one imagines a first lady might wear, from the almost military-inspired suits and coats she has been choosing for various official appearances — the belted white trench coat from The Row she wore at the International Women of Courage Awards; the Dolce & Gabbana jacket she wore for her official portrait; the belted green dress she wore to accompany Queen Raina of Jordan to a Washington charter school — to the more romantic, but minimal, organzas of Mr. Pierre.

这也是为什么特朗普夫人的着装从很多方面讲都越发像是来自名为《白宫之内》(In The White House)的系列节目中的服装：想象中的第一夫人应该穿的适宜拍照衣着的完美版本，不管是她为各种正式场合选择的近乎军旅风格的套装和大衣——在国际妇女勇气奖(International Women of Courage Awards)颁奖礼上穿的The Row白色束带风衣；拍官方肖像时穿的杜嘉班纳(Dolce & Gabbana)短外套；陪约旦皇后拉尼亚(Raina)参观华盛顿一座特许学校时穿的绿色束带连衣裙——还是皮埃尔设计的更浪漫但风格极简的纱裙，都是如此。

They are defining a certain approach to her position that leaves the woman inside a mystery, but makes sense for this particular TV-schooled administration. And it is, nevertheless, absorbing to — well — watch.

它们呈现的是定义她身份的特定方式，这种方式令她本人的面目十分模糊，却适合这个受过镜头训练的特别的政府。话虽如此，单单看起来，它还是挺引人注目的。