Make a school uniform match your style
Dear Answer Angel Ellen:
I have to wear a uniform to high school — which I actually like because it eliminates the need to think about what I’m going to wear. Well, it mostly eliminates it. My question is how can I personalize my school look? Our uniforms are a plaid skirt, a polo shirt in a few colors we can choose from and a gray or black cardigan. Choosing our own footwear is OK, and earrings, even dangly ones, are permitted but other “statement” jewelry like necklaces and an armload of bangles are not. Right now, I vary my headbands but that’s about it.
— Natalie T.
Obviously, you’re going to have to stick with accessories (which include shoes), and that gives you loads of room to be a fashion standout at school. But I would read the fine print on the dress code before I invested in anything formidable.
That said, let’s shop! How about some leopard shoes or boots? Or if that’s a little much, shoes, boots, high tops or booties in a noteworthy color or floral pattern?
You mention headbands. That’s a good start, but are head wraps permitted? If so, watch the how-to videos on YouTube, get yourself some cute scarves and tie away.
Since there seems to be no restriction on the size of earrings, the bigger the better as far as getting some fashion cred. I buy clip-ons because the heavy pierced ones stretch out my ear piercing. You’ll find them at vintage shops,
Dear Natalie:
thrift stores and charity and church sales (where I’ve found some of my favorites).
You make no mention of tights, and I’d be surprised if patterns or brightly colored ones are acceptable but, if they are, go crazy. There have never been more options in legwear than right now at every price point.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen:
I’m trying to figure out if I can wear a hair scrunchy (aka scrunchie) to keep my hair back? Are they still considered hopelessly out of fashion? Or are they back in 2018?
— Abby M.
I’m going out on a limb here, but I don’t think scrunchies ever were out of style. They sure are a staple in my hair arsenal since they’re the only thing I’ve ever found that holds my curly hair back without getting hopelessly tangled in my hair. I’ve never forsaken my scrunchies. I bet I’ve lost a hundred of them or stored one unfashionably on my wrist for … well, since they were invented whenever that was (the ’80s, I think).
Grant you, Sarah Jessica Parker’s Carrie Bradshaw character on “Sex and the City” ridiculed them (“No woman in the words of W magazine … would be
Dear Abby:
caught dead in a hip downtown restaurant wearing a scrunchy.”) (Episode 78, Season 6, July 13, 2003). But who cares? They’re practical and cheap. Enough said.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen:
In the last month, I’ve read two long articles on Rent the Runway (renttherunway.com). What do you think of the idea of renting clothes instead of buying them?
— Celeste C.
Until you wrote me, I hadn’t seen either of the stories, even though I subscribe to both publications! Obviously, I
Dear Celeste:
needed to catch up on my reading, and I now have (New York Times, Oct. 12; New Yorker magazine, Oct. 22). From those stories I’ve learned that tens of thousands of women subscribe to the service that lets you rent unlimited numbers of pieces on rotation for a monthly fee (renttheunway.com, $159/month or a $99 trial month) or fewer pieces for $89 ($69 trial), or one piece starting at $30.
If wearing up-to-theminute clothes is important to you — especially really expensive ones that you can’t afford to buy or don’t want to — it’s probably worth $99 to try this out for a month. The choices are huge, and I admit that I would like to know how it feels to wear a $600 dress — or an unlimited number of other expensive pieces.
I haven’t yet tested this place, but years back, I rented a fancy dress for one night from another rental place, and I loved that I looked great and didn’t have to plunk down a fortune for a dress I never would wear again. If you spend $159 x 12 ($1,908) per year or more on clothes and still stand helpless in front of your closet convinced you have nothing to wear, this might be worth the investment. If you want the hands-on experience, the company has actual stores in Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and Topanga, Calif.
Angelic readers
Responding to “Peeved Paula S.,” who yearns for a functional ironing board, many readers had strong (and critical) thoughts on the state of the modern ironing board: Jane D. writes, “Buy an old one at estate sales (estatesales.net).” Claire B. says the same: “I will never use a new junky one again.”
Carol O. agrees that old ones are the best, and she is still using her 1969 bridal shower gift. Kathy P. still uses a 1969 shower gift too. Others who say older boards are better: Susan A., Irene M., Lois H., Laura W., Beverly L., Susan B., Helena D., Debbie G., Mari-Jane and Cindi A. Elizabeth P. says, “Spend for one that is heavy. … Heft seems to be the key.” Marian T., Judy
W., Holly M. and Maureen K. recommend a smaller board that hangs on the inside of a closet door.
Now it’s your turn
Send your questions, rants, tips, finds — on style, shopping, makeup, fashion and beauty — to answerangelellen@gmail.com.