Dress Of The Day with Angela

Angela Lansbury wearing navy waistcoat or gilet. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Angela wearing navy gilet at Toastmasters International, Singapore, speech contest. Photo by bystander. You can  see the dark navy gilet on my right shoulder. Your gilet or waistcoat has to be short enough to hide under the hem of your jacket, or the jacket must be long enough to cover the gilet. Traditionally, a man's suit consisted of a waistcoat which ended at the waist and had two outside pockets ending at the hem, whilst the jacket was longer. I have a waistcoat which has to be worn on every journey with every outfit. I actually have several traditional waistcoats inherited from my uncle, but the pockets have no zips. Not safe for doorkeys, credit cards, lipsticks or anything of value. What is a gilet? A French word for what the British call a waistcoat and what the Americans call a vest.   I thought my gilet came from Patra, but they made the light, silk, navy hooded jacket. My lightweight, nav...

Angela Lansbury in red Be Jealous jacket, and folding brim baseball cap, and red flowers. Photo taken using Angela's Samsun, by friend Josie with Josie's riotous red flowers.  593 Dress of the day for a speaking contest Angela before the speech contest for Area S5.  Angela speaking on stage. I forgot to take photos on stage before the contest. I was busy rehearsing the words of my speech and sorting out the props. Angela on stage with Division S banner, Div S5 director, and fellow contestants, Angeline far right, and Ryan far left. Div S speech contests. Div S speech contests. Angela Lansbury in red, white and black. On second thoughts, or looks, the dress has brown disc patterns on the left of the central column. On stage I took off my gilet and jacket to look neater and slimmer in my dress. But when the sergeant at arms wanted a microphone test, somebody came to pin on a microphone. We needed a jacket for the pin-on microphone.  Next time please warn the contestants! Ha...

  Angela wearing red, white and green, the colours of the Italia flag. Photo by Trevor Sharot. For a trip to a dinner at an Italian restaurant, featuring Italian wines, I planned on wearing the colours of the Italian flag, red, white and green. Oops. I am glad I loaded up the flag. It is green, white and red. In my Italian colours outfit, the skirt is green, the shoes are red, the jacket is red, the top is red and white. I don't think anybody except me noticed the significance of the colours. If the Italian tourist board had been there, giving out little Italian flags, they would have noticed. Red Jacket The red jacket is also called a cape blazer. Sometimes described as open sleeve. The label is Be Jealous. The red jacket adds vivid colour to accentuate the red in the red and white top. You can see another view of the red jacket in another outfit in post on dress of the day 586. Red cape blazer. Red and white top with ruched sleeves. Red Free=step sandals. Photo by Angela Lansbury...

Angela Lansbury wearing pineapple pattern pyjama bottoms converted into a skirt, dress of the day 591. Photo by Trevor Sharot. I am carrying a cut pineapple, in a Denby Seville bowl. The Sandals The sandals are from Clarks. Size UK 6, Europe 39. The closure is Velcro or a similar touch and close over both the toes and across the instep. Colour a warm rusty brown. Platform heel. Curved insoles. The Headband The headband is a piece of orange ribbon, tied in a bow. It is inclined to slip off so if worn around the town it would need a hair clip or a cap or hat to hold it in place to look neat and prevent loss.  The Dress or Skirt from a converted pair of pyjama pants (the British say trousers)  I had a pair of thin pyjama bottoms with a small repeating pineapple pattern. The pineapples were tiny pale orange, each with the turquoise green tuft, on a white background. In between the pineapples are small dots of turquoise green. I cut up the inside leg seam. I could have used pinking...

Angela Lansbury in black caftan with belt,  and white sleeves and dickey, carrying straw hat with black band, dress of the day 590 Photo by Trevor Sharot. Angela Lansbury in black caftan with belt, straw hat with black band and white sleeves and dickey, dress of the day 590 Photo by Trevor Sharot. Photo by Trevor Sharot. The Caftan Dress I had an old, loose, black caftan. I wore it only when in a hurry, because it was loose,shapeless, and a dull colour. However, today, I transformed it. I tarted it up with a white collar and fancy sleeves with bows. The new look was smart and suitable for Zoom, and for a family dinner time in the evening.  Caftans are almost always loose. An extra attraction of this design is two large open-top, oblong patch pockets, which makes the caftan comfortable to wear. Somewhere to put your hands. I like pockets. Empty pockets. Just for my hands. The label says, Batik. Kereta Kencana. Made in Indonesia. Kereta is Indonesia and Malay for train, or car, ...

  Guardian umbrella in orange and silver, folded. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Edited by Angel on Samsung mobile phone, using the filter posterize. Folding Umbrellas This umbrella is orange and silver, folding, from Guardian drug store. Other handy sources in rainy, tropical Singapore are  1 The other drug stores,  2 also Seven Eleven which is inside many approaches to the underground MRT stations, and  3 Department stores such as Tangs which is on the corner of Orchard Road. The Marks and Spencer night dress fills in the neck and provides a contrast hem. The fabric is cotton which is cool. Red Quick Release Sandals My trusty red sandals, as in previous posts. Free-Step. Quick release. Props Soft toy duck, label Dakin. The duck has a smaller duck on its back. The beak and feet are orange.  Nigh Dress and Outfit Style If you hold your finger over the hem of the night dress you will see the effect without it. The entirely plain coral colour, all the way up and down, fr...

  Angela Lansbury wearing a Burton menswear tee-shirt, carrying two soft toy dogs. Dress of the day 588. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Copyright. Striped Top I had a new top in striped brown, black and white. I decided to go for a neat, natural and neutral look. I matched the top with my black skirt. Short sleeve. Burton menswear. London. Size M. Made in Bangladesh. 100% cotton. Wash inside out. Iron on the reverse. Black Skirt Vintage Dorothy Perkins.  It is long, but thin and lightweight, just what you need for summer or a country such as Singapore which is tropical all year.  You can see the red ribbon threaded through the four belt loops for security and decoration. Red Sandals My usual red sandals. Free-Step. I bought them in England from eBay. I have two pairs. I bought a second one by mistake or because I bid on both and both came up. CAT No JW 097 Supplier 25426. (The supplier is a secret!) Soft toys - White Teddy Bears Slightly different sizes. Different colours, the s...

 Angela Lansbury in dress of the day, 587 bear with sunglasses. Photo by Trevor Sharot I had a new top in striped brown, black and white. I matched it with my black skirt.  Striped Top Short sleeve. Burton menswear. London. Size M. Make in Bangladesh. 100% cotton. Wash inside out. Iron on reverse. Black Skirt Vintage Dorothy Perkins.  It is long, but thin and lightweight, just what I need for summer or Singapore which is tropical all year. Red Sandals My usual red sandals. Free-Step. I bought them in England from eBay. I have two pairs. I bought a second one by mistake or because I bid on both and both came up. CAT No JW 097 Supplier 25426. (The supplier is a secret!) White Teddy Bear Straw hat with black headband Red Folding Umbrella Jolly red. One of the smallest folding umbrellas I've had or seen. I can hide it inside a handbag..  The end of the handle is a curved corner oblong. No brand name. Useful Websites Burton.co.uk Please share links to your favourite posts...

  Angela Lansbury is wearing a red, white and navy blue plaid shirt. Dress  587. Photo by Trevor Sharot. The H & M Red, White and Blue Plaid Pattern Shirt  The shirt is labelled H & M. Made in Bangladesh. It has two spare buttons, one in each size. Seven buttons down the front placket. Two on each cuff. One smaller button fastening the slit up the wrist from the cuff. H & M started in Sweden and is now in many countries worldwide. H & M stands for Hennes and Mauritz. It is a man's shirt, in good condition, with long arms. I considered cutting off the cuffs to make a shorter flared sleeve. However, the geometric pattern is more rigid and suits the cuff.  It is a casual shirt, but not a feminine style, more practical. The cuff has a wide placket with one buttonhole, and a narrower one underneath with the button. I could use either one of them to make a tab. A shortened tab sleeve might be cooler in Singapore, especially in the very hot summer. Colours T...

  Angela Lansbury, wearing top from Shein with black hears. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Red Jacket The red jacket is also called a cape blazer. Sometimes described as open sleeve. The label is Be Jealous. Adds colour to liven up the black and white. Red Hat Less than ten pounds. I have them in several colours. I didn't buy them all at once. I didn't want to make a mistake nor break the budget. I bought one to see if the fabric was right. Then re-ordered every now and then. White top with Black hearts The white top with small black hearts comes from Shein. The hearts are small. Subtle. Don't show up well on a photo or if covered by a jacket.  Black and white are easy to match with other clothes. black and white for summer and winter, day and evening. White Sleeves Pretty Little Thing is the label. I bought it second hand from Refash. The sleeves were my dream, separate sleeves to go with sleeveless tops.  Why add sleeves? To look more elegant, less casual. More formal, more bu...

  Angela Lansbury in white top with pink hearts, outfit 585. Photo by Trevor Sharot.  Useful Websites https://www.etsy.com/sg-en/listing/912919698/cotton-poplin-fabric-small-colourful-red?ga_order=price_asc&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=pink+heart+dress&ref=sr_gallery-1-27&bes=1&col=1&organic_search_click=1

 A long dress, quick to put on. Ruched bodice and waist. No need to look for a belt to look svelte.  I bought it in Singapore in a shop which had long dresses in the window at reasonable prices. I went in and tried them all on. This one was the winner. For cheap dresses online I go to Shein. They may be not the fabric you like, unless you specify a fabric such as cotton or silk. Read the feedback on the Shein website. I added a simple white bead necklace to add neck interest and to lighten the funeral black. The Dress The dress features are:  Long - hide legs and shoes. Long dresses make you look taller. The Necklace White beads. Not gold and silver which you wear in the evenings after six, in other words, after the end of the working day. To prevent damage to gold and silver.  The white necklace had got tangled. You untangle by hanging a chain up and letting the tangles fall out. Second Outfit From The Same Dress I liked the dress so much I wore it a second day, but...

The black Broderie Anglaise Dress I met a girl in the lift. She was wearing a striking black broderie anglaise dress, with the holes outlined in white. I thought it was very pretty.  But this was a good outfit for the office. The black is a colour which does not show the dirt and biro marks. White is jolly and relieves the otherwise funereal black. I asked her where she bought it. She said in Chinatown in Singapore. The cost was about 40 Singapore dollars.  The dress looked even better when I was standing beside her and could see only the sleeves. She has a white watch strap and white shoes.  The black of the dress echoes her black hair. And even her phone! For absolute perfection, find a white tote back instead of the cream, although the pattern on the cream tote back is leaves which slightly match the theme of the dress holes which are circles, scallops and what look like double ears or double leaves.  The Red Broderie Anglaise I was inspired to wear my red broderi...

  Long red reversible dress. Photo by Trevor Sharot Patra Orange Top Red Sandals red Umbrella Red fake flowers in glass jug SKMEI  Watch with Pink watch strap Skmei watches come in all colours of watch strap. I like red. What I wanted was one which was waterproof to 50 metres because I swim every day. I also shower. Useful Websites https://www.miniinthebox.com/en/p/skmei-wrist-watch-quartz-watch-for-women-men-analog-quartz-pure-color-casual-calendar-plastic-silicone-strap-leisure-watch-women-s-jelly-watches_p6508309.html?

  Angela Lansbury wearing green skirt and jacket, dress of the day 581. Photo by Trevor Sharot. The Ensemble I started with a 2022 green broderie anglaise skirt. I found a silk jacket to match. Vintage. Never worn. Now was its day. How to fill in underneath? I had a pale green shirt, a man's shirt from Marks & Spencers, discarded by my husband. Shoes - not my usual red shoes. My husband hates Crocs and big toe shoes. He prefers high heels, elegant shoes. Sorry, I had a fancy pair of multi coloured shoes, but I was already falling off the heels the moment I tried them on. I went back to the sensible and comfortable green modern clogs.  Green The jacket is green and blue. Green for gardening. Green colour goes with a gardening environment. Green shoes go just right for standing amid the greenery on the balcony.  The Pose I am standing with my hands in my pockets to show the pockets. Secrets Of The Silk Jacket Silk is special, to me. Silk used to be a luxury item. But it...

  Photo by Angela Lansbury White cape blazer The white cape blazer adds the pezzaz. The cape blazer was bought from Mango in Madeira. Mango has branches in many other countries, includiing Singapore.  The size is European size XL. That is Large in the USA.  The jacket is lined. It has two pockets with a neat top edging strip.  I sewed on white plastic clips in the middle centre. I am barefoot because we have all taken off our shoes indoors. No chance of high heels making you look taller. Nobody tells you to take off your shoes. You just see that the host is without shoes. A huge area of shoes is by the door. It is obvious that you are expected to remove your shoes.  Why remove shoes? For cleanliness. The lion dancers will be lying on the floor.  Now in February 2023 I cannot see cape blazers in Mango. Shein and many other online companies have cape blazers or jackets, as well as dresses and full length coats, at attractive prices. But lower prices may mean ...

Angela in red Chinese New Year outfit, dress of the day number 579. Photo selfie by Angela. Edited by Angela on Samsung phone using filter posterize. the filter added colour to the background.  I wanted  to wear red for Chinese New Year. Chinese New Year is so called in China, Singapore and other countries or cities with large Chinese populations. It is also known as Spring Festival, and Lunar New Year. Red is the auspicious or lucky colour. Everything is red. Red lanterns. Red packets with gifts for children and unmarried adults. I selected a red and white broderie anglaise dress. This was bright red, with a slight contrast of white, broderie anglaise, suitable for smart casual day wear. However, it was not smart enough for the evening.  To make it more festive for the evening, I added a lacey, red sequined bolero. Then a red scarf with small silver dots. My first selfie taken with my phone captured only from my bust upwards. Angela wearing red outfit, dress of the day 5...

 Angela Lansbury wearing a caftan over a white shirt. Photo by Trevor Sharot. The White Shirt  I had a white discarded man's shirt. I saved it for several reasons.  1 I wanted a pointed collar to look more businesslike on Zoom in a meeting. 2 I wanted sleeves to look more businesslike when wearing a caftan. 3 I wanted covered arms against insects such as mosquitos. 4 I wanted a shirt which could be washed out daily, and would dry quickly. You can put the collar in bleach for four hours or more.Or cut off the collar. Or reverse it. The cuffs can be cut off. I simple seamed them up, hand sewing over the raw edge The shirt sleeve was a little too long. So I folded it back. . Caftan You can buy caftans online, made in Indonesia, or India. In Singapore look in Chinese and Indian shops. Mustafa's deaprtment store should have several.  Useful Websites https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaftan https://www.mustafa.com.sg/