At Land’s End The Classics Are Trending

Wow! Such winning style and comfort at Lands’ End. My picks for the summer are the silky soft Supima© cotton polos and shorts that are the perfect length to be classy and versatile. 

The breezy linen barrel leg trousers and linen peplum tops are a polished outfit for a summer evening out. Many people still spruce up a bit to go out to a restaurant or a shopping area. These would work very well!

The super cute boucle Johnny collar textured sweater with ribbed cuffs is 100% soft cotton. Great for breezy summer evenings in San Francisco and on beaches, and it will take you into the early fall. Pair the textured sweater with so many things, from skirts to jeans to longer shorts. 

Uh-Oh, I’ve done it again! My bias for 100% natural fabrics is showing. In summer clothes, cotton and linen rock. Lands’ End makes cotton and linen pieces that are machine washable. Usually I’d line dry the garments, but in a pinch you can toss them into the dryer too. Frequent machine drying tends to wear clothing out faster. So if there’s time, I machine wash then hang cotton and linen garments on a hanger to dry in the bathroom.

At Land’s End the classics are trending! Not only are they well made and well-priced but you can wear them for years to come.

✐✎✏✐✎✏✐✎✏✐✎✏✐✎✏✐✎✏✐✎✏✐✎✏✐✎✏✐✎✏

I’ll also review a linen tunic from the brand Bodhi that was promoted on The Today Show as a product deal. Here goes: I can’t imagine wearing yards of material in the summer. In hot boiling July or August, yikes! The sleeves have enough fabric to fit a monkey -- too bulky and long for human arms. The tunic's body shallows up the wearer. There’s no front zipper to step into the dress, so you have to ball it up to pull it over your head. High side slits can be problematic requiring an underneath layer. It’s also baggy and not versatile enough to step off a beach to have drinks or dinner with friends. IMHO, this one would be a regret purchase that you’d find too limiting to wear after you buy it even at its advertised bargain price. Contrast this frumpy tunic with Lands’ End's many stylish summer offerings at much better starting price points. Cute and bouncy routs baggy every time!

You may also enjoy:

7 Things I Won’t Buy Anymore

Where Do Canadians Buy Clothes?

Eileen Fisher For A Sustainable Life

Catherine Of Wales Suited In Alexander McQueen

Soft & Cozy Merino Wool Blankets

It's been nearly 2 years, and I'm still grieving! Laytner's Linen & Home, a much-loved brick-and-mortar shop, closed its doors on the Upper East Side after 3 decades, and I still miss it. Its owner retired but customers can still buy his home goods online. Over the years, I bought bedding, pillows, throws, and a myriad of housewares like kitchen rugs, potholders, organizers, and Christmas ornaments. The salespeople were store employees for years and I miss them too.

Consumers never have to break the bank buying from this linen and home goods company! Yes, present tense, off its website!

You can't beat the retailer's quality for its fair prices. I have 2 sheetsets on deck, which I bought at Latner's going out of brick-and-mortar business sale. When the time comes to restock I'm happy I can still order online from the merchant. But I miss going inside the store, touching the merchandise, and sometimes discovering new items I didn't know I needed until I saw them at prices too good to be true.

Speaking of which, for winter I highly recommend Laytner's soft and cozy reversible 100% Merino wool blankets, its reversible 100% Merino wool throws, and if your budget permits, its cashmere and lambswool blankets.

Natural wool threads are spectacular! They are cool in warmer weather and warm in cold weather. Also, they are more durable than manmade fibers. You seldom get pilling, lint, or fuzz. Wool shows less wear and tear than acrylics.

You can get cozy with bedding from Laytners without disappointment. The family's 50 years of experience is reflected in the quality of their products at honest prices!

For natural yarn blankets in the winter, Laytner's Linen & Home is your retailer! Check out its on-sale-now prices!

You may also enjoy:

Washcloths, Save or Splurge?

A Four-Cube Organizer With Storage Bins

Lilysilk Clothing, Bedding And Accessories

Macy's Herald Square We Love You As You Are

The Swing Dress Is The Bomb

Retailers are now running their end-of-summer sales, so I bought 2 new bargain swing dresses for next year. Moreover, I could still wear at least one of them during our Indian summer, early fall days.

IMHO, the swing dress is very stylish on most figures, and on hot summer days with no seam grabbing you at the waist it's cool and comfortable too.

So without further ado, let me tell you about the 2 dresses I bought. From Landsend and with a swingy-silhouette, the two dresses are 100% linen, machine washable, above-knee in length, and have pockets! All features I love! Regularly $68 bucks, luckily reduced to under $30! A steal considering how long they'll last with proper care. 

Ordering from a catalog can be tricky, especially with a swing dress. You don't want a swing dress that is too boxy or long, as it will look like you're wearing a tent or sack. Fortunately, these two do not disappoint. They are cut to flatter, a perfect fit, and feminine. In fact, they look much cuter trying-it-on than they photograph! What a relief!! I am glad I ordered them!

Can you guess which of the two, in my opinion, might take me into the early fall?

You may also enjoy:

Autumn Musings

7 Tricks For Saving Money

End Of Season Dress Sales

Trendy Maxi Dresses For Summer

6 Best Fabrics To Wear In Summer

Photo: Stitch Fix Style

I must overcome my bias for natural fabrics to give you more shopping choices for summer clothes. In fact, if the price is right at Uniqlo or Old Navy on cute summer dresses in a manmade material, I make an exception; and in the past, it has worked out. So let's begin ...

 6 Best Fabrics To Keep Us Cool On the Hottest Summer Days:

Photo: Cotton Citzen

1) Cotton - A natural fabric that starts as a plant, cotton keeps you cool because it breathes and absorbs sweat. Cheap and plentiful; soft and comfortable; can be machine washed and dried; and I find it to be most durable -- lasting over many summers of wear. Includes: Denim, a sturdy cotton twill fabric. Most of the world's cotton is grown in the USA, Uzbekistan, China and India. Other leading cotton-growing countries are Brazil, Pakistan and Turkey. Cotton is a personal favorite, as well as, the most popular and versatile fabric in the world.

2) Linen - Cloth woven from flax that is light and airy. A tad stiffer and more sophisticated than cotton, yet still soft, casual and cool. Moderately priced and affordable. Very durable. Winkles are accepted in linen clothing. Nowadays linen is often treated so it can be washed and line dried. The garment label will say if it's machine washable. Includes: Chambray - a cotton or linen-finished gingham cloth with a mottled appearance. (Photo of shorts: H&M)

Photo: Old Navy

3) Rayon - A manmade fabric from regenerated cellulose (viscose). Honestly I don't 100% like rayon, yet I appreciate it enough to own several Old Navy summer rayon swing-style dresses. Cheap and flattering, machine wash, gentle dry, but not as durable as cotton or linen and doesn't hold up as well. Rayon is wrinkle-resistant, and the price super budget-friendly, so perhaps that's the trade off. The dresses stretch longer after a summer of washings, but they don't cost a lot to replace. So literally, the pros and cons of rayon are a wash!😊 Includes: Cupro - discussed in #6.

4) Modal - A semi-synthetic fabric consisting mainly of beechwood pulp, it is shrink-resistant and unlikely to fade. Frankly I'm not completely in love with modal either as it too stretches and I find it warmer than cotton ... yet every source I consult says it keeps us cool. I do have a modal sweater (and of course, it's cooler than wool). Modal is popular nowadays with retailers, so if the price is right, you might consider buying one stylish garment (or two).

5) Silk - Fine, strong, lustrous fiber spun by silkworms in making cocoons. The silk fiber is turned into fabric. Previously expensive, but demand and modern industry have lowered the cost. Super light and cool ... another favorite fabric of mine. Still I tend to save my silk dresses and shirts for work or attending events, not running Saturday errands. Not as cheap as cotton, and I don't as mindlessly wash it. I suppose it's why I don't mindlessly wear it, yet I do love it.😍👗 Silk includes: Chiffon, taffeta, and crepe de cine. (Photo: Silk dress: Halston) 

Photo of BraTop: Uniqlo

6) Nylon with moisture wicking technology - Uniqlo and a few innovative retailers combine Nylon with cupro (Cupro is made of regenerated cellulose fibers from recycled cotton linter. A type of rayon, made using copper and ammonium, it is "breathable and regulates temperature like cotton, drapes elegantly," and feels soft like silk) and spandex to manufacture its pieces of clothing with a cool touch and moisture wicking technology. Sold as Airism tops and dresses, they are also anti-bacterial with odor control. I love Uniqlo for its affordable, inventive and stylish clothing! Wear its bra tops with shorts or under dresses to absorbed sweat. That way you can wash the bra top and save the dress!

Sometimes an apparel maker uses fabric blends, for example 95% cotton with a touch of 5% spandex, to give a dress or blouse a benefit like wrinkle resistance, or strength or shape which I don't mind in a dress despite a tad less softness in the blend. (However, for bed sheets pure 100% cotton is a must.) 

With the knowledge of what fabrics will keep you cool on soaring hot days, have fun shopping for your summer wardrobe!

You may also enjoy:

Summer Polka Dots

Summer Songs Of Yesteryear

Pardon My Back Summer Dresses

Brilliant Must-Have Summer Assessories