Dress Of The Day with Angela

  Elasticated Caftan I saw this dress in the main shop in Katathani Phuket Resort, Thailand. I had three days consider buying it. I was torn between buying a plain caftan and this elasticated version. The elasticated version was dearer. More unusual. It had a tie at the neck.  I could copy a plain caftan with two rows of stitching, even hand sewing. I did this once years ago when I first arrived in Singapore in 1993 and could not find clothes my size. To make a dress with an elasticated waist, a matching drawstring and matching tie to make a bow at the neck would take a lot more time. It was a different look. it felt a bit tight. Hot and sticky in humid Thailand. Constricting. On the other hand, eventually elastic goes loose. In cooler weather my body would get smaller. I should have bought both dresses in turquoise.  Why didn't I? Because I had already bought the rainbow dress. And a scarf. I had a small weight allowance on Scoot, the budget airline related to Singapore ...

Angela in striped apron with arrow accessory. Photo by Trevor Sharot. We were packing to move home. We filled 225 boxes, almost our entire container. I found this large bow. Too big to pack. Not used for years.  However, I wanted a record of it, to use it to illustrate a speech or talk with the theme of take aim. So, before throwing it away, I used it for a photo.  The bow symbolises moving forward, focussing on the future. Having an aim in life. 

  Angela Lansbury in red and blue DIY dress, with red ribbon belt and red ribbon bow. Photo by Trevor Sharot. The dress came from a wide skirt. I cut off the belt and was left with an oblong large enough and long enough for a dress. Blue suits my complexion and goes with my blue eyes. I love the red. I added a wide red ribbon belt, and a narrower red ribbon tied in a bow at the neck. I thought of having both the neck bow and the belt the same width of ribbon. Would that look more co-ordinated?  However, I was not sure that I had enough of either width.  A wider ribbon looks better as a belt. A smaller bow is less distracting from your face. With enough ribbon, I could leave the ribbons attached to the outfit.  Storing Ribbons and Belts At first I had ribbons stored in boxes on my sewing table. Then I decided that the wide black ribbon used as a belt was frequently needed. It could be found more quickly if I placed it on the rack with my belts on the wall behind the b...

  Burgundy cape from Shein. What is great? Colour. Packs small. Light weight. Any reservations? It is described as a cape coat which is a misnomer. It bears no relation to a coat. No sleeves, nor bodice. It is basically a circle in sections with four slits. The shoulders are shaped.  Wearing it over an Anthony Sicari top with absurdly large padded shoulders helps to give it more bulk and swing. I must admit I bought it two sizes larger. I wanted a long over garment because I have lots of maxi skirts and dresses.   I have bought cape blazers from China in what should have been my exact size but which were two sizes too small. The buttons and buttonholes don't meet in the middle. The garment doesn't do up, so it slides off your shoulders. Shein calls this style open front. It would hang better if it had a lining. Or if you bought two, in co-ordinating or contrasting colours and sewed the edges together. At a price of ten pounds sterling, plus two pounds for postage, th...

 Dress of the Day 130 Blue Diamond Pattern Blouse Jacques Vert Tuesday 3rd November 2020 The bow in my hair is the scarf which comes attached to the jacket. Jacques Vert blouse. The small diamond shapes embroidered are on the collar and the shoulders and the front between the buttons. Dres of the day 130. Photo by Sharot family. About the Author Of This Post Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.  Please see my other blogs and posts and share with your friends the links to your favourite posts. travelwithangelalansbury.blogspot.com dressofthedayangela.blogspot.com