<p>Yes, Bunsen Burner, Three Dots is made in the U.S. - I double checked my recent purchases. I agree, an added plus.</p>
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<p>And some of us have sons who are just 14 and tactless. Mine can be brutal.</p>
<p>Some of us have brutally honest Ds. “Mom, these pants make your rear end look like the rear end of a school bus” :)</p>
<p>^fortunately or unfortunately my d is tactful to a fault. A 3 way mirror works better for me.</p>
<p>Capris vs cropped pants - when I think of capris, I think of fitted pants that stop JUST below the knee, usually with a small slit at the outside of the knee. Unfortunately, when I shop for capris what I find are loose wide-leg pants that stop a few inches above the ankle. I don’t think those can possibly be flattering on ANYONE. I call them cropped pants or clam diggers. Am I confused on these terms?</p>
<p>Public Service Announcement: If you’ve lost so much weight that your pants are hanging off of you, either wear a belt or buy new pants. At today’s cheer competition a group of us were treated to a view of a lady’s almost entire bottom when she stood up and her pants went WAY far down - wild thing is that she didn’t pull up her pants - she pulled down her t-shirt.</p>
<p>missypie, thank you for bring up this important fashion faux pas! I’ll add: if you hate belts and still love your slightly-too-big pants, get them altered! It could be cheaper than buying new pants or a belt. 
(I just made my DH go to the mall and get a new pair of pants. He was wearing his old, pleated dress slacks that were less than flattering. He complained that he tried several pairs of pants and none fit him perfectly. Then the sales guy suggested alterations. H was totally shocked that pants could be altered. Duh!).</p>
<p>My DH weighs the exact same as he did the day we got married. I hate him for it. 
He’s also very frugal and hates to shop. I think he still has a few t-shirts from college. He’s perfectly happy to wear pants that are frayed at the pockets and hem, or shorts that are out of date (pleated mid-thigh khakis, anyone?). It’s like pulling teeth to get him to clean out his closet and buy new clothes. OTOH he’s a very easy size to fit, so when I can’t stand what he’s wearing any more I just order him new clothes online.</p>
<p>My experience has been that men are very easily shocked and/or surprised at anything clothes-related. H was surprised recently when he found out the shirt he always thought was brown is actually gray!</p>
<p>Sons can be brutally honest, but that can also, once in a blue moon, work out in your favour. During Christmas break he saw me zipping my skinny jeans into tall boots and he blurted out ‘those really make your legs look long’. What a darling boy!</p>
<p>My personal definitions: Bermudas, to me, are still shorts, so to qualify they come to just above or at the knee. These are flattering for me. I don’t go any shorter out in the general public. Capris, I avoid, bc they end anywhere from just below the knee to that awful mid-calf area. They make my legs look like tree trunks. Cropped pants which remain narrow through the leg right to the hem are the best choice for me. ITA a lot of stuff out there has wide legs or heaven forbid, actually flare out a little, like a mini-bellbottom right above the ankle. Who on earth does that flatter?</p>
<p>LOVE the idea of a simple summer dress and sandals. Am actually on the prowl for some right now. Maybe I’ll even luck into something nice for S1’s graduation in June.</p>
<p>I recently received an Athletica catalogue in the mail and am really tempted to order one of their skirts and/or dresses. They seem nice and simple and comfortable. </p>
<p>[Womens</a> Soft Drape Skirt - Womens Sportswear](<a href=“Athleta”>Athleta)</p>
<p>Thanks for that link sewhappy. I’ve never heard of that line before, but some of those dresses and skirts are things I could definitely see myself wearing. But not that soft drape one, isn’t that kind of old lady looking?</p>
<p>I used to buy Athleta very often, but since they’ve become part of the Gap, the quality has really slipped. Many items that look great in the catalog end up looking like junk when they arrive home. I’ve stopped ordering from them.</p>
<p>sewhappy, I have this one and I like it alot! The fabric is subtantial, soft, and packs really well.</p>
<p>I became a fan of Tommy Bahama sundresses. The quality is great, and I love the fact that the care is so easy - machine wash and hang to dry! No wrinkles and no ironing even after 24 hours in the suitcase! DH bought me this dress during our last visit to HI:</p>
<p>[Mini</a> Aswirl Dress](<a href=“http://www.tommybahama.com/TBG/Women/Dresses/PRD_TW60832/Mini+Aswirl+Dress.jsp]Mini”>http://www.tommybahama.com/TBG/Women/Dresses/PRD_TW60832/Mini+Aswirl+Dress.jsp)</p>
<p>It has enough support and just the right amount of light padding so I can wear it without a bra without looking trashy (and I’m not a size A gal) - a huge plus in the summer!</p>
<p>This one is on my wish list:</p>
<p>[Tambour</a> Empire Dress](<a href=“http://www.tommybahama.com/TBG/Women/Dresses/PRD_TW60893/Tambour+Empire+Dress.jsp]Tambour”>http://www.tommybahama.com/TBG/Women/Dresses/PRD_TW60893/Tambour+Empire+Dress.jsp)</p>
<p>Thanks, mafool - I had admired the nectar dress online and think I’ll go ahead an order it. Also going to order the nusa skirt. There are enough rave reviews online for both that it seems like worth a shot.</p>
<p>BunsenBurner,</p>
<p>If you can wear those Tommy dresses then you must be in terrific condition. I don’t like exposing too much skin on my chest and throat these days - getting pretty old looking in that region, unfortunately.</p>
<p>I live in the PNW, and even in the summer I can wear a small “shrug” with that dress to cover my back and shoulders yet still feel comfy, not hot. When we go on vacation, I wear it without the “shrug”. In HI, people wear what they feel comfortable in, not what they think they look great in, and no one cares. :)</p>
<p>The brown and white Athleta Nektar dress looks really nice. Another company that makes really comfy dresses is Lole:</p>
<p>[url=<a href="http://lolewomen.com/en/collection/summer/Dresses_and_Tunics/all_styles.html]Women’s">http://lolewomen.com/en/collection/summer/Dresses_and_Tunics/all_styles.html]Women’s</a> Dresses & Tunic Tops LOL</p>
<p>Thanks for the Lole link, BunsenBurner. I just ordered the Statira dress - it looks really comfortable and flattering (hopefully). I noticed the Amazon link at the bottom, so I used one click shopping with free shipping through Amazon - wow, that was fast!</p>
<p>Okay, I admit it - don’t know what the PNW is! But sounds wonderful and laid back.</p>
<p>Here are two dresses I love even though they are from BCBG who I think of as really youthful (even for a 51-year-old determined not to be a frump):</p>
<p>[BCBGMAXAZRIA</a> - generation DAY: BCBGENERATION SHORT-SLEEVE SHIRT DRESS](<a href=“http://www.bcbg.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3987868&cp=3905241&page=2&parentPage=family]BCBGMAXAZRIA”>http://www.bcbg.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3987868&cp=3905241&page=2&parentPage=family)</p>
<p>[BCBGMAXAZRIA</a> - DRESSES: DAY DRESSES: PRINTED SHEATH DRESS](<a href=“http://www.bcbg.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4031460&cp=2769070.2768985]BCBGMAXAZRIA”>http://www.bcbg.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4031460&cp=2769070.2768985)</p>
<p>I like BCBG - they always look stylish and they travel very well. It’s one of the few brands that both my daughter and I wear.</p>
<p>Huh. I’d never seen Lole before.Thanks for the link. I love to investigate new brands and spread the word.</p>