Dress Of The Day with Angela

  Angela Lansbury wearing yellow eyelet blouse with black necklace. Photo by Trevor Sharot. I discovered this by chance. Wearing a dark long sleeved tee shirt or clinging vest over a short sleeved eyelet garment has three good results.  The original purpose was to keep warm on a day when I felt cold, possibly due to not enough sleep.  The surprise benefits were that the sleeves form a contrast with the main body colour of the top. Then the lower neck is infilled which covers cleavage. You might want to show cleavage.  Angela Lansbury wearing a yellow eyelet blouse over a black background with a bib necklace. Photo by Trevor Sharot. After I took this photo I went to describe it. What was it called? I found a handy guide to what to call all the necklace styles. More in the next post. Your Internet Appearance For zoom, for internet group meetings when you are spending a long time listening rather than talking, or typing into a chat box, you will want to be sitting down,...

A blue eyelet dress for a blue eyed girl. Dress of the Day 426. Selfie photo by Angela Lansbury. Eyelet Dress In Blue I bought this blue eyelet dress from eBay. Eyelet used to be known as broderie anglaise. The new anglicized name, eyelet, is snappier, one word instead of two, two syllables instead of five, quicker to say and quicker to type. It also sounds more modern. Does not require understanding, spelling or pronunciation of French. Broderie is French for embroidery. I cannot explain why the English are given credit for this design.  Searching The only drawback is that when you search for eyelet online, you are offered lace up shoes and heavy curtains which hand on poles from large eyelet holes. If you search for matching sets, you are sent outfits for toddlers. However, this year, 2002, when you finally find one item, by adding dress or skirt, the search engines then inundate you with other offers. The navy blue neck is V-neck. I felt cold. So I added a vest in black which ha...

Trevor in shorts, showing pockets. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Marc O'Polo white shorts. Photo by Angela Lansbury.  Why Shorts? Why not? Because I always hated seeing men in shorts. Until I saw my husband wearing these white short by Marc O'Polo. Est Stockholm. What makes them so elegant? They are form-fitting, not flapping. Because the fabric is thick.  The Cut The cut is cute. The legs slightly taper. The shorts have curved side pockets.  The placket is sewn in. So it looks neat. It doesn't flap open, get left undone, or form a loose wave between the buttons.   The Colour The colour is cream.  It looks clean but doesn't get dirty. It goes with everything.  No pattern to clash with shirts or tops.  Light look for summer. The Company The company started in Sweden, as their label says. They expanded to Germany. Now they are in 30 countries, including a store in Changi airport, Singapore. Marc O'Polo shop. Photo in Wikipedia. Their mission has been to...

Angela Lansbury wearing a reversible dress. Turquoise side. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Reversed jacket. I have bought several Chinese style jackets. They are quite expensive, about 35 dollars, so if I see a whole rack I try several styles, and several sizes, and then buy the best colour to suit my complexion, or the cheapest oddment if there is one. The jackets have fabric knot fastening. Knot fastenings look very pretty. They are less inclined to fall off than buttons. However, it often takes time and effort to force them through the buttonhole. Sometimes the knots are in contrasting colours. Multiple colours look designed and decorative on a plain colour dress. Multiple colours on a jacket look too fussy and distracting if your dress is patterned. This style of jacket looks very luxurious, suitable for evening wear or dressy occasions, or just to look and feel glamorous, usually in a shiny satin effect, often with a pattern. Once I accidentally put one on inside out, with the plain shin...

Photo by Trevor Sharot. Reversible Dress This side is a diagonal print with two patterns. One is a blue background and a dusty orange and greyish white. The other pattern is a larger band of leopard skin pattern in black, charcoal, pale grey and greyish white. I have about ten reversible dresses. I used to sit looking for reversible dresses on eBay and bid on the ones that started at 99p.  Sources of Simple Style Reversible Dresses At first I bought the simple style like a tunic with a wide shoulder strap, from the major catalogues such as J D Williams. These are a firm weave and practical for travelling, less likely to snag or fray. At the end of the summer season the catalogue companies reduce them. Since they are stretchy and one size, they are likely to fit you around your girth. Smarter Dresses With Scarves Some are sold new for quite high prices.  Usually these have a fringed scarf. Extra frills. A designer label. I liked the ones with a matching scarf. Much more elegant...

Photo by Trevor Sharot. The Pink Top Pink eyelet sleeveless top from eBay,  Papaya, size 8. Lined, Tiny pink button fastens small same fabric loop, in keyhole upright oval opening at back of neck. Diagonal bust darts. Made in India. Spare small button on the washing label. Plain fabric without eyelets at the back. The lining finishes a few inches above the scalloped hem to create the see through holes. Matalan Retail Ltd.  Wrap skirt I wore it with the corners tied in a double knot. The resulting diagonal draping at the side is a bit bulky and would stick out under a long jacket or thin, summer raincoat. Knotting works only on a thin fabric.  Pink tape ties (known as red tape) should be added with safety pins or a brooch, for a quick trip to the shops, later sewn on. From a pink scarf. Dark turquoise, silky feel, shiny satin-look edging. Made in India. 100% cotton. Label brand Boden. Possibly bought from a charity shop in the UK. Worn over a half slip in case it comes apa...

Angela Lansbury in green eyelet dress, by green car, with green and multi-colour umbrella. Photo by Trevor Sharot.   I bought this eyelet dress on eBay. I was looking for an eyelet dress. (Eyelet dresses used to be called broderie anglaise. Once folksy, now fashionable. In the old days only white, now also in black and all kinds of colours.) What did I want? Preferably not white, because I already have one in white and would like a change. I bid on this attractive lime green. I won the bidding at only five pounds but the postage was over three so the total was about eight pounds. Still a bargain. The dress price ticket said twenty pounds! As the old saying goes, you win some, you lose some. This is one that I won, in both senses of the word. I won the auction. I won a bargain. The Dress Brand & Label The neck label says Made in Italy. The hip length lining's inner hem has two labels. Both say the same. The wording reveals a brand name, Euro Miss UK Made in Italy.  100 % vi...

  Angela in blue backgound white flower pattern summer dress outfit 419. Photo by Trevor Sharot. The Blue Summer Dress The old blue summer dress was rescued or recycled, scavenged from my spare room in London, England. Lovely colour, bright blue and crisp, contrasting bright white. But I was not keen on the fabric. The style did not suit me because it had spaghetti straps and a low back. This style meant you needed a jacket, and a bra which would not show at the front, on the shoulders, at the back, a whole nuisance.  However, when packing for my Writers' Summer School, and emptying the room for an overnight visitor who is going to that event, I re-discovered the dress. I thought I would try it on. Maybe now I am thinner it will suit me again.  If not, I could cut it up. What could I do? Turn it into a pillow case? Or an apron? Or a tunic? Would I be able to divide it horizontally into a wearable skirt and top? Or cut the skirt vertically to create a wrap skirt?  The...

  Sheepish Angela. Angela Lansbury wearing a sheep apron, carrying a sheep puppet and a sheep night dress case. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. What do I collect? Musical Instruments I collect accordions, Australian didgeridoos, bells, castanets, harmonicas, maracas, quarter size violins, recorders, squeaky toys, talking puppets, self-playing pianos, musical boxes, miniature musical instruments in toy shops and music shops, toy pianos, triangles, ukeleles. Toys, Dolls, Puppets Toys Where to find puppets I look for them everywhere. Every time I go into a toy store. Every time I go into a Xmas gift department. Every time I go into a charity shop. Every time I go into a museum shop. Every time I stop at a motorway gift shop or stationery and grocery store. Look online for puppets and toys, not just at Xmas, all year. From party shops, novelty shops, fancy dress shops, or just a general search.  Look at Amazon, Ebay, and the Puppet company. Search words to use: Finger puppet,...

 Princess Diana wore a polkadot dress which was admired - and set the fashion. So did Kate. I picked out of my wardrobe (Americans say closet) a red polkadot blouse for day wear to a conference. Selfie by Angela Lansbury. The red colour was jolly. Red cheered me up. Red invigorated me after I had been feeling tired. To go with it, my favourite red sandals and my favourite red lipstick. Angela Lansbury wearing a red polkadot blouse with red chiffon see-through blouse on top for the evening. Selfie. The Polkadot red and white blouse Polkadot white dots on red: Label Options at Austin Reed. 100 per cent polyester. Size 16. code number 139.  Shoulder pads.  Look closely at the photo and you will see that the polka dots are in two sizes.  Five buttonholes and five buttons down the front covered are with the same fabric. I have considered removing the shoulder pads in order to use the pocket of semi-circuar red fabric to create two pockets. I would let the fabric into the ...

Green eyelet top in Morrisons. Photo by Angela Lansbury.   A green eyelet top caught my eye in Morrisons. I took a photo of it.  I did the shopping for what was on my list. I bought an extra item, hemming tape, iron on hemming tape. I thought, why bother adapting your old clothes, when you can buy something just right, off the shelf. At the exit, I thought, let me look at that photo of the green top. I went back and looked again.   I could see the items hanging on the hangers and one looked longer. I took it off the rack.  Which Garment Did I Buy And Why? I liked the garments either side of the green top. But when I held up my hand against the one on the right, I did not like it. The pattern was busy. The colours were muted.  The solid green top against my pale brown slightly suntanned skin looked stunning. Irresistible. Besides, it was broderie anglaise, as we used to say in London, England, now known worldwide as eyelet (which is confusing because if you ...

Angela Lansbury at the Civil Service Club, London, England, UK. Photo copyright Angela Lansbury. I love the pale orange colour. Unfortunatelyk it is not quite the same colour as my long-sleeved shirt. I was hoping they would match. Then I could take off the sleeved version or wear it as a jacket indoors over lunch.  Not much point in wearing a sleeveless sun protection shirt is there? I suppose it protects your neck and chest, and you could cover your arms with suncream, and wear less suncream than you would need with an open neck. You do have assorted options. The collar is the same as the sleeved version. You can wear it normally. Or turn up a kind of hidden Mandarin collar for more neck protection and a different look. The Skirt The Black Cape blazer Brand Be jealous. You have seen this with many other outfits. Craghoppers Sleeveless Blouse With One side pocket This one has one zipped pocket at the side seam. The zip ensures nothing falls out.  The pocket is on the left. Ir...

 I have started unpacking and re-packing. Packing List - Deleting Items My husband suggested that he revises his packing list for a hiking holiday every year by striking off the list any items he did not wear. Unpacking  - Washing I am unpacking. Washing anything which might otherwise set the stain, need to be washed and be wet when re-packing.  Unwashed items can attract moths. I have saved a laundry bag from a hotel. A plastic laundry bag can last for years. One friend said she simply washes everything. No need to sort. Count days No need to over-pack. Count the number of days and nights. If you need to wear something twice, and items take two days to dry, you can wash items from the first two days on a five day holiday. That means packing only three items instead of five.  The item you wore travelling on the first day can be worn on the way home.  Rehearsing The week before, I wear (and wash) every item. Then, if I don't have the matching shoes, or underwear,...

  Green night dress from Primark. Selfie photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. The Price Was Right My green night dress from Primark cost only 5 UK pounds. Pounds, Euros or dollars? Whatever. Pounds. It was a bargain. Advantages Weight It is lightweight. I can wear it as a summer dress or night dress.  Colour The colour goes well with blonde hair. Disadvantages - Cling It is a bit clingy. So it shows if you have eaten too much and have a bulging tummy.  Or a lopsided bust. Or a droopy bust if you are not wearing a bra. The Hurry Dress It is a great dress to wear in a hurry. Somebody is knocking at the door? To get out of the shower in a hotel room. To answer the door to the postman. (I suppose I should say post person, or post deliverer.) Anyway, it is a great slip on, pull on, in a hurry dress. Like a caftan. But more shaped. NW London branches are in Watford, Wembley, Ealing and Uxbridge. All with different closing times. The Harrow branch is open 9-7 pm. On Sunday 10.30...

When I was a teenager in the late 1960s, I went on a holiday with a fellow student to Greece, Turkey and Israel. I travelled in a bikini. It acted as bra and pants. I showered in it. I swam in it. No need to undress. After the swim, we would sit in the sun. The bikini was cotton and dried quickly.  In countries requiring a one piece costume, you need another solution. Something discreet.  1The solution is to have a large towel which somebody else, family or friend, can hold. 2 If you are alone, you could change behind a large umbrella. 3A wrap around skirt is another solution. 4 Or a wrap around dress. 5 Or a sarong. Please share links to your favourite posts.

Angela Lansbury in straw hat from Brazil, advertising the northern Ceara area. Selfie Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. I have not yet visited Brazil, so my straw hat which has a hat-band advertising Ceara in Brazil must have come from the World Travel Market. The World Travel Market is a trade show held in November in London at a conference centre in the East End of London reached on driverless the monorail. The Elizabeth line will make the East End of London easier to reach. Brazil and Ceara Region The upward accent is on the second a, the last letter of the name Ceara. It is the acute accent, stressed. The language of Brazil is Portuguese, unlike the rest of South America which speaks Spanish. Hat Style The hat is the same shape as a fedora (shown in felt in Wikipedia) which has a crease from the front to the back on the crown. The brim curves up all around. Mne falls over my eyes and has to be lifted to show my face in photos, at which point the hatband is invisible, hidden behi...