Do belt loops mean a belt is mandatory?
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: Do I have to wear a belt just because there are belt loops on my pants?
— Robert, I’m 17
Dear Robert: For dress pants or a suit, you should wear a belt. Without a belt, you’re going to look as if something is missing. With jeans, you can go either way. Obviously, the original purpose of a belt is to hold up your pants, so if your pants are a little loose and you’ll be yanking them up constantly, the belt is an obvious solution. These guidelines apply to both men and women.
While we’re on the topic of belts, let me rant for a second about a fashion don’t: belts with worn-out holes that show you’ve either lost or gained weight. If that’s the case, it’s time to buy a new one. If you’re looking for leather, you’ll discover that they’re not cheap. However, thrift stores sell gently used leather belts for $5 or less for men and women.
One more piece of advice: Ladies, if the dress you buy has those little string loops on the side seams to hold your belt in place, either wear a belt or cut off the loops.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: Every fall I enjoy looking at the fashion magazines to see the trends. I’ve been intrigued by a runway look that mystifies me: women wearing ankle socks with expensive designer heels or wedges. Prada even was showing half-socks that left the toes bare. Does anyone actually wear these socks? — Marianna V.
Dear Marianna: Runway looks often are all about a wow factor that would look ridiculous on mere mortals like you and me. Ankle socks with high heels fits nicely into that category. Gorgeous young women who wear these clothes in the ads and editorial features in those magazines can pull off this or any weird look. The rest of us? Nope.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I’ll be attending a memorial service for a friend that is being held in an outdoor park. I have no idea what to wear. Can you help?
— Sue C.
Dear Sue: There is a trend to hold memorial services weeks, even months, after a person dies. And often they’re held in nontraditional locations like libraries, parks and other sites that hold special meaning in relation to the deceased. There’s no dress code for these events, but since the purpose is to show respect, a business casual approach is the safe choice.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: Help! Tiny holes have appeared on the front of several of my favorite T-shirts, and I do not know what to do to prevent this from happening. I don’t think I am catching my shirts in my jeans zipper, but it seems that the zipper has something to do with the causation. Can you explain why this is happening and tell me what I can do to protect my shirts going forward?
— Deb B.
Dear Deb: Stay out of the kitchen! The likely culprit is the kitchen countertop. If the edge of the counter is rough, rubbing against it is causing those holes. If your counter is made out of stone or granite and has a few tiny nicks, you’ve got your answer. Otherwise, you mention jeans, and it’s possible that the shirt is rubbing against the metal button closure of those pants.
Angelic readers 1
Readers had wise suggestions for M.A.E., who complained that when she traveled with her elderly mom, mom’s walker didn’t fit in the plane’s overhead compartment and she’d gate-check it only to get it back with broken wheels.
Margaret introduced me to a product I’d never heard of, a walker that has removable wheels. “She could remove the wheels and take them on board the plane in a purse or tote bag. They are easy to snap back into place — no tools required — when she reaches her destination,” said Margaret, who bought her walker at Walgreens. I found them at amazon.com as well.
Andrea W. points out that many senior centers have a “lending closet” if your traveler would prefer not bringing the cumbersome walker on a trip. She called ahead, and “we went from the airport right there to the senior center. When we were going back home, we simply stopped by and returned it.”
Angelic readers 2
To my rant about losing expensive socks in the wash, Ruth D. suggested putting socks and other smaller items in a zippered mesh bag and laundering them that way. I immediately went to amazon.com and bought a two-pack for under $6. Problem solved!
Angelic readers 3
Carolyn in Texas had trouble finding natural fiber clothes — linen or all-cotton — and readers wanted to help.
Marian finds them in catalogs: Blair (blair.com), Haband (haband.com), Vermont Country Store (vermontcountrystore .com) and National (shop national.com). Susan S. shops at sierratrading post.com and says, “The trick is to use the word ‘linen’ in your search.”
A reader (“another Ellen”) likes the linen clothing at J.Jill ( jjill.com) and Swedish Gudrun Sjoden (gudrunsjoden.com). Barbara L. and Priscilla S. like J.Jill too, and Priscilla advises waiting for the frequent sales and promotions.
Joanne S. recommends organic cotton clothes from Pact (wearpact.com). Carla J. suggests Oh My Gauze (ohmygauze.com). For all-cotton T-shirts, Judy shops Lands’ End (lands end.com) and L.L. Bean (llbean.com).
Angelic readers 4
A whole lot of you wrote to tell me I missed an obvious solution for the man who was fed up with the static cling in his travel pants, and you all were so right. I should have recommended trying Static Guard spray (Target, target.com, $3.49). As Becky G. pointed out, “That’s much cheaper than having to buy new pants.”
Now it’s your turn
Send your questions, rants, tips, favorite finds — on style, shopping, makeup, fashion and beauty — to answerangelellen@gmail .com.