Dress Of The Day with Angela

All in blue. Beautiful blue. At the fond farewell to writers at Writers' Summer School. August 2026. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. Useful Websites On Marks & Spencer https://www.marksandspencer.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marks_%26_Spencer Please share links to your favourite posts.

 I was looking for dress and jacket sets on Ebay. (As well as Temu and Shein.) I ended up with three outfits like the ones I already had from Temu and Shein. Plus a Parigi pair. The Parigi Name The Parigi label on the inside neck of the jacket says Florence, New York, London. The name Parigi is Italian for Paris. It is a family name indicating that the ancestor originally came from Paris. Parigi - Polyester - Small Part Silk Satin The label said 100% polyester. A designer label, and polyester? Well, Jacques Vert and Anthony Sicari use synthetic fabrics, which don't crease, so they look smart, enhanced by heady colours, elaborate embellishments or embroidery, soft edged necklines, fancy fabric-covered buttons. The opposite surprise is the 100% silk satin trim. Satin is silky one side and smooth the other side. The edging to the top of the dress has the silk satin trim, and the pendant design in the middle of the neckline. The Perfect Pink Colour I bought that outfit for two reasons,...

  My shoe soles melted in the heat. Black sticky mess on the floor. June in London 2026 has a heatwave, predicted to last long or get worse. With global warming, is this bad news for shoes? But is it the heat? Or their age? Or a combination, mean ing that elderly shoes, like elderly people, are more vulnerable to heat?  This problem is not unique to Padders, one of my favourite brands of good value shoes, but a general problem I had had with several brands. I have had the same from Marks & Spencer shoes.  Once, when my shoes disintegrated, and I tried to return them, or at least register a complain about the composition of the sole, the staff asked me how long ago I had bought the footwear.  Buying New Shoes I also had a pair of shoes disintegrate although I had never worn them. I didn't wear them because they were a size too small, my feet are different sizes so one shoe was too small, and my weight and ankles had increased. I kept them lovingly because they wer...

  Angela Lansbury in green outfit. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Mother's Day Card from Marks & Spencet. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Green Blouse Label TRU.  Fancy Buttons 3 buttons, one at the neck, one on each cuff. Multi facet glass(?) centre on small silver-colour flat backing plate. Green long jacket From Temu. From a two piece. Dress and jacket set. Scarf The pink and green scarf Is from the £1 scarf basket in St Luke's shop in Hatch Rnd north-west London. Please share the link to this post.

Today yet another item arrived in the post for me. What was it? It was small. A scarf. Low cost. I have half a dozen items in my watch lists on Ebay. Different colours, sizes, all with this month's trend, passion, serrated edges. Inexpensive vests and tops, a dress, jackets. Should I ask for one for my birthday? Let's admit it. I am addicted. To shopping. Every day I look at Ebay, pay for anything which I bid on, or made an offer on. I see in whatsapp what is about to be delivered. I am inundated by notifications.  Ebay tells me you won. Ebay tells me pay now. Ebay tells me you have paid.  PayPal tells me you have just paid. Paypal tells me my week's spending total. Royal mail tells me I have a tracking number. Royal Mail tells me the item is about to be delivered. Royal mail sends a picture of the item being delivered. Each one makes me go back on line. I can't walk past a sale sign. Or a Marks & Spencer's, or a supermarket such as Sainsbury's with sale clo...

 I loved the rose embellishment of multi-size sequins on this skirt. Silver sequin skirt with sequin rose embellishment. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. I saw the skirt on sale at Marks and Spencer in Harrow. But didn't buy it.  When I went back the sale rail had gone. I spent a week hunting all over the internet for it.  I finally found it at a higher price. I bought it.  It has a zip. The Sequin Skirt Lining The skirt has a lining. In grey. The lining is needed, not just to keep the stretchy fabric in shape. Importantly, the inside of the sequin fabric feels rough if the skirt rides up. I have not yet found the perfect top to match it. I ordered the skirt from Reskinned Resources, London, through Ebay. A pop-up questionnaire asked for feedback and I wrote 1 Have the manufacturer's number of the garment, so I know which of several silver sequin skirts I am buying.  2 Photograph distinctive  features in detail, such as inside pockets, sequin embellishm...

  Photos by Angela Lansbury. The Purple Top I ordered this online from ebay. It was XS, extra small, yet is quite big enough, quite large on me.  When I opened the packet, I wasn't sure if I liked the purple fabric, but I liked the turquoise and silver sequins. I was pleased that the sequin pattern was repeated on the back. I think front-only printing often looks cheap, as if the manufacturer or seller has economized on the quality of the cloth and the effort of lining up the pattern and not wasting fabric.  On the other hand, what is missing from Indigo Moon garments? Pockets. I shall manage. I usually wear a vest or jacket with pockets.  Any other hesitations, buyers's remorse? Also sequins on the back might damage something else. Clothes, such as a jacket or coat or scarf worn on top. What about the chair or car seat when you sit and lean backwards? What about tearing the fabric if you rest on a couch or bed for a nap? That hasn't stopped me from buying several In...

 Marks & Spencer Reminder The name Marks & Spencer consists of the surnames of the two founders. The company was founded way back in 1884 in Leeds in the North of England. Where exactly? In Leeds. Is that the Midlands or the north. It's the north. Leeds is one of ten cities called the Northern Powerhouse.  Michael Marks The co-founders were Jewish Michael Marks and Christian Thomas Spencer. Wikipedia states that Michael was a Jewish Polish imigrant.  Michael Marks. Photo from Wikipedia. Thomas Spencer Wikipedia doesn't say that Thomas was Christian but that' is obvius from the cross on his gravestone and the fact that his widow was active in the local church. The St Michael brand name was founded by Michael's son Simon, about twenty years after Michael's death, a name Simon chose in honour of his father. That early co-operation and close contact between Christians and Jews explains two things which had always puzzled me, why Jewish Marks had used the word sa...

 Tesco Top Details Size UK 12. The label says that the label itself (not the hat) is made from recycled bottles! Marks Hat Details Marks & Spencer. Autograph.  Made in China. The label warns, don't hand wash, don't dry clean, don't tumble dry and don't iron.  The technical term for a hat like this, ifyou want to ask for one in a shop or search online, is a fasinator. It consits of a headband with elaborate decoration on top. It does not hide the hair, but adds height to the wearer, and completes a co-ordinated look if in a colour which matches or co-ordinates with clothes. I remember thiking it cost a lot of money compared with a full size hat, more money for less fabric.  However, it is well made, does nto fall apart. And it adds interest to an outfit. I have worn it many times. Useful Websites Marks & Spencer Tesco

Angela Lansbury wearing a short summer dress with label Emery Rose from Shein. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Copyright. The Dress Details Made in China. It has a belt.  The fabric is slightly stretchy. Favourite Features The wide rickrack (zig-zag) braid enhances the skirt hem, the elbow length sleeves and the neckline. The neck has a wide shirt-style turn back collar. I tried folding it together at the neck but that wasn't nearly as good.  The brand is Emery Rose. This label is for buyers, usually older, who like conventional and covered up clothes, not the revealing, cutaway clothes exposing all sort of bits you are trying to hide. Shein and Emery Rose Emery Rose label clothes are abundant on Shein's website. Are they exclusive to Shein, and/or owned by Shein? It's complicated. Read the Wikipedia article. When you understand it, explain it to me. Two big surprises. The Shein HQ, presumably admin, is in Singapore. But their operttions are in China. I don't know if I have got...

  My black background tunic, or long tee shirt, from Primark is size 2. The neck label also says Made in Bangladesh.  The pattern on the front says Botanical index. When you look carefully, under each flower is a number, not a name. Flower # 1 to Flower #10. The flower colours are red, orange, yellow. blue, with green stalks. Primark Times & Places I checked Primark opening times. Their store in Harrow was open until 7 pm on Monday June 16th 2025. Harrow is a huge interchange with buses at the bus station opposite the shopping mall going all over London and to Heathrow, and the railway station connecting to central London. Primark sells clothes, shoes, bags, underwear, shoe liners, all sorts of handy and cheap items. St Luke's St Luke's in Hatch End opened at 9.30 in the morning. Useful Websites https://www.primark.com/en-gb/c/women/nightwear-and-lingerie/lingerie-ranges/ https://www.stlukes-hospice.org/shops/? Please Bookmark so you can quickly return to this post and sha...

  I searched online for leopard skin print and found a shirt from Temu. For men. I presume the cut is broader at the shoulders . Also I would expect with no bust darts, although a lot modern women's shirts have no bust darts.  The snazzy shirt costs under ten pounds.  With free shipping. But that is only on goods shipped from their warehouse.other sellers have a threshold or minimum spend. Anyway, now we know you can get leopard skin pattern for men. They say it is true to size. You can click on their how to measure diagram. This covers bust, waist, hips and height. The pattern is a choice of colours. Black and white goes with more accessories, as well as formal occasions. The alternative is  what they call yellow, which looks brown on my screen. Brown can look good if you have brown hair, brown shoes and socks, and a brown belt. Light in the Box website offers brown or grey, 18.90 pounds, GBP, Great Britain pounds, reduced from 21 pounds. Four pounds shipping for th...

  The Marks & Spencer Jacket I bougtht the jacket because I wanted a long open ended zip to go on a long wrap around dressing gown without the garment gapping. I bought in a hurry. Only one pound. When I got it home I noticed it had a hood. My first thought was, that's handy, I've been looking online for hoods to add to some jackets and coats. I thought the jacket looked small.  In fact, when I tried it on it hugged me tight like underwear. This was good. It felt like a corset. The tight jacket worn over the too-long skirt, it helped keep the skirt up so that I didn't trip over it. However, my idea of cutting up the jacket went when I saw the label. Marks & Spencer. That's a brand I trust. Properly finished seams. No loose ends. Although one of a multi-pack set of underwear, the waist cotton pulled out.) But outer garments are always strongly made. The black jacket is from Marks & Spencer, No neck label. That is good. Nothing to irritate the neck. I discover...

  La Senza pyjamas. Photo by Trevor Sharot. I bought from charity shop, St Luke's, in Hatch End. I usually wear night dresses rather than pyjamas. So, why did I buy them? I saw them in the one pound box of unsold rejects which I always search through.  Altering The Pyjama Trousers (Americans Say Pants) \I was considering turning the trousers into a skirt. I did this many times when I was living for several months of the year in Singapore. You slit the seam up the inside legs of the trousers and carefully across the crotch. I hesitated. Then I found the top. Why were they separated? The Pyjama Top The pyrama top was the same plaid or tartan. The top had only one pocket. Just enough for a paper hanky. (Americans say paper tissues.) If you attached the cut pyjama bottoms to the hem of the top it could make a dress. It becomes a shirt waister. The top still buttons up but the skirt would be pulled on over your head. You need trousers without pockets. These pyjama bottoms don't hav...

  Angela Lansbury wearing a black Marks & Spencer coat reversed. Photo by Trevor Sharot. The magenta lining was such a pretty colour that I preferred it to the black outside. If a coat has a label at the neck which shows, or one on the side seam, you could either cut it off or cover it with black ribbon sewn on. Some people, such as the royal family, are reputed to always include a funeral outfit in their packing in case it is needed. (I always pack a swimsuit, so as not to miss out, and an evening outfit, in case I get invited to a party or wedding or smart restaurant for dinner.) An alternative is to have a reversible coat or jacket. Useful Websites https://www.marksandspencer.com/ Please share links to your favourite posts.

Period pants from Savida. Pants, UK. In the USA they would be called underpants. They come in two colours, black or dark blue with a mottled effect. They are triple layer. Could be useful for hiking and travelling. Or when you have a cough.  A pack of three full briefs for fifteen pounds. I then googled period pants and found lots of results.  Marks Marks & Spencer do a pack of three containing three different colours, black, white and pink, for sixteen pounds.  They also do different absorbencies. The options range though light, heavy, and extra heavy. And more styles, such as pantaloon style, like short tight shorts coming half way down your thighs. You can also buy leakproof swimwear with the brand name WUKA. Wikipedia has useful worldwide reviews of practices. Wiki picture. Useful search words (alphabetically):  A-D absorbent, absorbency adult diapers briefs,  cloth menstrual pads diapers E-K full briefs,  heavy absorbency,  heavy flow,  i...

Angela Lansbury with Happy Anniversary cards and red tulips. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Copyright. The Pale Pink Waterfall Cardigan Label Atmosphere. Shop Primark, the budget store, with branches in Harrow, London, and many other places. Colour light or pale salmon pink. Style, waterfall effect, no buttons nor fastening. A horizontal hanging ribbon across the inside neck, stops it falling off a hanger. The ribbon is satin effect, shiny on the face, matt on the reverse.  The sleeves are ribbed. I have folded them back twice to make a cuff because they are too long for my arms Size UK/IRL 14. ES/PT 42.  D/NL 40. ((UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Germany and The Netherlands.). The Silk Blouse The blouse is very soft. It feels like sand-washed silk.100% silk. Made in China. Hand wash. Medium Pink. I was going to say dark pink but there's a darker blue-ish pink. The label is Glassons. Blouse Style  It has thin shoulder pads. Short sleeves. Size M for medium.. Reversible Black...

  Orange dress from Marks  & Spencer. Other items were gifts to the wearer, including the home made necklace. Photo by Angela Lansbury. I wear a lot of red, white and black. However, the soothing creamy green and orange combination worn by my new friend appealed to me. If you are looking for dresses in Marks & Spencer, in August (the Harrow branch in St Anne's outdoor shopping mall) had dresses for sale. I thought the prices were quite high, some reduced by as much as 70%, others by 30 to 50 per cent, several around forty pounds, others around thirty or about twenty. But tee-shirts included  an atractive one in white wiht a plam tree pattern in the centre, at under twenty pounds.   The sale was in August 2023. I expect that every year August will be the time to look in the sales.  

Do you remember the old Marks & Spencer label, St Michael? It suggested reliability, above the average. In those days marks had just one label. Label Images They have since added several new brands. Some names suggest sizes, such as Petite. Others, like Footglove, for woman's shoes, indicating both function, foot, and quality, softness and flexibility.  Other Marks brands added were Autograph and Per Una. Fun Labels Would you ever want to start a business and choose a label?  You don't need to have a business to have a label. Many people like to label jams or bottles of wine with family names or funky names for weddings, or just for fun at home. Personalising is the thing. Many businesses and brand names use the first name, last name, or intials of the founders. Or the founder's spouse or children, or their ancestor who started the company. What if you want to turn old items into new, then you have more than you need? As soon as you start to sell clothes, you need a lab...

 Who would have thought Marks & Spencer had so many brands? Years ago there was just St Michael. St Michael meant quality clothes, firm seams which would not unravel, fabrics which did not shrink when washed, colours which did not run, a spare button for when you lost one. Good service meant that if you found a fault, the item could be returned. With many large stores in large cities, you could easily find somewhere to buy goods, or somewhere to return goods.  From 1928 to the year 2000.  Now, in 2023, we have the choice of Autograph and many more.  What has changed? And was it only Marks which changed, or did Marks lead the way or lag behind cautiously sticking to tradition?  Nowadays companies have different names for the brands for children, teens, women and men. They might have a budget range and an expensive range. Their brands include Autograph Per Una Useful Websites https://www.marksandspencer.com/c/brands/az-of-brands Post being updated today. Pleas...