The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Start a Capsule Wardrobe With Archives - Page 126 of 153

Start With Art: The Apparition by Gustave Moreau

July 27, 2015  

 

The reader who requested this was particularly interested in the black, olive and camel parts of the painting, so I've taken the liberty of cropping the top third in order to focus on the colors in question. I'm sure Moreau will forgive me, since I'm such a big fan!

 

  Any Moreau painting cries out for an exotic and Byzantine wardrobe, but I wanted to keep things in the realms of the wearable, so I've opted for velvet, silk and cashmere in order to express the more exotic and sensuous aspects of the painting.  

Accessories are where you can really express the ornate impulses that seem to spring from this painting (and what that character in the painting is wearing!) - ... View the Post

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Just one quote, which I thought was worth the price of the book (emphasis mine):

"When you come across something that's hard to discard, consider carefully why you have that specific item in the first place. When did you get it and what meaning did it have for you then? Reassess the role it plays in your life. If, for example, you have some clothes that you bought but never wear, examine them one at a time. Where dd you buy that particular outfit and why? If you bought it because you thought it looked cool in the shop, it has fulfilled the function of giving you a thrill when you bought it. Then why did you never wear it? Was it because you realized that it didn't suit you when you tried it on at home? If so, and if you no longer buy ... View the Post

Another Thing to Remember…

January 4, 2015

It's tempting to try to rationalize purchases, even though you try something on and it's not quite perfect. "This will look better with the right tights..." is something that I said to Belovedest just a couple of days ago. And then I realized that I was just making excuses...

Quote from "I'll Drink to That" by Betty Halbreich.

love,

Janice ... View the Post

A Good Reminder…

January 1, 2015  

 

For those of us doing some major wardrobe overhauls, a reminder that it doesn't have to be finished by Monday...

Happy New Year to you all, my dearest friends, Janice

p.s. the accessories for the "All Black" wardrobe are on their way - soon - I promise! ... View the Post

In Praise of “Not Quite Perfect”

December 29, 2014  

It comes as a surprise to nobody that I am not a spring chicken; Dwight D. Eisenhower was President of the United States when I was born... so it also won't surprise you to hear that I have a few... marks of experience and character about my person. And frankly, it doesn't bother me a bit. I'm not going to dye my hair, nor shoot dubious chemicals into my face in order to try to look younger. After everything I've done in my life, I look pretty fabulous! (your preferences may vary - do you own thing!)

I'm coming around, more and more, to feeling that way about inanimate objects too - particularly scarves and jewelry. Small spots on silk, or tiny scratches on metal, don't bother me much - most people around ... View the Post

Looking back…

Looking Back:

2013: From Desk to Dinner Party: Take off a Cardigan, and Add Some Bracelets! 2012: Lavoisier and your luggage, or folded versus rolled 2011: When was the last time...? ... View the Post

Looking back

Looking Back:

2013: From Desk to Dinner Party: Cardigans go Solo 2012: will you be in Chicago January 5, 2013? (an invitation to a group tea; anytime you're going to be in Chicago, get in touch with me and we can have breakfast/coffee/lunch/tea together!)

    ... View the Post

I’m off…

December 22, 2014   I'm away for the week; there are a couple of posts scheduled for the upcoming week, but I won't be able to respond to comments. Have a wonderful week - I'm back soon! Love to you all, JaniceLooking Back:

2012: What to wear with a scarf: Hermes Concours d'Etriers 2011:  Michigan Avenue Style Lab: brown and blue, twice     ... View the Post

12 Months, 1 Scarf: A Navy and Green Capsule Wardrobe

December 17, 2014   I know I seem to talk about this same idea a lot, but I can't sufficiently emphasize the benefits of building your wardrobe around a unifying theme of some sort.   Your theme could be a particular color scheme, a painting, a photograph, or a scarf - there are really no limits to what you might choose. This theme doesn't have to last throughout your entire life, nor does it have to define absolutely EVERY purchase that you make.   However, it should be an overarching guideline that helps you make the hard decisions when you see something appealing - does it fit? does it clash? does it harmonize? does it make NO SENSE WHATSOEVER in the context of your chosen style theme?   So, when someone asked ... View the Post

Choosing a Scarf to Wear with Navy

December 16, 2014  

I happen to know for a fact that one of you will buy this design scarf for yourself for the holidays, and that you are struggling to decide which color you want. I further know that your wardrobe is basically navy, so I thought I'd play around a little bit with some ensembles to show what kinds of other preferences you have that might help make the choice clearer.   First up, the most lovely Hermes Ors Bleus d'Afrique - the Blue Gold of Africa. That refers to indigo, which was commonly used in textiles of this type.  

And I picked a couple of outfits - very simple - in order to create a base for my ideas.  

First up, this scarf cries out to have the rich browns emphasized and ... View the Post