Dress Of The Day with Angela

  Angela Lansbury in white towelling robe. Dress of the day 568. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Photo by Trevor Sharot. What could you do to make something similar? The fabric is thin, absorbent synthetic towelling. It is edged with contrasting braid, or thread. Braid would take longer to dry. Braid in contrasting colour means the colour could run, unless you wash the garment in cold water.  DIY design The design is very simple. Take a large oblong of thin absorbent fabric. Fold it in half to go across the shoulders. Fasten it in three places down both sides. It is a handy garment. It is quick to put on when you are tired before breakfast in the morning. It doesn't take a moment to throw on when the doorbell rings for a delivery, or somebody calls, 'breakfast is ready!' Hook and loop closure It fastens quickly with three short pieces of hook and loop closure tape. You have to close it carefully if you wear it after a shower with nothing else worn underneath. Otherwise, you risk th...

 

A recent story about the fatal loss of a girl hiking alone in the USA set me thinking after reading the newspaper comments. What might you need? Season Hiking in winter is not hiking in summer Weather forecast for your hiking region (not only the area where you drive from) Clothing Hiking Hats I look for sun protection, SVF +50, and a strap to stop the hat falling off. i like a hood on my jacket, so that even if I forget the hat, the hood protects me. The hood helps secure the hat, and protects the back of your neck. It is one less thing to carry. Fabrics In summer I wear Mosiprroof sunscreen fabrics (eg mosigard) Insulated/waterproof boots/Hiking shoes (not just sneakers or tennis shoes) Gloves - features  With ribbon to attach to coat so you don't drop them.  Touch-sensitive gloves so that you can operate a phone with gloves on. Waterproof.  Pockets Pickpocket proof Zip up pockets so items cannot fall out Maps Add a map of your planned route on your phone. it can be sha...

Boxing Day in the UK and some Commonwealth countries in 2022 was also the last day of  the Jewish 8 day festival ofHanukah.  I joined a group on Hanukah on Facebook and found all sorts of interesting outfits - even outfits for a cat or dog, and matching outfits for two dogs, One dog has a blue collar, another had a blue plaid or checker tie.  These two dogs and their cat have coats showing pattern including the eight branch hanukiah and the six point star of David. Dog in Santa outfit, sleeping it off after all the Xmas day excitement. Type in dog outfit for Christmas or dog Santa and you will get loads of pictures. If you don't have a dog, you can buy cushions or blanket throws for a sofa. Photo from  Facebook page on Hanukah. Useful Websites https://www.amazon.co.uk/DELIFUR-Christmas-Costumes-Hoodies-Winter/ Please share links to your favourite website posts.  

  Angela Lansbury wearing red reindeer jumper, green Ann Summers top with white edging. Photo by Trevor Sharot. The decorations are a string of blue fairy lights around the window. We also had red candles. Table Napkins I loved the host's white napkins edged with red. They looked fresh and clean. The red was lively. Xmas Jumpers Asda Xmas jumpers, several designs, all under twenty pounds. Red Candles Red pillar candles, about a little over ten pounds for four, maybe extra for postage. Alternatively the long thin ones, called taper candles, but I always worry that they will topple over.   The pillar candles last longer.  Tall, taper candles are good on a table. Pillar candles are good on a shelf, or a windowsill - providing it does not have curtains. You only need one draft from an open window or door, or somebody pulling a curtain, and your curtains could catch fire. This happened to my maternal grandmother and neither she nor my mother ever used candles again. Red c...

  Angela Lansbury, top right, with cream colour lace background. Lovely Lace  I love lace. I have a white lace tablecloth covering a bookcase as my background on Zoom. But white lace doileys look old, shabby and old-fashioned. You can dye them deep colours. Use them as collars, neck fillers or dickeys. Solid colour lace is quite fashionable and available in 2022. My modern lace sleeve dress was polyester. The Design & Construction Lace can be made with strong thread, fine thread, or a mixture. Chantilly lace has strong threads linking intricate and delicate patterns of leaves and flowers. Black lace can be worn as a sophisticated evening fashion. For an evening shawl. In the old days it was considered romantic and luxurious. A lace shawl would be part of the trousseau of garments for a bride-to-be. A lace tablecloth with matching lace edge napkins might be a wedding gift. It can add delicacy and distraction at a funeral or time of mourning. You can create lace with a croch...

Wine leather. My favourite boots. Soft and supple. Look smart. Better than boring boots. Good roomy wide toe. Photo by Angela Lansbury. My boots - I wear them every day. They cost about twenty five or thirty five pounds in the sale. They were the cheapest of many attractive styles.  From ebay, like mine, says synthetic. Named moccasin. Shown in yellow but only available in three colours. 45 pounds sterling to buy. I hunted everywhere on the internet with all sorts of word searches without luck. I did a reverse image search. I found these. Yellow with green. Side zip. 41.50 pounds sterling, but briefly in Dec 22 2022 reduced to 37.50 with code FUN10, and free postage. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/313739823149?chn=ps&mkevt=1&mkcid=28&var=612516594535 On ebay from seller twinkle168 I am 'watching' on the ebay website so they should send me updates on sales or price reductions. Wine  Leather Check the seller's latest spec (specification or description) before buying. ...

  touchscreen gloves in pink These gloves come in wine, pink, black, white, grey, navy beige and khaki. They are ambidextrous, back and front the same, so no delay in putting them on. If you lose one, you still have the right one, or the left one, if you like to keep one hand gloved whilst the other is free. the cost is ten pounds minus a penny. Useful Websites https://www.amazon.co.uk/BSLVWG-Touchscreen-Thermal-Running-Driving/dp/B0BKZLHW59/ref=sr_1_16?crid=6FGFYB1VRLYC&keywords=pink%2Bgloves&qid=1671721481&sprefix=pink%2Bgloves%2Caps%2C111&sr=8-16&th=1

  Angela Lansbury wearing a green Christmas outfit from Ann Summers. Photo by Trevor Sharot. I put on the orange-red neck warmer from Patra in the UK. Neck Warmer The brand is from Patra, from the UK, not the Patra in the USA. These neck warmers are available in several colours. Light. Handy cover-up for a low neck. Mostly silk so it is soft, and not bulky. Skirt The red skirt is labelled Anthony Evenings. This seems to be a brand of Anthony Sicari. I bought it second hand on either Ebay or Etsy from the USA. It is part of a suit, size 22.   It was much too large for me, so I tightened the skirt with large safety pins. I meant to sew it, but never got around to it. The fabric is thick, so the safety pins are not pulling out nor tearing the fabric.  The Green Xmas Outfit The popular story says that the original Santa was dressed in winter green, like a Christmas tree, or holly. Red was supposedly a colour chosen for a change by the artist for an advertisement for a departm...

Angela wearing a star of David in red and green, and red reindeer outfit, dress of the day. Outfit 564. Photo by Trevor Sharotl Copyright.  Oops - I was invited to a Hanukah party and I did not have a hanukah outfit. I had a Xmas jumper, with rheindeer. What to do? Add a star of David necklace. The six point star of David is known as the seal of Solomon to Muslims and the Star of David to Jews. Its origins could be a good luck symbol of six points to trap the devil or the evil eye, the enemy.  You can buy star of David jewellery in many jewellery shops and the shops in Jewish Museums. I bought a colourful star of David necklace with matching ear-rings made by Eva at Changi airport. I thought the necklace in red and green was just right as to wear for both Christmas and Hanukah.  The jumper is label George, which is from Asda. I thought the reindeer design was childish and cheap looking but when I teamed it up with a red skirt, and orange-red velvet  track suit bottom...

 Footwear is described differently in countries around the world as I discovered to my dismay. Thongs in Australia  In Australia I went into a beachside bar. A sign on the door said, No thongs. Okay, I was properly dressed in a wrap skirt, no thong underwear revealing buttocks. The barman said, "No thongs." I replied, "That is okay. I am not wearing thongs." He replied, "I can see you are wearing thongs." I was puzzled. How could he see my underwear. Through my clothes? Visible panty line? In any case, he had made a mistake. I was not wearing thong underwear. So, I said, "I am not wearing thongs. How can you see thongs?" He pointed to my feet, "Those are thongs. On your feet. You ARE wearing thongs!" I looked down, and said, "You mean my flip-flops? You call them thongs?" "Yes." "Ah!" Luckily I had other shoes in the boot of the car nearby.  Indian Slippers A second misunderstanding happened in the UK. A fr...

Angela Lansbury wearing a long black beaded knitted coat. Photo by Trevor Sharot. The Elegant Knitted Black Coat The coat is long and knitted with built-up, padded shoulders. It is thick and warm. Anthony Sicary top I wore the coat over a co-ordinating warm black and red knitted top. The brand is one of my two favourites, Anthony Sicari. His clothes have batwing sleeves. Handy for going over blouses. His garments fit you whether you are small or large. The Skirt The skirt is the green part of a suit by Ann Balon. That is my other favourite brand. I bought two suits. Both cost a lot although they were second hand. I was disappointed because the colour had faded and they looked a bit shabby. However, they are warm, co-ordinated top and skirt which saves time. The green colour is not my favourite, which is a warm colour such as bright red, wine red, or pink, or orange. However, green makes a change from black. Isn't that what fashion and clothes are all about. Dress for the occasion. ...

The White Hat Cum Scarf =Hood I first added a white beanie hat onto the matching scarf. the purpose was to wear it outdoors and keep my neck warm and ensure I did not lose the scarf which kept slipping off. The Scarf=Hood Then I made a hood from a piece cut off the hem of a burgundy colour mock fur plush dressing gown. The scarf kept sliding off. So I stitched it up. I made a hood section to stay on my head. The red scarf = Hood My red scarf kept sliding off. I wanted it to hang neatly, more level, to stay on my head, and to keep me warm by covering my head and neck.  I sewed it up. Just a running stitch or tacking stitch. In out, in out. Much faster than oversewing.  Reinforcing Tacking Stitch Every now and then, I did a back stitch, so that if the thread split, broke, pulled out, at any point, the sewing would not unravel all the way along. Fastening Thread One way to fasten a thread is to tie a knot. Another is to tie two hanging threads together. Or thread the end of the t...

  This advertisement for Pretty Little Thing was on a station in London in December 2020. I have some clothes of that label. The poster made me look them up. Pretty Little Thing clothes company started in the UK and is related to BooHoo. I also have Boohoo clothes. You can read about them on their website and in Wikipedia. Their Pretty Little Thing website in December 2022 shows clothes, sale items including a white puffer jacket and hood reduced to under twenty pounds, and storage boxes for cosmetics and clothes. Useful Websites https://www.prettylittlething.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PrettyLittleThing

  Red berries and green holly. Photo by Trevor Sharot. The jumper has a black background. The pattern is red holly berries on green holly leaves, and red and white candy canes.  Xmas Symbols I wondered, was this a Christian symbol and was it suitable for visiting family, friends, and business associates who might be Jewish, Moslem or Hindu? American Striped Candy I decided that striped red and white candy canes used to be American but have now reached the UK.  Candy canes, like British rock, are all solid sugar - and bad for your teeth, like ice cream. But in times of war (in Ukraine) and Covid worldwide, people are taking a short term view of life and enjoying pleasures now, although we are also health conscious and cautious.  Seasonal Symbols On Clothes? Green Holly What about holly?  Holly does not lose its leaves in winter. It adds colour, the combination of red and green. That was pagan. The early church tried to get rid of the winter symbols but failed. If...

  Angela Lansbury wearing a pink jacket at Berry Brothers wine shop in Pall Mall, London. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Angela Lansbury sitting on white swan shape bench outside hotel in London near Piccadilly. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Pink jacket and white scarf. Selfie photo by Angela Lansbury. Even when I am alone, the pink jacket cheers me up.  I did a search for pink jackets and got faux fur. When I added the word waterproof I found one under twenty pounds, although the postage was over ten, but you might be on Prime. https://www.amazon.co.uk/TIMEMEAN-Medium-Ladies-Waterproof-Hoodies/dp/B0932GWVK2/ref=asc_df_B0932GWVK2/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=517970675894&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16008695336213744343&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045963&hvtargid=pla-1247237462628&th=1&psc=1 Long sleeve satin gloves, bridal, a penny off ten pounds on Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/JISEN-Formal...

  A fellow toastmaster. Photo by Angela Lansbury. The red hat added to the red collared shirt just makes the outfit. The black jeans or trousers (UK England for what the Americans call pants) co-ordinate with the edging of the collar and the hat-band, which matches the dark hair. Red knitted cap from Damart. Reduced to 7.50 pounds in the sale in December 2022. Other colours available. Red women's polo collar jumper Damart UK by Swoop costs 23 pounds in Dec 2022. Other colours available. Useful Websites https://www.damart.co.uk/knitted-cap-16111-3. https://www.damart.co.uk/polo-collar-sweater-51900-3.html?

  Orange collar adds colour. Photo by Angela Lansbury. I was looking for something warm to wear in London. The clothes I wear in London are different to what I wear in Singapore. I started with a black knitted cardigan which had two long collar tails, which I looped into a tie. Underneath I wore a warm, white jumper.  I needed neck interest for appearing in photos and on Zoom at meetings of Toastmasters International. In London, UK, Harrovians club meets online on a Monday, in person at a church on another Monday. So I added the orange blouse. Just the collar showed. I did not need more. That was fine. The collar added colour, warm colour, vivid, transforming me from dull to vivacious, and framed my face. Identifying Dog Breeds https:// dogtime.com/dog-breeds/profiles https:// sheltermedicine.vetmed.ufl.edu/research-studies/past-projects/dog-breed-identification/dog-breed-dna-and-survey-results/ https://www .petsradar.com/advice/what-breed-is-my-dog-vets-guide Useful Websites ...

 I have much loved, favourite, well-worn nightdresses and underwear. Eventually anything knitted grows thin, especially in certain areas, such as near seams and in gussets, or under arms, or along skirt and night dress hems, and develops ladders or holes. In theory you can cut out the parts with holes. A night dress could be made into a skirt or bolero or camisole Then use the remaining small strips or squares for scarves, spiral roses as decoration, hair bands, pockets, bags, purses inside tote bags. Maybe save the small pieces as lining for other thin areas, or simply scraps waiting for a later use.. I had a two pairs of pants (Americans say underpants) needing repair, one cotton, another lightweight silk. Cotton Underwear  I cut out the part with holes and wondered what to do.  First, I seamed together the pink cotton. Across the gusset. Would it feel uncomfortable? No. Silk Underwear Then I looked at the silk underwear. I tried the same trick. What about silk thread?...