The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Avec Style: The 10 Rules of Color Harmony

  November 5, 2013   Color is often the first thing to be addressed when fashion and personal style are the subject...   The  10 Rules of Color Harmony   1.  Limit the number of colors in your outfit to no more than 3.  You will in this way create a visual harmony.   2.  A print will often include more than 3 colors.  In order to create balance, focus on the color which is most prominent in the print when finishing your outfit.  Example:  A black jacket is a good complement to a dress of multicolored flowers on a black background.   3.  To lighten your silhouette, it is preferable to wear lighter/brighter colors on the top half of your body, and darker ones on ... View the Post

Casual Packing: The “Triple Top” Secret

October 29, 2013   Here are a couple of examples of how my Triple Top Secret selection of tops can work for a really casual trip (or just a day to day wardrobe).  First, I started with a cool flowered shirt, got really gutsy and tossed in a striped tee shirt, and worked from there.  Yes, I would wear the stripes and the flowers together...  

I realized after working with this idea for a while that there are, in fact, two "triples" inherent in this idea:

 

  Yes, the button-front shirt is critical!  A shirt that can both be worn as a jacket or 2nd layer, but also layered under a sweater or sweatshirt, is key.  

    Here's an example of how this can work with some ... View the Post

Packing: The “Triple Top” Secret

October 28, 2013   I found, after a few days of travelling, that the shirts and sweaters that I had packed gave me a lot more options than I had anticipated!  A reminder: these are what I had in my bag:  

  Of course, I could wear any of these except the cardigan on their own.  But as the weather, and my location, shifted, I began to experiment with different ways to layer these 5 garments.  I discovered that, ultimately, I had a DOZEN options.  In the coldest weather, I was able to layer three tops together for maximum warmth, and thus the Triple Top Secret was born!    

But I quickly realized that, if I had chosen JUST a little bit more carefully, I could have had even more ... View the Post

How to Pack for Changing Weather

October 26, 2013  

My recent adventures took me from decidedly summery weather to something more in keeping with gloves and scarves.  As usual, I was limited to just a carry-on bag... But I was really delighted with what I took with me.Nobody around you is going to be fooled into believing that you have a vast and limitless wardrobe at your disposal, and you're going to need to be able to do some laundry occasionally with this little ensemble. I found, however, that I was covered (or uncovered, as the case may be) for everything that I encountered.

AND!!!  I deciphered the reason that all of this worked so well, and next week I'm going to explain the secret, and show some other ... View the Post

Travel Capsule Wardrobe Packing for a Book Tour: Leaf Green and Black

September 16, 2013   After I finished today's post for Tish at A Femme d'un Certain Age, I looked around at some other possible colors with which the black items could be worn... and stumbled upon some beautiful green options.  Not something which you might want to wear every day, but an interesting choice if you want to be remembered and make a statement of originality!  

Blouse – Uniqlo,  earrings – Annette Ferdinandsen,  Black slouch pants – Helmut, black cardigan coat – Ann Demeulemeester,  scarf – Nordstrom,  watch – DKNY ,  flats – Delman , tote – Victorinox  

Peridot and blue topaz earrings- Ippolita, green asymmetric sweater – Allude, earrings – Arunashi, green tank ... View the Post

Four pack: Tan, with THREE printed items

August 26, 2013  

The travel outfit is always the most important decision when packing a tiny suitcase.  In the worst travel outcomes, you can be stuck wearing this outfit for a REALLY long time.  Even if everything goes perfectly, this is the outfit in which you arrive - your first impression at the branch office, or the hotel, or with the relatives.   As much as I adore textured and patterned cardigans, for the Four Pack, I'd stick with a solid-colored cardigan.  This amazingly beautiful sweater might get a lot of action, if the weather proves to be cool, and a solid makes it easier to coordinate other items.  

   Now you have a variety of choices!  This doesn't exhaust the ... View the Post

Four pack! Navy, Grey, etc.

August 23, 2013   One of my very longest-standing readers recently asked me about packing with only four garments - which of course is entirely possible.  She also requested a variety of colors, rather than my usual four by four of one color. This is easily enough clothing for a 3 or four day trip - even longer, if you have laundry facilities available, and you could easily pack in a tote bag.  Keep the 2nd pair of shoes light and flat, add just a few accessories to keep things lively, and make sure you've whittled your toiletries down to the absolute necessary minimum.  

Cardigan – Dear Cashmere, blouse – Isabel Marant, trousers –Dorothy Perkins, loafers- Rebecca Minkoff,, earrings – NightFox Jewelry, cashmere ... View the Post

Packing a Four by Four Capsule Wardrobe: Navy, Tan and Coral

August 19, 2013   I've had a ton of questions from readers about packing for trips that include multiple cities, and a variety of activities.  And I've also had a few requests for packing navy, tan (or khaki) and coral.  So I endeavor to answer questions and fulfill requests with this post.   As usual, I like to start with the travel outfit that includes a couple of capsule wardrobe essentials - I'm always a fan of a cardigan, long pants, loafers, and a big scarf.  Simple stud earrings don't get caught on things when you're sleeping on the plane.  Dark colors are good because they don't show wrinkles or spills, and a cardigan gives you the layering option for when the plane is cold.  

Gold ... View the Post

Transition: Whatever’s Clean shifts from Summer to Autumn, in Beige and Green

Hypothesis:  You've had a lot of success with a small "Whatever's Clean" wardrobe, and you'd like to be able to make a seamless transition to cooler weather.

First off, shorts and sleeveless tops just feel wrong when school starts and the calendar rolls over to September.  So these would be the first three items to phase out.  

[/caption] In October, it might be time to give up linen pants and your simple white tee shirt.  

[/caption]   For November, these three are ready for a break:

[/caption] But of course you don't HAVE to put the nine replaced garments away - they'll still work well for layering.  Except the shorts - accept that most of us can only wear shorts in November in the ... View the Post