The Vivienne Files - Page 179 of 269 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Assorted Accessories for All Seasons

December 5, 2014 These posts about seasonal colors are so much fun, and I learn something every time I work on one! Today, I started with an Hermes scarf, and then built an assortment of things around the scarf. Some of the accessories are for winter wear, and other are for the entire year. I only wear 1 watch, but I'm not sure why - there are a lot of beautiful, moderately priced watches available that might add a touch of color or metallic luster to an outfit. While I know that in this day and age many people don't wear a watch at all, maybe a 2nd watch is an option to consider...

Winter Color Palette Accessories

This hat would destroy my hair, but it might be worth it...

Spring ... View the Post

Scarves for All Seasons

December 4, 2014

Since we had so much fun yesterday thinking about our "official" or self-determined seasonal palettes, I thought I'd pursue the idea a bit more today. While I've been quite lucky to have been told by trained color evaluations that I'm wearing the right colors, I can easily sympathize with those who get conflicting advice, or who like other colors. Ultimately, I really believe that the happiness that you radiate from wearing colors that you love will overshadow any possible lack of compatibility between you and the garment. That's just a fancy way of saying that you should wear what you want, and you'll radiate loveliness just from being happy. Your mileage may vary, of ... View the Post

Jewelry for All Seasons

December 3, 2014

I've never been closely aligned to my designation as a Winter; I pretty much already knew that I was going to wear a lot of black and white, so learning that I was a Winter didn't change anything for me. However, I know many people who are quite fond of using their "seasonal" designation as a guideline for shopping. So since I knew I was going to show you lots more jewelry today, I thought I'd take advantage of the seasonal designations as a different way to choose some pretty things for you to see...

What riches our lives hold, eh? love, Janice

Jewelry for the Spring Color Palette

Jewelry for the Summer Color Palette

Jewelry for the Autumn Color Palette ... View the Post

Jewelry, at a range of prices

December 2, 2014 There was a little bit of concern floating around after my post about dressing up with jewelry - some of the more gorgeous items that I shared with you were a bit... pricey?... and a few people expressed their concern that they couldn't do justice to dressing up unless they won the lottery first.

But lower-priced jewelry exists, and can be an extremely good thing to search out, for a number of reasons.

If you're test-driving a new style or type of jewelry, and it doesn't make sense to spend a fortune on something that you're not sure you'll love. If you're buying jewelry to wear with just one specific garment or outfit, and you know that you aren't going to want to keep the piece forever, or, if you're going ... View the Post

Hermes Knotting Cards – Today’s Monday Morning Giveaway!

Leave me a message telling us all about your very favorite winter holiday food indulgence (remember, this ranges all the way from Thanksgiving through Valentine's Day - my definition of winter holiday is VERY generous...) to be entered to win these knotting cards! I'll let you know next Monday who the luck winner is. Don't need knotting cards? These would be an excellent candidate for "regifting", you know.

ANYBODY, ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD CAN WIN THIS - I WILL SHIP IT TO YOU!

Still sealed, so I can't honestly tell you what the cards will be like, but I know that they can be a source of inspiration for a new way to tie your scarves (not just for Hermes, of course!), or they can be a source of laughter when they suggest wearing a scarf ... View the Post

What IS my signature accent color? Capsule Wardrobe Project 333

Despite the fact that I don't report in regularly on my progress, I do keep track of what I wear, and what's getting appropriate usage, and what's wasting closet space. As much as I always get compliments when I wear blue, I never really feel quite myself when I'm wearing it... except denim... And, as I always have, I'm drawn to red. Always... So when I did my readjustments for Project 333 starting Monday, I added in both a red tee shirt and a red sweater. They're from L.L.Bean (those people NEVER give me any credit for promoting their clothes, the silly louts), they're festive, and I love them. Also, I'm replacing the non-existent blue jeans with my beloved black velvet skirt! My paisley pants are too cropped, and too ... View the Post

Jewelry: How to Dress Up a Starting From Scratch Capsule Wardrobe

November 28, 2014

Jewelry is the most obvious, and the easiest, way to dress up basic garments. If you look around at some of the less "expected" stores, you can find things that you've never before seen - nobody at your event will be wearing an identical item! These items can easily be worn with a number of different Starting From Scratch Capsule Wardrobes, and many of these pieces could be used during the day, as well. And don't forget that the Starting From Scratch Wardrobes already had quite a few pieces of jewelry in them - many of those pieces are well-suited for evening wear, just as many of the pieces shown below could be worn during the day. I've opted to include brooches instead of necklaces, just because ... View the Post

Happy Thanksgiving!

November 27, 2014

No Black Friday offers, no Black Saturday sales, no Cyber Monday links. Just a message from my heart, on this Thanksgiving in the United States. You all make my days delightful, and my work feels like fun when I know you're reading. Thank you. My posts through this winter holiday season may be somewhat irregular, but never doubt that you ALL are in my thoughts. I'm always planning more delights for us to share...

love, Janice

... View the Post

How to Wear a Red Coat in a Capsule Wardrobe

November 26, 2014

Nothing seems like a better idea this time of year than a red coat - it's bright, on these darkest of days, it stands out in a forest of black, and it throws a flattering rosiness onto any complexion. But how do you make a red coat work well with your chosen neutral color? As always, I have suggestion!

Grey Neutrals

I believe that any of us who deal with long winters deserve at least a couple of pairs of gloves, a couple of scarves, and more than one hat, so I'm showing multiples which can be worn in a variety of combinations. For gloves or mittens, it makes sense to me to have one pair that matches your coat as closely as possible, and another pair that are your neutral. I think ... View the Post

Metallic Shoes and a Small Bag: How to Dress Up a Starting From Scratch Capsule Wardrobe

November 25, 2014 The first thing I noticed when I was looking for beautiful shoes and bags for your capsule wardrobes: there are absolutely RIDICULOUS, and sometimes positively dangerous, dress shoes out there. Heels that would only be suitable for walking from the limo into the nightclub, where you will be sitting for the entire evening...

But worse than that are the spikes and other lethal implements that now adorn shoes. If you're attracted to shoes with spikes, or even just with buckles or large jewels, make ABSOLUTELY sure that you've checked out how sharp all such things are, and be aware that crossing your legs, or even having your foot brush against your leg, could bruise you, tear your clothing, or even cut your flesh. ... View the Post

ASAP – As Sustainable As Possible – A New Paris Store (to me…)

Belovedest and I were doing our usual wander about Paris on our last vacation, when we saw this store across the street. It had the usual clean, simple look that many stores in Paris have (the stores there seem to be either very sleek and simple, or charmingly cluttered in a tiny and inviting way...). With reckless disregard for our safety, which is really the only way to walk in Paris, we crossed the street in the middle of the block and went in... Before we escaped, we had purchased a beautiful linen plaid scarf for Belovedest, in soft tonal beige, tan and ivory, and I had a new cashmere hooded sweatshirt in traditional grey. I bought the largest size available in the sweatshirt, because I was looking for smooshy, cuddly ... View the Post

A Dressy Top: How to Dress Up a Starting From Scratch Capsule Wardrobe

November 22, 2014 Another way to dress up your Starting from Scratch Capsule Wardrobe is to find a blouse, tee shirt, sweater, or even a sweatshirt that has something dressy going on. There's a world of options around this time of year: lace, sequins, beads, jewels and embroidery are all possibilities.

The Navy and Grey Starting From Scratch Wardrobe

The lace top is beautiful with everything in your wardrobe; you could even wear it under your cardigan during the day, and then pop off the sweater at night in order to be more dressy. A pair of silvery grey dress shoes would amp up the look another bit, but you really wouldn't want to hang a necklace over the lovely lace - a bracelet would be ... View the Post