Q: Please help me locate a...
Q: Please help me locate a fashionable mastectomy swimsuit. I am 34 and, except for breast surgery, have a better-than-average, size-10 figure. Can you recommend a brochure or catalogue?--C.B. A: You’ll be right in the fashion swim with the mastectomy-style suit illustrated here. The drawstring neckline is adjustable for more coverage. Styled with a low-cut back, the suit comes with molded cups and pockets for prostheses. It’s $50, in jade only, in sizes 32-38 B, 32-38 C and 32-38 D. You can order from a catalogue called New Beginnings, 428 Hartford Turnpike, Vernon, Conn. 06066.
Q: What pants would be most becoming on me? I’m 5 feet 7 and have a 36-inch waistline. I am well proportioned, but those proportions are all big. -- H.A. A: In buying pants, the most important factor is fit. Classic, pleat-front pants are best for all figure types; that’s why they’re classics. They look most slenderizing in dark shades such as black, navy or brown. And if you’re overweight, they look best with fingertip-length jackets worn unbuttoned. The ideal pants for you are photographed on Page 11 of J. C. Penney’s current catalogue for women and half-sizes. These pleat-front pants with straight legs have an extended-tab waistline with an elasticized insert at the back of the waistline. There are two slash pockets that slant diagonally, slenderizing as they go. They come in a woven stretch twill made of polyester and cotton, and they are available in khaki, white, navy and black. In addition to coming in your size, they can be had in short women’s sizes (to fit women 4 feet, 11 inches to 5 feet, 3 inches tall) 32-40; average women’s sizes (to fit those 5 feet, 3 1/2 inches to 5 feet, 7 1/2 inches tall) 32-40, and tall women’s sizes (to fit those 5 feet, 8 inches to 6 feet tall) 32-40. The short and average sizes are priced at $22, the talls at $23.
Q: Can you please help me find an all-cotton bra? My skin reacts violently to synthetic fibers.--K.H. A: You can choose between two cotton bras in the current catalogue published by Garnet Hill, Franconia, N.H. 03580. One is a mercerized cotton-knit bra by Lisanza. It’s available in white or black, in sizes extra-small, small and medium, for $12. As the sizing indicates, this bra is for women who do not require much support. If you are a C or D cup, you might prefer a bra that’s made of 100% cotton, covered by Lycra thread (only the cotton content touches the skin). This stretch-and-support bra is from Holland and, according to the catalogue, is “one of the best-selling cotton bras in Europe.” It is offered with adjustable stretch straps, special under-bust band, stretch sides and two back fasteners, in A, B and C sizes 32, 34 and 36, and in 38 B and C, for $13. For the fuller figure, the bra is made with extra under-bust support and extra side support in D sizes 34, 36, 38 and 40, for $17.
Q: Some time ago, a Clotheslines reader complained that men’s slippers are available only at holiday time. She was right. I’ve looked in vain for slippers to give my 89-year-old father, who resides in a nursing home. Can you repeat the name of the slipper source that you recommended to that reader ? --E.B. A: Two new slipper sources might interest you. The first is Fashion Ease, 1541 60th St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11219, a company that specializes in items for the handicapped. That company’s new crepe-soled slippers have a special inner panel that glows in the dark so that they can be easily located during the night. The other source is Carol Wright Gifts, 3601 North West 15th St., Box 8544, Lincoln, Neb. 68544. That firm offers slippers with leather soles and padded vinyl uppers. One version is lined in fleece for $9.95; the other is lined in fabric for $7.95. They are available in men’s full sizes 7 through 12, in medium width.
