The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Vivienne Files - Page 213 of 227 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Full House of Fashion Failure

December 5, 2011

On my always-interesting walk to work this morning, I passed one of the "cheap and cheerful" clothing stores (which I really dislike) and saw something quite horrendous.

An ENTIRE rack of blazers.

Orange blazers.

Orange DOUBLE-BREASTED blazers.

For $9.99 EACH.

And they appear to have been constructed by pre-school aged children.  Who were blindfolded at the time.  And maybe drunk.  Not a straight lapel, nor an even hem among any of the more than 60 or 70 blazers I could see.

AND, the material was of an appallingly bad quality.

So: difficult color, difficult cut, horrid workmanship, and terrible materials.  The full-house of failure.

Please note: I think there is a place in the world for a ... View the Post

Michigan Avenue Style Lab: Outerwear Observations

December 4, 2011

If your coat has a back vent (an opening either in the middle of the back hem of your coat, or maybe two openings, one on each side of a back "flap"), and that vent is sewn shut with a cool little "X" stitch,  REMOVE THE STITCHING.  A vent is supposed to be open, and was sewn shut just to hold it in place in transit. Nothing accents a bubble butt more than a closed vent. Fabric content labels on your sleeve are ALSO supposed to be removed.  I'm impressed that your coat is 100% cashmere, now take that label off and throw it away! Hems that drag the ground are unsanitary.  And unflattering. If your arms are hanging at your sides and we can see only the tips of your fingers (or nothing at all of your hands), ... View the Post

The shopping fast: Month 3

This has in many ways been the easiest month so far.  Day to day, I'm only wearing a variety of gray or black tee shirts, jeans, and my work shoes. (and of course, my apron, which is NOT pictured here...) If anything, December might prove to be even more dull fashion-wise than November!

Working in retail is a great way to condition yourself away from constant shopping; the endless glut of unnecessary stuff that we have to handle every day makes the idea of actually buying something and taking it home absolutely repulsive.  What an insane frenzy of over-consumption the holidays are in the United States...

And I must give a warm, grateful shout out to my work shoes - Camper Pelotas.  They are durable, comfortable, and ... View the Post

In Praise of Whimsical Socks

Ah, for us workers bees, the holiday season wardrobe is boring, boring, BORING.  Black tee shirt, jeans, work shoes.  Gray tee shirt, jeans, work shoes.  Rinse and repeat ad nauseum.  And oh yes, don't forget my apron, which all employees wear...

A sock with a bit of color, pattern, or texture doesn't make a lot of difference in how I appear; very few people get much of a look at my socks.  But at least my laundry basket has a bit of zing to it!

And although I know I won't win a Nobel Prize for this, I have not lost a sock in decades.  When I take off my socks, I safety pin the toes of the two socks together.  The duo goes through the laundry together, hangs to dry together, and goes back into the drawer together.

Amount of time ... View the Post

Michigan Avenue Style Lab: Navy pea coats

I don't see very many pea coats, which is a shame, because they can be quite attractive.  Just in the last week I've seen two, both of which were accessorized with colors relatively near to navy on the color wheel.  Clearly, my eye is drawn to the strongly monochromatic vertical line, with striking accessory accents! ... View the Post

A retail rebellion

I work in retail, and I'm quite grateful to have any job at all, right now.  But many of my fellow workers are being mistreated, and you can change that.

The day after Thanksgiving is, in the US, a big shopping day - one of the biggest of the year.  In a bizarre effort to increase the amount of shopping done on that day, retailers are opening their stores earlier and earlier each year.  Now, the final straw, Target stores are opening AT MIDNIGHT on Thanksgiving evening!

If you're an employee, do the math.  "I have to be in the store at 11 p.m., so I have to leave for work at 10:30 p.m.. I'm going to work at least 9 hours, so I'll have to sleep before I go to work, so I realistically need to be in bed by... 2:00 p.m. ON ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing the Last-Minute Suitcase

Someday, the call will come:

Your Aunt Trudi is in the hospital, and nobody else can get there to be with her! or The data servers are all down in Edinburgh - get there NOW and fix them, or The Excel trainer broke her leg - you've got to go to New York tonight to teach the seminar, or Honey!  We're going to Paris TONIGHT for a long weekend!  (this is a dream we share, eh?)

So somewhere in the back of my mind, every three or four months, I consider what I would do if I got this call.  The best defense, of course, is to have a carefully curated and deliberately distilled wardrobe, so that you just just stick your hand in the closet and grab a handful of things and you'll probably be okay.  And if you keep your ... View the Post