What’s the proper prom wear for a parking lot party?
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I’m a senior at a high school having a COVIDsafe prom. It’s (drumroll) in the parking lot. Each couple gets a parking space to decorate as they wish and to hang in for the event. There’s a social distancing space between each couple’s decorated parking spot. What, dear Answer Angel, does one wear to a parking lot formal?
—Nia
Dear Nia: There are simply, wonderfully, no fashion “don’ts” for your parking lot prom. Anything goes.
Options:
Traditional: A fancy gown and 4-inch heels.
Casual: Cutoffs and tennis shoes.
In between: A simple dress, pants or skirt and blouse combo with ballet flats.
Whimsical: Costumes like you might wear for Halloween — another big day you probably missed out on because of the pandemic.
There’s only one requirement, if there’s an indoor component: Lead by example. Wear a mask.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: After reading a story in the New York
Daily News that “skirts are emerging as a new trend in menswear fashions,” I’ve decided to try it out. But I’m not sure what to wear on top or what shoes will work.
—Thomas T.
Dear Thomas: If you’re bold enough to wear a skirt, you’ve earned the right to wear any top or footwear you want.
The Daily News story you mentioned says one of the skirt designers, Stefan Cooke, said capes are the new T-shirts. So you might want to keep that in mind.
Actually, I checked photos of the runway shows of some of the designers featuring men in skirts and at least one — Ludovic de Saint Sernin — sent a fellow down the runway topless in what appeared to be a miniskirt-length beige bath towel. That might not be the look for you.
As to his footwear: He was barelegged and wearing sandals. Burberry showed men’s skirts in the signature Burberry tartan worn with white tennis shoes, leather loafers and knee high socks, or barefoot, with cable knit crew neck sweaters on top.
A treasured former colleague of mine would often wear a straight skirt about knee length on summer days because, he told me, they were more comfortable than pants. He wore them with sandals (that did not show his toes) or sockless with brown leather monk strap brogues.
He bought the skirts, all in businesslike suiting fabrics, at Talbots.
Angelic Readers
For Marie W., whose blond hair turned brassy because of the iron in her well water, reader Gloria G. solved the problem with a showerhead filter with replaceable cartridges. Hers came from allergy buyersclub.com, starting at $31.
Reader Rant
Kris F. writes, “As a larger proportioned woman who tries to be somewhat stylish, I do not understand why the majority of plus size women’s clothing designers think we chubby cuties have heads the size of a large pumpkin sitting on top of a tree trunk-sized neck. I think most women my size would agree we like the extra room in the bosom, belly, bottom and arms, but we don’t need gigantic neck openings!”
Now it’s your turn
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