Dress Is Change From Man-Tailored Suit
Question: I’ve been suited for success for some time now, and frankly I’m bored with all my man-tailored clothes. Please recommend a dress for success--something with the same authority as a suit but less mannish. I’m 44, Size 12 and usually wear clothes by designers such as Giorgio Armani, Calvin Klein or Ralph Lauren.--M.B.
Answer: The white wool gabardine coatdress illustrated here is Paris fashion great Hubert de Givenchy’s choice as the 1986 alternative to the tailored suit. Givenchy, who introduced this dress late last month in his spring couture collection, uses the gold buttons that have become the signature of the season, then gives the gold standard more currency with large golden jewelry, yellow kid gloves and a yellow lacquered straw boater.
Q: What is a Windsor collar and what is a Windsor knot? I assume they both were named after the Duke of Windsor, but how do they differ from other collars and knots?--J.H.
A: They were named for the Duke of Windsor. The Windsor collar has a wide spread between the collar points--wide enough to accommodate the large necktie knot, later called the Windsor knot, popularized by the king with the knotty problem of having fallen in love with a divorced woman.
Q: You once wrote that the best bridesmaids’ gowns are designed with back interest, since the rear view is the view guests see. I buy that. But now can you help me find a wedding gown with back interest?--L.N.
A: Vogue Pattern 1697 has a low-cut back as well as a long, regal train. This and other styles with back interest are featured in Vogue/Butterick’s new Bridal Catalogue featuring 144 pages of fashions for the bride, bridesmaid, mother-of-the-bride, mother-of-the-groom, second weddings and proms. This special catalogue will be on sale in fabric shops until June. The people of Vogue and Butterick estimate that the bridal gown that retails for about $500 can be made at home for under $200.
Q: Please help me find a nursing bra that can be opened and closed with one hand.--E.S.
A: It’s a bra called Baby ‘n’ Me, and its mother is a young mother whose own mother happens to be one of the most famous bra and lingerie designers in the country--L.A.’s own Olga. The designer’s daughter Christina developed this new bra with front cup snaps that open and close with one hand. The smooth seamless cup folds to the side, where it can be tucked out of the way. A curved inner band gives extra support and keeps the bra in place, while a pocket between the band and the cup anchors the disposable nursing pads. Christina says her top priority was to do away with the bulk normally associated with nursing bras. She succeeded by using a soft stretch cotton blend that adapts to daily size changes. The bra, priced at about $21, is available in Sizes 34-38, B, C, D cups, white and bare. For retail outlets, write to Olga, 7900 Haskell Ave., Van Nuys, Calif. 91409.
