Q: My mother gave me several...

Q: My mother gave me several polyester double-knit suits from the late ‘60s. They’re in a jacquard-knit rose pattern and consist of jackets, narrow skirts and shells. Is there any way to alter these so that they would be wearable by someone 22 years old?--L.L. A: Yes. As illustrated here, you can shorten the skirts, cut off the shells and have something like the Boy Toy look personified by Madonna. If the jackets still look dated, try adding shoulder pads.

Q: I’m determined to reduce my luggage for my next trip to Central Europe and the Adriatic coast . Enclosed is a sketch of a tropical bush jacket from the Banana Republic catalogue. Its four pockets would be useful during day trips from cities , but is this jacket appropriate for the places mentioned?--F.T. A: You don’t have to be headed for the bush to wear a bush jacket--it will look right at home in Central Europe and the seaside villages along the Adriatic. And as it says in the catalogue description, “The shoulder pads ease the pressure of straps.” They also bring your jacket out of some 1940s movie and into the 1980s.