The Vivienne Files - Page 253 of 269 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

A Cool, Cool, Style-Defining Tool!

January 16, 2012

Above is a "word cloud" of my core wardrobe. I absolutely love this, because it sort of puts into a graphic image the key aspects of how I dress most of the time.

Doing this requires that you keep a list of everything that you wear for at least a few weeks... Or, you could just type out a list of everything you own - it depends on what you're trying to visualize.

Then get thee to wordle.net, and follow the instructions under the heading of "create". You can choose fonts, color schemes, orientation of the text etc. I found that my cloud really started to come into focus for me once I had a classic font, and a black and gray color scheme.

An interesting use of this for me might be (1) ... View the Post

Wardrobe: Camel, Navy, Pastel and a LOT of pictures…

This post is going to cover a lot of bases: I've received emails asking for a navy and camel wardrobe using pastels (specifically light blue and pink), I've had lots of questions about how many outfits can you REALLY get out of 24 items of clothing (over 100, easily), and I've had requests for showing how accessories can be worn with a variety of different ensembles.Something to note here - once I got past the core of the two "eights" in the neutrals, I added some things that... well... not everybody would like! Partly, I really love the plaid pants, but moreover, I wanted to show what kind of options are possible when building on a solid core. And yes, I would wear those saddle shoes in a heartbeat!

Secondly, the ... View the Post

I’ve been ALL wrong…

I've been thinking and thinking (and occasionally writing) about a closet purge. Now let's be frank, the word PURGE is pretty repelling - I can't come up with one good association to the term...

And it's just dawned on me - I don't want to PURGE my closet, I want to build and choose my wardrobe. Construction, not destruction!

So the new plan is:

Try to determine a target number of garments (starting on the large size, and then whittling down as possible) Build a wardrobe based on "eights". I don't know why, but the number eight seems to be a nice number of garments for a... not a capsule, but more of a "capsulette". Capsulina? Capsulechen? Sell or donate garments that don't survive the audition ... View the Post

Wardrobe: black, brown, with accents of berry

Someone mentioned yesterday that black and brown might be made to work with shades of red - so I made a few alterations to yesterday's wardrobe; the versatility of core neutral garments is truly amazing... All clothes – 3.1 Phillip Lim

Jacket – Vince, Cardigan – Closed, Blouse – Marc by Marc Jacobs, Tee shirt – Michael Stars, dress – Michael by Michael Kors, sweater – Closed, pants – Michael Kors, Skirt – Alberta Ferretti

Tweed coat – Lanvin, striped tee – Vince, black and brown tweed skirt - Carven, cranberry tee – Splendid, cardigan & sweater – Malene Birger, long sleeved tee – Dorothy Perkins, sweater – Miu Miu

1. Pumps – L.K. Bennett, necklace – Heather Moore, bag - ... View the Post

Wardrobe: a base of black and brown

All clothes – 3.1 Phillip Lim

Tweed coat – Lanvin, striped tee – Vince, black and brown tweed skirt - Carven, blue sweater – Alexander Wang, blue cardigan – Vero Moda, blue tee – John Lewis, white tee – Debenhams, white shirt – Helmut Lang

1. Pumps – Bandolino, bracelet – Monica Vinaeder, bag - Fendi

2. Umps - Ferragamo, necklace – Alexis Bittar, earrings – Sahani Azibo

3. Oxford - Anniel, scarf – Hermès, pearl earrings - Majorica

4. Flats – Debenhams, ring & ... View the Post

Shopping: Get Thee Behind Me, Catalogs!

If you don't need groceries, you don't go to the grocery store to browse.

And if you're not in the market for a new dishwasher, you don't go to the appliance store and check out all of the available models.

But every day, millions of people who do not need a stitch of new clothing browse through mail-order catalogs (or look at emails from on-line retailers, or devour magazines that are full of advertising, and editorial content that is thinly-veiled advertising).

This, of course, wastes time (you could be in the gym...), kills lots of trees, and worst of all throws all sorts of temptation in your path.

Five minutes ago, you never even KNEW that those lime green leggings existed. Now, in your mind, you're figuring out what ... View the Post

Not so crazy eights: young and casual in gray

Someone requested a younger and more casual approach to crazy eights - this was one of my ideas!

Cardigan – Patagonia, tee shirt – Velvet, gray sweater – Isabel Marant, shirt- Joseph Peter, pants – Patagonia, wool pants – Michael Kors, gray jeans – Levi’s Made & Crafted, suede skirt – Vanessa Bruno

1. Glitter slip-ons – Toms, backpack – Kipling U.S.A., earrings – shopacrimony.com

2. Shoes – Converse Chuck Taylor, crossbody bag – Kipling U.S.A., ring - Mizuki

3. Oxfords – Palazzo Bruciato Giorgia, scarf – Burberry, dog tag pendant – Waxing Poetic

4. Boots – Mammoth Mountain, bangle bracelet – Philippe Audibert, pashmina – Pashmina Art

5. Loafers – Charles ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing in Navy with neutrals

I haven't exhausted the possibilities of packing a "navy-based" suitcase - I could still do butter yellow (but not gold, unless you're a cheerleader), any shade of pink (but not red, unless you're running for political office), all shades of purple, and probably a few more shades of green. But I think you get the general ideal of how versatile a core of five garments in your neutral, solid color can be.If you have interest in seeing suitcases for other colors, or particular trips, just let me know!

Scarf – Hermès, earrings – Ziba (similar here), necklace – Kenneth Jay Lane (similar here), sweater – Jil Sander, jacket – John Lewis, gloves – black.co.uk, Handbag – Gucci, suitcase– Rimowa, skirt – Stella Mc Cartney, navy tights ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing in Navy with classic accent colors

January 5, 2012

Scarf – Hermès, gold earrings – Lord & Taylor, necklace – Isharya, turtleneck – Bally, jacket – John Lewis, gloves – Portolano, handbag – Reed Krakoff, suitcase– Victorinox, skirt – Stella McCartney, navy tights – Nordstrom, loafers – Robert Zur

Navy blouse - Stella McCartney; gold hoop earrings – DeLatori; navy cardigan – Maison Martin Margiela; plaid shirt – J. Crew; green cardigan – Woolrich; trousers – Stella McCartney; belt – John Lewis; necklace – Kenneth Jay Lane; suede ballet flats - Chloe; jeans - J. Brand; bracelet – Seasonal Whispers; plaid scarf – Amicale ; striped tee – Mango; suede desert boots – Grenson

Scarf – Hermès, gold earrings – Links of London, necklace – ... View the Post

Shopping: The Danger of the Alluring Assortment

I've seen it a hundred times, at least. Hapless shopper wanders into store, without anything particular in mind. And then... they see it. The shelf of tee shirts in 19 colors. The round rack of cardigans in 24 colors. OR the wall of socks in every color of the rainbow (yes, I'm talking to you, Bon Marche!).

When this shopper came into the store, their feelings about buying were "Will I buy?".

But then they see this assortment, and they automatically start to evaluate the various colors, mentally sorting them into piles of "yuck", "nice but I couldn't wear it", "possible", and (this is the fatal one) "my colors".

And of course, when you see something in "my color", it should therefore become "my garment", ... View the Post

Shopping: Who’s in charge?

There are (at least) two schools of shopping...

Style #1 - the self-chosen few

After careful consideration, shopper #1 decides that she needs two new tops - either blouses, sweaters or tee shirts. Her carefully curated and deliberated distilled wardrobe is based on two "crazy eights" of black and gray, so her ideal purchases will be patterns which include both gray and black. This will enable her to create outfits with (for example) black pants and a gray cardigan, or a gray skirt and black blazer.

She considers what patterns she likes. She considers what fabrics and cuts she prefers. She reviews her budget.

Then, and ONLY THEN, does she venture into the shopping realm. (be it the mall, the catalogs, or the ... View the Post

The shopping fast: month 4

I'm now 122 days into my year-long "no new clothes" vow, and I am finding that, honestly, it's not difficult, and it's really quite... mentally freeing. When you eliminate things from your life (like I NEVER think about sky-diving!), it frees you up to pay attention to other things. Walking up Michigan Avenue without window shopping and mentally "trying on" all sorts of garments is what has given me the mental bandwidth to observe the various looks that I've been able to share with you. And when I don't shop, it gives me some perspective on the buying behaviors of other people, which is quite educational. More on that tomorrow...

What I wore in December? Work clothes, my swimsuit (hot tub in my building!), and ... View the Post