dearies, "april showers bring may flowers" yet spring has slipped in early up here in the pacific northwest!

because of the earlier than usual spring arrival i have been busy getting our english garden project started.  seeds are being coaxed within egg cartons next to the warmth of agatha in the kitchen and mr. dearie, ever handy with a rubber mallet and shovel in the garden, installed no-dig decorative metal fencing to my explicit and exact instructions. i married such a patient gentleman! our period bungalow looks even more like it came out of an episode of miss fisher’s murder mysteries. (i just adore myself some phryne fisher, don’t you?  i regularly get distracted by the gorgeous clothing and oh...how i wish i could hop down under and see their exhibit!)
 
speaking of clothing, i have an important question for you: do you own a half-slip?

owning and wearing the correct undergarments under ones clothing helps make your clothing look and fit better on the body, and i believe every woman should own at least one half-slip! this little number can be either straight or a-line, constructed of silk or nylon, plain or decorated with lace and embellishment at the hemline, and not fit too snugly through the hips and thighs. it should skim the body but not bunch up or constrict when you move around in it. i find the most wearable slip length is mid-thigh and that way, i can easily wear it under dresses and skirts of varying lengths.

when i wear my own mash-up and super mash-up dresses over my cuffed denims, i’ll wear my half-slip underneath my frock but over my trousers, as you can see below.

this keeps my dress and pockets from catching on the denim fabric when i stand, walk and wear it, and lets the dress move freely without bunching. (i find nothing is more exhausting than wearing clothing one has to constantly tug and adjust while you wear it so why do it, right?) as I mentioned, the mid-thigh length half-slip is ideal because it virtually disappears from view under my dresses.  see?

also, this same half-slip is perfect when wearing your frock as a frock and not layered over other garments, perhaps with or without tights, for a little extra modesty whether reaching up, bending over, or in breezy weather. half-slips can be found at department stores and discount department stores and they are also easily and inexpensively procured at thrift shops and vintage boutiques. (my favorite go-to number shown was picked up years ago for a couple quid at a second-hand shop.)
 
oh, mr. dearie just returned home from his regular weekend record store wanderlust! it's always exciting to see and then hear what he’s discovered to add to our growing vinyl collection.  and it looks as though he brought me a present - a 12-inch extended single of a favorite song of mine from two and a half decades ago: wang chung "dance hall days"!

we're off to dance and drink afternoon cocktails in the kitchen - until my next missive…

xo

darling