Answer Angel: Precious T-shirts

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I just returned from seeing my all-time favorite band, Jeff Lynne's ELO. Since this is his last tour ever and I am a longtime fan, I had to buy a concert T-shirt. I wish I still had my T-shirt from back in the day, but sadly, the silkscreen printing faded away.

I'd sure like to keep this T-shirt around for a long time! Any advice on how to keep the printed spaceship from cracking off? I have yet to wash it, just in case you have any pre-laundering advice.

--Ellen H.

Dear Ellen: My friend is a collector of vintage band T-shirts. Some are worth some serious $ so he’s very mindful of what he washes them in.

He has been happy with my suggestion — one I got from a very expensive cashmere shop — which is to hand wash inside out in the sink, bathtub or a plastic storage tub using a few capfuls of baby shampoo and cold water. Soak for 15 minutes or so, then gently swish and hand knead, rinse in cold (do not wring) to extract as much water as possible. Air dry flat on a clean white towel.

Also, I’ve heard good things about no-rinse, scent-free Eucalan (eucalan.com, 3.3 ounces, $7; amazon.com, 16.9 ounces, $16.29). I haven’t tested it so if you try it, let me know what you think.

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I recently had my purse stolen while I was eating in a restaurant. Inside were my phone, checkbook, IDs including health care, driver’s license, credit cards, car and house keys, a good amount of cash, prescription glasses and more. To say this was a nightmare doesn’t begin to cover it. It has been two months and I am still not finished with all the replacements including changing my checking account and all the many autopays linked to it. And, it was all my fault for just plopping it near my feet. I was easy prey. Any advice on how to avoid this huge headache from ever repeating?

--Lucy B.

Dear Lucy: Of course you changed your locks and reported the theft to the police? You’ll need a report number — and it’s never too late -- if you hope to get any reimbursement for your stuff, new locks, etc. from insurance (which, like getting a tax break for your losses, isn’t easy). Often the thief will grab cash and credit cards and dump the purse so a check of nearby trashcans can’t hurt.

It also might help to have a tracker in the purse. My Apple AirTag (amazon.com, Apple stores, Target, $25 or less) has served me well.

There are various clips to hold your purse at the table while dining (but most are flimsy and I don’t much trust them to stop a thief). Holding the purse on your lap is good prevention but bulky and unpleasant. Wrapping the strap around your ankle while resting the purse under the table sounds silly but it’s what I do. Readers’ ideas welcome!

Angelic Readers

On the issue of cute flats for women who can only wear flat shoes, not heels, Deb in Connecticut writes from long experience: “I have bunions, which cause most heeled shoes and even some flats to be uncomfortable. I have several dressy flats, one is velvet from Birdies; one has some crystal bling; Journee, Easy Spirit and Zara have some reasonable prices. Geox, Tory Burch, Cole Hahn, Birdies, Tieks all have dressy flats at the upper end. Vivaia has a pretty knit style sprinkled with crystals -- their knits have a lot of give that are comfortable (geox.com, toryburch.com, colehahn.com, birdies.com, tieks.com, vivaia.com, zara.com, journeecollection.com, easyspirit.com). Mary Janes are also in style right now. Do a search for dressy or blingy or metallic flats. Another bonus: Flat shoes are easy to pack for travel!”

For Sara M., who worried that wearing flats to work or formal events makes her self-conscious about looking too informal Ruth C. says: “My two cents based on years of mostly standing and walking while working in a high school library: Which would others rather see (or which would I rather be remembered for) -- cute shoes on my feet or a genuine smile on my face?”