The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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A Travel Capsule Wardrobe based upon a cardigan

A lot of people were very intrigued by my absolute addiction to flying in an argyle cardigan - I got lots of emails asking for variations on the patterned cardigan theme for travel.   My travel policies:  

no jeans, no sweatpants, no pajamas, no yoga pants.  I don't find jeans comfortable for sitting for hours.  You have to remember, when flying from the US to Europe, that you may be wearing the same outfit for the entire day of your arrival.  I don't like to spend my first day in Paris wandering about in pajama pants, no matter how comfortable they were on the plane.  It's not like I'm going to sleep that much on the plane anyway... Small earrings, so I can lean on things and rest during the ... View the Post

The shopping fast: Month 6

This month saw a couple of dinners out with friends, and a couple of job interviews which weren't overwhelmingly dressy - the bakery job didn't really require full-on suiting, thank heavens.  So I found that for another month, I had everything that I needed or wanted, and was comfortable, appropriate, and (I hope) attractive for all activities.

I visit catalogchoice.org every week to continue to pare down my temptations which arrive in the mail.  Fewer catalogs = fewer dead trees, less recycling, and less time thumbing through them looking at things I don't need.

 

 

 

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A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing for spring break, in red, white and black

This is a bit more adult version of yesterday's pack, with longer shorts, an additional skirt, nicer quality sandals... but it's really all about the tote bag!  

Tee – A.P.C., Jeans – Yves Saint Laurent, black linen blazer – Paul Smith, tote – Totem, earrings – Debenhams, bracelet – Mars & Valentine,  flats – Tod’s, carry-on bag - Rimowa  

swimsuits – Norma Kamali, shirtdress – Miu Miu, red studded sandals – Balenciaga, cardigan – Organic by John Patrick Sleeveless dress – Valentino R.E.D., draped neck top – Steffen Schraut, striped top – Tsumori Chisato, white skirt – Closed, shorts – Marc by Marc Jacobs, white sandals – Miu Miu, tank tops – Patagonia, black & white sandals – Matt Bernson, ... View the Post

My Wardrobe: the curating begins!

So I've decided that I'm going to curate my wardrobe in groupings of eight, in keeping with the plan that seems to be working so well for other wardrobes that I build!  And first up, the highly utilitarian work wardrobe for the winter holidays.  Cotton turtlenecks from Lands' End, sweatshirts from Lands' End and Adidas, and jeans from NYDJ (stretch jeans are ESSENTIAL if climbing is in your job description).  I didn't need a lot of clothes, because I'd have to come home most evenings and immediately launder whatever I'd been wearing...   To me, this wardrobe, while not particularly dressy or innovative, is elegant, if you define elegance as simple, timeless, and appropriate to the situation at ... View the Post

The shopping fast: Month 5

This month's activities included some of my heavy-lifting job (jeans, cotton turtlenecks, sweatshirts), a few lunches and dinners out with friends, and one cocktail party.  I already owned everything I needed for all of these activities, so I never felt that "need" to buy new clothes.  And I stay out of the way of temptation in stores, I've cut out all catalogs; overall, I felt only the occasional twinge of admiration for something.  Admiration does not HAVE to equal desire; more on that idea tomorrow.

 

 

 

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Wardrobe: black, brown, with accents of berry

Someone mentioned yesterday that black and brown might be made to work with shades of red - so I made a few alterations to yesterday's wardrobe;  the versatility of core neutral garments is truly amazing... All clothes – 3.1 Phillip Lim  

Jacket – Vince, Cardigan – Closed, Blouse – Marc by Marc Jacobs, Tee shirt – Michael Stars, dress – Michael by Michael Kors, sweater – Closed, pants – Michael Kors, Skirt – Alberta Ferretti   

Tweed coat – Lanvin, striped tee – Vince, black and brown tweed skirt - Carven, cranberry tee – Splendid, cardigan & sweater – Malene Birger, long sleeved tee – Dorothy Perkins, sweater – Miu Miu  

1. Pumps – L.K. Bennett, necklace – Heather Moore, bag - ... View the Post

Wardrobe: a base of black and brown

All clothes – 3.1 Phillip Lim  

Jacket – Vince, Cardigan – Closed, Blouse – Marc by Marc Jacobs, Tee shirt – Michael Stars, dress – Michael by Michael Kors, sweater – Closed, pants – Michael Kors, Skirt – Alberta Ferretti   

Tweed coat – Lanvin, striped tee – Vince, black and brown tweed skirt - Carven, blue sweater – Alexander Wang, blue cardigan – Vero Moda,  blue tee – John Lewis, white tee – Debenhams, white shirt – Helmut Lang  

1. Pumps – Bandolino, bracelet – Monica Vinaeder, bag - Fendi  

2. Umps - Ferragamo, necklace – Alexis Bittar, earrings – Sahani Azibo  

3. Oxford - Anniel, scarf – Hermès, pearl earrings - Majorica  

4. Flats – Debenhams, ring & ... View the Post

Wardrobe based on 2 suits: Was Chanel right?

December 23, 2011   One of my favorite Chanel quotes is "One shouldn't spend all one's time dressing. All one needs are two or three suits, as long as they and everything to go with them, are perfect."   So I thought about how this quote applies to the wardrobes that I build - let's try on Chanel's advice!   First, two suits: one black, one taupe. Now, to me, a suit is a jacket, pants, a skirt AND a dress. (sometimes, nothing looks better than a dress and jacket). Yes, I'm taking the definitions very loosely...  

Next, you need the things that go with the 2 suits.  One twinset that matches a suit, and another twinset in an accent color.  One turtleneck that matches one of the suits, and a ... View the Post

The shopping fast: Month 3

 

This has in many ways been the easiest month so far.  Day to day, I'm only wearing a variety of gray or black tee shirts, jeans, and my work shoes. (and of course, my apron, which is NOT pictured here...) If anything, December might prove to be even more dull fashion-wise than November!

Working in retail is a great way to condition yourself away from constant shopping; the endless glut of unnecessary stuff that we have to handle every day makes the idea of actually buying something and taking it home absolutely repulsive.  What an insane frenzy of over-consumption the holidays are in the United States...

And I must give a warm, grateful shout out to my work shoes - Camper Pelotas.  They are durable, ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing the Last-Minute Suitcase

Someday, the call will come:

Your Aunt Trudi is in the hospital, and nobody else can get there to be with her! or The data servers are all down in Edinburgh - get there NOW and fix them, or The Excel trainer broke her leg - you've got to go to New York tonight to teach the seminar, or Honey!  We're going to Paris TONIGHT for a long weekend!  (this is a dream we share, eh?)

  So somewhere in the back of my mind, every three or four months, I consider what I would do if I got this call.  The best defense, of course, is to have a carefully curated and deliberately distilled wardrobe, so that you just just stick your hand in the closet and grab a handful of things and you'll probably be okay.  And if ... View the Post

Maximize your ROI: brightly colored pants

Pants - Sandro  

Ivory sweater – Carven, teardrop earrings – Kendra Scott, plaid shirt – J. Crew, ankle boots – Common Projects, Beige sweater – Alexander Wang, blue & gold earrings – Amy DiGregorio, black & blue scarf – Diane von Furstenberg,  beige flats – Thierry Rabotin, black turtleneck – Vince, bracelet – Kenneth Jay Lane, black suede loafers – Rebecca Minkoff  

Beige cardigan – Zadig & Voltaire, scarf – Versace, blue silk tank – Kain Classic, lais pendant – Anton Heunis, tasseled necklace – Kenneth Jay Lane, black cardigan – Michael Michael Kors,, white tee – Paul Smith, white cardigan – Ralph Lauren, beige tee shirt – J. Crew, sandals – CO-OP Barneys, cap-toe ballerinas – AK Anne ... View the Post