Dress Of The Day with Angela

  A Sharot wearing a black Alpe d'Huez jacket. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.  The jacket has an integral hood. The hood keeps the neck warm. It cannot get detached, left behind, lost. The name of the ski resort is embroidered in orange. Above are mountain peaks outlined in white. Also in white is the height of the mountains, 3330 metres. Why do I need to know the height? Is that very high? My search question produced an AI answer which was a copy of an opening paragrph froom Wikipedia - 'altitude, as Alpe d'Huez's  Pic Blanc  summit at this height makes it one of the highest points in France and a reliable source of snow for its long ski season.  For context, this altitude is higher than the summit of the  Eiffel Tower  (about 300 meters) and most of the highest peaks in the British Isles, such as  Ben Nevis  (1,345 meters).' To match the orange colour of the embroidered name, also in orange are the zip with long fabric pulls, and the ...

  A zip / zipper sewn into a wrap-around coat. Photo by Angela Lansbury.   What Is A Zip In England we say zip. Americans say zipper. This is a rare occasion when it is the Americans who use the long word, and the British use the shorter word. Mostly it is the other way round. Who Needs A Zip? I sewed a zip in a coat. I had been meaning to do this for years. What stopped me?  My old, warm, hooded coat was brown, a colour which no longer suits me. I kept meaning to throw it out or give it away.  But it was useful to wear in the garden where it protected me from brambles and thorns on roses, from biting gnats.  It kept me warm. It and stopped me getting too wet when I went out to the garage. That is what it did most of the time. However. it did not protect me enough all the time. On one occasion I got snagged by thorns, my legs scratched and a nice skirt was torn. The next time, I got bitten by insects. I was not happy.  I was still not prepared to jettison t...

I wanted pockets on my new read dress from Shein.  I could not do a concealed zip up pocket. The side seams are securely sewn. Too secure for me to add a belt or pocket. Cutting curves is not my thing, unless a saucer is the right size to make a template. How about buying a ready-made pocket? Or half a dozen wholesale, multi-buy? Price\ I found a 'security pocket; on Amazon. It costs 3.97 pounds - free postage if you have Amazon prime.  Security The security seems to be a zip. Maybe more. How the zip fastens. Iron On I read through all the comments. Most sewers, don't trust iron-on items.  Nor do I. I have had the sticky back detach in the past, either from washing the garment, or just out of spite! One person complained that the iron on part was the wrong side of the pocket. But most people were sewing, instead of ironing on, not in addition to ironing on. Firm Fabric People pointed out that trouser pockets are often of thinner material. Yes, you don't want bulky pockets...

  Angela lansbury wearing a blue towelling robe with a red zip added. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. My blue towelling robe was originally wrap-around. I sewed in a long red zip. I wanted to do the same with a pink wra around towelling robe. The Perfect pink zip, dress 607. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. I have a pink towelling wrap. I don't wear it often after a shower. I wear it mostly to go swimming. I wear it walking around the pool. Also through the building and going up in the lift. I am meeting other people who are dressed, some dressed for work, some formally dressed for work, so I don't want to be in a flapping wrap. I had already sewn a red zip into a dark blue towelling wrap. I wear it every day. So I was keen to do the same to the pink wrap. I measured the zip in the other garment, the blue robe. I found that 32 inches was ideal. But, if that was too expensive or out of stock, 22 inches was adequate. I told the friend the colour and the lengths. At the s...

  Gladiator sandals in gold. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Evening Shoes Needed I need new shoes. Smart evening shoes. Gold evening shoes.  Why? Because my old fancy gold shoes have broken. They were Cushion-Walk. Model number FZ975.. Size UK 4E, EU 37, US size 6. Broken heel on Cushion-walk gold sandal. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. What could replace such pretty sandals! Gold sandals from Cushion-walk. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright. Do I need to buy new shoes? No. I just gave a speech on shop in your spare room. Shop in your own cupboards. Save space. Save time. Save clutter. Save the planet from those piles of unwanted goods which are sent to Africa.  Now the empty spaces are full. The piles of clothes and shoes and accessories are catching fire, polluting the air, sending out methane gas, polluting the water with dye from new clothes, with dirt from stained and old unwashed clothes. Filling up land with piles of rubbish. The land could instead be used for foo...

  Angela Lansbury wearing a green Gillian outfit. Photo by Trevor Sharot. This outfit consists of a long green skirt and matching top. The label is Gillian CLASSIC FEMME. Made in Korea.  Size 14.   Dry clean. I won't dry clean. Instead, I shall wear it with a black long sleeve vest underneath which I can wash daily.  The fabric is unusual. 70% polyester. So it does not crease.  20% Triasteit. I have never heard of that. The last 10 per cent is viscos (sic). Not viscose with an e at the end, v i s c o s. Hm? The Top The top has a lovely cut and an agreeable fabric. It has lightly padded shoulders. The sleeves are net. Stretchy net.  It feels comfortable. The Cut Of The Top The cut is most unusual. The back of the top is in three sections. Two curved lines down  from the shoulders.  It feels as if it fits well. It feels better than it looks. Size 14 is a little loose on me, since the post Covid-19, diet for a healthier weight. But the charm of ...

Angela Lansbury wearing navy waistcoat or gilet. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Angela wearing navy gilet at Toastmasters International, Singapore, speech contest. Photo by bystander. You can  see the dark navy gilet on my right shoulder. Your gilet or waistcoat has to be short enough to hide under the hem of your jacket, or the jacket must be long enough to cover the gilet. Traditionally, a man's suit consisted of a waistcoat which ended at the waist and had two outside pockets ending at the hem, whilst the jacket was longer. I have a waistcoat which has to be worn on every journey with every outfit. I actually have several traditional waistcoats inherited from my uncle, but the pockets have no zips. Not safe for doorkeys, credit cards, lipsticks or anything of value. What is a gilet? A French word for what the British call a waistcoat and what the Americans call a vest.   I thought my gilet came from Patra, but they made the light, silk, navy hooded jacket. My lightweight, nav...

  Angela Lansbury in pink and blue dress by Matthew Williamson. Photograph by Trevor Sharot. I added a pink ribbon belt tied in a bow at the side, pink pointy-toe platform shoes and a hat with a large pink brim. I carried my pink 2022 diary. The belt is not needed. It is simply to enhance the colour pink. I could do another picture with a blue belt, blue shoes and a blue hat, or black. The dress number is mine, numbered sequentially, so I can locate the pictures of dresses which otherwise might all be listed similarly by colour as the red dress or the pink dress. Style The dress is small, UK size 8. The style has three figure-hugging bands, from the neck to the waist, with a zip at the centre back,  from the waist to the hips and from the hips to the hem.   I am pointing to a pink pot-grown orchid. Fabric and Washing The fabric feels thick and soft. It is 94% viscose, 6% elastane. The lace contrast cap sleeves are 69% cotton and 31% Nylon.  I was disappointed to...

   Blue stripe top (by E nine) worn over a white tennis style pleated skirt. Selfie. Blue strip top worn as a skirt Why so bulky? I'd forgotten I was wearing the white skirt underneath. Selfie by Angela. I also tried the dress back to front. Longer at the front, it hangs like a shift dress. Neat.  Very smart, but, oops, oh dear. It is much too short at the back. It shows your bottom at the back. As for climbing steps or bending over wearing this outfit, forget it.  You could cover the back high hem with a long jacket. Or white cape blazer. However, the neck is actually cut to fit the body. It is lower at the front. So when you turn it around, the higher part at the front cuts across your neck and constrains your shoulders and upper arms. I looked good but did not feel comfortable. Back to the way the designer and cutter intended, with the label at the back of the neck.  Blue and white striped dress 368, folded wrap style to lengthen the front to knee-length. (Th...

  Dress 282. Pink hat completes the look. Photo selfie by Angela Lansbury. Purple, soft, silk skirt, tightened and lengthened. Photo by Trevor Sharot. This lovely soft silk skirt had sat in the cupboard unworn. The size was 22. Huge. Even when I was huge, the skirt waist was too large. After a year's dieting, my waist was even smaller. The skirt waist size was ridiculous.  Could I cut the waistband, and all the way down the skirt, making the detached edges overlap? Would that risk a gap?  Whatever the result, currently the skirt was of no use, merely hanging up, taking space, but never worn. It might sit in the wardrobe forever, waiting to be inherited. Then the pristine garment might be thrown, discarded, in the bin, by descendants who wanted to do house clearance in a hurry.  My skirt deserved to be worn. The seamstress, who had spent hours making it, deserved to have their work not wasted.  I had lovely soft fabric. I had a gorgeous colour to match up. I had ...

Hand sewn zip added to handbag with magnetic button closure. Photo by Angela Lansbury.  I looked for advice on hand sewing a zip in a pocket. If I have open pockets I am likely to lose items, or at least drop them and feel foolish retrieving them. I have sewn a button onto a towelling bathrobe pocket to secure my phone. No need to cut a buttonhole. Just sew on a piece of ribbon. However, for travelling on a plane and long journeys when I might be taking off my jacket to go through security it is extra important to have secure pockets. So I am sewing in zips. The first thing to note is that the British word is zip but Americans say zipper. From one of the YouTube videos I learned some handy tips. 1 You can cut a nylon zip which is too long. 2 If you want stronger cotton you can put your thread through bees wax, which is sold in a small disc shape in a plastic saucer with notches both sides so you can lower your thread into the wax. (I use button thread, which is thicker, but you nee...