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.

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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. The linen fabric is spectacular, if only the cut of the tunic flattered a woman's silhouette. 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!

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5 of the Most Gorgeous Sapphires In the World

Photo: loupiosity: The Bell of Asia Sapphire

Top sapphires (rubies and emeralds) cost more than diamonds. The reason: Colored gemstones are rarer in nature than diamonds. A combination of characteristics set their value including their beauty, rarity and durability. Carat weight, cut, clarity and country of origin can also drive their prices up. Vibrant blue sapphires are the most sought after in jewelry. Heat treated sapphires are accepted as long as the seller discloses it, and the price should also reflect the treatment. Without heat treatment, there would be few gemstone quality sapphires on the market to buy. Beautiful, natural, unheated sapphires are more expensive than heated, or lab grown sapphires due to their rarity and demand. Go here to learn more about sapphires.

Today let’s look at 5 of the most gorgeous sapphires in the world. It’s such fun seeing top of the line! All except for one (which is a smaller wearable size) sold for multi-millions of dollars. Don’t we, ordinary people, wish we could afford the grade of sapphires just like them?

1) In 2021, an 11.9 carat Kashmir Sapphire sold at auction at Fellows in Birmingham, England for £175,980 (or $238,184) after a bidding war. It is a rich, natural, velvety blue untreated sapphire of spectacular clarity. While large indeed, the next 4 sapphires are huge gemstone-quality-sapphires raising their value to more zeros!

2) The Belle of Asia Sapphire is a cushion cut 392.52 carat sapphire pendent, surrounded by diamonds as a necklace. It was discovered in Sir Lanka in 1926. Lord Nuffield, the founder of Morris Motors, bought it in 1937. Sapphires of its size, color, and clarity are extremely rare. The Bell of Asia Sapphire disappeared into private hands for the next 40+ years, then surfaced in 2014 to be sold at Christie’s for $ 17.7 million to an anonymous buyer who most likely lives in the Middle East.

3. The 35.09 carat antique cushion-shaped  Regent Kashmir Sapphire ring is the world’s most expensive sapphire per carat. It broke the record for price in 2025 at Christie’s in Hong Kong. The cost was $12.1 million. As you may have guessed, it’s a natural, unheated, rare, vivid blue sapphire from the storied Kashmir mines. It is set in platinum flanked by round diamonds.

4) The Richelieu Sapphire Earrings, a pair of cushion-cut natural Kasmir earrings weigh 26.66 and 20.88 carats respectively. Owned by Odile de Richelieu (1879 - 1974), they were sold in Geneva at Sothebys for $8.4 million in 2013. The earrings are suspended by a star of cushion and pear shaped diamonds. According to the Swiss Gemological Institute, the pair of sapphires match perfectly in size and shape. The hue is velvety blue and the clarity excellent "with only microscopic inclusions. A matching pair of natural sapphires from Kashmir of this size and quality is very rare and exceptional.”

5) The Logan Sapphire is the most accessible to us common folk, as it resides in the Smithsonian Institution. It was donated by Rebecca Pollard Guggenheim Logan in 1960. The Sri Lanka gemstone, at 422.98 carats, which is the size of a large chicken egg, is one of the largest velvety blue sapphires in the world. The mixed cushion cut sapphire is set in gold and silver as a brooch and surrounded by 20 round brilliant cut diamonds. Multiple sources list its value as $2.5 million.

With colored gemstones (sapphires, rubies and emeralds), color is the most important of the 4 “Cs” (color, cut, carat and clarity) in determining their value. Seeing Kashmir and Sir Lanka sapphires always makes a jewelry lover want one, doesn’t it? Commercial grade sapphires are never as velvety blue. Today the Kashmir and Sir Lanka mines are closed, making these sapphires all the more rare and valuable!💰💸🤑

Which of the 5 is your favorite?

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Marie Thèrese of France’s Emerald Tiara

Photo: Wikipedia Commons: I’d love to set this piece of history on my head! If this stunner could talk.

Today I’m featuring a beautiful tiara created for a member of the House of Bourbon who had a sad history. Marie Thèrese Charlotte of France (1778 - 1851) was the oldest and only surviving child of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antionette of France both guillotined when she was 12 years old. After France’s Reign of Terror she was isolated and held prisoner for another 5 years until her release was negotiated. She went to live in exile in Austria, her Habsburg-Lorraine mother’s native country. As France headed towards revolution, Queen Marie Antionette had sent some of her jewelry to Austria for safekeeping, and these pieces were returned to her daughter after she arrived in Vienna.

In 1799 Marie Thèrese was persuaded to enter a political marriage with her cousin, Louis Antoine, the Duke of Angouème so she became the Duchess of Angouème. The Emerald and Diamond Tiara of Marie Thèrese is sometimes called The Duchess of Angouème Emerald Tiara. It was made by jewelers Evrard and Frederic Bapst in 1819 - 1820 using stones from the French Crown Jewels. The tiara features a symmetrical scrolling design with 40 emeralds set in gold and 1,031 diamonds set in silver. Fourteen of the emeralds are large ones!

For a period of time the Bourbon monarchy was restored. Louis XVI’s two younger brothers sat on the throne with Marie Thèrese returning to France, but in 1830 she was forced into exile again. She made the crazy decision to leave her tiara behind. Later it was worn by Empress Eugènie whose husband, Napoleon III, ruled (1852 - 1870) sizing power as Emperor of the French. Eventually they too, were expelled. Empress Eugènie also left the tiara in France for the state.

 

Photo: Instagram

The Emerald and Diamond Tiara of Marie Thèrese along with other French Crown Jewels were then sold at auction in 1887 by France’s Third Republic. An unknown British buyer bought the tiara. It disappeared for awhile before being put on display as a loan in 1982 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. 

In exile Marie Thèrese moved to Prague with her husband’s family, then to Goriza (part of Italy today) and after her husband's death to a Baroque castle just outside of Vienna where she spent her final years quietly (attending Mass, taking walks, reading and sewing). Empress Eugènie lived for the rest of her life in Great Britain as a guest of Queen Victoria. 

In 2002 the Louvre Museum purchased the tiara from its anonymous owner, returning it to France. The Angouème Emerald Tiara is now on display in Paris at the Louvre Museum. Home, Sweet Home!

We’re fortunate when royal jewels end up in a museum for us to see them up close.

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Old Navy’s Vintage Mini T-Shirt Dresses

Nowadays when my senior mom needs new clothes I make the selections for her. The thought makes me smile because I realize what it means ... she’s beginning to dress like me.😁 When she bought her own clothes she wore lots of long pants in summer. But I wear casual dresses as soon as the hot weather hits, and I don’t return to wearing pants until the first chill💨 of fall kisses my bare legs.

I also switched my mom to soft, comfortable, easy to machine wash and dry fabrics. She was born in an era when women suffered for style, and many garments needed ironing and special handling. Let’s leave those practices in the past!

Another practice I think should be history is dressing the elderly in ugly clothes they’d never wear in their younger decades of life. No house dresses for her that resemble pajamas. In her old age she still likes fashion!

It’s going to hit 90 degrees F, and I’ve already received by mail what she’s wearing today. It’s the top image, Old Navy’s Mini T-Shirt Dress. You can dress it up or down. I have visions of her looking like a biker chick and may manage to pull the biker chick look off! Why, you may ask? I am her only child, but was never her favorite child. Ha, ha! Plus I think she’ll look adorable!😂😂😂

I ordered her several of the t-shirt dresses to carry her through the summer, all in the same teal color. If O.N. had other bright summer colors when I ordered them, I would have gotten other colors. Because the deals are so good, the dresses go very fast! 

Yesterday my mom wore the Short-Sleeve Vintage Mini-T-Shirt Dress in the pretty and bright pink color. I only ordered her one of that style since I think as soon as summer hits, she’ll be cooler in sleeveless cotton dresses.

For my readers who are interested in ordering the dresses too, they are now on sale. My mother is petite (about 5’1”) so regular in this mini style fits her perfectly. However if you normally order regular, you’ll have to order this style in tall for it to fall about an inch above your knee. Plan for some shrinkage.

The 100% cotton fabric is super soft and substantial for summer days. It’s not too thin.

Such a comfortable summer dress suitable for young or old! Right now the sale makes this t-shirt dress cheaper than the cost of a t-shirt. More fabric, more coverage for less. A fabulous value!

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Old Navy’s PowerSoft Trouser Pants

Longtime readers know I dislike sweat pants (as well as terrycloth lounge pants). I don’t wear or feature them. No, no, never, ever, uh, uh, uh! IMHO leggings are as comfortable yet can be dressed up or down, as opposed to, what looks like pajamas that should never leave the house. However I understand the cozy appeal of sweat paints. 
 
Old Navy has taken the comfort of sweat paints and turned it up a notch to create High-Waisted PowerSoft Trouser Pants. That’s right, light, smooth, and soft trousers! Like leggings, Old Navy's trouser pants are made of cozy sweat-wicking  compression fabric consisting of 77% polyester and 23% spandex. The pants fall under its activewear collection and yet, with the right top could be worn to the office. Sitting at the belly button, they are loose at the hip and wide at the leg. The result is casual smart style that is attractive and comfortable.

As you would expect from Old Navy, the PowerSoft Trouser Pants are so budget-friendly, you could buy more than one color. Usually black looks the dressiest, and the other shades more casual. Machine wash and dry, so you can wear them with abandon.

Adorable, cozy, and versatile style that looks like you make the effort to change out of your pajamas to leave home! 

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Othofeet Shoes

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Othofeet Shoes

Support shoes to treat common foot problems such as plantar fasciitis, diabetes, high arches, heel pain, bunions or flat feet can be eye-poppingly expensive. But! Orthofeet are about the same price as regular reasonably-priced shoes.

According to the retailer, biomedical engineers are employed to design its shoes to ease the symptoms that cause the above named conditions.

The site's wide range of stylish sneakers, sandals, boots, clogs, mules, Mary Janes, dress shoes or specialty shoes for athletics, hiking, or handsfree slip-on-and-off shoes for men and women look just like regular shoes. I'll go farther and call them cute!

Othofeet shoes have built-in orthotic insoles to provide arch support and proper foot alignment. They have ergonomic cushioned soles to absorb shock. You can select features like wide toe boxes or seam-free, padded interiors. Also each pair of shoes come with an arch booster, 1/8” removable insole and another 1/16” removable insole, which other companies make customers pay extra to order. Remove them to wear thicker socks, and insert them as a spacer to wear sockless. Such great value for fantastic support!

Free shipping and returns plus promotions of $15% - 25% off to make already fabulous price points even more affordable!

The website is super simple to navigate making it easy to zero in on inventory that addresses your individual foot condition! Best of all, you'll never go broke to alleviate it! 

Know that my blogs aren't sponsored, I'm simply thrilled to find a brand that is about 1/3 of the price of other orthotic designed shoes! Plus they go on sale!!!

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Playful Shoes Or Assessories

Ballet flat photos: Vivaia

My coats, jackets, shoes, and handbags tend to be black, a neutral shade that looks classic, dressy (when needed), and goes with all other colors. Living in Manhattan, where space is limited, I have to mix and match everything I own, and fit them into my generous (yet only 2) wardrobe closets at the end of the day. I highly recommend finding your neutral color for these 4 articles to make dressing and storage easy.

But! When spring arrives, it's time to let our hair down and add something fun and playful to our wardrobes, isn't it? In the past, I bought ballet flats in leopard or polka dots. Or when replacing my sneakers stepped out of my practical neutral color zone by selecting bright pink or orange!

Why is it a worthy purchase? Wearing a playful color or pattern can put a pep in your walk by lifting your mood. I get loads of compliments on my fun shoes from friends, coworkers, and strangers alike! In a fanciful color or pattern, people can sense I am approachable.

Here is a multi-colored pair of sandals I tried hard to buy. Unfortunately, when I needed new sandals, none were left in my size, so I missed out!

If you're replacing your walking shoes, sneakers, or sandals this spring or summer, consider getting a little wild and crazy. Stepping outside of your usual (and sensible) neutral palette in this most casual of seasons makes you feel happy!🌞🌴🩴

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Don't get me wrong, I love what Uniqlo calls its Lifewear apparel and mostly worship its understated and classic basics. From the seller's outerwear to underwear and everything in between, the quality and value can't be beat.

But an issue I've had for about 5 years now is wondering where all the summer colors have gone at Uniqlo (and another retailer, Old Navy). Although I tend to wear dark neutral colors in trousers, sweaters, and socks, I need pops of color in t-shirts, blouses, and summer dresses.  I like black leggings or navy pants or grey skirts, but don't wish to pair them with black, navy, grey, or even beige tops. Moreover, in the summer, I love wearing bright blue, pink, and purple dresses, or floral and fun patterns. Where have all these summer bright or pastel colorings gone? The 1st summer I noticed this subdued trend at Uniqlo and Old Navy in t-shirts, I was disappointed but thought I'd just wait until the retailers returned to blue, pink, and purple t-shirts the next summer. Well, I'm still waiting for the return of the summer bright color zeitgeist!

Old Navy is this year's retailer for a wide selection of colorful summer dresses. Here and here. Unlike yesteryear, Uniqlo's dresses have gotten very neutral in color, as well as very long and impractical for walking around New York City. Outside of Manhattan, I still don't want to drag yards of material around if casually hanging out indoors or in a park. In July or August, it's too overdressed or hot, with the potential of picking up grass and dirt stains on the bottom of a longer dress.

Uniqlo's top double knitted nylon dress (also available in navy, black, and cream) is about the length I prefer to wear in the summer. The linen dress (here in two colors) on the sides of this blog is about an inch shorter than I like. A mini length limits where you can wear the dress. It can also look too daddylongleg-ish on taller frames. 

Just like baby bear, I desire a summer dress length that's just right ... which for me is about an inch or two above the knee and in pretty summer colors. Bring colors back to t-shirts, too, please!

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12 Stain Removers For Clothing

Sometimes life is messy, but we can't let stains ruin our favorite blouses, t-shirts, dresses, or trousers. Your 1st line of defense is to run to a sink before the stain dries and then sets. I like to use a drop of dish soap, water, and a brush, sometimes an extra toothbrush, to gently scrub a stain out. I keep dish soap with Oxi-Clean as one of its ingredients in my bathroom for this purpose.

Thread Up recommends using the following aids to best treat certain stains:

1) Soak a red wine stain in white wine, cover with baking soda, let sit, and rinse.

2) Flush the back of a chocolate stain with cold water, dab with dish soap, and soak.

3) Soak grass stains in white vinegar, then clean with dish soap and that trusty small brush.

4) For foundation stains, apply shaving cream and carefully work it in with a washcloth.

5) To remove lipstick, saturate the stain with hair spray and dab to remove.

6) Gently blot a deodorant stain away with a dryer sheet or the protective foam used on dry cleaning hangers. (Btw: I've switched to a stainless deodorant stick that also works to keep me dry. This one.)

Several more stains I can think of include:

7) For blood stains, rinse in cold water, then soak in detergent and cold water. For stubborn stains, use peroxide or a paste of baking soda and white vinegar. Sprinkling meat tenderizer on the stain sometimes removes it.

8) Tomato sauce, ketchup, vegetable, or fruit stains are tough stains to remove once they dry and set. Act quickly and use cold water, dish soap, and possibly vinegar or lemon juice to help lift out the stain. Sparkling water can help too.

Photo: Pexels

9) For coffee stains, apply a paste of dish soap, white vinegar, and water. Rinse with cold water.

10) Tackle grease stains with dish soap, let it set, and rinse with hot water. Toss in a washing machine quickly if possible. You can also try a solution of baking soda and white vinegar if all else fails.

11) Rubbing alcohol or solutions containing alcohol, such as hand sanitizer or hair spray, will break down ink stains. Spray and blot.

12) A spatter of toothpaste is maddeningly difficult to remove without tossing the garment into a washing machine. Even if you clean the spot immediately with dish soap and water, it leaves a faint white residue. The only thing I know to do is to repeat the process to get as much of the residue out as possible. 

I don't wear dresses until I've brushed my teeth, but in the summer I usually have my t-shirt on already. What do you do to get out a teethpaste stain? What about grease or tomato sauce stains?

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I Took A Second Look At These Dresses

What do I love about summer? Long days of sunshine, no socks or layers, and summer dresses! Sometimes you can find an attractive summer dress in the most unexpected places. The hot pink Time and Tru Dress from Walmart caught my eye. Who would have thought you could find a stylish double cotton dress at Walmart? This one is a best seller with many good customer reviews. It comes in green and black too. If you need another summer dress, you can't beat its price!

Old Navy is a retailer where I expect and find lovely summer dresses to wear. I repeatedly write about the store because of it. Moreover, this year the merchant is stepping up its active and casual-smart style a notch by offering a new collection of special dresses called Occasion by Old Navy.

The crisp, smooth, silk-like taffeta fabric holds its shape, and once again, you can't beat the price for adorable style! Who would have thought to look at Old Navy for prom, party, or fancy date night dresses? A taffeta fabric is ideal for formal and structured garments like wedding dresses and christening gowns. You can't help but take a 2nd look! This is Old Navy? Why, yes, it is.

While the price points of Old Navy dresses are budget-friendly, they last longer than fast-fashion dresses. With the classic lines in this collection, you can wear them for years to come!

What are your favorites?

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Old Navy Summer Dresses

Once again, the spotlight is on Old Navy's summer dresses. Year after year, the retailer comes through! Old Navy dresses are casual smart. The right shoes and accessories will dress them up or down, and they are suitable for women of all ages.

Fabrics, including cotton, linen, and rayon, keep you cool in summer and are machine washable and dryable. In recent years, Old Navy has expanded the color selections of its dresses. Now each dress style is offered in up to 7 colors or patterns. The most in-demand colors sell out fast!

Mass-produced dresses have never bothered me! Wearers buy different colors, accessorize the same dress differently and also just wear a dress differently. The same dress looks different on various body types.

To boot: Old Navy's promotions and customer rewards mean you can buy these dresses cheaper than you could ever sew them! A whole dress (which is as cozy as a t-shirt) costs less than a t-shirt elsewhere!

It's a no-brainer, Old Navy summer dresses are affordable, comfortable, machine-washable, and fashionable!✅✓✔and✅

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