Dress Of The Day with Angela

I wore this outfit to the Area contest of Toastmasters International at Watford. I had won first place in both the Table Topics contests at Club level, for Harrovians Speakers' Club, which meets at a church near Harrow in the Hill and Harrow station, then for HOD Speakers' Club meeting in South Harrow in the annexe to a church near South Harrow station and bus stop. At the Area Contest I represented Harrovians.  Sandals by Seibel Josef Seibel. Two-colour sandals. Touch and close fastening.  Knitted open front coat Black coat. Seed beads on imitation velvet with small ribbon roses.  The washing tag has the manufacturer's name cut out. I presume this was because the item was given to a charity shop; and the donor wanted to prevent a buyer returning the item to the retailer and claiming a full price refund. Skirt Anthony Sicari. Goes with all my red, and black clothes. It has a pattern so it goes with plain red or plain black. It was a size 10, too small at the waist. I cut ...

  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...

  From Temu.  Red and White Dress, Two Piece Set Size large. Polyester 95%. Elastane 5%. Made in China. Do not dry clean. Perfect.  Arrived fast, in time for my birthday.  Red Sandals Now I need red summer sandals to wear with it. I have some. Brand Free-step. The Red Jacket The jacket has no fastening, no buttons, what is called edge to edge. If you stand badly or have a broken collar bone or other bone, the jacket hangs lopsidedly.  I did it up at the neck. I looked for a brooch. I had second thoughts. I did not want to risk making a hole in the jacket fabric, especially in an obvious place like top centre under the neck. I saw an elastic hairband. I pulled the two top corners of the jacket through the band - not tight enough. So I  twisted the elastic band into a figure of eight, folded it into a double circle, and pulled the corners through a second time. That worked. The Full Length Sleeves The red sleeves reach my wrists. That is good. If I wanted, I ...

  Peeling sandals surface. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.  Cushion Walk Collapse The surface started peeling off my sandals. Like paint peeling off woodwork. Horror. Disappointment. I can't wear that. It looks shabby. It annoys me. I am worried that the rest of the shoe will disintegrate. My husband is likely to grab them and throw them in the bin. But they are cofortable. Handy for travelling. What should I do ? Throw them away - no. How could I rescue them? I held them in my hands, wondering whether I  could separate the sole. As I held them, more 'paint' peeled off.  I scratched off some more. The white surface underneath was intact, not disintegrating,  nor scratched nor stained.  I continued. I didn't want to damage my fingernails. I tried rubbing with my finger tips. New Colour of Rescued Shoes Eventually I had a new colour of sandals. The sandals were originally dark pink and grey. (American spelling gray.)    Photo by Angela Lan...

Sher in sheer delight white outfit, with boyfriend Kit. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.  New Zealand Dress Code New Zealanders wear shorts and short sleeved-shirts in their summer, the last of which is February when the schools resume. New Zealanders don't wear short sleeves and shorts only at lunch time. They go out to to utdoor restaurants dressed like that, too. Jandals and Flip-Flops - The Advantages Kit is wearing what the British call flip-flops. The New Zealanders call them jandals, short for Japnese sandals.  We think of flip-flops as footwear suitable for being almost barefoot on the beach. Shake out sand. Wash them off. When walking along the shore you can take them off in a hurry to paddle - and they are light to carry. They protect your soles from sharp rocks and stings. But leave you free to enjoy the sunshine and freedom from enclosure or rubbing. You can wiggle your toes.  Put them on quickly for scorching hot sand, or rough paths. Or bars and restaura...

Firstly the shoes. You must allow for your feet to swell. And to remove shoes at security!  Gladiator sandals look glamorous and have a quick zip. (Americans say zipper.) However, I go for Velcro or hook and close fastenings. I must admit that some designs don't protect your toes. Travel Changes Into An On Board Plane Outfit  On one press travel trip, our frequent flyer destination PR escort revealed her secret. She travelled wearing a smart suit to greet her group at the departure airport and make a good impression  However, she carried a  pair of velvety soft, stretchy travel 'pyjamas'. She changed into them on boarding the plane.  On the long descent for landing she quicklychanged back into a smart suit which was figure fitting. This meant watching for an opportunity to dash to the toiets when the fasten seatbelt signs were on and off and on.  Scarves Scarves are a quick fix to smarten up an outfit, especially in the evening. If you land late for dinner ...

Socks and Sandals  In France I wore two pairs of socks, The long socks were an accident. I did not expect to wear them except rolled down. i just grabbed them at the last moment because I wanted a pair of socks.  They were a blessing in two ways.  1 They were long and an extra layer of warmth. I could wear them under or over a pair of short socks.  2 I thought they looked odd. However, a lady at the table behind me, with her back to me, turned and said to me, "I like your colourful socks!"  We quickly became friends and exchanged phone numbers. I wore adjustable sandals to fit over the double socks. I had no tights. Then I discovered, leftover from my trip to Thailand, very thin rayon trousers. I wore them in lieu of tights. Leg covering. Another layer of warmth.  Skirt and Slip I wore a long red skirt. Underneath I wore a long black half slip. How could I cover my legs? I had brought no tights. I had to cover my legs. I found  my black swimshorts,...

  Angela Lansbury wearing a Thai silk jacket, and silk trousers, as a guest at a Muslim Malay wedding in Singapore. Photo from Sharot family. Copyright. A friend of mine from Toastmasters asked me, 'Are they all your own clothes, or are they borrowed?' If I am wearing them, they are my own clothes.  If somebody, usually a glamorous young woman, at a bus stop or on a train, is photographed by me, those are not my clothes but belong to the wearer. The same applies to clothes worn by my husband or other men. I have kept to the sequential numbering system. So I do not have 234 outfits because some of them are other women or men. Also, sometimes I feature a zip, or a pair or shoes, or handbag, so it is not a complete outfit. However, I decided it was easier to stick to sequential numbers in case I want to refer back to a post or to answer a reader's query. At first I called all the posts dress of the day because that is the name of the blog. then I decided it was more accurate t...

Angela Lansbury adds a red wall hanging and accessories to enhance her red butterfly outfit. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Copyright.  I rescued a red Japanese wall hanging. Why? Because it new and free. Because it was clean and pristine. Because it was red. Because it had two handy rollers and an A hanging strap.  I wanted to save the money used to clear litter, and the space given to discarded items which clutter the earth and endanger animals. I was sorry for all the people who had worked to make the work of art. Above all the person who designed it, thinking their creation had created pleasure and would last forever. I also felt sorry for the seller. And the buyer, who thought it would be a welcome gift. Did they have buyer's remorse?  Back home, I looked at it. I could understand buyers' remorse. The lady in the portrait was rather sour faced, which made me sad.  So I took out a pen and gave her mouth a slight uplift. I was looking for something red to complement a re...

  I have two favorite types of shoes for travelling. I mostly wear sandals which have hook and loop (Velcro or touch and close). You can take them off fast. But now I am adding slip on shoes, synthetic clogs with pull forward, pull back, straps, flat mules At Airport Security Checks I have to take off shoes or sandals at security. Put them in the box which x-rays them. Or remove them when something goes ping because of a metal buckle on my sandals, belt, or bra. You can put them back on fast. They expand when your feet swell in the heat when going for a summer holiday. Or when your feet shrink, you can tighten. The real deal, Crocs, can be expensive, if you want full price this year's latest design and colour. They are expensive in department stores in Singapore, even last year's model and colour, in the sale. I looked on ebay and Shein. Their marketing has me, my email, in their sights, for emails, imploring me to buy now, during sale time. Guess what colour I was looking for?...

The overflowing Suitcase I had been packing for weeks The suitcase was full with extra items in piles either side. I kept taking things out, putting new things in, and starting all over again.  The Multiple Lists I kept trying to make a list. The red dress on day one, the green on day two, the red shoes, the yellow shoes. I needed five outfits if I wore the same dress on the journey down and the journey back. I wanted a day outfit and an evening outfit. I could take two reversible dresses. But did I have the right colour bras and slips?  Each time, I started a new list. I ended up with four lists and could not tell which was the latest. Chaos The whole room was a mess. I had so many tops and skirts and could not decide.  Urgent Solution Needed But I needed to tidy the house for family and visitors. I had to get everything into the suitcase and then put the spare clothes back in the wardrobe. (Americans say closet.)  It was a nightmare.  Count The Days I took eve...

  Photo by Trevor Sharot. Photo taken outdoors on the balcony, early evening, with 2 spotlights. Red nighty from Mustafa Centre, Little India. The nighty is worn daytime as a dress. The dress is light and loose. My husband likes it. I find the colour lively and jolly. Red energises me. The zip down the front makes it quick and easy to put on. But less voluminous than a caftan.  Pocket I like the pocket on the right. It is large. For a hanky I suppose. I would prefer pockets on both sides. Why Add A Belt? The red colour enhances the red and co-ordinates with the shoes and hat, bridging the gap between them. To tighten the wasitline of the the dress and look more sophisticated, I added the belt. I tied the belt at the side so as not to obscure the pattern at the front. At the side it does not distract from my face. Why not at the back? So it can be seen adding decoration from the front. Also not to create a lump at my back when sitting at the computer or at meals. Red Belt I hav...

Elastic stretch and security, on sandals from Mustafa's Department sotre. Photo by Angela Lansbury Shop In Many Small Shops Or One Large Store? I looked at the inexpensive and mostly plastic sandals in shops in Little India as we walked from the Little India MRT station. I could have stopped at a dozen shops. However, that would have taken up most of our time and energy. However, my focused husband was intent on sticking to our plan, which was to shop in Mustafa's department store for a large number of different items, starting with our food, ending with my shoes. Department Store Success So we continued to Mustafa's, which proved to be a great success.  I was looking for sandals, which are adjustable across the toes as well as around  the ankle. Why? To take on and off quickly, hurried in the morning, changing shoes and tired in the evening, changing for the swimming pool, and importantly, at security checks at airports.  Disappointing Display - Don't Be Disappointed I...

  Orange wedge sandals with fabric flower by Castaner, vintage, owned by Angela Lansbury. Photo by Angela Lansbury. The good news is you can still buy wedge heel rope edge shoes from Castaner - notice the diacritic over the n, making a ny sound, as in manyana.  My favourite orange shoes with the fabric flowers with two layers of five petals. Open toe. Orange lining to match. So jolly. They make me happy. The latest designs are rainbow colours. The fabric is canvas, they say. Sold in London and Singapore. And franchises worldwide. Useful websites Castaner shoes in rainbow colours, on sale online from at least two sources, Feb 2021. In UK https://www.castaner.com/en-int/woman/sandals?___from_store=en-uk In Singapore https://www.mytheresa.com/en-sg/designers/castaner.html About the Author Angela Lansbury teacher of English (advanced and English as a Second Language or English as a Foreign Language, French and other languages, aspiring polyglot. Angela Lansbury, travel writer and ...

  Same picture without the starburst.  Same picture with blue Hotter shoes The blue stripe top is another top worn inside out. You may have seen the top in my posts before showing it the right way around with the leaf effect. The top was from Primark in Harrow, London, UK. Under the blue top is an orange short sleeve vest. I thought, that orange doesn't go with the blue. But then I added the orange hat. I went to look for an orange scarf and found one with brown and blue. Almost never worn, because of the unusual combination of colours. Now I had a use for it. Let me just tell you about the source of the top which started this outfit. Primark. Primark Primark is one of my favourite bargain stores in London, England, UK. 9I have to mention England, UK , because to Americans in north America the nearest London is Canada. When I left the USA, where I had been living for thee years, I told Americans I was going to London, and I received letters months later address to me, simply i...

 Photo by Trevor Sharot.  Two lines of giraffes are around the hem.  Matching Brown Sandals I have matched the clothes with brown sandals, which I rarely wear. I found brown boring. But they match the colours and pick out the giraffe theme.  Above the giraffes, above the snow-capped mountains, you can read the words Mount Kilimanjaro in black. The black lettering is almost invisible, blending in with the black of the pattern. Skirt Converted Into A Dress The dress is actually a skirt. I am not tall and many dresses drag on the ground and trip me up as well as getting dirty around the hem and caught in my heels. So I hoist up the skirt and find it fits well around the bust, especially with shirred elastic. I recently discovered that you can add wide ribbons, two at the front and two at the back, to secure the dress in place, stop it slipping down or down on one side. Kilimanjaro is just south of the Kenyan border. Most souvenirs are t-shirts because that is what climb...