The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Vivienne Files - Page 232 of 288 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The ABC’s of Chic Sightings: Polished, Quiet, Relaxed, Simple

You would never wear clothes that were dirty or torn.  So why do so many people wear shoes that are scuffed and run down at the heels?  Such a simple thing - looking better, and having shoes last longer too.

And of course polished has a larger meaning - attention to detail, and a certain "finish" about one's appearance.

Quiet, to me, means not screaming for attention.  Recently, I saw someone in a blouse which combined leopard print, paisley, flowers and appliqued rhinestones.  Trying too hard...

Relaxed is not synonymous with sloppy, or slouchy, or messy.  I think relaxed means being comfortable in what you're wearing - both physically and mentally.  And being able to move around without hindrance ... View the Post

Transition Summer to Fall: Tan and Brown Accessories

August 10, 2013   A few simple accessories will help you get into the autumn mood...  While the tote bag I show is technically supposed to be a beach bag, it's so incredibly well designed that I wanted you to see it!  It could easily be used through most of the year - where did we get the idea that we could only use certain materials at certain times of the year?  If you're not a scarf person, you might want another necklace or two; if jewelry isn't your thing, then you can go nuts with scarves...  To each her own very personal and beautiful preferences!  

  love, Janice

  ... View the Post

Transition: Whatever’s Clean in Brown and Beige

Quite a few people have asked me to show how to move from a beige and brown wardrobe into something with more brown.     

The Whatever's Clean Summer Wardrobe in Brown, Beige and White

The first three garments to phase out are the sleeveless beige linen top, white linen pants, and the shorts.  Remember, you can do these in whatever order you prefer, and that "phase out" does not have to mean "put in some inaccessible place for the next six months".

[/caption] In October, we can choose to find replacements for the white tee shirt, the beige linen dress, and the beige linen skirt.

[/caption] And in November, the last of the linen "bottoms" are due for a rest, and the white tunic is ready to take a ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: Red Shoes (and Belts)

August 8, 2013  

 One very striking dress, and one utterly simple and classic dress:  

  A great printed tee shirt with exquisitely well-matched shorts, and very fun zippy red moccasins. And a shirt covered with tiny red hearts, accented with red leather accessories, and white capris.  

  All shirts have sleeves rolled up, this time of year...  

love,

Janice ... View the Post

Transition: Whatever’s Clean in Navy and Pink

Ah, we're all pretty interested in how to shift from warm weather to cool.  Even if it's not yet time to actually WEAR cool-weather clothes, it's nice to have a plan in which we can do a bit of shopping and look forward.  So starting in August, we have this wardrobe:

Sleeveless and shorts seem like natural items to phase out (although that sleeveless navy top, with the navy cardigan, really is 12 month...).  So these would be the garments that would be slowing down:

Add in some jeans, a striped jersey, and a long-sleeved pink shirt in a pretty floral...

By October, you've got to say goodbye to the white pants, and it might be time to look for something to take the place of your white tee shirt, and your ... View the Post

We Have a Winner! in the Impressionism, Fashion & Modernity drawing

Yesterday evening, I tallied up the last of the entries, and found that I had 135 people entered into my drawing for the catalog for the Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago.  This is how I chose a winner.

 This is a particularly cool outcome, because Emma is only 10 years old, and is a BIG fan of Impressionism.  I'm sure everyone joins me in congratulating her on her good luck, and wishes her great joy in this lovely book.

The exhibit was amazing - very hard for me to digest in just one visit.  As one might expect, it was tremendously crowded (not "Mona Lisa room in the Louvre" crowded, but more like "on the staircase near the Winged Victory" crowded). ... View the Post

The ABC’s of Chic Sightings: Modest, Non-Smoking, Original

Our world is full of blatant displays of... appalling immodesty.  Really outrageous. I don't find it attractive, and I'm certainly not going to honor that kind of bad taste and bad judgment with the title of Chic Sighting.

People who smoke can be chic. I'm sure it's possible.  But I've never seen anybody ACTUALLY IN THE ACT of smoking who felt chic to me.  A cigarette hasn't been a chic accessory for at least 40 years...

You have to look like yourself.  You have to have something about your person that represents you, and you alone. Buying an entire outfit, from earrings to shoes, from a store or catalog, and turning yourself into a carbon copy of someone else is not chic, to me. ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 for a new season – shifting white tops

Another gradual change for my Project 333 wardrobe - the white tee shirt will give way to a simple white blouse. If you haven't had luck purchasing a button-front shirt, I can't encourage you enough to continue to try them on from time to time. Companies continue to tweak their cuts, and it's very possible that you will be able to find one that fits you perfectly. When I did my gig working in the bakery last year, I had to wear a white shirt EVERY DAY, and I found that Lands' End made petite styles that fit me as if made to measure. Now that I own FIVE of them, they are definitely going to get rotated into my fall and winter wardrobe.

And they're ideal for wearing scarves...

White Shirts for Cool Weather

Outfits with a white ... View the Post

Transition: Whatever’s Clean shifts from Summer to Autumn, in Beige and Green

Hypothesis:  You've had a lot of success with a small "Whatever's Clean" wardrobe, and you'd like to be able to make a seamless transition to cooler weather.

First off, shorts and sleeveless tops just feel wrong when school starts and the calendar rolls over to September.  So these would be the first three items to phase out.  

[/caption] In October, it might be time to give up linen pants and your simple white tee shirt.  

[/caption]   For November, these three are ready for a break:

[/caption] But of course you don't HAVE to put the nine replaced garments away - they'll still work well for layering.  Except the shorts - accept that most of us can only wear shorts in November in the ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Planning for a New Season, and learning from success

Everybody talks about learning from failure, but there are some excellent lessons to be learned from our successes, too.I've been really loving my summer wardrobe, and thus have decided to carefully think about the garments that I'm wearing frequently, and consider the possibility of finding a cool-weather version of those garments.  Building on my summer successes, if you will.

First and foremost, I'm wearing a black tank FREQUENTLY.  The logical shift for cooler weather, to my mind, will be a long-sleeved top with a similar cut and a similar neckline. Something like this:

So my favorite summer outfits will transition like this!  A simple tank and skirt, with a cardigan over my shoulders, will become more like a ... View the Post