Boots for that black tie event — here's how to wear them in style (2024)

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: Can a woman wear knee-high boots with a jacketed co*cktail dress to a small-town black tie event?

— Julie P.

Dear Julie: Yes you can. Knee-high boots (or ankle booties or over-the-knee boots) will work at a "small-town black tie event." They'd be fine, too, at a big-city event, black tie or not. Obviously we're not talking about heavy-duty boots. But boots, especially in suede, can go from day to evening and look stunning, as long as they don't have clunky hardware or big industrial zippers. A heel makes boots dressier but is not essential. I would probably choose opaque tights in the same color as the boots to eliminate the bare look from the top of the knee to the hem of the dress.

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: My husband likes to wear his shirts untucked. For that reason, he wears mainly polo-type shirts, long- and short-sleeved, and has them shortened (he is 5 foot 6 inches, very broad shouldered and somewhat chubby — no slim fit for him!).

I'd like to see him wear a "dressier" shirt occasionally, and I know there is a shirt called Untuckit made to be worn out. I've looked at these, and the least expensive shirt on the website is $58 final sale (no returns). Most of the shirts run $78-$98. When I can get a Polo or Hilfiger shirt for much less money at Marshalls or T.J. Maxx, I just can't rationalize this price. Do you know of any other men's shirts made to be worn untucked? Can he have his Hilfiger shirts shortened? I appreciate any advice that will help "pep up" his wardrobe!

— Sandy

Dear Sandy: I've never been an Untuckit fan (untuckit.com) for the reason you point out (cost). Also, I really dislike the prominent triangle logo on the shirttail. I feel companies with big logos are using me as their free advertising billboard. This goes for purses, too, that increasingly have giant unremovable metal logo plates.

Anyhow … yes, you can have your husband's traditional button-down shirts tailored so the shirttails are shorter, but you're likely to have to spend more than you'd like. Not surprisingly, the popularity of the untucked shirt has prompted other manufacturers to go the Untuckit dress-shirt route, and you can now find shirts by Gap ("wear tucked or untucked," gap.com), Wrangler ("wear it out") (wrangler.com, $15.99) and others, including VanHeusen "never tuck" (amazon.com, $19.68 and up). As dressing for everyone gets ever more casual, you will see more untucked options in stores and online.

One more thing: Knit polo shirts that your husband likes do no favors for men with ample bellies. They tend to cling and call attention to a bulging stomach. Button downs in cotton, cotton blends and linen are much more flattering choices.

Angelic readers

I'm paying catch-up on some great reader suggestions for problems you've written me about:

The high price of greeting cards:

From Marla D: "Trader Joe's carries greeting cards under its own label for only $1. They are printed on a quality paper stock and the designs are by various artists. There are birthday, sympathy, get well, happy retirement, wedding and blank cards. If I see a design that I like, I'll buy it, even if I may not need it immediately. I have found that if I see a design I like and want to get more later, it may no longer be there. Having it at home means not making an extra trip." Bill H., Pam K., Harriet T., Holly K. and Carrie W. also recommend Trader Joe's for cards.

Says Janet S.: "Another solution for the 'greeting card quandary' is to buy a box of notecards with a simple design and write a short note to the intended recipient. Even better, invest is some quality notecards with your name imprinted."

Lynn F. writes: "Here is a relatively inexpensive solution to the greeting card problem. Several years ago, I purchased a Hallmark greeting card program at Office Depot for my computer. It has cards for all occasions and you can also personalize the script. The store also sells card stock paper and both plain white and colored envelopes sized to fit cards of half or quarter-size sheet paper. Without going out to find a card, I can do it all at home on my computer at a fraction of the cost."

Skimpy top sheets for extra deep mattresses:

From Ruth S.: "I had the same problem with sheet sizes that Lin Z. ranted about in your column, and I found a simple solution: Buy your top and bottom sheets separately. My bed is queen size, so I buy a queen fitted bottom sheet and a king top sheet. Problem solved!" Jeff F. and Fran F. had the same suggestion. Helene too had that solution: "Thank heavens for Bed Bath & Beyond (bedbathandbeyond.com). They still sell individual sheets.

From Angel Ellen: Do not ever, ever walk into BB & B without arming yourself with coupons you can sign up for via email or U.S. mail. You'll save yourself a small fortune.

Joanne B: "I was frustrated, too, until I found a brand that is only sold at Kohl's. It is called The Big One (kohls.com)." Roberta also recommended The Big One and L.L.Bean (llbean.com).

From Lisa P.: "Trying to find a blanket is a problem too. I was able to find what I needed at The Company Store (thecompanystore.com). They were a little expensive but well worth it in the long run."

Now it's your turn

Send your questions, rants, tips, favorite finds — on style, shopping, makeup, fashion and beauty — to answerangelellen@gmail.com.

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