South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Lowdown on runway fashion trends
I’ve been saving up this question until the runway shows in New York and in Europe ended. I compiled a list of questionable fashion trends I saw on the internet and in magazines that I, for some reason, keep subscribing to. I want to get your take on some of the styles and trends I’m wondering about. In no particular order:
Platform high-heeled shoes
Oversize blazers/jackets Raggedy unfinished hems on skirts and dresses Black is in
Pink is the new black Super chunky-soled boots
— Lexi J.
Dear Lexi: For the vast majority of us, those runway shows, well, we’re not the target audience. They are the showcase for styles taken to extremes. They will be “adjusted” (watered down) for those of us who can’t spend thousands on a single outfit. So when they make it to stores and sites where real people shop, the clothing will be more wearable. Plus, our eyes will have acclimated to the trends and won’t seem quite as bizarre.
Now, to take you questions one at a time.
Platform heels? Those 4-6 inchers are ridiculous and virtually unwearable. Plus, they look like a broken ankle just waiting to happen.
Oversize jackets might be sold as the latest “roomy silhouette” of the season, but do not be swayed. They look like you raided your hefty grandpa’s closet and seem interesting only on famous models and celebs (if that).
Ragged hems: These garments appear to be victims of an attack by someone in a scissors frenzy. Miu Miu’s teensy skirt with the inside of the pockets hanging below the ragged hem? OK for Nicole Kidman (on the cover of Vanity Fair). Not meant for post-puberty women in the real world.
Black clothes? They never went out of style. Every list of wardrobe basics for decades has included a couple of black items — pants, a blazer, a moto jacket, a little black dress.
Pink! A bright T-shirt, cami or button-up blouse in an eye-popping color never goes out of style. Wear it with your black basics. Bright turquoise, citron yellow and such also work.
Chunky boots. These come and go. I wore them a couple of decades ago and now wish I hadn’t donated them. Just don’t pop for designers’ expensive versions. You’ll find plenty of options for under $100, for instance Zaynsia Chelsea platform ankle boots (amazon.com, $49.99).
Dear Answer Angel Ellen:
A few years ago, you listed some products that you said worked well to “shrink” or “disguise” eye bags. At the time, I didn’t have eye bags, but now I do — UGH! Can you help me please?
— Betsy G.
Under-eye bags are often genetic. I haven’t yet found a product that actually shrinks them (but I welcome recommendations). You can minimize their prominence with the right concealer. My current fave is Maybelline’s Instant Age Rewind Eraser Multi-Use Concealer (the name itself is a huge overpromise). It’s a wand that dabs on with a little sponge, but use sparingly and pat in thoroughly (drugstores, $8.80-$10.99).
Reader Rants
Lisa gripes, “Why do stores like Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, etc., ruin socks by punching labels and price tags through the socks? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to return socks that have holes in them from the plastic tags they punch into the socks. It seems to me that there should be a better way.”
And this related complaint from Patty E.: “Why oh why do clothing companies sew the end of the plastic tag into an enclosed seam making it nearly impossible to remove the end but leaving it in there to scratch you for all of eternity? I just spent 15 minutes on one and will now have a frayed collar as a result.”
Send your questions, rants, tips, favorite finds — on style, shopping, makeup, fashion and beauty — to answerangelellen@gmail. com.
My husband and I are both going to be 68 this year, and we live on a fixed income that barely covers expenses. We were lucky enough to inherit our home, which had been paid for in full beforehand. Still, with taxes, home upkeep, utilities, food, transportation costs, pet expenses and what little entertainment we can afford, we just scrape by.
My problem is that I have a son, a daughter and a grandson — all adults — currently living under my roof, as they had absolutely nowhere else to go. They are not contributing any money and are not keeping their areas clean and tidy.
They cook and eat in my home. Please help me with how to get them motivated to clean up after themselves and contribute to our little community.
Gentle reader: It should not matter, but if you have disclosed the fact that the house is paid for, your family might be under the false impression that your expenses are nominal. Or if they are in the throes of a difficult time, they may be reverting back to their childish ways.
You can have compassion while also creating ground rules: “We are happy to have you here, but you must treat our house with respect, especially if this is going to be a longterm situation. Cleaning up after yourself is required, and contributions to meals are appreciated.”
As for motivation?
If they are unwilling to comply, Miss Manners suggests you gently start assisting them with other housing options.
I am the editor of a publication that comprises submissions from a variety of people. Some of them want me to correct their grammar, but others do not. I asked one writer whether to do so on his work, and he said he wasn’t sure.
But then, an hour later, he came back and said he was offended that I’d even asked. Was I wrong to ask?
In your column, since you don’t print people’s names with their submissions, it seems that it would be OK to correct their grammar. A recent question read: “It seems rude to seat guests (especially those who traveled from out of town) in a different room than the guest of honor.” The person who wrote that question might have wanted to show off the article after it was published, so wouldn’t it have been appropriate for you to use “from” rather than “than”?
Gentle reader: For a second, Miss Manners was afraid that you were suggesting “than” be changed to “then,” and she was going to have to have a whole other conversation about your professional qualifications. Being an editor is your job. Why are you asking for permission from your authors to do it?
Surely it will reflect poorly on all concerned if there are errors or bad grammar in their essays. Any self-respecting writer must recognize the necessity to defer to an editor — or sensibly argue about the correctness.
Miss Manners suggests that you stop asking the authors for permission — and if they are offended, say: “It was nearly perfect. I just corrected a few tiny things. My job, after all, is to protect you.”
Dear Miss Manners: I met this guy almost three years ago. We dated for about seven weeks, then he broke it off. We stayed in touch for about a year, and then he asked me to come over for dinner, and we started seeing each other again. But then this past May, he broke it off because he thought that I did not think he was doing enough.
I was so upset that I put all of the cards he had given me, plus some special items, in a bag and dropped them off at his door. We started talking two weeks after that, and are now slowly getting back on track. But I want the cards back.
How and when do I get them back? I did ask him, and he replied, “I’m not sure. That might be a question for Miss Manners.” He was definitely upset that I put all that on his doorstep.
Gentle reader: As well he should have been. Returning letters and presents after a breakup is a way of saying that even the memory of the relationship is painful. At the same time, one might find it a relief to recover written evidence of a possibly defunct passion.
Is it really a viable relationship? Miss Manners has no idea, and suspects that neither of you do, either. Perhaps when you both feel that it is, he will either return the cards or write you something comparable. But you should remember that he has a strong aversion to pressure from you that he is not doing enough. It would not be helpful to repeat that.
To send a question to the Miss Manners team of Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin, go to missmanners. com or write them c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.