Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I recently rediscovered my diamond jewelry—tennis bracelet, wedding ring, two sizes of hoop earrings. I had them cleaned and they are gorgeous!

However, my lifestyle rarely if ever calls for diamonds. Would it be tacky to wear them with shorts when I go grocery shopping, for example? It bugs me that this beautiful, expensive stuff is in a box in a drawer.

--P.D.J.

Dear P.D.J.: I’m a big believer in enjoying “good” jewelry every day and not just on special occasions. Consider it “high-low” dressing -- a style widely praised by fashion commentators.

Popular bloggers and “influencers” offer high marks for women who choose to mix expensive clothes and accessories like designer shoes, pants, purses, dresses, etc. with raggedy washed-out rock band T-shirts and high-end gold jewelry, genuine pearls and, yes, diamonds of all sorts — even gaudy “cocktail” rings.

I too think this is the opposite of tacky. It’s common sense! If you’ve got ‘em, wear ‘em.

Dear Answer Angel: Is it a fashion faux pas to wear a different color nail polish on my fingers versus my toes? I like my toes to be a much brighter color than my fingers.

--Pam R.

Dear Pam: I highly recommend choosing different colors for fingers and toes! And while on the topic, here’s to all the men I see who choose bright polish for toes (and some brave ones who sport colorful fingernails too). Even little boys—like a team of baseball-loving first-graders I know—have moved into colorful fingernails to match the colors of their Little League jerseys. And why not? Boys just want to have fun too.

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I have some sleeveless jumpsuits and dresses I would love to wear, but I am self-conscious about exposing my wrinkly arms. What could I wear underneath to cover my arms without looking weird?

--Kristina L.

Dear Kristina: Your question introduced me to a whole world out there of stylish answers to your question.

There are garments from companies with names like Sleevey Wonders (sleeveywonders.com) that sell items that basically are two stretchy arm coverings connected to a minimal stretchy center that absolutely fits your need. Other models are made of opaque mesh like “womens mashie bolo shrug,” ($52, discountdance.com).

A different solution? There’s also a lovely selection of pretty and fashionable clothing to wear over your sleeveless jumpsuit, dress, blouse or vest that also will cover your arms but not add bulk to your outfit. Type “garments to wear to conceal arms” in your search engine and be amazed like I was by how many companies are out there solving this problem for you!

Angelic Readers 1

Barb G. has a solution to one reader’s question about whether tucking in a napkin at the neck is OK to avoid tomato sauce splatters that seem inevitable when dining at her favorite Italian restaurant: “I always make sure I’m wearing a red shirt just in case I get a spill.” Another reader suggests using dentist-style bib clips to hold a napkin when dining out at her favorite pasta place (dental bib clips, amazon.com, 6 for $6.48 and up).

Angelic Readers 2

Readers to the rescue for Babs who asked for guidance on what (if any) tech fabric shirts she should buy for an upcoming hiking trip when confronted with so many choices of non-stink, moisture-wicking and lightweight miracle fibers that are supposed to prevent odor, sweating etc. Kathleen K. writes, “I have been horseback riding and hiking in the mountains, and found the best non-cotton shirt is wool! They are expensive, but well worth it. They don’t smell after several days, are lightweight for hot days, but transition well into cooler evenings. WoolX.com and woolyclothing.com are two brands to check out.” From Kathleen D.: “We have changed to merino wool and it is fantastic. Wool T-shirts in 18 microns or less are not itchy and dry quickly without smell. You can easily rinse them out and hang to dry if needed, but if they are aired out, they really don't even need to be rinsed out. My husband also wears wool underwear and we both have lightweight zip hoodies that are warm and great for layering. The bonus is that wool is sustainable and natural.”

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