Bra-like crop tops are hugely popular this summer, says Answer Angel Ellen Warren.
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Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I recently received an email from a company where I’ve bought jeans and casual wear many times (it’s the Gap) with a headline that grabbed my attention: “This bra = your summer top.” So, I clicked on it and found a “ribbed bralette,” which the ad boasts, “You made it your favorite crop top ever” (gap.com, $24.99 on sale). The model looks great, but she looks like she’s wearing just a bra with her jeans. If you have a good figure, is it OK to practically wear your underwear out on the street?
— Meghan L
Dear Meghan: Well … I personally wouldn’t, but that’s me. The look you mention is hugely popular this summer. You can find these bra-like tops at prices as low as $3.99 and as high as four figures. Maybe it’s because COVID-19 stuck us at home, or maybe it’s a change in the weather from cool to broiling hot, but a lot of women (not only in the United States) are showing a lot of skin. Not necessarily well-toned skin, but showing it nonetheless. I’ve seen this midriff-baring style on the streets of Dublin, Berlin and Paris and, in some cases — most especially Dublin — women are leaving nothing to the imagination. I saw bike shorts so tight it was clear from the back and front that the ladies were not wearing underwear at all. And some tops were almost transparent. I would steer clear of those. Otherwise, take a long 360-degree look at yourself in the mirror in these figure-hugging styles before you pull out a credit card.
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: Last year I bought a leather sofa. The surface is so slippery, when I put throw pillows on it, they slide right down flat — if not completely off the sofa. I tried napping on it once, but it was too slippery. How can I remediate the slipperiness, without damaging the leather?
— Clare D.
Dear Clare: Proceed with caution! That couch is an investment you don’t want to casually mess with. Plenty of people have the same slippery issue, and I’ve read how-to instructions to remove the waxy finish that involve rubbing alcohol, white vinegar and/or neatsfoot oil (hunker.com). YouTube has plenty of advice too. But I wouldn’t try any of it unless you get the go-ahead from the couch manufacturer or other leather expert and then test the method on a spot nobody will see if your project turns into a disaster. Meanwhile, your pillows are slipping because they’re foam-filled (and perhaps brick hard and not that comfy?). Try feather or feather/down inserts that make the pillows squishy and they’ll stay in place better. Readers: If you’ve got solutions that worked for you, send them along.
Angelic Readers
Michelle S. had some suggestions for Elizabeth B., who asked how much is enough to spend on a wedding gift without looking cheap — after already shelling out plenty to attend a destination wedding: “What about something unique and handmade from Etsy (etsy.com) or other artisans? Craft fairs offer lots of options. Also, I’d look for interesting things you can use up, not just collect … we have enough junk around.”
Reader Rant
Mike R. writes, “So when did a man become a doofus unless he exposes his naked, sockless ankles? I suspect society would be better served if most men covered more, not less, of their anatomy. A few guys show up without socks in the media, probably because they couldn’t find clean ones, and suddenly none of us can be considered up to date unless we aren’t wearing socks. That’s nuts!”
