The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Archives for May 2013

May 2013

I am not a movie character; hard, but necessary, wardrobe decisions

Somewhere in my imagination, I walk across windswept moors, my long flowing hair sweeping behind  me.  I'm dressed in something graceful and fluid, and  it's all very dramatic and romantic...

And for a long time, I would occasionally buy something for this life...

Reality check?  I wouldn't walk across a windswept moor, I'd stride at about 4 mph.  My hair won't GET long - it won't grow past my shoulders. And even if it would, it would never flow.  It might boing and sproing and ping and pong in it's curly way...

The fluid garments would get snagged on the gorse, and would get all wet and muddy around the hem...

The hardest part of having a focused wardrobe is the part where you have to ... View the Post

Accessories for multiple European Cities

May 30, 2013

paisley scarf - Brooks Brothers, red earrings - Blue Nile, knot earrings - Brooks Brothers, navy sunglasses - Paul Smith, square scarf - Etro, gold chain necklace - Brooks Brothers, red & white scarf - Monsoon, turquoise earrings - Michael Kors, navy & gold bracelet - C. Wonder, watch - Nixon You could survive without three scarves - you can live with no scarves at all!  The gold jewelry all shares a chain/link sensibility, and two simple pairs of earrings in your accent colors can get a lot of mileage.  Sunglasses in one of your core neutrals, and you're ready to travel...

Navy short-sleeved tee - J. Crew, navy long-sleeved tee - J. Crew, navy pants - J. Crew, navy linen capris - J. Crew, ... View the Post

Multiple European cities: Packing with navy, khaki, red and turquoise

May 29, 2013

 

I get some amazing questions, with descriptions of trips that make me absolutely green with envy!  One of my friends recently shared that she's going to be in Belfast, London, and Paris - what a dream trip for me...

She had isolated two jackets that she wants to take, and around which she would like to build her travel capsule wardrobe.

navy rain jacket - Jack Wills, short trench coat - Woolrich These are great choices - something waterproof is ALWAYS essential in Ireland, and it's wise to have a lightweight jacket even in the middle of the summer.

So my thinking: you need to start with a dark neutral color; navy is the obvious choice in this case.  I always start with a "core of four" in the dark ... View the Post

One Dress – 6 Ways, in Navy and Pink

May 28, 2013

let's revisit our friend who had the navy and pink Common Wardrobe.  Her accessories look kind of like this:

Striped scarf - Missoni, navy sandals - John Lewis, square patterned scarf - Dareen Hakim, bracelet - Luv Aj, Pink quartz earrings - Fantasy Jewelry Box, pink necklace - J. Crew,pink watch - Radley, tote bag - Jack Wills, navy linen scarf - Isola Marras, white sandals -Hotter, pink scarf - Faliero Sarti,  silk bracelet - Brooks Brothers, Hermes Passementerie scarf - vintage , navy penny loafers - Bass, pink flats - Sperry Top-Sider, pink socks - Bank, pink argyle socks - Chrissy's  

Since this friend is really dedicated to wearing pink and navy as her core colors, it's not a stretch of the imagination ... View the Post

Part 2, Accessories Step by Step: Khaki and Green

May 26, 2013

Just as a reminder, these are the additional accessories that we haven't discussed yet:

Bandanna - Jacob Cohen, watch - Wewood, star scarf - Dianora Salviati, green earrings- Nan Fusco, bracelet - Chan Luu, striped scarf - Faliero Sarti, necklace - Seta di Jaipur

Picking patterned scarves is exponentially more difficult than working with solid scarves, but for this wardrobe I've stuck with the simplest solution - scarves that combine the two or three main colors of the wardrobe.  As a reminder, the adjectives I was keeping in mind while searching for accessories included natural, organic, lineny, matte textured, and relaxed.

A bandanna seems obvious, but this one, color-blocked with khaki and green, was a fun ... View the Post

Common Capsule Wardrobe Accessories, step by step: Khaki and Green

May 26, 2013

white scarf - Sperry Top-Sider, green striped scarf - Faliero Sarti, starry scarf - Dianora Salviati, solid green scarf - Kin by John Lewis, two-toned bandanna - Jacob Cohen, green earrings - Nan Fusco, solid beige scarf - Valentino, watch - Wewood, necklace - Seta di Jaipur, striped flats - Keds, sunglasses - Oliver Peoples, sandals - Massimo Dutti, bag - Georgina Skalidi, green sandals - Diba

Okay, the above shows the accessories that I would choose if I were going to have the following green and khaki Common Capsule Wardrobe for this summer.

all clothes - L.L.Bean Right away, you can see a sort of harmony between these two pages - similar colors, and a similar relaxed and sort of organic feeling.  But how do I ... View the Post

Black, White and Pink – expanding on a core wardrobe

May 24, 2013

Let's go back and visit our friend who loves black, white and pink.  She has a black suit - remember?  and I suspect that she has a simple black sweater to wear with her black cardigan.  And she wouldn't be a real lover of pink if she doesn't have a pretty pink blouse. Since she owns black pants, a pair of black loafers would certainly be included. So she has a core of items looking kind of like this:

White cardigan - Rag & Bone, black blazer, skirt and pants - Mango, pink cardigan - J. Crew, black cardigan - J. Crew,  black sleeveless sweater - J. Crew, sunglasses - Ray-Bans, pink silk blouse - J. Crew, ring - Baccarat, black flat sandals - John Lewis,  earrings - Baccarat, scarf - Guess, black pumps - Brooks ... View the Post

Surviving the Treadmill – The Great Courses

Yes, I go to the gym five days a week.  I walk two miles, at least, on a treadmill, at something just over 4 miles per hour.  It's boring, and tiring.

And I don't really find that television keeps me amused...

So a few years ago, I started buying and downloading courses on music, philosophy and literature from The Great Courses. 

I'm particularly smitten with this professor - Dr. Robert Greenberg.

He's smart, he's funny, and I know more about opera, symphony, and a bunch of composers...

You might as well enjoy yourself and learn something while you're burning calories.

Why yes, I AM running behind schedule... More normal posting will follow! ... View the Post

One dress – Six ways, in Black, White and Pink

May 22, 2013

Okay, let's do some imagining...Imagine a person who has truly made the choice that their wardrobe core colors are going to be black, white, and pretty pink.  Over the years, she accumulates the necessary basics - cardigans in her colors,  a black suit, shoes and sandals in black, with a fun pair of pink dress shoes, just for kicks.  She has a beautiful pink scarf that has been around forever, and she has been carefully, gradually accumulating pink and silver jewelry...

 

Now, one day this person is shopping, and they see a dress.  A classically cut, simple, (no beads, nor sequins) dress.  In black, white and pink!

It's easy to immediately fear that a dress in a print or pattern won't be ... View the Post

A Common Capsule Wardrobe: A Variation of the standard, in navy and coral

May 20, 2013

Navy and pink were well-received, and almost immediately I received requests that would use coral rather than pink.  This is a particularly nice color combination that I often forget about! So this is The Common Wardrobe with which we will start:

 all clothes - L.L.Bean

 Square scarf - Nina Ricci, square scarf - Antagoniste Paris, bracelet - Kenneth Jay Lane, earrings - Kara Ross, navy & coral rope and enamel necklace - Orly Genger, watch - Olivia Burton, bag - Debenhams, sunglasses - Guess, embroidered scarf - J. Crew, navy penny loafers - Bass, coral flats - Sam Edelman, coral heart socks - Dorothy Perkins, coral socks - Mango

love, Janice ... View the Post

The Navy & Pink Common Capsule Wardrobe – with Navy & Pink accessories!

May 18, 2013

Okay, this is the most obvious way to accessorize the navy and pink Common Capsule Wardrobe!  But with so many beautiful accessories available in these colors, why resist?

 Striped scarf - Missoni, square scarf - Dareen Hakim, bracelet - Luv Aj, Pink quartz earrings - Fantasy Jewelry Box, pink necklace - J. Crew,pink watch - Radley, tote bag - Jack Wills, silk bracelet - Brooks Brothers, Hermes Passementerie scarf - vintage, navy penny loafers - Bass, pink flats - Sperry Top-Sider, pink socks - Bank, pink argyle socks - Chrissy's

 

 

all clothes - L.L.Bean

love, Janice ... View the Post