Dress Of The Day with Angela

  A zip / zipper sewn into a wrap-around coat. Photo by Angela Lansbury.   What Is A Zip In England we say zip. Americans say zipper. This is a rare occasion when it is the Americans who use the long word, and the British use the shorter word. Mostly it is the other way round. Who Needs A Zip? I sewed a zip in a coat. I had been meaning to do this for years. What stopped me?  My old, warm, hooded coat was brown, a colour which no longer suits me. I kept meaning to throw it out or give it away.  But it was useful to wear in the garden where it protected me from brambles and thorns on roses, from biting gnats.  It kept me warm. It and stopped me getting too wet when I went out to the garage. That is what it did most of the time. However. it did not protect me enough all the time. On one occasion I got snagged by thorns, my legs scratched and a nice skirt was torn. The next time, I got bitten by insects. I was not happy.  I was still not prepared to jettison t...

Storing Old Clothes in the Old Days  In the good old days people used to store their winter clothes in a suitcase in the loft or attic in winter. The reverse took place in summer.  Storing Items In Garages Nowadays we recycle and collect clutter. Only a quarter of UK garages are used to store cars. Now cars are left in the front forecourt, and garages are used for storage, clothes, accessories, bric a brac. You need to keep moving clothes. Why? To be sure that moths get disturbed. Also so that the clothes do not get mouldy from damp. (American spelling moldy.) Avoiding Impulse Purchases I try not to go shopping for food. I postpone my trips to Tesco supermarket because it is right near a charity shop. If I shop for food, it is better to go out after the charity shop has closed.  Home Shopping The Americans have home shopping channels. You see items being demonstrated on TV and you buy them from home.  Of course you can sit at your desk and order online.  But wha...