South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
High-fashion tights are in style
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: This past weekend three of my best girlfriends came from various cities for our first get-together since the COVID-19 shutdown. There was a lot to catch up on — including fashion! We started talking about tights — not running tights from Lululemon, etc., but pantyhose, only a little heavier. We know they’re practical in the cooler weather, but are they still in fashion or would we be hopelessly out of style?
— L.K.K. and friends
Dear L.K.K. and friends:
Tights are totally in style. Unadorned black, patterned, ribbed, colorful — they’re not just in style, but high fashion. Gucci sells them (with their GG logo). Prada’s metallic striped ones go for $950. The Harper’s Bazaar magazine that just landed in my mailbox features a model in a jacket that barely covers her underwear sporting patterned tights (a variation on fishnets) that make her legs look 7 feet long. Lacy tights with stripes, flowers or triangles might not be the warmest leg coverings, but they look great. Please show this answer to your gal pals and send me some photos of all of you rocking this high-style legwear!
Dear Answer Angel Ellen:
This certainly isn’t the most important issue in my life but how to keep my undershirt (and regular button-up men’s shirt) from coming untucked. What are your suggestions?
— Tom T.
Dear Tom: On amazon. com, I found Fruit of the
Loom “Stay Tucked” white T-shirts for $16.48, Hanes “Tall Man” tees (three for
$27.97) and a few other “longline” tees like Bella Canvas “Long Body Tees”
($12.29). Then there are the online gizmos. None seem easy, foolproof and cheap at the same time. A search turns up garters (also called shirt stays) that attach to the waist and sock/shoe/elastic calf band. They look silly, seem complicated and aren’t cheap. Other suggestions: a rubber belt worn inside the pants; double-sided tape strips that will lose their stick if you need to use the restroom; a video to tuck the shirt tail into your underwear or shoving your shirttail up the legs of your underpants (whaaat?).
Angelic Readers
I was stunned so many of you had trouble with — and shared novel solutions for — opening insanely tight jar lids:
From Wilma S.: “Easiest way to open jars is to use gardening gloves with rubberized palms (amazon.com, six pairs for $11.89). The gloves allow you to grip both the body of the jar and lid to open, which provides even strength and pressure when opening.”
Sylvie S. says, “I boil some water, pour no more than about ½ inch in a shallow saucer, turn the container upside down and
dip the container’s lid in it. Then I use some rubber gloves to unscrew the lid. Be careful to immerse only the lid, not the container itself.” Georgia C. uses the boil method too.
Tom H., Margaret K. and Judy C. are fans of the Jarkey (amazon.com, $8.25).
Deanne F. likes the Swing-A-Way Comfort Grip Jar Opener (amazon. com, $12.16). Claudette suggests, “Use a butter knife, bottle opener or other sturdy slim metal implement (small screwdriver) that you can gently wedge between the cap and the glass jar. Once it is in place, gently pry up or down or give a little wiggle until you hear a whoosh sound.” Angela F. agrees. There are many fans of the old-fashioned church key (beer bottle opener) method.
Helen M. writes, “Using blunt end, gradually lift around lid, twist lid, hear vacuum pop and jar is open.” Jean M., Eva and Fran use this method too.
Jennifer S. writes, “A very easy and thrifty way for small lids is to keep a rubber band nearby. Just put it on the lid (double it if necessary) and unscrew.”
Send your questions, rants, tips, favorite finds — on style, shopping, makeup, fashion and beauty — to answerangelellen@gmail. com.