A Buttonhole Napkin For Travelling

 

Angela Lansbury wearing a white dickey. Photo by Trevor Sharot. Photo taken at the Tanglin Club, Singapore.

To support a buttonhole napkin I am wearing a white dickey (a decorative collar without any shirt, just a shirt front). The dickey has buttons which enable me to pin on the napkin to the top button. An alternative would be a brooch or pendant with a chain so you can tuck in the napkin.

Whenever I dress for a dinner out, especially in summer and light evenings, I look for something light, a change from the funeral blacks of winter. But I then consider that I might stain my lovely outfit with food. 

I don't want to have clothes hung up and never worn. What a waste of money - and wardrobe space. (Americans say closet.)

Tanglin Club buttonhole napkin.

The pink napkin will not go with Trevor's shirt.

You can buy two white dinner napkins for just under 15 collars (plus postage) from Etsy from suppliers in the USA. Others on Etsy offer sets of six at proportional prices. From EmbroiderybyLinda and DapperDiner. The napkins can be supplied in cotton or polyester. 

Cotton or Polyester

Cotton, for a softer feel? To match your tablecloth. To wash on high heat to get rid of stains and bacteria. Or polyester to repulse stains. 

You can take one with you on holiday. Make sure to pack a blouse. Or make a tie with a button to hold the napkin. Just sew a small inconspicuous button which fits the button hole onto something which won't be pulled out of shape but is strong enough to support the napkin.

The dickey is perfect for adding to any top which does not have a button. I travel with two dickeys, one in white, the other in black.

Two in white cotton for ten pounds, plus about 14 pounds postage to the UK.

DIY buttonhole napkin

I could make a buttonhole napkin from an old white or coloured shirt whose collar and cuffs have frayed or stained, if the placket is still in good condition. Cut a diamond shape (square) with the east or right hand point over one buttonhole. Use an existing table napkin to test the right size when hanging from your neck. 

How to Show Better Online Meeting Photos Using Zoom

 What do I learn from this photo at Braddell Heights Advanced online meeting? 

Angela, the President, top left, is holding her bee soft toy to remind you that she is busy as a bee. 

She is wearing a collared white shirt to frame her face (or a dickey, or false shirt front) and must remember to look in the mirror she keeps beside the laptop at online meetings to be sure the collar is straight. 

Ban Peng is up close. I see the chat box hand. I had not realised how the hand was visible to sit beside your photo in the mosaic picture of a group. Another discovery which I have learned from him is that you can raise the hand for a photo which draws attention to your picture, identify yourself in a crowd, and show support for the meeting and organizers. 

Next we have Sam. Thank you to Sam for supporting our club meeting.

The person taking the photo must shout 'one two three so that you know when the picture is being taken. That ensures the audience can sit still to prevent photo blur and keep your hands away from the screen. 

Kin Ng - beaming. If you have big teeth show them. 

Yudi, of learncool.sg. thanks for supporting up. Typically Singaporean, wearing glasses, looks academic. 

Mike, despite being from China, has a photo of San Francisco, which reflects either the developers of Zoom and Manycam or their audience or the best photo they had at the time. 

Jun Xian is making a hand sign, and has his books on display and some photos. His tee shirt matches the wall. Emphasizes his face. 

Lim Tong Lee gives us a double thumbs up but wears a mask to look mysterious. 

Jeff is hidden. Doing what?
1 He could be eavesdropping our meeting whilst being active at a work or social meeting.
2 Having dinner alone or with family. watching us surreptitiously on a mobile.
3 Popped out to the toilet, or doing something even more exciting which I will leave to your vivid imagination. 

We have only 9 in this photo although 13 were at the meeting. You can make a meeting look small or large by getting your family of four to all log on from different mobiles during a meeting.

You might miss out if you let people go for a break and then try to take a photo.

What a lot you learn from just a photo and our analysis. 

Come back to Braddell Heights every Wednesday evening. 
Learn more. On learncool.sg
Bring non-Toastmasters who could benefit from joining, your spouses, family, friends, colleagues, neighbours, people you speak to on the internet. All can benefit. All welcome to join our club. See you next week

Useful Wbsites
Ministry of Health Government Singapore
https://www.moh.gov.sg/covid-19

About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
The Author
Author, Author! About the Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. (Not related to the actress.)
Author of twenty books including: Quick Quotations; Who Said What When.
See books and profiles on Lulu.com and Amazon, such as Wedding Speeches & Toasts. Also watch videos on YouTube.
See other posts on singers and statues and languages and destinations.

If you want to learn to speak the Queen's English, or Received Pronunciation. join me at my online toastmasters club,
Braddell Heights Advanced. Wednesdays, 7-9 Singapore time which is seven hours ahead of London, England.
I am also a member of
Singapore Online.9-12 pm, Singapore time, Fridays. I am also a member of
Tampines Changkat Advanced.
Harrovians, London.
Tiarel, Singapore.
Toastmasters International Find a Club
https://www.toastmasters.org/find-a-club
https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=upSEBwAAQBAJ&pg=PA21&lpg=PA21&dq=quick+quotations
lulu.com/shop/angela-lansbury/who-said-what-when/paperback/product-21713991
learncool.sg

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Where can I find a space-saving, time-saving, weight-saving travel outfit?

Problem
I want to take as little luggage as possible. My luggage should not weight a lot. I should be able to match things up quickly.

Answer
I used to have a simple travel scheme for weekends away and short travel trips of less than a week. I had black long skirts and knee-length skirts and trousers, a day white blouse, a black ribbon tie to add quickly to turn my daytime blouse into an evening white blouse and red scarves and long cardigans in red, plus a black jacket with a removable hood.

My other staples were a wrap around black Thai silk evening skirt, which fitted me whatever my weight.

I travelled with two pairs of sandals which both had velcro or touch and close straps. One pair was sturdy for daytime. The other pair was smarter for the evening, either gold or black with a fancy flower or decoration.

I am always looking for adaptable clothing.

I regularly hunt on Amazon, eBay, Etsy and the internet for the magic words:
adjustable length
bridal train
convertible clothing
convertible dress
convertible pants / trousers
detachable
detachable bag
detachable collar
detachable dickey
detachable lining
detachable strips
dress and jacket
fake collar
false tail
four-piece outfit
inside pockets
lightweight
matching hat
matching hood
multi-bag stacker
multi-purpose
multi-way
multi-way bra
multi-way dress
overskirt
raglan sleeves
removable collar
removable sleeves
reversible
reversible dress
reversible hat
reversible skirt
skirt suitable sleeves
space-saving
touch and close
trouser suit
two-way
Velcro.

Convertible skirts and matching reversible tops
https://heleneclarkson.com/products/halle-reversible-skirt?variant=4634228260894

Convertible Dresses
Convertible dresses generally are tube shape and can be pulled up over your bust to make a knee length short dress, or pulled down to make a skirt or calf-length dress. Sometimes they came in two lengths.

You often get two large scarf lengths from the centre which can go over one shoulder like a saree, tie behind the neck like a backless beach sarong (if it's the weather for this kind of half outfit, and if you are the type who doesn't mind being half-naked in an outfit which looks like a large shapeless bandage and is likely to slip off. Suits slim glamourous types. Otherwise you look like you just stepped out of the shower in a towel.

I bought one second hand from Avon. it just looked crumpled. I ordered another one from the USA. I wanted a jolly colour, but it looked like beach wear and crumpled.

However, I realised that a long skirt with an elastic waist could be pulled up. If you had a matching scarf, you could attach it with safety pins at the front and back to cover your arms and shoulders, and bustline if that looked more elegant.

You need a good figure or support underwear in an outfit which has no cut. It can be either clingy or shapeless - or both, in different places. The quality of the fabric makes all the difference.

Women
Amazon
Convertible dress makes 20 outfits, they say.

Bandeau style in dark plain colour, looks sensible to me.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ultimate-Travel-Dress-convertible-outfits/dp/B0762476ZR?th=1&psc=1

Canadian Weekenders
Years ago I bought a black skirt from a party-selling event in a neighbour's house, selling Weekenders, a brand which started in Canada.

The black skirt had two long ribbons or belts at the right and left from the waist, four ribbons in all. They were designed to be tied into a bow and the front of back or both, or one side or both. Alternatively as cross straps.

I bought a set or rings, one pair square and one pair round. you pulled the right him though one of the rings and the left hem through another of rigns to shorten the hem and make a fancy scalloped effect, with ruching at the side.

I later had the idea of tyeing together the two corners of a slit skirt to shorten it. This, similarly to the Weekender skirt tie-up, created what looked like a different outfit (especially  if the drawn up effect reveals a lace-edged slip or underskirt.


J D Williams
Reversible Gilet
https://www.jdwilliams.co.uk/shop/reversible-gilet/tm353/product/details/show.action?pdBoUid=7201#colour:Navy%20Multi,size: about £35.
They usually have a skirt and top to match in reverible colours, sometimes a dress with matching skarf. You may be able to get leftover stock at the end of the season, or used items through ebay.

Men
Button front, roll up tab sleeve shirt, various colours, about £16 plus postage:
https://www.bullring.co.uk/shoponline/product/ed038400666d/buttonfront-rolltab-sleeve

https://www.mountainwarehouse.com/stride-mens-stretch-zip-off-trousers-p17693.aspx/black/
Various colours; about £50 plus postage.

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.