The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Archives for 2013

2013 - Page 12 of 27

AWOL

I am on vacation for the next week,  and thus will not be able to respond to comments.  I have a couple more posts queued up, but The Vivienne Files will fall silent the last week of July.  I apologize for the abrupt disappearing act; rest assured that I will be back soon.  ... View the Post

Packing for Business Travel: The Reluctant Tomboy

July 17, 2013  

Even those of us who would rather wear gym clothes sometimes have to go on business trips...  so we have to pack in a way that strikes a balance between work-appropriate and our personal style. A tuxedo-ish coat, some dapper trousers, a youthful pleated skirt and a cardigan make up the core around which everything else will revolve.

  An accent color is important - purple is used here - another simple cardigan, a snazzy turtleneck, and a silk blouse all work together. The oxfords were irresistible.  

    The tops appealed to my tomboy side, but they still will look fine with the black suit pieces... And you can't travel without loafers!  

  Sigh... but a dress will ... View the Post

Somebody hates what you’re wearing….

July 16, 2013

Yes, someone hates what you're wearing.  Someone else hates what I'm wearing.  Ultimately, there is absolutely NOTHING any person can wear that will be pleasing to 100% of the population.

Okay, maybe the only person who hates your outfit is some disenfranchised 14 year old with purple hair and a bad attitude.  But the underlying message is the same - you can't make everybody happy.

We know that about so many other aspects of our lives, but we can lose sight of it when it comes to getting dressed.  The idea of choosing a polarizing garment (like my favorite skirted leggings) can be terrifying for some people- they'd much rather wear safe, neutral garments that doesn't say anything, rather than ... View the Post

Packing for Special Occasions: Brown and Black

July 15, 2013

Dress – Oro Pagoda, Scarf – India Flint, Gloves – Buscarlet, Bag – I Santi, Coat – Violante, Pumps – Stuart Weitzman  

Printed top – Burberry Prorsum, Corduroy pants – Patagonia, Cardigan – Eric Bompard, Watch – Rotary,  Loafers – Cole Haan, Carry-on bag – Tumi

Polo sweater – Eric Bompard, Black jeans – MaisonScotch, Scarf – Barbour Gold, Black cardigan –Barbour, Skirt – Patagonia,  Striped tee shirt – Wolf and Badger, Boots – Isabel Marant

 

 

  ... View the Post

I really would love to respond to your comments…

But Google has something very BAD going on, and when I try to respond to comments, I get transferred to a page for RIPT;;, whatever the heck that is.

To clarify the sponsorship thing - it's through Nordstrom -I'm going to be posting a lot of my usual links which will route to the product on Nordstrom's site; I will use their site as my starting point for finding items to include in my ensembles.  Any purchases will then generate a wee bit of revenue for me.  I'm not going to the south of France on these proceeds, but I might be able to pay for my own dry cleaning and shoe repairs...  But rest assured that I'm not going to compromise my aesthetic standards just to find something on a fee-generating site - I will go wherever ... View the Post

The ABC’s of Chic Sightings: Joyous, Kinetic, Legible

It's not lost on me that life can be hard, times can be tough, and that you can't walk around with a witless grin on your face 24/7.  But you can try to be pleasant - at least demonstrate a reasonable amount of joy in being alive. Enthusiasm. Spark. Zest. All those kinds of things...

Sluggish is not going to do it.  Get in motion! Energy, enthusiasm, a spark...  (I'm sensing a theme here...)

Too much clutter, too many details, too many conflicting visual signals - I find that hard to process, and it doesn't feel chic to me.  People around you should be able to "read" you reasonably easily, so that they have a sense of you.  Your appearance communicates who you are to the rest of the world;  try to ... View the Post

Signature: Anne Selby pleated silk scarf

July 12, 2013   These scarves are sufficiently beautiful that they would make a compelling focus for one's wardrobe.  Even if you didn't wear the scarf every day, using the colors in it as a unifying theme for your purchases could  be a brilliant idea...  

Ruffled silk scarf – Anne Selby    

 

Olive coat – Jil Sander,  olive sweater- Ralph Lauren, Earrings – Georg Jensen,  Silk top – Jil Sander, Grey cardigan – Tsumori Chisato,  Taupe cotton velvet jeans –Brunello Cucinelli, Taupe sweater – Nina Ricci,  Suede skirt – Jitrois, Bracelet – Gag and Lou,  Bag – TSM The Swedish Model, Loafers –Geox, Pumps – RSVP,  Grey jeans – BLK ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 continues, with 3 substitutions

July 11, 2013  

Now that I'm home during the day, I've found that I don't need to dress like a serious business executive all of the time, and I'm able to indulge my fondness for ballet-ish garments, and a lot of dark neutral colors.  I find that being able to have a simple, monochromatic wardrobe makes sense for me...   This month's additions: the most excellent Preloved tee shirt that I bought in Toronto, a charcoal tank top from Eileen Fisher, and a pair of black skirted leggings.  You either LOVE, or HATE, skirted leggings.  I've found that I love them - they're comfortable, flattering, and just unusual enough that they make me happy.  

  This was what I was using for Project 333.  I ... View the Post

Packing for Special Occasions: A Floral Coat, and Flower Colors

July 10, 2013

Sometimes, you have to travel for a special event to a place where the days are warm, but the evenings can be quite cool. This is a perfect opportunity to invest in an astonishingly beautiful coat, which gives you lots of colorful options around which to build a travel capsule wardrobe.

Regarding the question about the handbag color? I personally would always opt for a metallic when I'm not sure of what color. Not a blindingly shiny gaudy metallic - something more subtle and muted, in the same general color range as the clutch shown here. I find that metallic are a lot easier to blend in with a variety of colors than anything else that I see.

love, Janice

PS - For more color inspiration, check out ... View the Post

Wee gizmos that make my life easier and better

July 9, 2013   First thing in the morning, chez nous, is coffee. Not negotiable, and certainly not optional.  But in the super-hot weather, heating water for the French press can bring added heat to the wee apartment that is NOT necessary.  But we discovered the idea of the electric kettle when we lived in Ireland - furnished apartments included the kettle!  And it heats up a full pot of water in about a minute, AND you can adjust the temperature for the nuances of optimizing black tea, green tea, French press coffee etc. It doesn't leave behind a hot stove burner, and it uses electricity for only a very short period of time.  Through the day, when I want to drink tea, I turn it on ... View the Post

The ABC’s of Chic Sightings: Graceful, Honest and Individual

Awkward is always awkward.  If you seriously feel that this is something you want to improve, look into yoga, ballet, or some other physical activity. Nobody is too old to improve muscle control and enhance their grace.

More than anything else, you have to look like yourself.  You can dress up in outfits that are supposed to make you more professional, or sexier, or more elegant, but ultimately you have to dress like yourself.  Yes, of course it is possible for you to be more professional, more sexy, and more elegant, so long as at the core of everything, you continue to have a core SOMETHING that is truly you, as you are now.  

So many of the people that I see when I'm hiking around Chicago look as if they ... View the Post