Newquay Bans Mankinis
Newquay has banned mankinis and other inappropriate clothing, in a bid to improve its image according to this article in the Guardian.
Am I bothered? Not really, as I have no plans to visit Newquay and no plans to wear a mankini.
An Enjoyable Afternoon
I must be one of few men, who likes going clothes shopping with ladies. I often did with C and I do wonder if it all started with my mother teaching me how to make clothes and making them for C in the early years of our marriage.
My mother was an expert dressmaker and in the days after the war, when money was short for us, she would even make trousers for me, by cutting the flies out of someone’s cast off and then build a new pair on them. Remember in those days, boys were in shorts until thirteen on so, probably to save money.
I suppose the best thing I ever made for C, was a long winter coat. So she had one, when they became fashionable and most of her friends didn’t.
With C, I used to have the knack of taking a dress off the rack and saying that will suit you. Sometimes I was right and sometimes I was wrong.
But I do know, from my computing experiences with graphics and my skill in engineering drawing, that I did have the ability to imagine well in 3-D.
Whether it is undiminished after the stroke I do not know.
So yesterday, a friend, who’s going to a wedding in New York later in the year, dragged me along, to see if I could help. She needed a smart day dress.
Her problems with clothes are two-fold.
The first is genetic, in that she is not tall at all, but with a very good figure and a very small waist. The second, is that she has no patience for clothes shopping and was very likely to do a runner.
In some ways, it developed into a scene not unlike that of Grace Brothers, more though in the jokes and things that were said, than the characters involved.
The classic was when the patience-rich assistant said that that most dresses they had were for older ladies and my friend was a lot younger. She then announced her age to everyone. The assistants had a good laugh, but the lady behind, who was also looking for a similar rather formal dress didn’t. But then she had a figure that would be extremely difficult to dress properly at all.
Some of the funniest cracks were reserved for whom the assistant thought would be at the wedding, whilst my friend was in the changing room. They were also said with actions, showing the size of people expected.
After trying on three or four dresses of the six or so, brought to her, my friend actually bought one. She liked it and I’ve had a text to say that she still does.
So we all could retreat after success.
I should have days out like this more often!
How Slovenly!
As BBC Breakfast cut to the local news, you could just see Louise Minchin kicking her shoes off. I wonder what the style police, that insist all women on the show wear stilettos, will say later.
Steph McGovern Wears A Bustle
The BBC breakfast’s business reporter, Steph McGovern, looked like she was wearing a bustle. The black of her black and white dress. this morning was the same shade as the chair she was sitting on. From some angles, it looked like she was wearing an enormous Victorian bustle.
Or was it just a simple case of a “My bum does look big in this” picture.
In Search of Small Waists
The BBC’s web site today is verging into dangerous territory this morning, with a serious article called the re-re-re-rise of the corset. The article is in their magazine, so comments are not allowed, so we will not see the opinions of both fetishists and feminists.
The article does say that sales are on the rise.
But sales figures suggest ordinary people are turning to one of the greatest symbols of the Victorian era. Corsets are making a comeback.
Rigby & Peller, the Queen’s brassiere-maker, says sales of traditional corsets in May were 45% up on 2011.
Ebay has reported a 185% rise in the number of corsets being sold over the last three months, with 1,900 listed over the period. It says most corsets are bought in the UK (40%), the US (34%) and Australia (8.6%).
Many women aspire to Marilyn Monroe’s hourglass figureMarks & Spencer says it sells one item from its new corset-inspired Waist Sculpt lingerie line every three minutes.
The article then goes on to discuss why, which includes a comment by Liberty Sweet of the Folly Mixtures.
On a personal level, I always believed that C’s small waist was one of her physical characteristics, that attracted me to her. I could have probably made my hands touch round her waist, when we got married in 1968.
She never actually wore a corset, but she did wear a basque at times, especially after she had her brush with breast cancer, as she felt a proper fitting basque, gave her more support after the operation. In one instance, having a basque in her holiday suitcase, actually saved the day at a New Year’s Eve ball in Venice.
Iran Gives the Old Phrase of Neck-Tie Party a New Meaning
Iran has now started prohibiting shop-keepers from selling ties in Iran according to this report in the Guardian.
How long before they make it a capital offence and give life to the old phrase?
Another Dress for C!
Perhaps not in C’s later years, but this was very like a summer dress she wore, when the kids were young.
A Dress With Pockets
In the 1960’s and early 1970’s pushchairs were very simple, with no place to store anything, so any dress with pockets, was where she put small toys and tissues. We never used disposable nappies, except in an emergency, so it was generally only a short walk to Regent’s Park or round the corner to a friend’s garden, so there wasn’t much need for storage space.
In fact, a couple of years before she died, I remember going shopping with her and specifically looking for a summer dress with pockets, so she could leave her handbag in the hotel.
I think in some ways, I’m getting more like C, as I now have a summer coat with big pockets, that can carry all I need on my travels. It’ll even hold a long-life shopping bag in the inside pocket.
Court Uniform
There have been several letters in The Times lately on this subject. So I sent in this missive about C.
My late wife was a barrister for many years and although many ladies in the profession had problems with court uniform, she never did. Egged on by others and especially another barrister, with a love of elaborate footwear and a nickname of ‘Boots’, she pushed everything to the limit. Even twenty years ago, her suits might be blue and/or with trousers. Black as she said was for funerals not work!
Others pondered how she got away with it! Certainly, in one East Anglian Court, she had a stand-off with the late judge, because she liked his malodorous cocker-spaniel, which sat at his feet during cases, so he didn’t dare complain.
I suspect the two of them complete with the spaniel, are enjoying trying some of the Devil’s miscreants!
It has not been published yet, but I think they’ve closed the topic
The Queen Is Not Amused
She might be, as I have no special access. But who would wear this jumper.
A Ghastly Jumper
Not any woman I know!
They Do Presidential Debates Differently In Mexico
This story about a Mexican presidential debate, shows they do things rather differently.
Basically, the production company hired a lady to escort the candidates to the podium and she wore rather inappropriate clothing. Or perhaps clothes more appropriate for one of Berlusconi’s parties.
The Anonymous Widower 