Summer Has Arrived!

Our craving for warmth and sunshine is finally being fulfilled. A little later than usual but it never disappoints. It’s time for wearing sun dresses with large brim hats and versatile totes.

This ‘Tango Mango’ dress is shown with a blue ‘Memories’ sun hat and ‘Frank Lyman’ tote.

The ‘Tango Mango’ brand has been a popular choice for sun dresses because the rippled material design will virtually make all women look great. It shows off the curves without showing any bulges. They are so versatile, they fill the bill for visiting, shopping, lunch dates and going out for dinner. Customers have even bought them to wear at summer weddings. Many of them come with a matching scarf, large enough to become a shawl for cool summer evenings.

The ‘Tango Mango’ company was started 2009 and is now sold in 30 countries. 

‘Miss Nikky’ is a legacy brand, wrapping women in comfort and style since 1992. Sold in 3,000 stores across the North American continent, their advertising slogan is “An affair with flair”, which says it all. Customers admire the perfect fit, variant prints, trending fashion and flattering colors. Many of their sun dresses also come with a matching scarf.

An absolute ‘must have’ for the summer is a wide-brim sun hat and we have the shape and shade for you produced by various designers. Check out our hat tree to choose the one that suits you best. We have great looking sunglasses, too!

Now all you need is a large tote bag to get you through the day. While browsing at Close To You, you will see various tote bags displayed throughout the store. ‘Dolcezza’ has gone wild with color this season, in uniquely attractive designs and geometrics. Have a look at this tote and jacket ensemble. You can imagine it instantly with white, red, pink, blue, or lime capris or shorts.

‘Amoena’ (a bra company) has come out with an attractive, distinguished looking tote in a small zig-zag design.

‘Marlies Dekkers’ is a fairly new name in our store in swimsuits and surprises us with a huge tote bag, boasting the European flair, guaranteed to hold everything you’ll need for the day.

‘Marlies Dekkers’ is a famous Dutch lingerie designer who has achieved international success by pioneering the trend ‘inner wear as outer wear’, giving women more confidence. She is a self-proclaimed feminist, who dares to succeed. You’ll be hearing more about this intriguing designer in future blogs as we follow her career.

Believe it or not ladies, face masks have become a fashion statement! We are carrying a variety of ‘Frank Lyman’ masks which have made a big splash at our store. Fun masks we all love, like zebra designs, leopard prints, solid black and the list goes on… and a new shipment has just arrived! Frank Lyman will donate all profits from the sale of masks to charities benefiting seniors worldwide.

Be sure to tune in to the virtual fashion shows on Facebook, produced, directed and modeled by our Sandy. She will not only show you the latest in fashion but will also give you some newsy information about trends and helpful hints.

Q. & A.

Q. I love summer sun dresses and tops, but most are sleeveless or spaghetti straps. I don’t feel any older, but my upper arms are starting to sag, and this makes me feel self-conscious when wearing sleeveless. What can I do about that?

A. It’s time for a new mind-set! Be proud of who you have become, a strong woman, free of inhibitions, happy and confident. As Sandy would say, “We worked hard to earn those arms.”

Don’t let ‘sleeveless’ stop you from buying a dress or top you really love. There is a solution. ‘Sleevey Wonder’ is a remarkable undergarment, having incredible light stretch and fitting comfortably over your bra, giving you instant sleeves (3/4 or long). When you slip your dress on over this, it will look like the sleeves are part of the dress. You might want to try one when going out on a cooler evening. I own three of these; a black, navy and cream color, which serves my needs for particular occasions. A great invention!

Every problem has a solution; sometimes we just have to change our mind!

Karla