The Vivienne Files - Page 71 of 287 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #35: A Print or Pattern Neutral Top

November 15, 2021

The randomly chosen comment from last week's scarf give-away was #47:

Jacqueline Croydon - please send me your mailing information, so that I can send you YOUR NEW SCARF!!!

Note, I'm working on another scarf for Wednesday, which I also have in my hot little hands, to give to one of you...

Now, down to The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe!

Solid colored clothes are the core of any functional wardrobe, but woman does not live by solids alone! If you love florals, or stripes, or prints with dragonflies in them, you should NOT neglect these feelings - this is how you personalize your wardrobe!

A print doesn't have to be gaudy or loud - this shirt is beautifully subtle and elegant:

If you really want to ... View the Post

How Can I Find My Own, Personal, Basic Wardrobe?

November 12, 2021

Ah, I'm going to need a second to remind you of the origins of The Common Wardrobe, and why I was so taken with the idea...

I'm sitting on the sidelines of a big party - about 200 people. These lovely young people (mostly) are my co-workers at an international advertising agency. We are in Madrid, or Berlin, or Chicago - it doesn't matter.

These people are creative. In big bright letters, they are the brightest, most imaginative people I've ever known. And when you look at them, you can tell; they wear sweaters that they knit in their spare time, or shoes made by a friend, or a jacket covered with wee patches that they did to cover holes...

But under all of this amazing color, pattern and print, they were ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Garden Party by Echo

November 10, 2021

Big Important Notice!!! If you leave a comment today, you will be entered into a drawing to WIN THIS SCARF!!! The lovely people at Echo gave me one, and I'm giving it to one of you...

It's a huge silk square - I think 50 inches - and it's soft and fluid, so that it's easy to wear. I don't have any photographs of the full scarf; if the weather clears up here I will try to take one, but just trust me (and Echo) on this!

And OH YEAH, it's sold out...

It's normal where she lives to wear black all of the time, but when she goes to visit her family, she knows they worry about it...

So she's worked out a system! Whenever she is going to visit family, she focuses on black columns, and accent 2nd ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #34: A Light Neutral Top

November 8, 2021

Before we plunge headlong into 24/7 sweaters (at least in Chicago!), we need to pause and make certain that we have an essential light neutral top to layer UNDER all of these warm things!

I can personally vouch for the usefulness of waffle-fabric tops - I'm currently alternating between my grey one and my black one every few days. They're perfect on their own when I'm in the (quite warm) apartment, but then they are nice and warm under a cardigan or flannel shirt...

Even for those of us who don't do all that well with things that button down the front, I think it's worth the effort to scare up at least a couple of tops with buttons. This next one would be great fun for dressing up just a bit through the ... View the Post

Accessorizing a Camel, Ivory and Brown Capsule Wardrobe

November 5, 2021

Remember this lovely wardrobe from last week? I could be so tempted to just chuck everything I own and wear these colors, if I was feeling crazy and reckless...

I thought that I would try to start with 4 pairs of shoes - as I have done before. Simple flats can be worn with your skirt, or in somewhat warmer weather with pants. Loafers go with everything; leather athletic shoes are GORGEOUS and look lovely with pants, and of course short boots can be worn with everything...

Does anybody else remember back in the day when we would NEVER have worn boots that didn't come up to meet the hem of our skirt? That gap was SO off limits... Things have changed!

For my view of life, a small clutch, a cross-body bag, ... View the Post

November 2021 – Six Scarves, 12 Months, 12 Outfits

November 3, 2021

I'm sure we all have different experiences with this right now, but Chicago has finally gotten to cold weather. Real, honest to goodness "gloves and scarves" cold...

No need, quite yet, for waterproof boots, but that will be soon enough!

Even though the cold weather season gets shorter each year, it still arrives, and we either have to be prepared to dress for it, or prepared to stay in OUT of it...

So let's look at coats...

This first wardrobe has ZERO purple, so far. Purple is terribly hard to find - I look for it all the time, and one is more likely to find burgundy or maroon or lilac or almost anything but TRUE PURPLE.

Just sayin'...

But it's a coat - if you wear it fastened, it doesn't much ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #33: A 2nd Layer

November 1, 2021

This was good timing - after being out for a couple of lunch dates last week, I was seriously thinking that my next "Chic Sighting" would be blazer-sweaters!

I'm curious - those of you who are back in your offices, or are back in business environments - are you seeing people more dressed up than before the pandemic? My limited view of what's going on in Chicago suggests that we are taking advantage of the chance to look a little bit nicer, and wear those lovely things that have been hanging in our closets for months (and months and months...).

I saw a LOT of this kind of look, when I was out last week. It was dressier than I was used to seeing - lapels do a great deal to elevate an outfit! And why not wear ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Butterfly Classic Silk Scarf by Debbie Millington

October 29, 2021 You're a WHAT?

First graders. Teaching them to pronounce lepidopterist is quite fun...

Explaining that you don't study leopards is also amusing...

She's actually on her way to a solar energy conference, but she was invited to visit an elementary school to explain her work, in the same city (just an hour away from home), so she's doubling up!

As hard as it might be for her to be bright and stand out, she's wearing bright blue for her young audience:

They all talk about how important butterflies are, and how they grow, and what we can learn from them. She actually gets very good ideas from small children...

But NOW, she gets to (has to?) explain to a bunch of solar types how the structure and ... View the Post

Accessorizing a Navy, Ivory and Pale Pink Capsule Wardrobe

October 27, 2021

As nifty and attractive as this wardrobe is, it's really the accessories that make it work!

You may remember from last week that when I chose 2 pink garments to add to this wardrobe, I also added these accessories:

Lovely as these are, they will NOT be enough for any normal person!

For years, I've been trying to come up with a "Master List of Accessories" that everyone should have; for years, I have not succeeded!

And I think this is okay - accessories are far too personal to be structured in this way. One of my closest friends wear a TON of jewelry - literally at least 10 pieces at any one time. Another of my friends wear earrings - maybe - every now and then. I'm not going to give either of ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #32: Trousers (or Pants)

October 25, 2021

When I first wrote out this list, I was picturing that this week would feature really nice wool pants, or maybe a ponte knit if wool isn't your thing. Something that could span the "dressy to casual" spectrum with ease...

HA! Such things are almost impossible to find these days. And by the time I find a pair of that doesn't cost $1,400, comes in sizes larger than 8, and has photographs in which the model isn't hang gliding over the Great Wall of China - well, they're just ugly.

So, for our wardrobing visuals I'm using more corduroy...

But I MUST tell you about Red Thread. www.redthreadcollection.com

There are no sizes here - you take a couple of photographs of yourself (don't worry, their system walks you ... View the Post

October 2021 Start with a Bracelet: The Fierce Clarity Bracelets

October 22, 2021 She Knows Why She's Going...

She hasn't traveled in forever. Well, almost 2 years. And her friends are surprised that her first choice destination is a "retreat spa..."

There's meditation. There's massage. There's long walks in an undeveloped woodland area. There's excellent food...

There's NO getting up at dawn for 5 hour meditation sessions.

There's NO limit on how much you may speak, or to whom.

There's NO requirement that you spend an hour a day every day in the kitchen peeling turnips, or other such things...

Yes, she's spent a lot of time alone, but she hasn't really taken time to pay attention to herself. NOW, that's her plan...

She's not at all sure what to pack - she's heard that ... View the Post

A Common Wardrobe in Navy and Ivory, accented with Potpourri pink

October 20, 2021

I'm been looking at the Pantone Spring 2021/22 colors; looking may be as far as I get with some of them - there are a couple of truly odd colors on this list!

But we can always start with a neutral wardrobe core, and then use one of the more accessible of the colors for accent, right?

This version of The Common Wardrobe is not a long way from the original, shown below. The jeans are unchanged, the knit pants, long-sleeved tee and cashmere turtleneck are navy rather than black.

For other garments, I tried to stick with the original role that the garment played - 2nd layer, top, bottom - and then looked for a navy or ivory version, in a "long over short" option.

Today's heroine has been wearing her navy ... View the Post