Q: I am a dental assistant...
Q: I am a dental assistant and would like to make my own uniforms, but I can’t find uniform patterns. There are a few in McCall’s and Butterick, but I need a wider selection. Any ideas? C.G. A: If you look at the styles and forget about the fabrics in which they are illustrated, you’ll be able to find many appropriate uniform styles in most of the available catalogues. In addition to the lace-collared shirtdress illustrated here (Butterick No. 5258), take a look at Butterick No. 5284 (a button-front shirtdress), Butterick No. 6542 (a blouse with sleeve variations) and Butterick No. 6702 (pull-on pants and pull-on skirt, plus top and cardigan jacket). You get four looks in one pattern in McCall’s No. 8216 by Jann Johnson. The range includes a button-front shirtdress, a tunic top, a pullover T-shirt, and pants that can be mixed and matched. Q: Back in the period from 1959 to 1966, many girls wore stirruped ski pants--not for skiing, mind you, but for everyday wear. These were made of textured nylon or spandex for proper stretch. I would love to buy them today but can’t find them anywhere. I know they exist because I saw a girl wearing them recently, but I didn’t get a chance to ask her where she got them. Can you help ? F.H.
A: Stirruped pants are available for $50 in sizes small, medium and large in the Brass Plum department at Nordstrom, 3730 S. Susan St., Santa Ana 92704. Q: I’ve just bought a pair of classic navy-blue flannel pants. I plan to wear them with shirts and sweaters that are already in my wardrobe. Can you please recommend a shoe style and color? I’m 38 and plan to wear the pants to the office. A.C.
A: If you’re a fashionable conservative, wear classic pumps or sling-back Chanel pumps in navy, black patent, maroon or mahogany. If you want to make a fashion statement, buy a cheap pair of white flats and dye them fluorescent fuchsia, chartreuse or fluorescent pink. Colored shoes, especially flats, are the big news afoot for spring. Q: For years I’ve been looking for men’s 100% cotton broadcloth pajamas. I want them with a long-sleeved pullover top (no buttons). That style used to be popular but I’ve been told that they are no longer being made. Can you help? J.B.
A: The pajamas of your dreams are available on Page 50 of the current catalogue published by Cable Car Clothiers, 150 Post St., San Francisco 94108. They’re made of 100% cotton broadcloth in a pullover style, and they come with drawstring bottoms in sizes A, B, C and D; the cost is $34. Size E (50-52) and tall sizes B, C, D, and E cost $40. Color choices are maize, tan or blue. Q: Can you recommend a fabric and accessories for Adolfo’s Pattern No. 6151 for Simplicity? It’s a braid-bound, Chanel-inspired suit with cardigan jacket and double-breasted vest. D.M.
A: At the spring opening of Chanel ready-to-wear in Paris, designer Karl Lagerfeld showed a similar suit in a pink-and-cream plaid. The fabric was a dimensional basket-weave wool. He showed it with a beret made of the same fabric, and with typical Chanel pumps in a cream color with black toes. Whatever fabric you choose--a tweed, a jersey or a basket-weave--buy enough yardage to make a beret. McCall’s No. 6849 offers two berets plus caps and belts, all in one pattern. Q: My friends and I--most of us in our 40s--lead busy, informal life styles that include art receptions, informal dinner dates and occasional business travel. All of this makes big demands on our wardrobes. We also have jobs in the public eye that call for style and good design. We are looking for a minimum of coordinating items that will give us a current look. We are sick of blazers and bow-tied blouses. B.W.
A: The knitted cardigan suit made famous by the late Coco Chanel works for a lot of women and is currently available at many price levels. Start with a beige version; then vary the look with bright blouses. As an alternative, wear shirtwaist dresses. Calvin Klein has brought them back into fashion in fabrics such as printed silk crepe de Chine, styled with short sleeves. The bodice is more like a camp shirt than the old shirtwaist with set-in sleeves, and it gives the dress a really new look. For the winter, buy or make a shirtwaist dress in beige wool jersey; then pair it with your Chanel-inspired jacket, and you will have another alternative to the blazer suit. Q: Can you please help me find knee-high stockings with both toe and heel that are reinforced? I used to get them at Sears, but now the only ones I can find have only the toe reinforced. At work, I’m on my feet, walking, and when I don’t have reinforced heels, I rub holes in the stockings. M.F.
A: If you can wear support knee-highs, you can get both toe and heel reinforcement in Style No. 82, featured on Page 17 of the current catalogue published by the National Wholesale Co. Inc., Lexington, N.C. 27292. These knee-highs are made of spandex and nylon in sizes small, medium and large; they come in brown, beige and white. They are packed three pairs to the box in the same sizes and colors for $11.95. Q: Where can I buy inexpensive white cotton gloves to use while putting on panty hose? I would also use them at night, when I go to bed with creamed hands. I tried some that are available at our local drugstore, but the fingers are too tight, and the gloves cost almost $2 a pair. E.F.
A: The gloves of your dreams (and your panty hose) are in the current catalogue published by the Vermont Country Store, Weston, Vt. 05161. Their white gloves are knitted of 100% cotton, and the catalogue says that “they feel good and keep the sheets clean.” Priced at two pairs for $7.50, plus postage and handling, they are suitable for men and women. Send your glove size and the company will send you the proper fit. Q: I made the mistake of putting a pen in the left breast pocket of my best beige linen suit, and now I have ink marks that the dry-cleaner cannot get out. What next? G.G.
A: Now you know why Silicon Valley computer analysts wear those much-laughed-at but nevertheless effective plastic protectors in their breast pockets. You can solve your problem by wearing a pocket square in dark brown. Not only will you cover the ink spots but you’ll also be in the height of fashion. Marylou Luther welcomes questions for use in this column. She regrets she cannot answer mail personally. Send your questions to Clotheslines, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.
