A silk, wrap-around, black and white Coast silk dress with added silk, viscose and diamonte red top, dress of the day 456

Angela Lansbury in red and black. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Copyright..

 Smart Red Top

Short sleeved top by label Tasachy. I searched for this label. It must have been vintage. I found only one garment with this label and it was on a Polish website, with no bids and no longer available. 

So, where it came from, nobody knows. Let's look at the fetures and see what we can learn, and like and copy.

Square holes around the neck.

The holes around the neck are neat with the uprights which each have three small decorative diamonte adornments. I was going to say beads but they are not sewn on. Maybe stuck on.

I wear the red colour for liveliness. but then what can go with it? A red or black skirt? I need a change from red. Hanging next to the red top on another hanger was a black and white dress. 

Not an obvious choice, Plain black would have been better. But I was in a hurry and sometimes, serendity, happy chance discovery, has a great result. A surprise. A novelty. At very least, a change.

What's the worst that can happen when you try on a new combination. You waste three minutes taking off one of the items and going back to convention. Here is my verdict.

The Red Top's Fabric

Today I was surprised to see 20% silk. Why the silk? To impress a fusspot buyer or wearer who thinks like me? Silk is soft, the best silk. My eyes light up when I see silk. Hooray - silk! 

70 % viscose 

20 % silk

10 elastane

The elastane, like elastic, gives it stretch. I love stretchy clothes. 

What are the qualities of viscose?

Viscose was created way back in the late 1800s from plants. It is soft and feels silky. 

The wrap around black and white dress  by coast says 100 silk, including the belt. Made in China. Soft.

The washing label warns, Dry clean only. Wet colour may transfer.

The Black & White Dress

The long belt in plain black has decorative diagonal ends. It wraps secured through a slit on the wearer's right, then around the back and finally can tie in a bow at the front.

I remember ordering a wrap dress when I had put on weight. A wrap dress would be sure to fit.

When it arrived I was not thrilled by the pattern. I thought it was ordinary, dull, cheap and nasty, depressing. However, the red brightens it up. 


The Shorter Sleeves - good or bad?

Short sleeves, three quarter length sleeves are cold in winter. In addition, if you have age spots or freckles or hairy arms, or tattoos, you might have occasions when you prefer longer sleeves.

On the other hand three quarter length sleeves could be a compromise, if you want to show off your jewellery, brancelets, bangles. Avoid the distraction of a fancy or large cuff. A tight or three quarter langth sleeve is less likely to get wet when you are washing up or washing your hands. 

There are disadvantages and advantages to every style. I keep repeating to myself the adantages, until I feel happy.

Or I try the husband test. My clothes ideally should please firstly, the wearer, me, secondly, my husband, and lastly other people. Thinking about my husband's approval, I am reminded of the phrase from the film (Americans say movie), if Momma ain't happy, nobody's happy.

I recall the story of the blind lady who went into an assisted living home and was told about it, and it was pleasantly decorated, but small and convenient. 

She replied, "I know I'm going to love it."

The warden excalimed, "How do you know? You haven't been there yet."

She smiled, "Because I have made up my mind to be happy with it. Why should I waste my life being miserable, when I could be happy?"

So, following her philosophy, I have made up my mind to like the dress.

If you type lace and diamonte into google you will get lots of results, inlcuding bargain price fabric and collars and shawls from Temu, though some may be fabric with lace and sequins.

Useful websites

For decorative fabric

https://www.temu.com/ul/kuiper/

-ends-

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