Start a Capsule Wardrobe With Archives - Page 104 of 133

A 4-Piece Travel Capsule Wardrobe in Pink, Blue, and Purple

May 18, 2015

You've seen scarves from kathkath.com on The Vivienne Files a LOT in the past: I used a beautiful pink scarf here, a rose printed one here, an amazing blue landscape scarf here, and one of my favorites - a marble printed scarf - here.If you leave me a comment below, telling me what you found on kathkath.com that you loved the most (or telling us anything else kind and loving), you will be entered to win this little (90cm square) beauty:

Yep, this is a 90 centimeter square scarf - same size as Hermes scarves. It's a glorious design - they have a close-up photograph of the pattern, and it's delectable... So of course, I'm using this as the centerpiece of another "no-effort" weekend travel capsule ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Bracelets: Effortless Memorial Day Travel

May 16, 2015

Chicago, and the Chicago area, has some of the greatest companies making beautiful clothes and accessories. Last Saturday, at that absolutely wonderful Fashion Expo in Millennium Park (aka my front yard!), I also had the pleasure of stumbling across She-Beads. Don't be fooled by cheap imitations! (I love that sentence...) These designs and patterns are FORMED IN THE CLAY, and will not rub off, scratch off, or otherwise be diminished in the way that painted or decaled jeweled can be. Their site has a video of them making beads - it's amazing that these crafts can exist and we don't know anything about them. There are creative and skilled people everywhere...

I was thinking about what sorts ... View the Post

Problem-solving from a new point of view

May 15, 2015

When confronted with something that needs "fixing", I think the human race is hard-wired to add something to the situation:

another memo another study another throw cushion more salt another coat of polish

etc. etc. But what if you considered the possibility of removing something, instead? There have to be almost as many "remove" possibilities as there are "add" ideas. This could double your possible solutions. And we haven't even considered the possibility of just leaving things be, as they are... love, Janice Looking Back: 2014: Neutral Accessories: Shoes Part 1 2013: Chic sighting: ... 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

A Red Handbag: Integrating a New Accent Color in a Capsule Wardrobe

May 11, 2015

Red seems to be a color that a lot of us want to incorporate into our lives; I've received a few emails asking specifically about what to do with either a red handbag or red footwear (check out my post on integrating red cowboy boots)! Maybe a red sweater or dress is too bold, but smaller doses of red can be beautiful with literally any neutral color. I don't know of another accent that can be used as widely, and as universally, as red.

So I found a bag I really like; while this bag is styled very much like a tote bag, it's really just a medium-sized barrel shaped handbag or shoulder bag:

And I'm going to work with a VERY modest assortment of grey clothes this time. In addition to being a great way to illustrate ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Combining 2 Color Schemes from the Capri Scarf

May 9, 2015

SOMEONE had a brilliant insight, in yesterday's comments - why not combine these two wardrobes from the last 2 days? This is a perfect Project 333 - it actually comes in well below 33 items...

And a long summer travel wardrobe? Perfect. The two neutrals give you plenty of "non-white" core pieces for travel days, and the neutrals play quite nicely together, too.

Here's our expanded color scheme:

And you recognize all of the clothes and accessories from earlier posts:

But here's where the fun really starts - LOOK at this wardrobe!!! You might need to toss in a pair of shorts (grey sweats, or white linen?), but otherwise, I can't think of much for which you ... 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

Three Green Scarves, Three Color Schemes

May 6, 2015 My lovely friend bought the green handbag! But then she was debating about a new scarf to complement her bag; she narrowed her choice down to these three:

Each of these scarves would be beautiful with her green handbag, but what struck me was how each of these scarves could lend itself to a very different color scheme! So I was thinking that maybe, if you were choosing from among three items like this, it might be helpful to think about how having the item in your closet would manifest itself in your future shopping choices. Sometimes, the ability to see where a particular purchase might lead you can give you an indication of how suitable the purchase really will be for you moving ... View the Post

Overnight in the City, with a Smoky Blue Coat

April 27, 2015

Let's hypothesize that the nearest orchestra to you is going to be playing a favorite - Beethoven's 7th? And you know that the concert will end later than the last train, so you're going to stay overnight. This is the very EASIEST packing - you just need something to wear that evening, and a clean blouse or top to wear home the next afternoon.

So pull on some jeans, and some nice accessories, and hop on the train! You can actually walk from the train station to your hotel, and since your bag is so small, you can stop for lunch, or do some shopping...

This is all you have to pack - some toiletries, and some nightwear, and you're set!

Hang up your dress when you get to the hotel to change (although ... View the Post

Integrating a New Accent Color: A Smoky Blue Coat

April 25, 2015 Another interesting email: One of your is seriously considering the coat shown below, but you have some concerns about how this color will integrate into your primarily black and white wardrobe. Well!!! It's a lovely coat - I particularly like the way that the buttons are placed close enough together that the double-breasted effect is actually vertical rather than horizontal (a rare bit of design intelligence, I'd say). The pockets help with the vertical feeling too, and this shade of smoky blue is beyond lovely - subtle and rich. BUT! It's a substantial (gulp) investment. This isn't a purchase that you make on a whim... The writer also indicated that, if she chose this coat, that she wants ... View the Post