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A&E EDITOR | EMILIO RÁBAGO III,(956) 728-2543
SOCIAL CALENDAR
MISS MANNERS | BYJUDITH MARTIN
FASHION
SUNDAY,AUG.6
Love letter
shouldn’t be scary
! Patricia Seggebruch “Come Out and
Play,” mixed media, continues through
Aug. 31, at Lilia G. Martinez Gallery of the
Laredo Center for the Arts, 500 San
Agustin.
!The Laredo Center for the Arts hosts
Summer Arts Splash Artwork, continues
through Aug. 31, at Goodman Gallery.
! Clark Middle School continues
through Aug. 31, Community Gallery at the
Laredo Center for the Arts.
! The Laredo Center for the Arts,
“Summer Show”, continues through Aug.
31, at the Laredo Art League.
! Laredo Center for the Arts Opening
Reception,Aug.19,from 6-9 p.m.,featuring
VOZ poet Bevin K. Shaw and live music by
Ambient Jazz Duo.
MONDAY,AUG.7
! The L’Avenir Social Club will hold
their monthly local meeting on Monday,
Aug. 7, at the Sirloin Stockade at 5:30 p.m.
All members are invited to attend. Hostesses include Angie Uribe,Mary Chapa and
Emma Granger.
! Panic Relief Inc., a non-profit educational organization dedicated to helping
individuals who suffer from panic disorders will have a Panic & Anxiety program on
Mondays, noon to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays,
6:30 to 7:30 p .m.in Laredo.If interested in
attending these meetings please contact
PRI 732-940-9658.
!Women of Destiny Ministeries meets
on Mondays for a Prayer Service at 7 p.m.
at Espumas Café, 119 Guadalupe. For information, call (956) 857-1255.
! Oasis of Love Ministries has a daily
study of God’s Word. Prayer for the sick
and brokenhearted at 2103 Reynolds. For
information, call 723-1210.
Photos by Diane Bondareff | AP
Light weight fabrics are always recommended for summer styles.A basic Cynthia Rowley silk mini dress, pictured at left, can
be worn alone or over a pair of jeans like the Genetic jeans pictured at right.
Beat the Heat
Dress for success, not sweat, this summer
By SAMANTHA CRITCHELL
TUESDAY,AUG.8
! Martin High School’s Class of ’71,
Reunion Committee meets Tuesdays, at
7:30 p.m. at the Taco Tote Restaurant at
5603 San Dario.All classmates are invited.
For information, call Bertha Bernal Dimes
at (956) 791-5019.
WEDNESDAY,AUG.9
!Panic Relief Inc., a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to helping individuals who suffer from panic
disorders, will have its Panic and Anxiety
program on Mondays, noon to 1 p.m.,
and Wednesdays, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., in
Laredo. If interested in attending these
meetings, please contact PRI at (732)
940-9658.
! The Laredo Breastfeeding Support
Group meets the first Wednesday of every
month at 7 p.m. at 1101 Mier (close to the
old Mercy Hospital) to discuss breastfeeding topics. Open to all mothers, pregnant
women and their children (no men). For
more information, call Melissa R. Cigarroa
at 722-5271.
!The Laredo Chess Club will be having
its regular weekly meeting on Wednesday
in the Quiet Room of the Lamar Bruni Vergara Tec-Rec Center at 202 W. Plum St.
Meeting is from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.The meeting is open to the public. Participants must
bring their own chess equipment to play.
For more information contact Dan Navarro
at 722-4600.
THURSDAY,AUG.10
! Alcoholics Anonymous meets Monday through Friday at 8 p.m., and Saturday
and Sunday at 6 p.m. at 102 W. Hillside,
classroom A. For information, call (956)
206-6411 or (956) 579-2691.
! Gratitude Group of Alcoholics
Anonymous meets daily at noon and at
8 p.m. at 4120 San Bernardo, Suite 4,
and on Sunday at 10 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Spanish meetings are Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:30 p.m. at the same
address.
! Alonon Serenity Group for friends
and family of the alcoholic or addict meets
at 4120 San Bernardo, Suite 4, Monday at
8 p.m.,Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Thursday
at noon. For information, call 337-4805.
! The Jarvis and Lane Alcoholics
Anonymous Group meets every Monday,
Wednesday and Friday from 7 to 8 p.m. at
Christ Church Episcopal,2320 Lane (Jarvis
entrance).For more information,call (956)
206-0942.
! Primary Purpose Group of Cocaine
Anonymous meets Monday through Saturday at 7 p.m.at 102 W.Hillside,classroom
B. For information, call (956) 286-5201.
SATURDAY,AUG.19
! Laredo Center for the Arts Opening
Reception,Aug.19,from 6-9 p.m.,featuring
VOZ poet Bevin K. Shaw and live music by
Ambient Jazz Duo.
SATURDAY,AUG.26
! First United Methodist Church will
have a book sale, from 9 a.m. to noon.The
public is invited and admission is free.
SATURDAY,SEPT.30
! First United Methodist Church will
have a book sale, from 9 a.m. to noon.The
public is invited and admission is free.
SATURDAY,OCT.28
! First United Methodist Church will
have a book sale, from 9 a.m. to noon.The
public is invited and admission is free.
SUNDAY,AUGUST6,2006
ASSOCIATED PRESS
EW YORK — Looking hot is good when
you’re headed out to a nightclub; not so
good when you’re going to work.
But during these dog days of August, people often are steamed by the time they arrive at the office. Clothes are damp, hairdos limp and makeup
dripping. That’s hardly dressing for success.
Then, after a few hours, the same people are in
that ratty cardigan they keep at their desk, trying
to ward off air conditioning-induced shivers.
Again, not a good look.
But there are things you can wear to take you
through this home stretch of summer in style.
Fashion insiders pick the one thing they can’t live
without when the temperature soars:
!Cynthia Rowley, designer: A loose, light dress.
“You don’t need to go bare on hot summer days
— a dress in a light fabric like silk will keep you
cool even if it also keeps you covered up,” says
Rowley, known for her playful, girlie styles. She
points to a chemise ruffle dress from her own collection. “In silk, it’s light and cool, and the 3/4length sleeves look professional. In the summer
you’re in and out of air conditioning, so layering is
important. A dress is easy to pair with a little
cardigan or soft jacket, as well as a little sweater
wrap that can roll up and go right in your bag.”
Rowley’s right that bare isn’t always best, especially in an office where attire should be respectful
no matter what the weather is outside. A bonus:
Many loose dresses will look good paired with
leggings or tights this fall, capitalizing on what is
already one of the hottest trends.
!Thalia, latin singer and designer of Kmart’s
Thalia Sodi Collection: A pretty camisole.
“Being from Mexico, I know how to stay cool. I
have mastered looking cool and still fashionable...The camisole is the basis. I need to feel fresh,
be loose and open, see the skin of my arms and
cleavage to feel cool. You can wear a camisole with
all different bottoms.”
The appeal of camisoles on a hot day is easy:
there’s not much to them. The appeal as workplace
apparel is easy, too: they fit nicely under a jacket or
cardigan — and that’s how you should wear them
in the office. While lingerie looks have moved into
ready-to-wear, your co-workers shouldn’t see bra
N
A floral camisole is a great summer staple. Pictured is a
Thalia Sodi.
straps or a lot of lace. That said, a touch of lace or
other embellishment can be what sets a camisole
apart from a plain cotton tank top.
Also, a camisole can give a pop of color to an
otherwise neutral outfit. (Those neutral outfits are
good, though, because they’re so versatile.)
!Ali Fatourechi, creative director of Genetic Denim:
Lightweight denim jeans.
“It all goes back to fabric. You can’t escape denim, especially me because I’m in the denim business and I’m in LA. I wear a really light fabric with
flip-flops and a T-shirt. Very casual. For denim, the
fabric weight makes a difference — 8 1/4-ounce fabric feels like linen.”
Denim already is a staple in almost every closet. The key is to have denim choices for different
forecasts since it’s not a one-weight-suits-all fabric.
A denim that’s 6 or 8 ounces per square yard still
looks like the denim used for jeans but isn’t heavy
or stiff. An ultralight 4-ounce denim is known as
chambray and is more commonly used for tops
than bottoms, and 10-ounce or higher denim is the
right weight for fall or winter.
And, remember, the darker the denim the
dressier the look.
The latest in menswear: tailoring
By VANESSA E. JONES
THE BOSTON GLOBE
Most people think of a tailor as the person they
go to when they need a hem raised, a waistband
tightened, or other small alterations. But for a
growing number of discerning men, the tailor has
become the one they look to for handmade suits,
shirts, and coats cut to fit their body’s unique peccadilloes.
Younger men are inspired by hip-hop moguls
such as Jay-Z and P. Diddy, whom the paparazzi often capture wearing dapper, high-end suits. It also
doesn’t hurt that a new NBA rule pushed basketball
players out of street gear and into business wear.
Older men embrace the look because it wears well
and hangs better than off-the-rack suits.
The move toward upscale clothing, say local
tailors, is a direct response to the “casual Fridays”
trend that started a few years ago and unleashed
such sloppy dressing among workers that some
corporations offered sessions to teach their employees how to dress casually. Although no official
national statistics exist, Davide Cotugno, a Cleveland tailor and publicity chairman for the Custom
Tailors & Designers Association, believes the popularity of custom-made or bespoke suits — defined
as suits handmade from clothing patterns cut
specifically for one person — is rising and now accounts for 15 to 20 percent of all suit sales nationally. The more popular, and less expensive, madeto-measure suits are hand- or machine-sewn from
standard suit patterns.
Custom and made-to-measure suits are becoming more palatable to Boston men as well.
“It’s more (popular in) New York, but we’ll catch
up later,” says Raymond Buckley, 60, the Londonborn owner of Raymond Personal Tailor in the Financial District, who learned his suit-making skills
as a teenager in the 1960s when he dropped out of
school and took a job on London’s Savile Row, a
street internationally renowned for its bespoke
suits.
Stores such as Brooks Brothers picked up on the
increasing demand by offering made-to-measure
suits to their customers. Local private tailors include newcomer Astor & Black, which is based in
Columbus, Ohio, and represented locally by Aaron
Greenberg in Brookline, and institutions such as
Alan Rouleau Couture on Newbury Street.
“I grew up here my whole life,” says Craig P. Sullivan, 43, owner of The Custom Fit, a 10-year-old
made-to-measure establishment on Newbury
Street, explaining why Boston has been slow to embrace the handmade suit trend. “It’s more of a conservative town for spending money.”
Geoffrey Nathan, 47, already knows the importance of quality. As a defense lawyer, he wants to impress in the courtroom; as an on-air commentator
for the Court TV and Fox News cable channels, he
needs to look presentable. For a while, suits made
by Lands’ End worked for him. But, according to
Nathan, the company changed its manufacturer
and the suits no longer fit him. At that point, Nathan
began “snooping around,” he says, for a tailor.
Unfortunately, he found it difficult to locate a department store suitmaker who could fulfill his demands. A made-to-measure suit he bought in New
York had one pants leg an inch longer than the other. Another made-to-measure suit he bought at a local department store he prefers not to name simply
didn’t fit.
DEAR MISS MANNERS — I
have placed myself in a very bad
situation. I have been in love
with a friend for the past four
years, a 30-year-old Frenchman
who is now residing in Paris. I
am living in
Canada, on
my way to
move back
home to live
in the States.
I miss him
deeply and
I’m
also
MARTIN
deeply in love
with him, but he does not know
this. Besides the pure agony that
I have placed myself in, I have
had opportunities in the past to
share my sentiments for him, but
I didn’t have the courage.
I married another man who
was friends with the man that I
love. However, they do not keep
in touch. When I was on the altar at the church preparing to
say my vows, thoughts of him
flashed through my mind and
heart.
I felt as if it were God telling
me that my conscience was not
clear and so I shouldn’t proceed,
but I was in denial. I did not want
to be in love with another while
I was already preparing to marry another man, but even though
I had fought against my better
judgment, I couldn’t rid my
heart of what it knew and where
it was guiding me. I know that I
may sound ridiculous, but I’m
clearly and truly in love with
this other man.
I would like to know if you
have any advice for me regarding a love letter that I have already begun to write to him. I
want to win his interest and
love and I don’t know how. I
don’t mean any disrespect or
pain to him or to anyone regarding my problem, but I feel
that whether or not he returns
my sentiments, I must tell him,
at least to clear my heart. I
would like to share my life with
him, and if I can’t do this, it is
important to me that I’m close
to him. How can I win his affections and how can I persuade
him to understand in my letter?
GENTLE READER — Why
does Miss Manners have the
creepy feeling that you already
have a letter that is overdue?
That is the one in which you tell
your husband that through no
fault of his, you find you cannot
go on with the marriage.
If that is done, you merely
have to tell the other gentleman
in question that you are divorcing and would like to renew
your acquaintance with him.
Trust Miss Manners, he will not
have a difficult time figuring out
why.
As to how he will react, you
will have to take your chances.
Miss Manners does not dispense
love potions. But she does advise you to refrain from telling
him about your thoughts at the
altar, as she dearly hopes you
have refrained from telling your
husband. It is not so much flattering to the object of your fantasies as it is scary.
DEAR MISS MANNERS — Is
it appropriate to send an anniversary card to a fairly recent
widow? I would like to honor
her by remembering their wonderful love, but he passed late
last year and I’m not sure of the
proper etiquette.
GENTLE READER — “Happy
anniversary” is not exactly the
message to send. No doubt the
greeting card industry has come
up with something like “Sorry
your husband isn’t there to celebrate,” but Miss Manners warns
you that canned sentiments
won’t do. It would be kind of you
to write the lady a letter saying
that you are thinking of her on
this day and feel enriched by the
example of her marriage.
To call for help about cellular
telephone usage, send a long,
self-addressed, stamped envelope and $2 to Newsletter, P.O.
Box 167, Wickliffe, OH 44092,
and you’ll receive “Miss Manners On Cellular Telephone
Courtesy.” E-mail your etiquette
questions to Miss Manners (who
is distraught that she cannot reply personally) at MissManners@unitedmedia.com.
Copyright 2006 by Judith
Martin