Dress Of The Day with Angela

 Four items arrived all together. Such fun.  I had been looking for a long dress with a matching long jacket. Usually sold at around twenty pounds, sometimes nearer forty. I decided to opt for the cheapest as some of the reviews were not favourable. Website photo. 265 1 The Little Black Dress I was seduced by the picture of a black and white top. I do not need more tops. I have umpteen tops. You then have to spend hours finding something to match. On hoidy you are never as put together as other people in expensive dresses, or even cheap dersses.  Besides, a top can end up too short, leaving a bar midriff, hanging lopsided. Or too long, bulky when tucked in. However, I am short so a long tunic top in a large size might do as a dress for me. it could be worn over a long black satin effect half slip.  This top and a white flower lace double lace-strap, no sleeve.  Yes, pretty and sophisticated. black and white does for all seasons. I wore it with both strps over my...

  Angela Lansbury, top right, with cream colour lace background. Lovely Lace  I love lace. I have a white lace tablecloth covering a bookcase as my background on Zoom. But white lace doileys look old, shabby and old-fashioned. You can dye them deep colours. Use them as collars, neck fillers or dickeys. Solid colour lace is quite fashionable and available in 2022. My modern lace sleeve dress was polyester. The Design & Construction Lace can be made with strong thread, fine thread, or a mixture. Chantilly lace has strong threads linking intricate and delicate patterns of leaves and flowers. Black lace can be worn as a sophisticated evening fashion. For an evening shawl. In the old days it was considered romantic and luxurious. A lace shawl would be part of the trousseau of garments for a bride-to-be. A lace tablecloth with matching lace edge napkins might be a wedding gift. It can add delicacy and distraction at a funeral or time of mourning. You can create lace with a croch...

I would simply have slit the t-shirt down the back and linked it with ribbons. Method one. Method 2 is slit it down the side seams and insert a vertical wide ribbon each side. Or link with a pice of horizontal ribbon and wear a camisole to fill the gap visually. Method 3 would be to slit it down the front and wear it like an open front jacket. Agains, you can fill the gap with either vertical or horizontal ribbon. Of a metal joining clip. This video shows you a totally different and more inventive system with a second t shirt and curves. You start with a small tee-shirt you really like.  Take another tee-shirt, then cut a curve for each side and extend to under the arm. Insert on both sides of the smaller tee-shirt. Use spare material from the larger tee chirt to make a matching edging for a v-neck which you cut out. Works best when the larger item has no pattern. .

  Angela Lansbury wearing blue, bell-sleeve, lace dress. It was advertised as 'broderie anglaise' and lace. Lace yes. Broderie anglaise, no, not in my opinion, because that has round eyelets, each one edged with blanket stitch.  The pattern runs up and down, which is subtly slimming.  The fabric is firm, almost like furniture covering, stiff. The washing label says 100% polyester. Unbranded dress. A mystery. Made in Romania. Pencil style skirt. Size ten. Slightly small for me. Does make me look young and trendy.  I should pair it up with a blue hat. For the total look. Or match all the accessories in a contrast colour such as red, or white. However, I am happy with it as it is, with no distractions. The main feature of the photo is those fabulous, fun sleeves.  Useful Websites eBay.com eBay.co.uk Please share links to your favourite posts.

I have a long black slip from Marks & Spencer. In Singapore, where the tropical heat affects you indoors and out all year, it can feel sticky. However, it goes with so many items that I wear it a lot. When I take it off, I can wash it out at night. Next morning it is dry, or dry enough. The colours won't run. I went looking for something similar in Mustafa's 24 hour department store near Little India MRT underground station in Singapore. They had cotton petticoats for wearing under sarees. Drawstring waists. That was not what I wanted. But I bought three of them.   Now I need or want a green underskirt. Plain, not patterned. I have hunted through my wardrobe. I have loads of green tops but no co-ordinating skirt. The only alternatives are white and black - or contrasting orange or red. My friend Carolyn, who is Indian, and Singaporean, tells me that you can get long petticoats to go under sarees for about 2 dollars, singapore dollars, in Little India. I must go and look. I...

Angela Lansbury in mustard yellow colour dress. Photo by Trevor Sharot. I found this dress online when I was in London. I was looking for something like my Ann Balon dress which I wore at our son's wedding. Ann Balon dresses, even on sale in the shops and online, are expensive, and heavy.  I looked for dress and matching scarf, lace dress, two piece dress.   I found this dress listed under boho which is short for bohemian. It had several features which I liked. The matching top and under-dress. The lace inserts, known as godets.  The long sleeves which hitch up.  I was disapointed in the colour because I was wearing vibrant reds and royal blues and green. However, the mustard goes perfectly with blonde hair. And with gold-rimmed glasses. I thought the dress was dull and the sleeves were too heavy for Singapore. However, in Singapore you can be quite cold indoors in an air-coonditioned restaurant. Outdoors, you might want your arms covered to protect yourself fro...

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...

 Anthony Sicari outfits come with a matching scarf. Usually skirt, top and scarf, or skirt, top and jacket and scarf. You often find a top offered on its own. I suspect they have become detached from the full outfit. I like Anthony Sicari outfits because they are loose and baggy. This was important when buying on the internet to be sure the items would fit. The colours of this outfit are more suited to spring or summer. Mostly white. Colours Most of the outfits I see are for autumn or winter with a heavy knit bodice to the top,. Often the colour of the knitted part in a dark blue or red or black with vibrant contrasting satiny inset or appliqe. I keep a constant watch on ebay. If you live in the USA or UK, you are in luck. You save on the postage.  Angela's Accessories  White fabric hat brim with velcro at the back. From Walker's Hat Shop, Descanso, California. USA The hat brim is washable. The lace makes it more dressy. The white shoes are Les Jumelles (french for twins)...

 with black hat with white headband. Sept 12 2020