The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Vivienne Files - Page 208 of 269 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Casual Packing: The “Triple Top” Secret

October 29, 2013   Here are a couple of examples of how my Triple Top Secret selection of tops can work for a really casual trip (or just a day to day wardrobe).  First, I started with a cool flowered shirt, got really gutsy and tossed in a striped tee shirt, and worked from there.  Yes, I would wear the stripes and the flowers together...  

I realized after working with this idea for a while that there are, in fact, two "triples" inherent in this idea:

 

  Yes, the button-front shirt is critical!  A shirt that can both be worn as a jacket or 2nd layer, but also layered under a sweater or sweatshirt, is key.  

    Here's an example of how this can work with some ... View the Post

Packing: The “Triple Top” Secret

October 28, 2013   I found, after a few days of travelling, that the shirts and sweaters that I had packed gave me a lot more options than I had anticipated!  A reminder: these are what I had in my bag:  

  Of course, I could wear any of these except the cardigan on their own.  But as the weather, and my location, shifted, I began to experiment with different ways to layer these 5 garments.  I discovered that, ultimately, I had a DOZEN options.  In the coldest weather, I was able to layer three tops together for maximum warmth, and thus the Triple Top Secret was born!    

But I quickly realized that, if I had chosen JUST a little bit more carefully, I could have had even more ... View the Post

How to Pack for Changing Weather

October 26, 2013  

My recent adventures took me from decidedly summery weather to something more in keeping with gloves and scarves.  As usual, I was limited to just a carry-on bag... But I was really delighted with what I took with me.Nobody around you is going to be fooled into believing that you have a vast and limitless wardrobe at your disposal, and you're going to need to be able to do some laundry occasionally with this little ensemble. I found, however, that I was covered (or uncovered, as the case may be) for everything that I encountered.

AND!!!  I deciphered the reason that all of this worked so well, and next week I'm going to explain the secret, and show some other ... View the Post

Brooches for Winter

I fully intended to hold back this post until it was a bit closer to winter, and the winter holidays, but since all of these brooches are available right now, on ebay, I thought I'd go ahead and give you some eye candy... 

While a brooch might not be considered a wardrobe essential, even the "non-brooch" people among us have to admit that these are pretty - especially when aggregated thematically...  And the vintage brooches are often beautiful quality for a modest price!

love, Janice ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Earrings

October 18, 2013  

Earrings are far from an essential part of any wardrobe, but I wear them every day; I find that I really hate the look of the holes in my ears without earrings.  But most of the time I prefer to wear only small stud earrings, or very modest hoops - I'm not terribly keen on large earrings on me...These are the core of my day-to-day wardrobe:

    Pearls, or another lustrous stone in a neutral tone, are a good starter:  

  A metallic stud is always nice:

    It's generally handy to have a somewhat dressy earring for those occasions:  

  And a small earring in an accent color is fun:

   If you're a hoop earring type ... View the Post

You HAVE ordered your copy, haven’t you?

     

    Tish's book is out today. Tish is the very talented and delightful creator of A Femme d'un Certain Age.  I was fortunate enough to be allowed to read snippets of it, and I can promise you a good time. The best part of this book is the way that Tish's voice and personality shines through every word of the book...

So get thee to your local independent bookseller, and grab this.  Support Tish.  Support women writers.  Support bloggers who dream big dreams... ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Bracelets and Necklaces

October 14, 2013  

Bracelets and necklaces are also items that absolutely nobody MUST have in their wardrobe; women have lived completely fulfilled and productive lives without them.  But for me, this is the core of what I will be wearing through the autumn and winter.Note that I wear both silver and gold, mostly because I have a Trinity ring as a wedding ring, and my watch has a yellow and white gold band.  As will ALL things style, your mileage may vary.

 

Pearl bracelets - there are SO many beautiful ones available:

 

    Pearl necklaces with some black detailing - I would buy two of these and layer them together:  

    A nice simple gold ... View the Post

Learning from Art: Faces and Necklines

This is a sort of subtle thing that you only notice when you're looking for it... But sometimes, something will just look right, or wrong, and you can't put your finger on it.  If you notice the relationship between the length of the face, from hairline to chin, and then the length of the distance between the chin and the neckline of clothing, you will often see a harmonious matching of proportions.  Like these: ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Scarves

October 8, 2013   Who am I kidding - I will wear more than six scarves before the winter is over - there will be WEEKS during which I will wear more scarves than this. But these six scarves represent the critical categories into which my scarves seem to fall.  None of them is still currently available - and I can only remember buying two of them at all clearly.  I DO remember buying my pink scarf the first time I visited Paris (1998?), and being absolutely horrified with myself that I spent so much on a scarf.  Now that I've worn it about 500 times, I no longer remember the price...  

    Mostly pink/blush colored scarves:

Halogen,  La Fiorentina,  Nordstrom, ... View the Post