Archives for November 2015

November 2015 - Page 2 of 2

Scarf Selling Saturday: A TWO-fer: Les Instructions du Roy, and Soleil du Soie

November 14, 2015 I want to clarify that the following post was written and scheduled for publication late Thursday afternoon; had I known of the horrid news that would emerge Friday afternoon and evening, I would had written something very different.

However, I'm going to leave this post here, for comments and for beauty's sake, because I feel like defiantly living life as normal. Let's appreciate small joys, and marvel at the wonders of the craftsmanship and creativity of our fellow humans, in the face of barbaric actions that would prefer we spend our time thinking only of negative and dark things...

You are, each of you, very important to me. I take your thoughts and feelings very seriously, and try to be sensitive to ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Scarf: Vintage Rose by Kathkath

November 13, 2015

Who wouldn't want this?

Such lovely colors....

I wanted to think more about the idea of the "Whatever's Clean 13" and different ways to go about creating a grouping that will simplify your life - at least when you're getting dressed!

So I thought I'd dig WAY back into the archives of my brain, and The Vivienne Files, for the "Not So Crazy Eights" - the idea that owning eight garments in the same color might be the smartest thing you can do.

Let's hypothesize that someone in the world is pretty committed to her black wardrobe, so the first eight aren't terribly difficult. That said, she's in a little bit of a pickle for the upcoming holiday season; her friends and family aren't the strapless sequined ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: The Golden Stairs by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones Version 2

November 12, 2015

She loved her travel wardrobe so much, she decided to gradually, carefully, and thoughtfully augment it in the same colors and mood!

Remember, this is the painting and the color scheme with which she was working. Beautiful, graceful, and evocative...

And this was the entirety of her wardrobe for her recent family trip. While the dress might be a little bit "over the top" for work, the rest of the pieces will be appropriate, if only for casual Friday.

And so, gradually, she made some purchases. She carried a wee laminated print of her painting with her, to keep her focused, and to keep her colors on point.

Eventually, she could open her closet and see this!

I pulled together 20 outfits from ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Echo and Narcissus by John William Waterhouse

November 11, 2015

If I ever catch any of you pining away like this, I'll give you a very stern talking-to, and then a hug...

But it's so beautiful, in that lush, opulently colored way that the Pre-Raphaelites made so appealing. I have, in fact, another color scheme in mind for this same painting, so don't wander away in the next week or two...

Recently, I've been asked about the nuts and bolts of putting together a Whatever's Clean Wardrobe - where to start, and how to choose what to include. I'll try to explain my thought process through this one, in the hope that I can clarify how you can easily do this yourself when you're packing, or just when you want to build a small collection of clothes that will see you through your ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Arrival of the Normandy Train by Claude Monet Version 2

November 10, 2015

We're back to visit our friend who made the long train trip!

This was her inspiration - the soft colors, and the strong sense of the grid patterns in the ceiling of the train station. Very beautiful!

She DID have to do some shopping when she was on the road! It was bound to rain, but it wasn't bound to stop her...

And these were the clothes that she took with her on her trip. It was a wonderful trip - well planned, and thoroughly enjoyed. If only her return to "real life" had been so pleasant...

Utter Chaos Reigns... She returned to a madhouse. Drinking at lunch, crying in the bathrooms, shouting in the halls - it had all of the elements of a bad soap opera, without the ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: The Golden Stairs by Sir Edward Coley Burne-Jones

November 9, 2015

This painting caught my eye, and held it for a LONG time, on my recent trip to London.

After studying this for a long time, I realized that the majority of the color tones found here fall into two distinct families, which work beautifully together.

I feel an immoderate affection for taupe, but it is a THANKLESS color to try to find in our world. I don't understand why; it's subtle, rich and elegant without being difficult to wear.

Happily, I was able to find just enough things for our heroine... Standing Out, Quietly There are always LOTS of women at these family events. But they do look to her for a certain quality of elegance or sophistication; she IS the one who lives in the city, with the cool job ... View the Post

Scarf Selling Saturday: Gucci Flora

Another Saturday, another beautiful scarf!I've read stories that this scarf was designed originally for Grace Kelly. I don't know if that's true, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me. This is so beautiful...

This is what the full scarf looks like. This is NOT my photograph, but the scarf I'm selling is exactly like this...

These are detailed photographs of the four corners of the scarf, taken by me, Friday morning the 6th. This scarf really is in excellent condition, and the details are amazing! I took picture with the scarf folded, so you can see some flowers showing through the fabric. Like little ghost flowers...

If you like to wear pretty flower colors, there's a million ways to wear this scarf. I ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Arrival of the Normandy Train, by Claude Monet

November 6, 2015

She loves Paris, and she loves Monet, and she loves these colors...

Just three colors here, but WHAT colors...

Softly shaded colors, blended shades, and a few touches of a grid pattern to do homage to the glass roof of the train station. These subtle shades aren't easy to find. Happily, they can be blended, rather than having to be perfectly matched! The Trains are Essential She has a list of destinations. She's planned VERY carefully, studying train maps at length. While she understand that schedules might change, she's confident that she will make it from city to city with no problems. Taking trains is truly the only way she can make it work!

A little bit dressy, a little bit ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Scarf: Black Dahlia by Yuh Okano

November 5, 2015

When this scarf arrived Chez Vivienne Files, I thought "there's no way on planet Janice that I'm giving this scarf away!"

But of course, I managed to rein in my enthusiasm and genuine admiration for this beauty, and I'm going to give it to one of you. Leave a comment... and yes, no matter where you are in the world, you may certainly comment and be entered to win! I'll ship anywhere...

It's a crispy but sheer silk organza (?), and it's primarily black, white and shades of grey, but there's this elusive hint of pink that makes it just... riveting. You can get truly mesmerized looking at it! The size is about 6' by 1' - a nice manageable size for a big fluffy bow...Colors were so ... View the Post

A Couple of Small Upgrades…

November 4, 2015 I'm not feeling super-strong these days, so I'm resting up, but I do NOT forget about you all!

Today, I'm sharing a couple of quick and easy little things that I've done that amuse me. Do bear in mind that I am easily amused...

First up, there's a very distant chance that you remember that I own a pair of excellent wing-tip oxfords, from Clif in Paris. Very similar ones still available HERE; bless them for not changing all of their styles every year. Their philosophy is similar to mine - timeless, elegant, classic...

But I realized a few weeks ago that I hadn't had these beauties out of the closet in almost 2 years!

When we were in London, we saw these beautiful critters in the window at ... View the Post

You’ll Thank Me…

His name is Phil Rosenthal, and he travels, and he eats. His enthusiasm is infectious, and he goes to some amazing places...

http://video.pbs.org/program/ill-have-what-phil-having/

Watch him...

love, Janice

p.s. This is indeed L'As du Falafel, in Paris... mmm...

... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Dantis Amor by Rossetti – THE FINALE

November 2, 2015

I think this is going to be my last post about Dantis Amor; as much as I love the painting... Today, we're dressier, we're completely out of control shopping, and we're going to travel along with one of our friends....Just a few reminders of our Style Reference Point:

Thanksgiving is Canceled... Yes, her grandchildren have 2 sets of grandparents. Somehow, this year, they're ALL going to the "other side" for Thanksgiving. And she is going to be home alone....

Or not...

She always wanted to see the Thanksgiving Parade in New York. She always wanted to eat at that restaurant. She always wanted.... lots of things. This is the year!

She got onto her computer, and cashed out every flyer mile and ... View the Post