<p>lol, I got that Soft Surroundings catalog in the mail. It’s really fascinating – super sumptuous clothes throughout. I noticed the robe and admired it but my go-to robe is my DH’s pendleton robe given to him by his parents 20 years ago and confiscated by me.</p>
<p>I like plain terry robes- which can be hard to find in cotton sometimes.
I have been keeping my eye out for a cotton chenille wrap robe- like Lucille Ball might have worn. ;)</p>
<p>EK, check this out
[Luxury</a> Chenille Wrap Dressing Gown With Scrolls](<a href=“http://www.kinnairdireland.co.uk/acatalog/Cotton_Chenille_Dressing_Gown.html#a6110]Luxury”>Chenille Dressing Gowns & More - Kinnaird Ireland)</p>
<p>the US website is broken, but orders can be made through the UK site.</p>
<p>mafool, do you happen to know where they make the robes?</p>
<p>I also found this site- a grandmother makes them out of old bedspreads!
Dibs on the white one!
[Vintage</a> look Robes](<a href=“http://www.chenille-bedspread.highpowersites.com/Vintage_look_Robes.html]Vintage”>http://www.chenille-bedspread.highpowersites.com/Vintage_look_Robes.html)</p>
<p>BB,
No, but I infer from the “about Chenille” section
[Kinnaird</a> Dressing Gown & Bed Jacket More Information](<a href=“About Kinnaird Chenille”>About Kinnaird Chenille)
that they are NOT made in China or Turkey.</p>
<p>emerald - those robes are fantastic. So retro and unique - I may have to get one! What a great website - her adorable grand daughter makes a lovely model. Thanks so much for the link.</p>
<p>Went to Neiman with the goal not to buy anything made in China. LOL, this shopping strategy saves a lot of money! I walked out of the store with this:</p>
<p>[Tricia</a> : Second Base® - The Original Demi Cami!](<a href=“Second Base”>Second Base)</p>
<p>It goes over the bra and looks just like a cami under a V-neck top, except it does not ride up or scrunch like a camisole would. Made in the USA. ;)</p>
<p>You’re right that checking where things are made does cut down on shopping. I was browsing at belts at Nordstrom’s Rack & could only find ones made in China, so I walked away. Guess I really don’t need a belt right now. 
Did also buy some cute things at Vera Bradley. Unfortunately one was made in China–a small eyeglass case. The wristlet was made in Barcelona. They were all 50% off, so it seemed like a good deal!</p>
<p>Now that I have my outfit organized (first things, first–LOL) I need to make sure DH is also ‘dressing young’ He has a classic shawl-collar tux and pleated white shirt with French cuffs. What’s the latest on ties? Classic black bow? His bow tie is pretty skinny–are they fat these days? It’s pre-tied and has a band to go around the neck. I can’t tell the difference between tied and pre-tied–are they faux pas? He’s thinking no cumberbund. Again, I’m not sure what the latest fashion gurus are saying on this. Any knowledge/sources of info on the current trends? Shiny black shoes?</p>
<p>…No prom dress to match, thankfully! Been there, done that!</p>
<p>Beil, I’m not an expert in men’s tux trends, so take this with a grain of salt. A quick look through the photos from Oscars and other similarly glam events confirmed that a (small to medium) black bow tie was indeed the most popular option, and a vest (vs cummerband) was the choice of many Oscar attendies:</p>
<p>[83rd</a> Academy Awards Red Carpet | Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences](<a href=“http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/83/83aa-redcarpet.html]83rd”>http://www.oscars.org/awards/academyawards/83/83aa-redcarpet.html)</p>
<p>(click on the “photo slideshow” in the upper right corner of the page)</p>
<p>My DH opted on a black suit with a silver tie at the last formal thing we went to. He just said he wasn’t going to wear a tux again. Period. There were about 1/3 of the men in black suits. Kind of like how some women go floor length, some short. There’s latitude in most of these things now. My son, otoh, adores wearing a tux. No interest in fashion anywhere else in his life but thinks it’s a gas to wear a tux.</p>
<p>
My sister-in-law and brother-in-law (who are from the midwest) came to visit us in MA. They wanted to go to Maine and see LLBean. H and I took them to ME for the weekend. While shopping at LLBean, H decided to buy some pants. He noticed that almost everything was made overseas. He made an effort to find something in the store that was made in the US. Eventually, he gave up and asked a salesperson. She told him that there were very few items in the entire store that were manufactured in the US–the LLBean canvas bags, hunting boots, and dog beds were a few I remember. The majority of the goods are manufactured outside of the US.</p>
<p>Sadly, even back in the day when we were on our honeymoon 25 years ago, there were a significant # of LLBean items that were imported. Prices make a difference & it’s tough to compete on price when other countries can make things so inexpensively. :(</p>
<p>REI does have SOME items made in the US, as was posted previously. There is a company–I think it’s National Allergy Supply that prides itself in making things in the US. I have bought allergy control barriers from them. Their prices are pretty good but you should double-check that they are still making their goods here; haven’t made a purchase recently. One great thing about them is that they DO warranty their products & replace them with you only paying postage to ship them defective/failed product.</p>
<p>I did get a made in US leather book at Pike’s market for D. Unfortunately, the paper was made in some other country – not China, but forgot where. Got S a handmade leather belt at a craft fair in Virginia. Best of all, they cut it to fit him slim waist & it was very attractive. They gave him the extra leather strip (long enough for a dog collar or a few bracelets, LOL).</p>
<p>Mafool, thanks! I like the robes a lot. Turkish cotton is OK. Actually, China used to make great bath towels. When I got married, my new SIL gave me a set that she acquired somewhere. Wow, they lasted a long time. The care labels did not have a single English character on them! </p>
<p>More notes from my weekend shopping trip. There is a surprising number of underwear manufacturers who make their stuff in US, like Commando, Second Base, Hanky Panky and several others (good lord, how do they come up with such goofy brand names?!). I made an unpleasant discovery that Chantelle moved their bra sewing from France to China, and the quality has definitely suffered (although the prices went up a small notch). Cosabella still makes their lace panties and bras in Italy.</p>
<p>Public service announcement: ladies, a strapless mini dress and 4 inch heels look ridiculous on anyone over 6o, especially if you look 60+ with your long, grey “biker girl” hair :eek: it does not matter if you have a great body - the outfit still looks like you pulled it out of your granddaughter’s closet.</p>
<p>4+ inch heels look ridiculous on anyone from my point of view (good way to twist, sprain, fracture or maim one or more body parts); not keen on strapless mini dresses either, no matter how great the body and how old or young the wearer. I guess I’m less tolerant.</p>
<p>Yikes indeed.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Bless you, BB. I’ve been saying this for a while. Have a co-worker (age 52) who wears mini dresses with, no kidding, 4-6 inch heels (we’ve measured them). She looks ridiculous. </p>
<p>Of course, taste is always a matter of personal preference but I have two friends who are around 53-55 and they dress completely opposite and it has really opened my eyes to what is age appropriate.</p>
<p>One is a hard-core exerciser, routinely riding her bike 100+ miles a weekend, thin and in very good shape. She wears skimpy clothes and very youngish things like camouflage pants. At a recent party, she had on a strapless fitted satin top with jeans and very high heels.</p>
<p>Our other friend is average body - not thin but not overweight. She dresses in very classic clothes (but not frumpy). At the same party, she had on a black fitted dress to her knee with a wide belt and a draped neckline (ala Mad Men) and pumps. She looked fabulous. At one point she was sitting next to strapless friend and it was like looking at someone who was uber chic sitting next to someone who was dressed way too young for their age and was trying too hard to look young.</p>
<p>So funny. I myself wonder if jeans and ankle boots are too young:). I’m unlikely to consider mini-dresses and sky high heels. Now that I think about it, I doubt I wore that sort of thing even at 19…</p>