The Vivienne Files - Page 209 of 285 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Start With Art: Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte – Version 2

May 22, 2014 A second look at this great painting - focusing on the left half of it, and picking up the lovely periwinkle/chambray blue details...

It is interesting that such a drizzly and cold painting lends itself so beautifully to hot-weather clothes.

I love this dress...

A couple more garments, some accessories, and shoes:

Soft and pretty - a great travel capsule wardrobe!

love, Janice

Looking back: 2012 - What to wear with a necklace: dragon pearls 2013 - We look at a whole bunch of ways to wear One Dress: Six Ways in Black, White and Pink ... View the Post

Start With Art: Paris Street; Rainy Day by Gustave Caillebotte

May 21, 2014

This wonderful work is back in the Art Institute of Chicago; it was being restored and was not available to view for a while. It's such an amazing work - the asymmetry, the subtle powdery colors, the juxtaposed angles...

Even though this is a chilly winter scene, I'm going to look at some warm-weather clothes... I love this coral color, so that's going to be the primary accent color in this wardrobe.

And the taupish grey that suffuses this painting is a perfect base for some simple summery tops.

A few more lovely coral items...

These should get you through at least a long weekend in style!

I ... View the Post

My Version of Une Annee de Style – A Common Capsule Wardrobe

May 20, 2014

After thinking a while about last week's book (Une Annee de Style), I realized that this book was basically just a variation of my old standard Common Capsule Wardrobe - a small collection of neutral, simple garments upon which one can build all kinds of personalized styles and outfits.Let's say that you get a wild inclination to buy a fantastic tee shirt... You find some pretty outrageous sandals that go with your tee shirt, and also a beautiful, solid scarf...

If you start with that simple core of garments that we all should own (in some variation or another)...

You have all of these ways to wear the fabulous new tee shirt, as well as the cool green sandals and the beautiful ... View the Post

Looking Back… May 19th

2011

I marvel that... Well, this has been interesting... as I share that I was recovering from pneumonia. Why we think that it should be springtime before Memorial Day in Chicago is beyond me!

2012

In an attempt to come to grips with the advice that we all received in French Chic by Susan Sommers, I tried Visualizing French Chic: 7 in Black. ... View the Post

The Vivienne Files Bookshelf: Une Annee de Styles by Ioannis Guia

I really wanted to like this book. Actually, I'm not sure that I've finalized my opinion about it. Let me share with you what I've found since I bought this, and you can make your own decisions.

CON:

Price - 35 Euros. A book better be pretty amazing for that much money...

PRO:

The book starts with the basic thesis of starting with twelve garments and building a full year of outfits from there. While the author plays quite fast and loose with the number twelve, the overall idea is one with which I'm in complete agreement.

CON:

The twelve garments are really sixteen garments, and many of them aren't terribly flattering to many women. A peacoat, or a classic trench, can be terribly ... View the Post

Neutral Accessories: Shoes Part 2

May 16, 2014 This is the second half of the Neutral Accessories: Shoes post that I started yesterday. Although I'm trying to show all of the 14 neutral colors that I've included in my Combination of 3 Neutrals document, I chose put both of the shades of grey together. Similarly, I've put natural and khaki together... In both of these cases, the number of items available are so small that it didn't make sense to break them into separate listings!

love,

Janice Looking Back:

2012 - one of my favorite paintings of all time - I got to Start with Art: Monet Water Lilies. 2013 - Sometimes I need to be reminded of my Project ... View the Post

Neutral Accessories: Shoes Part 1

May 15, 2014

One of the keys to putting together a truly effortless wardrobe is to assemble the minimum necessary clothes and accessories, so that getting dressed is a nearly foolproof exercise.Once you've made it through the most difficult step - deciding what your basic neutral is going to be - you just gradually stock up on basics and move forward...

The most important accessory?

Neutral Shoes

You've got to have shoes. Not a ton of them, and not with insane stupid heels, but a few good timeless styles that can take you almost anywhere.

For my world, I narrowed down all of the world's available footwear to six pairs: a pair of flats, a pair of pumps, some loafers, a pair of sandals, some ... View the Post

How to get “stress dressed”…

May 14 2014 I am asked this question often - is there anything I can do to be prepared when I have one of those mornings and I just can't get dressed? Today's a particularly appropriate day for me to write this, because I'm wearing my version of this today - head to toe black with accessories... For me, the best way to be prepared for this is to have ten items - six garments and four accessories - specifically assigned (in my mind, at least) for these days when everything feels like it's falling apart. You can work this in any color scheme, and the garments in question are an excellent base for both a travel wardrobe or a new simpler closet. You have to accept that you're going to wear a very simple ... View the Post

Start With Art: The Girl with A Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer

May 13, 2014

The most beautiful color scheme, combining warm tobacco brown, black, and brilliant blue and golden yellow highlights... That Vermeer guy was good!

One nice warm outfit, for in transit, or for a sudden cold snap, and some beautiful silky solids...

A simple outfit, and a nice basic dress:

A much less basic dress, and a warm-weather outfit with an over-shirt for air conditioning.

And a few extra pieces, for versatility!

love,

Janice

Looking Back:

2012 - one of my readers had a piece of jewelry that she wanted to wear more, and so I suggested What to wear with a ... View the Post

Looking Back…

2011

May 10th - I described how I struggled and how I was Traumatized by Trench Coats. May 11th- She's pretty opinionated! Vivienne Veto: Long Toenails... (ick)

2012

May 10th - When I wrestled with cleaning out my closet, I faced A dilemma, and a wardrobe math solution. May 11th- I love these questions - someone asked me What to wear with a scarf: Hermes l'Ivresse de l'Infini.

2013

May 10th - I forced myself to answer the question "Do you actually WEAR your favorite clothes?" May 11th - One more post in which I was Closing the triangle of Hot Pink, Turquoise and Orange; traveling again with Hermes Fleuri de Provence. ... View the Post

How to Shop via Mail Order, Successfully

May 10, 2014

Within an easy 30 minute walk of where I'm sitting right now, there are at least a couple of hundred clothing stores - good, bad, and absolutely ridiculous. But as often as not, I order new clothes over the internet and have them delivered here to the apartment. And I find, more and more, that the things that I buy through my computer turn out to be better purchases than those that I pick up in the store. How does this happen?

I've finally (53 years into the project) learned that there are some definite advantages to sitting in one's own home, making clothing decisions. Trying to figure out the reasoning behind all of this lead me to some guidelines that might work well for you, too.

Just buy some ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: Black Cardigans – Great Dresses

May 9, 2014 Now that summer has arrived with crashing suddenness in Chicago, the quality of Chic Sightings has changed completely. At lunch time today, it seemed that half the women walked out of their cubicles wearing a black cardigan... As soon as they got into the sunlight, the sweaters came off, and beautiful dresses, lovely shoes, and perfectly-chosen jewelry took center stage.

love, Janice

Looking back:

2012: One of my readers asked me about how to use a monochromatic scarf, in What to Wear With an Hermes Scarf: Peinture Fraiche.

2013: Balancing concerns about coverage and climate can be a challenge, and I tried to address this concern about Dressing modestly in a hot ... View the Post