The Vivienne Files - Page 178 of 288 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Vacation: TODAY!!!

October 3, 2015

To say that we're excited would be a bit of an understatement! Two weeks (which is SO un-American, the country that has NO law requiring any vacation, at all, for any person, ever) in Wales and England, including attending a Rugby World Cup match! And dinner reservations at some amazing places, and a few days in London, and a visit to my English relatives, AND a bunch of driving around amazing places etc. etc.This is gonna be good...

If you don't follow me on Instagram, you might want to start. You'll be able to see what I wear every morning (I lay out my outfits and photograph them), and we'll take some pictures of beautiful or amazing places. I'm not one of those people that buries you in photographs, but ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: White Trousers, at the Art Institute of Chicago

October 2, 2015

I haven't done Chic Sightings for a while because... well... I haven't seen much! But last week I was walking home past the Art Institute of Chicago (which I do frequently, since it's 3 blocks from home!), and I saw both of these women. It was one of those days that started with a cool-ish morning, building to a warmer afternoon, and they both looked lovely, and perfect for the day.Is it the museum that attracts the simple, chic, eye-catching woman?

It feels like the "brunette version, blonde version" of wearing white trousers in the city...love, Janice ... View the Post

OLIVE: With 8 Bright Accents

October 1, 2015 Olive today! Some of these were difficult...

I'm including these Yves Saint Laurent pants, even though they're the ONLY pair available, to remind you that a garment with a range of shades of green could work really beautifully with your olive neutrals.

This is a case in which the scarf really plays a key role. And this scarf is a stylized map - it's a really good thing it's not my colors.And I have to point out the earrings from Louise et Cie; this is a company that has made shoes for a few years, and just now ventured into jewelry (at least in the US). Some of their jewelry is really cool, and not at all expensive. I'm making a note of this company for when my shopping ... View the Post

BROWN: With 8 Bright Accents

September 30, 2015 I don't know why we don't see more brown with bright colors; the colors share the same degree of saturation, and some of these combinations are pretty nice! As always, let's start with some hard-working basics:

These colors play together nicely - just a touch of sparkle from a brooch is all I would add here!

Yes, all of these are described as shocking pink, but this one doesn't seem shocking at all to me. I'd describe it as rosy and very flattering.

As in so many instances, the right scarf makes so much ... View the Post

GREY: With 8 Color Accents

September 29, 2015 So many of us own this kind of small neutral core - I love taking these pieces and adding accent colors, to see what happens. Today, it's grey, or gray, depending on.... I have no idea!

These dresses might be one of the easiest ways to wear this bright, strong color. You wouldn't necessarily pull the cardigan on, but tossed over one's shoulders with an insouciant flair (think Italian actress), it will be perfect.

These jackets were surprisingly difficult to find, but well worth it. If you're looking for leather, this color is a great option rather than the much more ubiquitous black. Just make sure your jacket looks like gorgeous leather, and not some horrible plastic ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art – Festival in Montmartre – Version 2

September 28, 2015 So when we last visited our heroine, former family caregiver become corporate Public Relations executive, she was thriving in her new position. And it didn't go unnoticed by her employer's competition!

Headhunters began to emerge from the shrubbery...

And one day, she was called into the Director's office.

10 minutes later, she's holding a VERY large retention bonus in her hand, in exchange for her signature on a two-year contract.

VERY LARGE retention bonus.

She went back to her office. She closed the door, burst out laughing. With a bit of silly, breathless squeaking mixed in.

And she cried, just for a second.

Then she called her husband. And then the travel agent...

She ... View the Post

NAVY: with Eight Color Accent ideas

September 26, 2015

Last week, I did a post (see it here) in which I took eight very brightly colored garments and incorporated them into outfits, using black as the neutral to offset the color.So I was thinking (I'm ALWAYS thinking) that the range of garments was a pretty interesting list - it included pretty much all of the major garment "categories", with one exception. So I took the original list of items (taken from my favorite French fashion book: Ma To-Do List: Dressing, by Laure Gontier and Jeanne-Aurore Colleuille) and made one change:

I stuck pretty faithfully to their colors, except for the pine green, which is more neutral to me. I substituted purple, because.... well.... PURPLE!

I ... View the Post

Cleaning Out My Scarf Drawer, in my Own Odd Way…

I have too many scarves. It's just that simple - when I'm looking for a specific one, I struggle to find it, and I wander past a LOT of beautiful scarves that aren't getting the love and attention they deserve.

So I decided to clean up!

For no really good reason I can think of, I decided to choose 10 scarves to send out into the world. And from there, my methodology was bizarre, but effective...

First off, I got to thinking about how there are really only two kinds of clothes - good ones and bad ones. You can define these two terms however you like, but for me, good means good fabric, well constructed, by people who are paid a decent wage and work in decent surroundings, and which are sold by people who are also treated with ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Scarf: Cvetaeva, Version 2

September 24, 2015

And, as promised, another look at this scarf, with a completely different color scheme!

Doesn't this look completely different when folded and worn this way?

I'm eschewing all accents this time, and going strictly for some interesting neutrals:

She Doesn't Mean to be Difficult... But the prototypes were entirely wrong. Wrong color. Wrong sizes. Wrong details. You have to wonder if the had the specifications upside down...

So she's off to Milan, to have a serious chat with the knitting mill management!

It's not that she doesn't like Milan - she loves it - but this isn't a good time to have to make this trip. She won't have time for more than one really amazing ... View the Post

Building a CONSERVATIVE BUSINESS Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Festival in Montmartre by Gino Severini

September 23, 2015

One last visit with our friend who spent so many years taking care of her family...

A Well-Deserved Move Up... She put her head down, learned everything she could, pitched in wherever she was needed, and became more productive and more indispensable every day. She didn't complain about menial tasks, nor repetitious projects. She was pleasant but not ingratiating, helpful but not servile, and intelligent without making anyone want to whap her in the head. She was, in short, a dream employee.

Of course she was - she was mature enough to know what really matters!

So one day, when the manager wanted to talk to her, she had no concerns that she was in trouble for something.

And in fact, it was ... View the Post

Building a BUSINESS CASUAL Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Festival in Montmartre by Gino Severini

September 22, 2015

Let's come back to this great painting and color scheme, and see what our wonderful care-giver is up to...

A Shift of Focus As time passed, our care giver discovered that her responsibilities gradually diminished. Her parents were in a facility that gave them the kind of attention they deserved, after their life of work and service. Her children were grown and starting their own lives as adults. And her husband - like all of the best life partners - only wanted for her to be happy and fulfilled.

So she decided to get a job...

First thing was to make sure she had something interview-worthy, so she found a navy skirt that she could wear with her navy blazer. While the fabrics are very ... View the Post

Building a CASUAL Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Festival in Montmartre by Gino Severini

September 21, 2015 I love this painting; it lives just down the street from me at the Art Institute of Chicago. Severini isn't well-known, and I think that's a shame - his Cubist works are lovely...

This painting lends itself to a color scheme firmly grounded in versatile neutrals, but sparked with some extraordinary accent colors. In addition to the pink and blue that I've chosen, you've got some beautiful yellow, a hint of true red, and some aqua too!

Care-giving as Art She took care of them all - children, spouse, parents, neighbors, and never missed a beat...

And she always looked lovely while doing so! Never over-done or fussy, and ALWAYS appropriate to the occasion and the activities. But ... View the Post