The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Archives for 2013

2013 - Page 4 of 27

How to Pack for a Long Weekend: Navy and Camel

November 22, 2013   A classic cabled cardigan is always a good starting-point for this travel outfit.  After I tossed in a striped top, I thought that a solid scarf with a little bit of embellishment might be a calming touch.  This scarf is one of those things that you could wear forever... and if you want jewelry made of genuine stones that don't break the bank, take a look at Novica.  You know that these aren't investment-grade gems, but they aren't glass or synthetic, and the unique designs are delightful.  

Cardigan – Ralph Lauren,  earrings – Novica,  pants - Jaeger, cowl top – Phase 8, watch – Skagen, sparkle scarf – St. John Collection, loafers – Munro, Coat– Uniqlo,  tote – ... View the Post

How to Pack for a Long Weekend: Grey and Navy

November 21, 2013  

I love these travel vignettes, and I'm going to share the step by step thought process I go through to build them.

Once you have your two core neutrals chosen, the rest just falls into place. It gives you a great deal of ease in life to have a nicely-chosen wardrobe that is focused...

First off, choose your travel outfit using any combination of the two colors  I usually opt for a cardigan and pants that are the same color, and then use the 2nd color for shoes and a coat. A printed tee shirt, and a printed scarf, that include the 2 colors, finishes off your travel outfit.

Your watch and your bag will probably be in one of your neutral colors, and a simple pair of stud earrings give you some ... View the Post

How to Pack for a Long Weekend: Cranberry and Grey

November 20, 2013   It's that time of year, when many of us have to put in a beautiful appearance with family and friends.  Packing light, and smart, is a good way to begin.  And cranberry is such an appropriate color for autumn holidays...  

 

And if your weekend is longer than most, or if you absolutely can't bear the thought of traveling with only 4 pieces of clothing, consider adding these:

   

love,

Janice ... View the Post

More Random Travel Observations and Appreciations

Well, my mother is securely and warmly ensconced in her new home, and I have logged quite a few miles - air and ground - in making that dream a reality.  As with all things in life, I think I learned a thing or two on my travels.  At a minimum, I have a newly warm appreciation for a couple of my wiser packing choices, and a refreshed dislike of Midway Airport.   Just to get this out of the way first - if you have a choice between the 2 Chicago airports, choose O'Hare.  Yes, it is bigger than some European countries, and you can walk yourself into a marathon getting around there, but at least it has clear signs giving you a clue about where to go.  And moreover, it has SEATS.  In a place where people have to ... View the Post

Simple Kindness

This is a sign on one of the food vans that's always parked outside of the Field Museum in warm weather.  I know that Kim and Carlo have to get extra quarters from the bank every day, in order to have enough to offer them to anybody who asks.  But this kind of little gesture can make all of the difference in the quality of someone's day... ... View the Post

Scarves for a Six-Pack – Grey, Pink and Black

November 15, 2013

 

Cardigan – Uniqlo, skirt– Uniqlo,  watch – Movado, tee shirt – Uniqlo,   opal earrings – Novica,  boots – Vaneli, scarf – Alva-Norge, tote - Tumi  

Bracelet – Novica,  Black and grey pants – Uniqlo, grey sweater - Uniqlo,   skirt – Wunderkind,   dress – Emilio Pucci, shirt – John Lewis, pumps – Isaac Misrahi, pink sweater - Jil Sander    

  love, Janice   ... View the Post

The Shopping Sweet Spot

I live within walking distance of TWO Nordstrom Racks.  Two.  For those who don't share my good fortune, those are the stores where everything that didn't sell at Nordstrom goes to be flogged off at discount prices.  While the store is mostly filled with dreck, there are almost always a few unspotted (but soiled) gems lurking around - especially if you're a fan of the kind of clothes that look sort of "meh" on the hanger.

So recently, I wandered into one of the stores and spotted a couple of grey Eileen Fisher tank tops, in her signature fabric that drapes beautifully, wears like iron, and flatters everybody!  And my first thought:

"I could use that!"

Sigh...  The world is full of things that could be ... View the Post

Three Neutral Colors – An Amazing Range of Possibilities

Realistically, it's quite easy to work with three neutral colors as a solid wardrobe core.  And starting with the fourteen rather arbitrary neutrals that I isolated yesterday, combinations of three start to pile up QUICKLY.  Note that these THIRTEEN pages of color combinations are only those that include black as one of the colors...      

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    For reference purposes, these were my fourteen neutral colors... 

  Interestingly, one of the most popular posts I've ever written was one which I built a wardrobe around six neutral colors  (see it here).  And I've finally ... View the Post

Two Neutral Colors – Dozens of Options

I get a lot of emails from people who are concerned about building a wardrobe around neutral colors, because they're worried that they will end up looking like everybody else.  If you devote yourself to black, and you live in a major city, that is certainly a valid concern!  But I think that there are more neutral colors around than you immediately think of, and that if you can focus on two colors as your predominant theme, you have dozens of options.   First off, let's choose a palette of possible neutral colors.  This palette is NOT exhaustive, and the colors as they are shown here are NOT intended to reflect the beauty and the depth that the color actually exhibits in three-dimensional garments and accessories. ... View the Post