Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature
September 14, 2013 This is another Pantone seasonal color that feels a lot like a neutral to me - and a beautiful neutral! There are lots of items available in this color; if you aren't comfortable wearing this near your face, there are still a lot of options for shoes and pants...
Scarf – YuhOkano, cardigan – Bark, earrings – Nikki Baker, Buddha bracelet – Eastern Mystic, loafers - Munro
love,
Janice ... View the Post
September 12, 2013 I'm always amazed when a bright shade of fuchsia or hot pink is considered a "special, seasonal" color, because it seems to me that it's always available in some shape or form...
Drop stud earrings – Dorus Mhor, Blouse – Maison Martin Margiela, scarf – Pucci , clutch – Poupee Couture, flats – Adam Tucker
love, Janice ... View the Post
September 10, 2013 I would have called this Coffee, rather than Carafe, which is why I'm a blogger and NOT working for Pantone, I guess!
Earrings- Toosis, Blouse – Emporio Armani, hat – Lisa Battaglia, print infinity scarf – Nordstrom, shoes – Geox
There are at least a dozen MORE outfits that I haven't shown here...
love,
Janice ... View the Post
September 5, 2013 This first outfit is what got me looking for turquoise - the pieces are all really simple, but the color combination was striking, and the proportion of the long tee shirt, the cropped cardigan, and the modestly longer shorts was both pretty and unique. Once I started to focus on looking for turquoise with navy, I saw it quite a few times!
Tee shirt – Proenza Schouler, navy cardigan – Dorothy Perkins, shorts – Jil Sander, flats- Splendid, dress – Diane von Furstenberg, cardigan – Fedeli, scarf – Hermès, pumps – Trotters
Jeans – 7 for All Mankind, tee shirt – Proenza Schouler, earrings – Barbara Rybarova, canvas shoes – Keds, blouse – ... View the Post
September 4, 2013
Dream Wardrobe - DONE! I chose my twelve favorite outfits, and then broke out the various pieces into a total wardrobe.I know I want jeans, and I KNOW I want my black turtleneck. Last winter's favorite outfit of the black and white cardigan, black top and skirt, and pearl jewelry is definitely still going to be here. And I've got a new grey dress, that will be amazing with my luscious feather-print scarf from Paris.
My denim shirt is going nowhere! With a velvet skirt and my natural cable sweater, I'll wear it all winter. And my new loves - the skirted leggings - will be great for autumn with a long-sleeved black tee and my asymmetric Eileen Fisher sweater. ... View the Post
What's your dream wardrobe?
Be specific. Imagine that the first cool fall day has arrived (if you're in the Northern Hemisphere), and that you open your closet/armoire/cupboard door and you see it: the Dream Wardrobe.
How many outfits?
What are they? A grey mini-skirt with a grey tunic sweater, grey tights, and silver flats? A simple black wool dress with an amazing paisley scarf and low-heeled black suede pumps? Dream specific dreams.
And then write them down, or draw them...
Now distill these various outfits down to their necessary component parts and pieces.
Now figure out what you already own...
Your shopping list then looks like this:
For me, personally, my autumn purchase plan is the ... View the Post
August 26, 2013
The travel outfit is always the most important decision when packing a tiny suitcase. In the worst travel outcomes, you can be stuck wearing this outfit for a REALLY long time. Even if everything goes perfectly, this is the outfit in which you arrive - your first impression at the branch office, or the hotel, or with the relatives. As much as I adore textured and patterned cardigans, for the Four Pack, I'd stick with a solid-colored cardigan. This amazingly beautiful sweater might get a lot of action, if the weather proves to be cool, and a solid makes it easier to coordinate other items.
Now you have a variety of choices! This doesn't exhaust the ... View the Post
August 15, 2013
In the interest of full disclosure, if your click on any link to Boticca and purchase something, they give me a (very) small commission. That's not why I use their accessories on The Vivienne Files; I use them because they're timeless, elegant, classic, and unique, just like us!
love, Janice ... View the Post
I repeatedly make the questionable choice of including beige or khaki in my summer wardrobe... sigh... it's not a great color for me. So here, in addition to addressing the idea of moving toward warmer clothes, and buying with a purpose, I'm also showing a move from one color in a wardrobe to a different one.Remember, this was the summer Whatever's Clean wardrobe:
First, because I'm starting to really feel like beige isn't working well, the 2 beige pieces are going to take a back seat. And of course white linen pants aren't going to go too far into the fall...
Here's where grey takes the place of beige, and a pair of jeans will replace the white linen pants.
Second step: the ... View the Post
Everybody talks about learning from failure, but there are some excellent lessons to be learned from our successes, too.I've been really loving my summer wardrobe, and thus have decided to carefully think about the garments that I'm wearing frequently, and consider the possibility of finding a cool-weather version of those garments. Building on my summer successes, if you will.
First and foremost, I'm wearing a black tank FREQUENTLY. The logical shift for cooler weather, to my mind, will be a long-sleeved top with a similar cut and a similar neckline. Something like this:
So my favorite summer outfits will transition like this! A simple tank and skirt, with a cardigan over my shoulders, will become more like a ... View the Post
Realistically, Project 333 makes packing a snap - you don't have terribly much from which to choose, and if your garments were wisely chosen, most of them should go together pretty well. But I always find it comforting to have a plan in mind, when those phone calls arrive. I've had a few near misses recently with having to travel at the last minute, so I'm happy to have the following plan for the balance of the warm weather. Travelling for me almost always involves flying - my relatives are scattered about the planet. Even on the hottest summer days, airplanes are cold (it's always WAAAY below zero at 35,000 feet), so a cardigan, a light wrap, and SENSIBLE shoes are always appropriate.
In these clothes, I ... View the Post
July 17, 2013
Even those of us who would rather wear gym clothes sometimes have to go on business trips... so we have to pack in a way that strikes a balance between work-appropriate and our personal style. A tuxedo-ish coat, some dapper trousers, a youthful pleated skirt and a cardigan make up the core around which everything else will revolve.
An accent color is important - purple is used here - another simple cardigan, a snazzy turtleneck, and a silk blouse all work together. The oxfords were irresistible.
The tops appealed to my tomboy side, but they still will look fine with the black suit pieces... And you can't travel without loafers!
Sigh... but a dress will ... View the Post
