Accessorizing Archives - Page 12 of 23

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories: Denim, Stone, Pink and Soft Blue, 1 at a Time

March 24, 2016

This wardrobe is such a nice mix of casual fabrics with soft and pretty accents, I thought that I would try to continue the theme of femininity in the accessories, without getting too girly or sissy... I love these challenges!The original wardrobe is from yesterday; this is the starter outfit:

While I felt that jeans and a sweatshirt strongly suggested boots, I limited my choices to softer colors or boots with a metallic sheen to them. A lady-like boot might be a stretch, but these at least have a lighter feel to them!For the first bag, I wanted to see something in the stone neutral, but with a bit of softness, or texture, or "pink-ness" to it...

An all-navy outfit strongly suggests a scarf that ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories: Grey, Blue, Lilac and Black, 1 at a Time

March 18, 2016

The more I look at these colors, the more I like them; for a wardrobe with only 16 pieces, there are wide-ranging options from somber black to gentle pastels. This shows the possibilities of just a few pieces of carefully-chosen clothing.Here's the original wardrobe, and this was out starting point:

I thought it would be nice to show the possibility of some metallic accessories!

And small, simple, classic silver earrings...

But you are always going to want a pair of neutral shoes. (well, I'm sure someone out there would be happy wearing silver shoes every day. If that's you, then do it!)

The Ted Baker floral scarf was perfect with our first outfit, ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories: Lime, Coral, Beige and Cream, 1 Piece at a Time

March 17, 2016 This wardrobe cried out for a bright floral tote bag... I managed to avoid the temptation and look for things a little bit more restrained. The original wardrobe step by step can be seen here; this was where we started:

Take care of the essentials first thing - shoes and a bag!

The coral color put me in the mood for some rose gold...

Some of these shoes you've seen before, but I like them, and I think they're terribly versatile!

The overall warm feeling of this wardrobe suggested GOLD to me.

Three choices here: (1) ornate, (2) small and simple, or (3) statement, but still streamlined. Choices are a good way to isolate what ... View the Post

Pantone Fall 2016 “New” Colors, and Way to Try Them

March 16, 2016 Always a favorite time of year for me - Pantone finds "new" colors to share with us! Of course, there's no such thing, but I always like to spend some time looking at the colors, and trying to see if I can find them represented anywhere in the world of merchandise. Gone are the days when these colors dominated retail offerings! While a couple of these colors are nothing more than cleverly named neutrals (the grey and the taupe), the other 8 might serve as a fun new accent color for a season or two. With that in mind, I looked at accessories, nail polish, and a few tee shirts, to see if anything was tempting.... And don't forget that canvas shoes are available in about a billion different colors, ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories: Navy, Beige, Turquoise and Yellow, 1 at a Time

March 14, 2016 Maybe it's the unseasonably warm weather here in Chicago, but this wardrobe felt very summery to me...

We always have to start out with a couple of basic, essential accessories...

I thought that I'd introduce some pearls here - to pick up on the pearl/off-white color of the cardigan. I like to tie outfits together through these small, but powerful, little color "echoes."

Theoretically, this particular outfit would be better balanced with dark shoes, but I'm assuming that you're going to carry a dark bag, which will serve the same purpose. Let's not go completely nuts trying to do everything perfectly!

If you're an avowed "watch avoider," you can always just ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories, 1 at a Time: Navy, Beige and Poppy

March 12, 2016 Remember this wardrobe, viewable here? Time for some essential accessories!

Start, as always, with some shoes in which you could do serious walking:

This time, you might prefer a small bag:

I will always have earrings as the 3rd step, but from here on, the order of choices, and the overall numbers, are entirely up to you. If you want to have 3 pairs of sunglasses, go for it!

I love the range of off-white shoes that are available. Since the materials are very different from those of your garments, the colors don't have to match exactly, but they should be in the same color family. It's easy to wander into the "too grey" crowd if you're not ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories, 1 at a Time: Beige, Sage and Blush

March 10, 2016

Adding the accessories is fun - I'm going to do a few of these in a row, so we can all see the system, and the cumulative benefits that accrue when you get a nice core of accent pieces, growing bit by bit.Here's where this second "1 at a Time" started: (you can see the original wardrobe post here)

Shoes will ALWAYS be the first thing to make sure you have, for obvious reasons. It's entirely likely that you already have the shoes that you need, but it's always wise to be absolutely certain.

A bag is, to me, the second most important accessory to have. This time I've put the tote bag first...

From those two essential pieces, everything after that becomes much more ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories, 1 at a Time: Navy, Yellow and White

March 9, 2016

I promised you accessories, and I try to always keep my promises! My plan is to take a representative outfit from each step of the wardrobe built earlier (this one is here), and then show a few choices for accessories. It will make more sense once you see it in action, I hope...

This was the "starter outfit" for the wardrobe in question. The first accessory needed, without exception, is shoes! With warmer weather coming, mules could be a fun choice, but there are those among us who are devoted to their driving mocs, or their ballet flats, so those are also possibilities.

For most of us, given the lack of pockets in our clothing, a bag is essential. I was trying to find a mid-sized, classically styled option ... View the Post

The Finishing Steps: Shifting Accessories from Cool Colors to Warm Colors

February 15, 2016

When we left this project, it was neither fish, nor fowl, nor good red meat, as they say...But that's okay, because transition REQUIRES a period of "this and that." Unless you're going to throw out absolutely everything and start from scratch (which I don't recommend, and actively discourage!), you're going to find yourself in this kind of spot if you choose to make a major wardrobe shift. Just press on, patiently and intelligently...

Step 6 - Shoes for Skirts, and a Tote Step 6 of the clothing change gets rid of black skirts and move toward warmer pieces, so your black pumps and boots are pretty obsolete! And you might as well address a new tote bag, since you're in the "leather goods" mood.

Since ... View the Post

The 1st Five Steps: Shifting Accessories from Cool Colors to Warm Colors

February 11, 2016

To me, changing the color palette of your accessories is more difficult than shift a wardrobe of clothes! Jewelry might be valuable, scarves might hold sentimental value, and shoes can be just plain hard to find...

Especially when you're starting with a very nice assortment of items like this:

Step 1 - Defining Accessories need to change! As hard as it is to let go, this scarf WAS the defining core of the wardrobe from last week. And you'll want a new pair of earrings, to bring your warmer colors near to your face. And since your wardrobe is going to be more limited for a while, another scarf is a good choice - you can wear it to help your 2 color palettes work together.

There are 2 ... View the Post

Pantone 2016 Colors, and an Accessory Refresh

January 13, 2016

This horridly cold weather in Chicago reminds me of the best aspect of writing The Vivienne Files - I don't have to leave the building. (seriously - grocery story, gym, pool, dry cleaner etc. all in the building!) But I begin to crave a change of colors, and something to brighten up my winter clothes, which begin to all look the same.

While we all understand pretty clearly that Pantone colors don't actually rule the world, nor do they actually find "new" colors, they can still be a useful guide to looking at some accessories in colors that we might not otherwise consider.

What could be more fun than a new bottle of nail polish, and maybe an inexpensive ring, to cheer up the end (?!?) of winter? I think things on ... View the Post

Wearing Unflattering Colors: Rust, Gold, Burnt Orange – the Autumn Leaf collection!

January 1, 2016

This started as rust, but I saw such pretty things in colors close to there that I decided to expand my focus to include all of the "autumn" colors.

For years, because I have brown hair and brown eyes, it was assumed that I would look good in these colors. (this was back in the days before the seasonal color theory caught on...) It was a reasonable thesis, because my eyes are decidedly amber-ish, but it just never worked out. I'm glad that I stumbled onto this idea for including unflattering colors in a wardrobe; maybe now I can have a reconciliation with warm gold and cognac shades!

This first color feels like caramel to me - I would be tempted to pour the nail polish over ice cream...

(and ... View the Post