Answer Angel: At the end of my rope with drawstrings

Ellen Warren, Tribune News Service on Jul 15, 2025

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Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I am sick and tired of the drawstrings in my kids’ shorts, pants and hoodies coming out in the wash.

Is there an efficient way to restring the darned things without slowly and painstakingly re-threading inch by inch by hand, which takes forever? Who has the time for that?

--Mom of 4 active kids

Dear Mom: In the dark ages (before the internet), I had the same problem. Attaching a BIG safety pin to one end of the string and guiding it through the drawstring slit (which it slid out of in the first place) works, but it is maddeningly slow work. So is unbending a wire hanger and attaching one end of the drawstring to the hanger and using it to thread through the opening.

But there is a tool for this. Amazon carries an array of them for a few dollars each. If you are lucky enough to live near one of the country’s diminishing number of sewing/fabric/craft shops, they too often carry these tools. The biggest caveat is to be sure that the tool you buy can accommodate the diameter of your drawstrings.

To avoid the problem in the first place, there are all manner of little plastic drawstring toggles online and at sewing stores, but examine them closely. These little items are not for homes with small kids or curious dogs who will put anything in their mouths — not just food ! I know from ER vet experience that the little bits of plastic used on Ziploc bags, if dislodged, also are a choking hazard for dogs. Beware!

Dear Answer Angel Ellen: Why do fashion/style websites, etc. cite actress Katie Holmes as a fashion icon? In the photos I see online on these sites, she seems to dress like the rest of us: in jeans, a shirt, basic shoes and a tote bag! What’s the big deal?

--Maura D.

Dear Maura: You got me! I don’t get it either. But … many of her seemingly commonplace items can be amazingly costly. It’s called "quiet luxury." It is easier than you might think to find $400 jeans, plain white cotton tees for $140 and cardigans for $550-plus. A tote bag? You might buy yours for $29 at Target, but add two zeros for many of the seemingly simple over-the-shoulder bags that famous women stuff with their gym clothes.

I guess the good news is that we can all dress like a fashion icon if we favor similar simple classics from Old Navy, T.J. Maxx, Nordstrom and local thrift stores like Goodwill. Ours won’t be leather, Japanese hand-dyed denim or cashmere but … so what?

Angelic Readers 1

Sue D. writes: “We are always warned to replace mascara often to avoid eye infections, so why don’t manufacturers put a date on these cosmetic products, just like they do on milk? While these makeup items are not milk or fresh meat or veggies, they are a consumable, in a way.

“Another mascara idea: When I buy a mascara it’s always sold on pegboard racks, so the product is always hanging upright. When I get home, I turn it upside down for an overnight or some length of time, just to mix it up. Bet we would all get some longer life if we mixed it, from time to time. Let gravity help us out. I do shake the tube but wonder if it does the job.” From Ellen: Thanks for two excellent ideas that I had never thought of. To your question about whether shaking the tube mixes the mascara in the tube, my guess is no. But your gravity trick is a good one. Using the wand to stir up the mascara in the tube also is worth a try.

Angelic Readers 2

My inbox overflowed with reader suggestions for figure-flattering swimwear for reader Anna C. who lamented her flat bottom half was presenting a shopping “challenge”…

Patti S. writes that her long torso was hard to fit until she found a great selection at Target. (From Ellen: I found my $29 dream swimsuit at Target too. But pay attention to the tag instructions. In my case I didn’t rinse after every pool swim and the chemicals dimmed my bright pink find.) Angela C. agreed with my suggestion to shop the two-piece offerings at Lands’ End (landsend.com) where she also found a matching sun shirt to protect her arms and she saved a lot by “shopping the sales” there. Liz P. recommends running shorts that have a liner and a yoga top that will double as swimwear. Terri S. loves Albion Fit (albionfit.com). Naomi G. says the Liz Claiborne swimsuits at JCPenney (jcpenney.com) “have wonderful support, wonderful coverage and great shape.”