The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Archives for 2015

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Pantone 2016 – Useful Colors, If We See Them!

December 5, 2015

Yes, "new" colors.

Normally, Pantone gives us just one color for a year, but this year we've been given two... (can you imagine the changes in the world if there really WERE two new colors? I dream of these things...)

I like to imagine that there was a huge fight going on at the Pantone offices, and that announcing 2 colors for next year was the only way to settle it. Talk about your 1st world problems. (no, I don't really like that term, but it's a good way to describe any color dispute...)

I debated not even blogging about this, but I think I have to turn in my official blogger eyelash curlers or something if I completely ignore this announcement. I was really undecided.

And then I saw this:

First off, ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Taupe

December 3, 2015  

Taupe is SO elusive, and can be interpreted in so many ways! But to me, taupe means a greyish beige, that's sophisticated and subtle.I found all four garments today at L.L.Bean. It's great to be able to find multiple pieces in a difficult color in 1 place - it improves the chances that the garments will match or at least blend nicely.

Some of you have made it very clear that you think Bean is terribly unsophisticated and boring, but I find some of the nicest, best-made, most classically styled clothes there, at prices that don't require missing a mortgage payment! We can't all wear runway designer clothes... You are free to replicate these looks at much higher prices if that's what you prefer.

trail ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Camel

December 2, 2015   Camel - sometimes, nothing looking more elegant.  

There are a lot of neutrals that work here - I could easily have used black and grey, olive and brown etc etc.

 

Camel is also very versatile with bright colors; I chose these mostly because they're rather uncommon, and I like to give you ideas that you might not have otherwise considered!

 

Muted colors are also pretty easy with camel, because it has an inherently soft quality. And I'm still showing how very useful that white vest can be for most of us!

 

As with muted colors, pastels are also well-suited to wear with camel. I still haven't found a pair of mint green shoes that I consider ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Grey

December 1, 2015  

I love grey, and it's rather easy to shop for, but you do want to be aware of the varying shades of grey (some very yellowish, and other quite blue). They don't always blend as well as one might prefer! The answer is generally to carry a key piece with you when shopping, to avoid any sort of "mis-remembering" of the color...Yes, I've included this really great turtleneck AGAIN. I'm smitten with it, I tell you, but I absolutely CAN'T justify buying another sweater. I will probably survive the lack, I suspect!

It is incredibly easy to pair the grey core outfit with black or navy, so I thought I would wander further afield, into some warmer neutrals. This might be an excellent way to easy yourself into a ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Olive Green

November 30, 2015   Oooh, olive is a difficult color to find, and when something turns up that's called olive, it could be anything from a nasty yellowish green pond-scum color, to this lovely deep and dusty green:  

  You will, I'm sure, note that these colors don't match absolutely exactly perfectly. I don't have too much trouble with that, so long as they're lighter and darker versions of the same shade of green. It's a difficult color to find and to match, but well worth the effort. By virtue of being so uncommon, you will never blend into a crowd when you wear it! And it can be madly flattering...

First up, what neutrals look good with olive? I'm quickly learning that marsala/wine/burgundy goes with ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Navy

November 28, 2015   Navy is always so elegant... These four pieces have so much potential!  

The olive accent keeps re-appearing! I really like using it as a secondary neutral with navy - it warms it up and gives it a rich glow. And of course, grey and navy were born to go together...And I must share something sort of inexplicable that I keep running into: there are MEN'S scarves, and WOMEN'S scarves. Why, in all the worlds, would this be? But please be advised - if you're looking for a scarf in a plaid, paisley, or timeless menswear pattern, look in the men's department. They are usually less expensive too, which REALLY hacks me off.... sigh...

You knew there would, eventually, be a red vest in here ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Brown

As I mentioned yesterday, I want to look at the possibility of different accent colors for a few neutrals - today let's think about dark chocolate brown!

 

First up, the core four garments upon which we will build these outfits. Having these 4 pieces can make your life so much easier....

Ryder pants – J.Crew; cashmere turtleneck – J. Crew;  jeans – Austin Reed; ribbed crewneck - Michael Kors Collection  

I took the same approach, starting with two neutral colors that could serve as accents in a mainly brown wardrobe. If you were building a wardrobe with more than 1 neutral, you would have lots of options like this:

Olive vest – L.L.Bean; green earrings – GFG Jewellery; scarf – L.L.Bean; ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Black

Something that I struggle with a lot, personally, is my accent color, or colors. I'm always thinking that something other than red should be my "color", but who am I kidding? I keep coming back, over and over, to red...So I was playing around with a variety of accent colors, using simple black garments as a core, and building around quilted vests, just for the heck of it...

When you're looking for these vests, make sure you look for "quilted," rather than "down," unless you specifically want down. Some of the vests with synthetic insulation are just as warm, and quite lovely; you'll miss them if you don't include everything quilted...

Yes, these would make nifty little templates for buying gifts, too. But if you go shopping on ... View the Post

Expanding Your Comfort Zone: Finding Festive Attire You Will Love

November 25, 2015   I mentioned a few days ago that I'm going to be moving slightly out of my comfort zone for my Thanksgiving attire...It all started when my contacts at House of Fraser offered to send me something - they had a list of garments that were available (I'm guessing they were buyer samples?), and let me choose. The only item in my size that really interested me was this:

Until now, I only rarely wore anything metallic, and never a dress like this. But because I am so comfortable in knit and sweater dresses, this wasn't a real "reach" for me... And it is a really cool dress!

We're going out to a restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner, so I can wear this with opaque tights and low-heel dress shoes, and be both ... View the Post

A Day Off…

Gearing up for the holiday to come, but still thinking of you all!

love, Janicep.s. Make sure that you leave a comment on yesterday's post, so you have a chance to win that gorgeous Diana Vreeland book!

 

  ... View the Post

What I Wore to the French Fete

Wow, what a party!  The French American Chamber of Commerce in Chicago had a blow-out part last Thursday in honor of the Beaujolais Nouveau, and it was AMAZING...There were chefs from all over Chicago handing out samples of wonderful food, a lot of pastry chefs forcing us to each cakes and macarons (oh bother...), and more wine than you could possibly consume, even if you really worked at it. (I did my very best!)

Tish was there (from A Femme d'un Certain Age), and she was as elegantly beautiful and charming as always!

I tried my humble level best to do justice to the event by being understatedly appropriate. The dress code was "business elegant", which wasn't really the most help I've ever had. Some guests interpreted that ... View the Post