4X4 Wardrobe Archives - Page 12 of 15

Another Template for The 4 by 4 Capsule Wardrobe

It's apparent, when you look back through years of The Vivienne Files, that my thinking about some concepts... evolves... the more I work with them. Foremost among the ideas that have gone through some changes is the Four by Four Capsule Wardrobe. But I'm pretty settled on how I think this best comes together, (finally...) so I built a template from which we can all work, in the future.

You should be able to "right click" on this baby and print it, but if you can't, just send me a note at [email protected], and I'll send it to you.

It felt really odd to work on a document in "portrait orientation"... but it fits much better this way!

And yes, I'm going right back to the navy and beige "Whatever's Clean 13", with some ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Joss Sticks, a Silk Story Scarf

May 14, 2015 A local scarf maker - she travels, takes the photographs, makes the scarf, writes the story behind the scarf, and shares it with all of us! You must visit her site...

I've used shades of brown, a warm beige, and that divine red:

This is a Four by Four wardrobe meant to break rules - starting with a printed skirt! This isn't always something I'd recommend, but in this case, the skirt was irresistible, and it didn't interfere with the versatility and the options inherent in this capsule wardrobe.

And I'm working with two shades of the 2nd neutral. This is also a variance from my usual pretty strict adherence to one color, but as with the printed skirt, these two shades ... View the Post

Start With a Scarf: Orange Hermes Art des Steppes

May 13, 2015 It's never too late to pull out a scarf that you've owned for years and recommit yourself to building around it, and wearing it more! One of you has been living with, and loving, this scarf (a cashmere and silk blend wrap) for quite a while, but feel like there's more to be done with this lovely thing.

My first move with any scarf is to take a good look at it, from a distance, with my eyes squinting, and see what neutral colors seem prominent to me. I then look for colors that "jump out" - those are accents. This is the color scheme that I saw in this scarf. Bear in mind that I could easily find more colors - there's no one "correct" color scheme here!

I'm thinking of this scarf for ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Capri, again, with a different color palette

May 8, 2015 You ask, I deliver! This very beautiful scarf, from the company Radical Chic, with a color scheme that emphasizes the rosy tones, and the grey base:

Today's core of neutral is quite a bit dressier than the light brown from yesterday; maybe you have more work on your agenda, or the tone of the vacation is dressier. I would think that the Orient Express could justify a skirt...

I kept yesterday's white linen separates - most because I'm smitten with the dress! And while white trousers can never be true workhorses of your trip, they do bring a summery beauty to a travel wardrobe.

Of course, here's where the fun is! But I think we can all agree that finding subtle ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Capri Scarf from Radical Chic

May 7, 2015 Nobody wrote to me asking to have this scarf included in a post - but I was browsing Boticca recently (as I do every day, looking for gorgeous things for you), and I saw this, and I was completely SMITTEN. If this scarf bore any vague resemblance to my wardrobe, I would buy it in a New York minute!

sadly, Bottica is long gone... but the scarf is still available directly from Radical Chic! But I get to do this next best thing, which is to build an imaginary summer wardrobe that uses these colors are the starting point. One could, of course, include some beautiful crimson rose, or hydrangea purple, or burnished gold, if one was so inclined...

I'm using a nice warm light ... View the Post

A Four by Four Whatever’s Clean Capsule Wardrobe in Black, Beige, Marsala and Natural

April 18, 2015 As soon as I launched the newest Pantone Spring and Summer 2015 color scheme file, someone asked me to do some work with the color of the year - Marsala. She had honed in on the black and khaki, and after a bit of discussion we agreed that the best 2nd accent color would be an unbleached linen/natural color. This is the palette we finally chose for a capsule wardrobe.

I started with black, of course! Sleeveless and short-sleeved, cropped pants and "normal" pants, and all from 3.1 Phillip Lim, just for ease of matchy-matchedness. You can, of course, find your four pieces from a different, less pricey, company, or mix them from a few different places.

In fact, in order to ... View the Post

An “All-Black” Capsule Wardrobe

December 31, 2014

While I was away for the winter holidays, I received two requests from women who are required to wear "All-Black" for their work, asking about ways to accessorize their limited palette. (if you're not a rugby fan, please be aware that the All Blacks are the New Zealand national rugby team, and the current world champions. If you enjoy looking at handsome, fit young men, I encourage you to look them up!)

This is a really interesting question for me because my capsule wardrobe migrates more and more each month toward unrelieved black. Also, I know a few women here in Chicago who have this same work wardrobe requirement; a surprising number of different organizations ask their "front of house" staff to dress in this ... View the Post

Four Pack Travel Capsule Wardrobe: Green and Camel

December 20, 2014 One last look at this idea - substituting green for the burgundy with which this travel capsule wardrobe was originally presented. Other colors that would work well with camel would include rust, coral, peach, other shades of green, pretty much a whole bunch of shades of blue... lots of choices!

I think by now we've all figured out that these four garments would get you through 3 or 4 days pretty easily...

love,

Janice Looking back:2013: From Desk to Dinner Party: Incorporating a Gem Tone into Neutrals 2012: Two sides of the whole "color" system question ... View the Post

Four Pack Travel Capsule Wardrobe: Burgundy and Navy

December 19, 2014 Yesterday, there were a couple of concerns/questions about what to do if you don't look good in camel. How about navy? (grey would also be fabulous, as would taupe...)

Of course, still lots of possible ways to wear these few simple basics!

love,

Janice ... View the Post

Four Pack Travel Capsule Wardrobe: Camel and Burgundy

December 18, 2014 Many of us are preparing for holiday trips of varying lengths, so today I felt like putting together something that just oozed luxury and subtlety. These rich, beautiful colors, fabrics and textures make a quietly elegant statement, without gaudy logos or overdone ornamentation.

love, Janice ... View the Post

A 4 by 4 Capsule Wardrobe in Coral, Turquoise, Black and Grey

September 25, 2014

Please bear in mind that I prepared this post before I left for my vacation, so some of the links might be dated...This is a great, unique, way to accent black and grey; coral and turquoise are often found together, and there's some AMAZING jewelry available (usually in warmer weather) that combines these two colors. But of course we don't wear real coral anymore - it's pretty endangered...

In both of these Cores of Four, I chose high-necked tee shirts to go with v-neck sweaters. This way, if you want to layer the grey tee under the black sweater, (or vice versa) it will show nicely. These little details can make a lot of difference in how versatile your clothes can ... View the Post

A 4 by 4 Capsule Wardrobe in Bright Plum, Smoky Blue, Navy and Grey

September 22, 2014 I don't want everybody to feel like I've beaten the "navy and grey" horse to death, but I had a lot of requests for variations of those colors, and they all take on their own feel... Please remember that I prepared these posts back in August, so you'd have pretty things to read while I'm on vacation; if the hyperlinks don't work, or an item is sold out, I sincerely apologize! This is the color scheme - three of the colors we've worked with before, but this bright plum color changes everything. What once was a soft and muted palette takes on a brightness and life that can be included in an outfit on a day that feels right, or you can always stick with the softer colors when that's what you ... View the Post