The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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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

A Black Wardrobe with Amethyst

January 8, 2015   She was born in February, so amethyst is her birthstone. And purple has always been her favorite color; could any style choice be easier?  

 

 

Any other suggestions/ideas for how to accessorize this wardrobe? I'm working on blue, and on brights, but I was also thinking of brown/gold... Anything else your beautiful hearts desire?   love,

Janice ... View the Post

A Black Wardrobe, with Silver, Aluminum and Grit

January 5, 2015   This is certainly not a style for just everyone, but I know a couple of women who wear this very urban, industrial style, and who carry it off with great panache! (Imagine a woman with silver grey hair, cut in a very short, angular style. Chiseled cheekbones, a slash of red lipstick...)   One of the things that we have to remember about a unique personal style is that it is, by definition, not for everybody. Realistically, it shouldn't be for ANYBODY other than you. It's hard to chart your own path, style-wise, but feeling quintessentially like yourself can be an amazing sensation...  

 

 

love,

Janice ... View the Post

A Black Wardrobe, with Turquoise, Coral, and Gold

January 3, 2015   A few of you have expressed that you couldn't wear unrelieved black, and that you're quite grateful that this isn't your dress code! You can easily see that it's a challenge to look like "yourself" in a way that's distinct from all of your coworkers if you're all wearing black. That's why I was happy to hear that many people in this uniform are at least allowed to wear whatever accessories strike their fancy.   Today, inspired by my neighbor who wears a turquoise and coral necklace EVERY DAY, I chose accessories that all have turquoise, coral (fake coral, of course) and gold, and which include texture or detail. When you see these items together, you can see the DNA that links them, I hope. And on the ... View the Post

A Black Capsule Wardrobe, with Pearl, Lace, Gold, Filigree and Flowers

January 2, 2015

After thinking long and hard about how I wanted to accessorize the "All-Black" capsule wardrobe, I decided that I'm going to accessorize it in a variety of ways, and give everybody a choice of which they prefer! In this, as in virtually EVERYTHING associated with getting dressed every day, there are no hard and fast rules, and no one "best" or "must-have" way to approach things.

I'm a big fan of finding a handful of key words that define a style, and using those words as a talisman or mantra when I'm choosing items. Using the lace tops as an inspiration, I thought that the first "accessory family" was going to include elements of pearls, lace, gold, filigree details and feelings, and flowers.

Let me clarify - each ... 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

My Capsule Wardrobe, and Starting From Scratch

December 15, 2014   My wardrobe is in kind of a mid-season funk right now. My arms are getting a little bit girthy from my workouts (hurrah!!!), and a few things that used to be capsule wardrobe stalwarts are going to have to move on to someone else's wardrobe. I'm losing sight of what my "big picture" wardrobe plan is... and that makes getting dressed time-consuming and tiring. Plus, since I don't have to go into an office any more, my wardrobe is long on "business-ish" garments that could be donated or sold. So it's time for me to Start From Scratch!

Step 1: Pants - easey peasy - my black pants from J. Jill. Perfect fit, and a 12-month fabric.

Step 2: Shoes - Stuart Weitzman "creampuff" style. They're long discontinued, ... View the Post