Build a Capsule Wardrobe Archives - Page 50 of 87

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories 1 at a Time: Shades of Beige and Brown

May 23, 2016

These subtle colors in this capsule wardrobe really appeal to me...Remember, this was our first outfit, to which one MUST add some shoes. Unless you live somewhere that doesn't require shoes?

Tee – Uniqlo; pants – Uniqlo; cardigan – L.L. Bean; top shoes – Tamaris; middle shoes – Seychelles; bottom shoes – Robert Zur

And simple earrings! I particularly like that bottom pair because they're simple, but they aren't...

Tank - Uniqlo; pants – Uniqlo; cardigan – L.L. Bean; top earrings – Uno de 50; middle earrings – Lauren Ralph Lauren; bottom earrings –Alexis Bittar

There weren't hundreds of scarves in this very subtle color scheme, ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe 1 Piece at a Time: Beige and Brown, for Leisure

May 21, 2016

You wanted to see a leisure capsule wardrobe in warm colors? Here it is....I found that I could stick exclusively to shades of brown, tan, and cream and put together a really nice, workable capsule wardrobe. The accessories (which will be here on Monday!) are going to have a big impact on this very subtle collection.

I started with a simple beige column (although the tee shirt has a bit of a stripe) and found a cardigan that contained all of the shades that I wanted to consider:

The gold is included here as a very clear hint about accessories:

With warm weather coming (theoretically, where I live!), I thought that a light-colored top would be a good starting point. This top ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Study for the Muses by Brice Marden

May 20, 2016

This lives just down the street from me, at the Art Institute of Chicago. I'm quite taken with it:

I could have included all three accent colors, but I wanted to think about a small, long-weekend packing wardrobe, so I limited myself to these two glorious shades:

Off Season "You can't go to the beach house NOW! You'll never be able to go outside..."

It is possible to dress warmly. And just because the calendar doesn't specify "beach" anywhere, doesn't meant that it's going to snow! The weather is often very lovely this time of year...

Yes, she seems rather feminine - pastels, round collars on her shirts, the whole "girly" 9 yards. But that doesn't mean that she's ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe with Accessories 1 at a Time: Blues, Grey and Black

May 19, 2016 Casual, but really nice...Remember, we started with a simple black column of clothing, with a great blue cardigan; of course, we need shoes:

And I usually have earrings added pretty early in the process. For this wardrobe, I tried to stick with a feeling of linearity, to echo the subtle stripes in the cardigan:

Scarves! I love scarves...

For those who do not want to wear sandals, a simple low-heel or flat casual shoe will be just as suitable:

I love wearing an inexpensive watch sometimes - the look on someone's face when they admire your watch, and you tell them it's a Timex, is priceless. And it's an important reminder that good design can be ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe 1 Piece at a Time: Black, Blue and Grey, for Leisure

May 18, 2016 This is in response to a specific request to incorporate more leisure wear into a capsule wardrobe (without breaking the bank), based on the same simple black column I've used before, but including a great cardigan:

Tee – Lands’ End; pants – L.L.Bean; cardigan – Hallhuber

The request also wanted to incorporate some grey into their leisure wardrobe, so this was the color scheme that I developed:

Tee – Lands’ End; pants – L.L.Bean; cardigan – Hallhuber

I need to mention also that this person isn't in a really hot climate, so a lot of super-lightweight clothing wasn't going to be necessary...First, we need to break up that black column and introduce a ... View the Post

A Six Pack Travel Capsule Wardrobe: Red, White and Blue for Uncertain Weather

May 17, 2016

Sunday, when B and I went out for our usual breakfast and Art Institute visit, we wore jackets and gloves. Yes, May 15th, we wore gloves!

I felt terrible for the people who had scheduled an outdoor wedding, and also for the hundreds of tourists who were caught completely off guard by the record-tying coldest May 15th in history.

So I'm going to reiterate, one more time, that no matter WHERE you are going, no matter WHAT time of year, you should always include a few essential items. Closed-toe shoes, a pair of socks, long pants, and a long-sleeved shirt might never make it out of your suitcase, but if you encounter the kind of weather that we've had here recently, you'll be endlessly glad to have them.

If ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Portraits Theatraux by Natalia S. Gontcharova

May 13, 2016

I saw these in Paris, and was immediately captivated!

The color combination here opens up the possibility of lots of unexpected juxtapositions, which is always fun:

It's good to be surprising... She has a man's first name. She's had it her entire life, and she uses it to her advantage, especially when traveling for business...

When she arrives, everyone is already a little bit panicked, because she's an auditor. And then they're expecting a man, so she REALLY catches them off guard...

And this works to her advantage. She's supposed to find the things that they don't want to have found, and when they're busy bustling about coming to grips with the fact ... View the Post

What to Wear with a Navy Cardigan and White Skirt

May 12, 2016

This is just a "flipped over" version of the white blazer and navy trouser, but quite a bit more casual and relaxed. And I chose all button-front shirts, just to show the range of possibilities available!

Our very simple starting point:

You can wear any possible shade of red, pink, coral, blush, or whatever else the fashion people name these colors:

All kinds of orange are equally lovely:

If you like yellow, this is a good, classic base with which to wear it!

I really like the looks of both the mint and the dark olive here - very different colors, but equally at home in this ensemble.

Turquoise, because... well, ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories 1 at a Time: Black, Ivory and Russet Business Wardrobe

May 11, 2016

This capsule wardrobe looks so much more interesting with just a few simple additions!

Remember, we started with this gorgeous jacket, and I put a simple black column of clothing under it. So shoes will be an essential first step:

Tee – Lands’ End; pants – L.L.Bean; jacket – Babette; top shoes – Robert Clergerie; middle shoes – Frye; bottom shoes – Kate Spade Since the jacket pattern is so striking, I thought that a simple, solid scarf would be a good choice: Shell – J. Crew; pants – L.L.Bean; jacket – Babette; top scarf – Jimmy Choo; middle scarf – Gucci; bottom scarf – Nordstrom

And I can never go too long without earrings; to me, they give a touch of shine and a feeling of polish ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe Around An Art Jacket: 1 Piece at a Time

May 10, 2016

Because one of you asked for my help with something, I'm breaking a long-standing rule here at The Vivienne Files...

Normally, I only show garments that don't include a model; I find that I'd rather see what the clothes look like, without being pinned and taped and yanked around to suit the model. But in this case, the jacket was key...

The request was for a travel capsule wardrobe for a 2 month work trip, over a number of climates, and built around this jacket:

This is a wardrobe that will really come into its own with accessories, I'm sure you can see. But I felt that it was important to start with a very neutral base. It gives us this color scheme:

Sticking with the idea ... View the Post

3-Dress Packing for a Business Trip

May 9, 2016 You asked, you get!

Pants – J. Crew; blouse – Carven; earrings – Ippolita; briefcase – Lodis; shoes – Patricia Green; cardigan – L.L.Bean; scarf – Nordstrom; watch – Movado; carry-on garment bag – Travelpro I Felt Like the Secret Weapon...

Blue print dress – Austin Reed; pumps – Calvin Klein; necklace – Majorica; earrings – Jude Frances; black dress – Lands’ End; black print dress – Austin Reed; star earrings – Salvador Jouhayerk; clutch bag – Whiting and Davis; strap pumps – Trotters; cardigan – Lands’ End; tee shirt – Uniqlo

Everybody else traveling for the presentation was male. Wearing a suit, white shirt, and a tie... I felt a little bit conspicuous, but since I ... View the Post

How to Add Accessories to a Capsule Wardrobe: Olive, White, Tomato and Mustard

May 5, 2016

This capsule wardrobe puts me in the mood to watch baseball - I have NO IDEA why... Maybe just typing the words tomato and mustard? But what a fun capsule wardrobe for accessories!

I've mixed up the order for the accessories this time, primarily so I could get another pair of shoes into the mix and give our poor wearer a break from those red loafers! Because this entire wardrobe has a warm feeling to it, I thought beautiful brown leather would be a great accessory option:

Because this outfit felt like three separate colors (maybe because it IS 3 colors.... duh....) I thought a necklace would be a good choice - something to pull things together and to break up the big patches of solid color. I ... View the Post