The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Archives for September 2014

September 2014

Packing: A 5-Pack Would Have Worked…

Or, in my world, 8 = 42...

You might remember my excellent travel outfit:

I had this outfit on for an eternity of time, and I don't regret a thing!  It was ideal, and I will almost certainly wear something very similar for future trips.  But my suitcase was TOO MUCH STUFF...  I'd have been well-served to have just packed this:

I understand that this seems like amazingly little, but I need to remember something really critical about my trips to Europe - especially my trips to Paris:

I SHOP!!!

I shop a lot.  I start shopping the second or third day, and I tend to wear my purchases almost immediately.  Thus, I leave things in my suitcase unworn, and I run out of space to bring back my purchases.  So for ... View the Post

Lessons Learned: Amsterdam and Paris

What an adventure THAT was!  Belovedest and I had a wonderful time - of course we did - we were together.  And we learned some things that I think are worth sharing...

If you're connecting from a plane to a train, buy your train tickets in advance, even if you can't guarantee that you'll be on time. (and of course, you can't guarantee, because you're flying in, and planes are delayed)  It's MUCH less expensive to purchase train tickets in advance, and you'll be assured of a seat.  B and I had been promised by a couple of different people that it was ALWAYS easy to get train tickets from Paris to Amsterdam - au contraire, my friends!

When buying train tickets, even if you don't know your return time for sure, buy ... View the Post

A 4 by 4 Capsule Wardrobe in Coral, Turquoise, Black and Grey

Please bear in mind that I prepared this post before I left for my vacation, so some of the links might be dated...

This is a great, unique, way to accent black and grey; coral and turquoise are often found together, and there's some AMAZING jewelry available (usually in warmer weather) that combines these two colors.  But of course we don't wear real coral anymore - it's pretty endangered...

In both of these Cores of Four, I chose high-necked tee shirts to go with v-neck sweaters.  This way, if you want to layer the grey tee under the black sweater, (or vice versa) it will show nicely.  These little details can make a lot of difference in how versatile your clothes can be. 

 I have a deep and abiding ... View the Post

Six Pack: Blue and Grey – All About the Tee Shirt

Please remember that I put these six-packs together last month, so that there would be pretty things to spark your imagination while I'm on vacation.  It's entirely possible that some of these garments won't be available anymore, but there's a world full of pretty things, if you search long enough!

                                                 ... View the Post

A 4 by 4 Capsule Wardrobe in Bright Plum, Smoky Blue, Navy and Grey

I don't want everybody to feel like I've beaten the "navy and grey" horse to death, but I had a lot of requests for variations of those colors, and they all take on their own feel...  Please remember that I prepared these posts back in August, so you'd have pretty things to read while I'm on vacation; if the hyperlinks don't work, or an item is sold out, I sincerely apologize!

This is the color scheme - three of the colors we've worked with before, but this bright plum color changes everything.  What once was a soft and muted palette takes on a brightness and life that can be included in an outfit on a day that feels right, or you can always stick with the softer colors when that's what you prefer.  It offers a nice range ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333, Planning, Packing, Paris, and the Unexpected

I leave later today for Paris... and Yes, I'm excited!  It never gets old, and I never get tired of doing the same things, going the same places. This trip will be very different from most of my recent ones, because I'm going with someone who's never been there.  This will definitely add some new perspectives to how I see the city.

My carefully schemed packing is going to be changed slightly, because the weather in Paris is quite a bit warmer than it is here in Chicago.  This makes me think AGAIN that it's only reasonable to be prepared for weather changes when you travel.

Last week, in Chicago, the weather went from air conditioning overnight to weather cold enough to wear gloves.  Literally, in less than 12 hours, we ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Yellow Tree by Linda Jacobson

So beautiful, and such inspiring colors!  I was completely unfamiliar with this artist; my readers send me the most wonderful things...

I chose a muted palette from this painting - I think I'm in a muted mood today.  Would you like to see a 2nd post (after my vacation!) based on this painting, with more vivid colors?

I've been asked to clarify the role of the various "fours" in the 4 by 4 Wardrobe, so I'm going to do that while working with this painting.  Multitasking...

The First Core of Four is designed to give you two tops and two "bottoms" (I don't know why, but lots of people are completely bothered by the term bottoms...) that can be worn as four outfits.  It's the most simple and high-mileage combination of ... View the Post

A Trend to (Maybe) Try: An Upgraded Sweatshirt

One of the joys of having all of our core basics covered in our wardrobes is that, if a trend happens along that holds some interest and appeal, we can give it a try!  This year, sweatshirts with some sort of enhancement seem to be everywhere.  I've seen jeweled, beaded, embroidered, textured, and printed ones - some of them very beautiful.  These can be worn with nice trousers and good-quality leather shoes on casual Friday in most offices.

However, be careful, because some of these sweatshirts, while very lovely, are BLINDINGLY expensive.  Happily, there are also very similar products available at more reasonable prices.  Just check to be sure that your new purchase is put together reasonably well, and isn't ... View the Post