The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Vivienne Files - Page 206 of 285 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 8: Two Tops, and a Necklace

July 1, 2014  

One thing that I've noticed after many years of wearing clothes is that I feel like my capsule wardrobe is better balanced if I have more "tops" than "bottoms".  Two to one seems a pretty workable ratio for me, and so in search of this it's time to grab a couple more blouses, tee shirts, or sweaters. This is an ideal time to introduce a pattern, if you wish, or to bring in more of your accent colors. If you found that you really preferred wearing light neutral blouses, those are perfect for this step.   And a necklace... Some days when I'm walking in downtown Chicago, I make a point of looking specifically for necklaces, and I'm always kind of shocked that I don't see very many. A semi-precious stone or ... View the Post

Monday Morning Giveaway #5: “What Shall I Wear?” by Claire McCardell

June 30, 2014

So leave me a comment about what clothing from the '50's and '60's you miss the most (for me, I wish we all still wore hats...) and I'll draw a random number next Sunday afternoon and announce the winner next Monday morning.

Do you think that the burgeoning numbers of skin cancer cases might lead to a resurgence in the popularity of hats?

love, Janice

And the winner of last week's toiletry kits?  The very last comment left - Sharon!  Dear Sharon - send me an email to theviviennefiles at gmail dot com with your address and I'll ship them right off! ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch: Clarifying Our Preferences

June 29, 2014   As we take a pause in our capsule wardrobe building, it's a good time to begin to isolate some of our personal style preferences, and to focus on what kinds of color combinations make us most comfortable.     These aren't choices that MUST be made - you can have as much variety in your wardrobe as suits you, but for some of us, making the choice to (for example) eliminate button-front shirts can be liberating and clarifying.     I thought of these choices that could be made - what other decisions can be made at this point in wardrobe building?  

white cotton shirt – Diane von Furstenberg, white silk blouse – Nic + Zoe,  blue blouse – Uniqlo, lilac tee shirt – Nougat London, aqua ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch: A Brief Pause to Check the Map

June 27, 2014  

This seems like a good time to stop for a moment and assess what we've accomplished so far with our capsule wardrobes, and make sure that we're happy with the direction in which we're moving.   The items that we've brought into the capsule wardrobe so far give us over a dozen outfit options (I'm showing 2 dozen, but if you take off the cardigans, there are additional outfits).  Some of these outfits work better than others, but none of them are unwearable.   What might be reasonable to do right now would be to stop and look at each of these outfits, and decide if we're comfortable with most of them.  Certainly some are going to be... not to our taste... but if your choice of colors has been ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 7: A Base in the 2nd Neutral

  July 26, 2014   Today's step will bring our second neutral color more fully into our capsule wardrobes, by the addition of another "suit-like ensemble" in this color. Please note that you can choose a really different cardigan style from your first one, or you could choose a jacket - even a denim jacket!   And I'm opting for ballet flats for this color - no matter what shoes I choose, someone somewhere is going to detest them and want something very different. I'm including these in a really neutral style mostly for illustrative purposes - I want to focus on the role that a second pair of shoes, in a different color, will play. Tomorrow, when I show outfit options, this 2nd pair of shoes will make a big ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 6: Accent Color Tops and a Scarf

June 25, 2014  

Now, the fun starts!  A couple of accent color tops and another scarf will bring each capsule wardrobe to life and give you many more options.     Don't be terribly fanatic about matching up your accent colors, because you won't be wearing these pieces together; just make sure that you're choosing items that convey your preferences and your personal statement... That's what this is all about - showing yourself to the world exactly as you wish to be seen.    

Yellow tee – Warehouse, scarf – Collection Weekend, aqua tee - Reiss  

Red blouse – Cutie,  scarf – Brooks Brothers, blue shirt - Uniqlo  

Pink shirt – Fenn Wright Manson, scarf – Twisted ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 5: Accessories round one

June 24, 2014  

Now that we have enough clothes in our capsule wardrobe to put together at least a handful of combinations, it's time to pause and make sure that we're truly heading down a path which we like; if we want to change courses, now is the time!

At a minimum, wearing coordinating accessories with your wardrobe will keep you from making that excuse in your mind - "this wardrobe isn't working because I don't have the right earrings (watch, scarf, bag); when I get THAT then it will be okay." So let's take a break from clothes and take a look at our accessories. Unless you're making a completely radical change of colors, you might find that you have accessories already in your collection which will work beautifully ... View the Post

The Monday Morning Giveaway #4 – Carry-on Toiletry Bags & Bottles

June 23, 2014   Last week's Le Monde de Hermes was won by Lynne in North Carolina - Lynne, send me your mailing address to theviviennefiles at gmail dot com!You know that I'm in a constant state of trying to reduce how much I carry when I travel; recently I went through another round of cutting back my toiletries.  When I went to my favorite store Flight 001 to buy a new "3 1 1" bag, I found that they had a BOGO - buy one, get one free - offer on these bags.  So I have a brand new set of two bags and a set of empty bottles!  

Same as always - leave me a comment telling me your best light packing tip, and I'll let you know Friday who wins these.  I'll ship anywhere in the world, so any reader anywhere is welcome ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 4: Jeans and a Shirt

June 21, 2014  

From the very beginning of this capsule wardrobe project, some of you have been clamoring for a pair of jeans. (actually, someone sent me a shockingly rude email when I didn't start with jeans; nobody should care so very much about what a blogger suggests...)

So now we're going to find a wonderful pair of jeans in our first neutral - yes, this gives us a core of four, which I consider to be a great starting point for a wardrobe.

When you're looking for jeans, try on lots and lots of them. And don't worry about price - more expensive jeans aren't automatically anything special, and inexpensive jeans might fit you beautifully. Just don't compromise on the quality of the denim, nor on the construction. After ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 3: A cardigan and tee

June 20, 2014  

After much consideration, I decided NOT to start our capsule wardrobes with a suit, but I'm going to now pull in a second layer garment that can give you "suit-like" utility if you want it to. These two pieces could certainly be purchased as a true twinset (I personally adore twinsets), or you can find pieces that are closely related in color but not matchy-matchy.

You can buy a cardigan without any buttons - a waterfall style - but make sure that it's nice quality, and doesn't look like "the cardigan that I keep on my desk chair all the time in case it gets cold in the office". And do bear in mind that a cardigan that buttons can be worn without anything under it - as a sweater in its own right.  A handy ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 2: Shoes

June 19, 2014

Now that you're in the process of having your new and wonderful trousers altered to fit perfectly, it's the ideal time to make sure that you have the right shoes in our capsule wardrobe.

Let me vent. If you're one of those people who has a stack of shoes under their desk at work, or piled into a file cabinet drawer, it's about time to stop that. Trust me, the CEO does NOT keep a wardrobe of cheap shoes in their office. In fact, I'm willing to wager that absolutely nobody on the executive committee keeps an assortment of footwear under their desk. If we're in an office environment, let's measure up to the highest standards we can manage.

Whew! thanks for letting me get that off my chest...

Now, choosing excellent ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step One: A Nice Pair of Pants

  June 18, 2014   Many people would tell you that you should start building your capsule wardrobe with a black suit. And there's an undoubted crowd who would vote in favor of a little black dress. (for me, personally, that's where I would start...)   But after wrestling with this question for weeks, I've finally decided that most of us might find the most utility, and the most immediate transformation of our wardrobe, could come from investing in a really NICE pair of pants. Trousers. Even (very unpopular word) slacks...   If you've changed sizes, a new pair of trousers that fit you perfectly will immediately elevate all of your old blouses and shirts.  If you want to improve the overall quality of your ... View the Post