The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Archives for March 2013

March 2013

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 for Winter: the Winners, and the Losers

As March winds down and warmer weather flirts with us, I want to take the time to review how my Project 333 for the first 3 months of the year worked.

Overall, 33 items of clothing is WAAAAY more than enough for a season, or, realistically in Chicago, for the 6 months or so in which one must wear winter clothing.  If I have another 33 garments for the warmer weather (with a few items that will appear in both selections), then I think a wardrobe of 66 or fewer garments is a good start, for me, toward minimizing the amount of clothing I own.  Less money spent, less mental morning confusion, a clearer personal style projected to anybody who's paying attention.

Specifically, I had some garments that I loved and wore every week, and ... View the Post

Used Clothing won’t hurt you…

Better World Shopper is an interesting site.  I can't comment at all regarding the quality or validity of their research methodology, but their conclusions are certainly worthy of consideration.

And I think it's about time that we all come to grips with the understanding that there's nothing inferior, or particularly sinister or distasteful, about used clothing. For one thing, it's not like the clothing you buy at retail is particularly pristine, unworn or sanitary.  Anybody who's ever worked in retail can tell horror stories about what is done to clothing before it's purchased and leaves the store as a "new" garment.

Secondly, I suspect that each and every one of us has access to laundry facilities and/or a dry cleaner. No ... View the Post

How to wear a taupe v-neck sweater

What a rich, delectable color this is, and it seemed to go with all kinds of other colors...

And check out the tool bar on the right side of the screen (it's just a narrow black bar until you drag your cursor over it); I've FINALLY posted a photograph of myself on my profile!  Taken on a train in Italy... sigh... ... View the Post

How to wear a navy v-neck sweater

As before, you will see some familiar garments and accessories.  To me, it is a delightful surprise to start preparing a post with a new color of sweater, readjust my aesthetic brain to that color, and then find that there a lot of flattering "common ground" with previous posts that I've done...  Today I was particularly delighted to see how well yesterday's coral tee shirt and flats flattered the navy sweater and white jeans.  Although I think green and navy might be a new favorite for me! ... View the Post

How to wear a camel v-neck sweater

March 20, 2013

I never wear camel, because it's wicked unflattering on me, but I love the look of it...At it's simplest, the sweater with jeans or twill pants. A scarf, and some pretty earrings, and you're good to go. Note that the shades of camel don't have to match exactly.

A long line of camel and brown, with a simple white or cream shirt, is the easiest outfit in the world.  Simple gold jewelry is all you need; a watch might be enough!

With white jeans (or cream/ecru) you have the opportunity to break out your favorite summer tee shirts before the weather's actually "tee shirt warm".  This is also a chance to sneak your favorite ballet flats back into circulation, to pull the whole outfit together.

With ... View the Post

How to wear a black v-neck sweater

When I was ironing yesterday, I realized, again, that my black v-neck sweater is perhaps the most frequently worn item in my closet in the cold weather.  While mine is cashmere, if I had to replace it, I'd probably opt for a very "flat" merino wool, or maybe Eileen Fisher's cotton/silk blend...

Mine is big enough to layer, but not so huge that it looks sloppy on it's own.  The v is low enough that a tee shirt peeks out when it's underneath, but if I wear the sweater alone I'm not risking a career-limiting move.

At it's most simple, the sweater, alone with a pair of simple jeans or khakis, is perfect:

And with a plain white cotton shirt, or silk blouse,anyone can wear it to work:

A tee shirt underneath is a great way to ... View the Post