Dress Of The Day with Angela

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. ...

  Angela Lansbury in wedding guest outfit, at Botanical Gardens, Singapore. Photo by Trevor Sharot. The Outfit Jan 17, 2016. I bought this outfit in Hatch End, London, England, at Whirligig, 511 Uxbridge Road, Hatch End, Pinner, Middx HA5 4JS. They have sales rails seasonally. My outfit consists of a skirt and matching jacket. The colours are dream cream and pale blue on chiffon. Lightweight. The Gold Sandals The gold shoes are Velcro or touch and close closure, for ease of walking through the Botanic Gardens. The Necklace The large necklace has three or five blue effect opals or moonstones. Ear-Rings The ear-rings have blue effect stones to co-ordinate with the large necklace. The Event Late afternoon wedding reception and Evening dinner.  Wedding of my husband's former colleague with whom we three shared accommodation in two different condos before the colleague got married. Possible Re-use of the outfit The outfit is stretchy and could be worn whatever my weight and girth. ...

I have been buying cape blazers from BooHoo in Britain and from China. They smarten up any evening outfit. Black and white are the most versatile colours. Black with a black skirt and lots of different outfits makes for something which won't show the dirt if you spill curry on your clothes in a restaurant. However, I have now started hunting for other colours. And styles. Capes which fit securely on the shoulders, attached to the bodice of a jacket, but reveal the arms are elegant evening wear, warm but smart and sexy. The style has crept into trouser suits. (AMERICANS say pant suits.) Next I expect skirt suits. Dresses with long capes attached have finally arrived. A long-standing friend of mine from a Toastmasters International club in Singapore showed, shared, on Facebook, a photo of herself i a blue cape blazer dress, worn by the mother of the bride at a wedding in Italy. The supplier of this dress was the brand Marchesa. This maker is new to me, but I looked up the company. In...

  Angela wearing  dress of the day 261, an autumn green skirt and top from Ann Balon. Photo by Trevor Sharot. 100 per cent viscose rayon. Hand wash.  I bought this outfit second hand on ebay. The colours  are shiny satin effect and darker green lace effect with the satin effect backing. Elastic is getting a bit loose. Huge shoulder pads. An iridescent thread runs though some, not all, of the braid on the lace.  The sleeves are batwing, wide at the shoulder narrowing to cuffs. The sleeves are in six sections, three lace sections alternating with the satin effect.   The skirt is a stunningly complicated design. So many different pieces cut out and deftly stitched together. The plain satin is hardly distinguishable from other panels with a faint swirly design reminiscent of Paisley. The term godet (French, pronounced go-day) refers to triangular pieces inserted into a skirt to create fullness at the hem, and contrasting colours, patterns, or textures. The...

  Angela is wearing a pink Ann Balon outfit consisting of an asymmetrical top and skirt. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Ann Balon Outfits What do I like about Ann Balon outfits? They are elegant, lacy, and designed for plus size women.  They flatter your figure. They have a lines and swirly skirts and wide sleeves and stretch fabrics.  You can go to their shop by appointment for a new outfit, for example, for a wedding.  I bought a new outfit in the sale at a  shop in London for the wedding of our son. I tried on several outfits I wanted red but red was not available, and might have been rather too attention getting for mother of the groom, distracting from the bride. Blue was just right.  You can see it as dress 81 in an earlier post. Here is another photo of me in the mother of the groom blue outfit. This outfit is vintage. The waist elastic has stretched. I pulled out a loop and tied knots in it. The last pink rose of summer matches perfectly. The design is asy...

I love Ann Balon dresses.  I wrote to the Ann Balon website asking for prices. I received the reply: 14:05 Ann Balon sent 5 hours ago Dear Angela, Our showroom is in Cheadle, Cheshire (just outside Manchester) where you are most welcome to come and visit us. Please ring for an appointment 0161 428 0659 or 07711 574 268 or email me at debra@annbalon.com If this is not convenient, we also sell online worldwide and would be delighted to send you the outfit of your choice on the understanding that if you were not completely satisfied we would offer you a full refund. Please visit our website www.annbalon.com where you can see all our collections. If you go to the Collection page you will be able to see the starting prices of each range. If you then forward me the names of the designs that you are interested in we can give you an exact price. Please feel free to contact us again with any further queries. Debra About the Author Of This Post Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and ph...