Denim trends always changing
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: Are ripped jeans still in style? I see them out and about and still like them. A friend of mine (who’s not very fashion-forward) said she heard they are out of style and now I just wonder. Please let me know what you think.
— Pam M.
Dear Pam: Wear your ripped, distressed jeans now, but don’t buy any more. Denim trends are — as always — changing. How else would retailers be able to get you to buy new jeans? A search of what jean styles are popular among the fashion-forward — on runways, celebrities and music festivalgoers — shows fewer are wearing ripped styles (except cut-offs, which are still popular) and instead baggier, droopy, higherwaist denim is in vogue.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen:
Do you know of any place that sells bathing suits for women with VERY small breasts? Adding to that problem is the fact that I need a bottom that is modest, like a semi-skirt or something, but several sizes larger than my top. If there is no place that sells them, what can I do to fill out the huge cups that come with bathing suits?
— Elaine K.
Dear Elaine: You and so many like you have forced change in swimwear options now available. More and more stores and sites offer mix-and-match tops and bottoms. Huge retailers like Target (target. com) sell swimwear tops and bottoms separately. So do many (primarily) online stores like Land’s
End (landsend.com) and Swimsuits for All (swimsuitsforall.com). No more worries about how to “fill out” tops that are a different size than your bottoms.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen:
As a frequent traveler, I want to continue to wear a fanny pack. Everything I need is right at my fingertips — on my tummy! I do realize I’m not looking all that fashionable, but I want to continue as long as I can to go places and wear that handy pack. Am I hopelessly out of style?
— Shirley W.
Dear Shirley: Call them “belt bags” instead of fanny packs and you’re totally in style! You cannot beat the convenience, especially when traveling and concerned about keeping valuables (ID, passport, cash, credit card, vaccine record) close at hand and safe. Wearing them on your stomach might not be the most flattering placement, though. I’d shift yours a bit to the side and still keep those hands free. If you had any doubts, just consider that all the designers are offering their belt bags — Gucci, Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney, Prada — at prices that soar to over $1,000. With the adjustable straps, you*
can also wear the bags crossbody. I prefer the bags that are rectangular and I splurged on a Lululemon model (shop.lululemon. com, $58) I’ve been wearing almost every day. Just don’t take it off while dining and throw it on the back of your chair. That’s inviting trouble.
Angelic Readers
Ruthie A. has this advice for flying with only a carry-on suitcase to avoid increasing problems of lost or delayed luggage: “Please do not put anything valuable in your carry-on. Try to put that in your ‘personal’ item such as a tote or backpack to be stored under your seat on the airplane. Sometimes the overhead storage is full and the suitcase must be checked at the gate. A carry-on size suitcase going through the baggage labyrinth is a red flag for anyone looking for valuables since clearly the owner did not intend for it to be checked. I have heard of suitcases of this size ‘disappearing.’ ”
Now it’s your turn
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