The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Color and Proportion – Step 2: Adding Shoes, and the Occasional Solid Scarf

April 3, 2015

For this 2nd step in my pondering about proportion, I want to introduce some shoes into the equation, as well as a solid-color scarf. I didn't find that I felt the scarf was "necessary" as often as I had expected - sometimes a pair of shoes made enough difference in the proportion of the outfit that the scarf, while fun, might be superfluous.

For these first two outfits, shoes that matched the cardigan lent enough "gravity" to the outfit that I didn't really reach for a scarf. Out fit 3 is more problematic - in screaming hot weather, white sandals might work, but white shoes made this look really "uniform", in the medical profession sense. Maybe the beige scarf and loafers would be better?

These outfits felt a lot ... View the Post

Color and Proportion – How Color Affects the Balance of an Outfit

April 2, 2015

Recently, someone wrote to me with an excellent question: she had narrowed down her wardrobe colors to black, white and beige, but wasn't sure how to combine these colors. Specifically, she was concerned about what percentage of each color could be in an outfit and still be balanced.

A question for the ages, really. There are limitless possibilities for combining simple colors. So I decided to put together the most simple outfits in those three colors, and see how the proportions felt.

For starters, I picked a plain tee shirt, jeans, and a classic cardigan in the three colors my friend mentioned. From these 9 garments, there are 27 possible 3-piece outfits, as well as an additional 9 2-piece outfits. Imagine the ... View the Post

An Update on Choosing a Valentine’s Day Scarf

March 18, 2015

Remember when someone asked about which Hermes scarf to choose for their Valentine's Day present?

In fact, when she got to the store, she found a scarf that's perfect for her, and that is NOT one of the six that we looked at last month!

Just for fun, I pulled a color scheme from this scarf...

I'm quite certain that our fortunate friend has a lot of ideas about how to wear her new scarf, but I'm tossing out a handful of accessory ideas, just in case!

What do you think?

love, Janice ... View the Post

A Clothing Diary Week 6

March 16, 2015   Even though I worked every day on The Vivienne Files, I also spent quite a bit of time last week doing things with my relatives and my neighbors. I find my wardrobe to be so helpful to me when I've got so many other demands on my time; it's easy to just reach into my closet and find something appropriate and comfortable without a lot of angst!  

  love, Janice ... View the Post

What I’m Packing in a Travel Capsule Wardrobe for New York

March 14, 2015   Belovedest and I are leaving Wednesday for New York for what is either a very long weekend, or a rather short vacation - six days. B lived in New York a few different times (he had one of those jobs that required frequent transfers), and so we know the city very well. Our anniversary is next Friday, so we have an excuse for some festivities. Overall, it will be a nice opportunity to spend some time together and reacquaint ourselves with a favorite city.   My biggest packing constraint for this trip is the desire to take gym clothes with me. Normally, for European vacations, I just throw my workout routine into the shredder and assume that my walking will stand in for exercise. (uh, it really doesn't work that ... View the Post

Start With a Bag: Longchamps Tote

March 13, 2015   Sigh...   The happy owner of this lovely bag wanted me to style it with bright colors. Believe me, I've been working toward that goal for a few days, and it just never looked good...   But this bag is ideally suited as a way to integrate earth tones and black into a lovely warm-weather travel ensemble.   And of course... the bag's no longer available. But you really should check out the Longchamp site from time to time, because they always do special editions that are wonderful. Some day, they might have something perfect for you!  

 

Yes, the earrings are bamboo styled. You don't want to overdo that kind of thing, but I thought a bit of matching would be sort of ... View the Post

Solid Clothes with Patterned Jewelry in a Capsule Wardrobe

March 12, 2015

I'm often asked about the possibility of wearing only solid-colored clothing - nothing patterned. Because I show stripes and flowers (and every other kind of print) so often, some people seem to be concerned that wearing only solid colors is somehow prohibited.

First off, let me make it perfectly clear that, in my opinion, you can wear anything that makes you happy. So long as you don't get arrested, or fired from your job, go for it. Let your preferences shine through. Express your personal preferences, your inner nuttiness, or your freak flag - it's only clothing, and as long as you are truly, deeply happy with what you wear, the rest of us can just accept it. Ultimately, it's up to you!

Another request I recently ... View the Post

A Clothing Diary Week 5

March 10, 2015   Another cold week, but I managed well! But my weight is shifting, and so I'm going to have to get some new clothes! My upcoming spring French Five-Piece Wardrobe is going to have to do a lot of hard work...  

Yes, I wear my Munro boots a lot! They're amazingly comfortable, and I can walk a lot in them. Munro is known for making "comfort" footwear, but these don't look like mumsy marshmallows...   love, Janice ... View the Post

Start with Art: Version 2 Lake and Red Tree by Tom Thomson

March 7, 2015   A couple of days ago when I first worked with this painting, someone suggested substituting black for the brown that I used. Since black appears in the painting, this wasn't a misuse of the painting, and it produced some lovely ensembles.   I kept the same sweaters and blouses, in order to use the identical accent colors, but I substituted everything else. The accessory theme today is flowers!

 

 

love, Janice

                            ... View the Post

A Clothing Diary Week 3

February 25, 2015   Another week with incredibly cold weather. For those of you who live in warmer climates, you just have to take my word for it that this weather is exceptional, even for Chicago. Consistent lows below zero or in the single digits, days upon days of highs MAYBE in the teens. Dry dry dry air, wind to knock you over... just lovely!  I actually love winter, but this is even more extreme that I would prefer. But we carry on, in style!   As before, if I can link to my item, or something substantially similar, I will provide a link. The absence of any link means I couldn't find anything close enough...  

I know I've mentioned it before, but these Bogs boots are the WARMEST I've ever owned. They're ... View the Post