Q. We’re going out for crab legs this weekend at a seafood restaurant. But I hate wearing those big plastic bibs they give you with the cartoon crab on them. What else can I do? -Edith, Temecula A. Bring along your own bib. An old sweater works fine. Just tie the arms around your neck…
Q. Do you wear a cummerbund with the pleats facing up or down? –Woodrow, Aguanga A. No, I don’t. But if you’re going to wear one, wear it with the pleats facing up. That way they’ll catch all the cracker and cookie crumbs that would otherwise fall on the floor, which would be embarrassing. Q….
Q. Every wash day I have to spend time emptying my husband’s pants pockets. He keeps stuffing his left hip pocket with bits of paper—receipts, ticket stubs, etc. Do you do this? -Shirl, Palm Desert A. No, I do not. I stuff bits of paper in my right hip pocket. My left hip pocket gets…
Q. When should I put on socks with sandals? -Alan, Rubidoux A. Before you put on the sandals. Wearing socks over sandals is considered gauche everywhere except New South Wales, where it’s done only on St. Elmo’s feast day. Q. Is wearing a tie and shorts considered attractive? -Taylor, Calimesa A. Maybe to someone else…
Q. I have a shirt with a missing button. The only button I have to replace it has two holes, whereas the rest of the buttons on the shirt have four holes. Is it okay to replace a four-hole button with a two-hole button? -Dale, Valle Vista A. It depends upon the position of the…
Q. When should the tags be taken off new clothes?-Wally, Escondido A. You can’t take the tags off right away or people won’t know you’re wearing new clothes. The exception is that long strip that says “EXTRA LARGE” on it 12 times. You should pull that one off or it will look like you’re bragging….
Q. I have a favorite shirt. My wife nags me because it’s a bit tattered. How long should a man be allowed to wear his favorite shirt? -Leonard, Sun City A. There’s nothing as comfortable as a favorite shirt. You shouldn’t stop wearing it just because it has tatters. I have favorites that I’ve worn…
By Jack Clark Fashion Correspondent Q. I’ve heard you’re not supposed to wear white after Labor Day. Does this apply to white underwear, too? — Mildred, Mendocino A. Only when you’re wearing it on the outside. Q. I remember that professional house painters always wore white — white pants, white shirts, white hats. Do they…
By Jack Clark Fashion Advisor Q. My husband always tucks his shirt into his pants … even Hawaiian and African shirts. I think this looks goofy. How can I cure him of this? — Barb, Pine Cove A. Sew the bottom hem of each shirt to the outside of a pair of his pants, all…
By Jack Clark Fashion Advisor Q. For my kitchen, I recently bought a large set of new plastic tubs with matching lids. Now I have 14 tubs and only 10 lids. Four of the tubs are going topless. Where do these lids go? — Myrna, Menifee A. I think one of them turned up in…
