The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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From Desk to Dinner Party: Incorporating Metallics in a Neutral Wardrobe

December 21, 2013  

Some people just don't feel comfortable wearing bright colors, or colors that extend much beyond their chosen neutrals, and they've been despairing that there was no way for them to be sufficiently dressy for after-work activities.  My suggestion - don't underestimate the effect that a metallic colored or finished top can bring to your everyday clothes!These, again, are three of the "suit-like" looks that I used a few days ago.  (I am NOT doing this because I'm lazy - I'm trying to show the inherent versatility in neutral basics.  Some people think I'm taking the easy way out...)

Starting with the cardigan or jacket, and the pants, a neutral pair of comfortable work shoes are all you need for ... View the Post

From Desk to Dinner Party: More Silk Blouses

December 18, 2013

When combing through your wardrobe for something to use as the "key" piece in a day-to-night transition, remember that most of the focus will be on your face, especially if you're sitting at a dinner table.  Look for the key ideas of shine, sparkle, shimmer, any kind of texture-y interest, and don't forget that sleeveless often conveys a sense of occasion...Velvet pants are among my favorite garments - I wear them all fall and winter, for regular days as well as festive moments.  This mix of brown and black is a great opportunity to wear smoky quartz jewelry...

  A beautiful lace blouse is comfortably businesslike under a knit blazer, but can stand alone with feminine dash after business ... View the Post

From Desk to Dinner Party: Silk Blouses

December 17, 2013   If you know you have to go straight from work to a nice dinner, it's easy to plan ahead so that you can look special without having to do a complete change of clothes.   First off - even if you wear jeans, a nice silk tee shirt can spend the day under a cardigan and a scarf, but then can stand on its own with a gorgeous necklace and festive, but still comfortable, shoes.  

  A beautiful blue blouse (that matches your eyes?) looks perfectly serious and businesslike under a cardigan during your business day.  But lose the cardigan, pop on some dazzling earrings, and a slightly dressier shoe, and you're ready to go.   If you have any reason to believe that you're going to have to ... View the Post

Petrol Black and White for Uncertain Weather: A 12-Pack for Mostly Warm Weather

December 16, 2013  

You probably remember that we started last Friday with a core of six garments that would be suitable for a long weekend, and then on Saturday, I expanded the capsule travel wardrobe to a 12-pack, for cooler weather.  Now I'm going to do basically the same thing, only oriented toward a much warmer visit...Again, six carefully-chosen garments:

Shorts - I like white, but you could easily choose black or petrol. A great printed tee shirt that includes all three of your colors. A beautiful fluid top in your accent color, and A skirt that combines your accent color and either of your neutrals. Another top - dressier than a tee shirt - that can be worn with either of your neutrals, and A ... View the Post

Petrol, Black and White: A Twelve-Pack for Uncertain, Mostly Cool, Weather

December 14, 2013  

 Yesterday we packed six garments, for a short week or long weekend, and for uncertain weather.

 Today, I'm assuming that we know our trip is going to be longer - up to two weeks or more, and that we know that most of our weather exposure is going to be colder. So in addition to the original six garments we packed, I'm adding six more carefully chosen items, and a few accessories.  The clothing items are chosen in pairs - sort of like adding outfits, but with an eye to being sure that we can use each item in a variety of ways.

Another pair of pants is very important in cool weather, so black jeans are my first addition. With the black cardigan, it's a long line of black that can have ... View the Post

Petrol, Black and White: A Six Pack for Uncertain or Changing Weather

December 13, 2013   Maybe the question I am asked most frequently - how do I pack when I'm not sure what the weather will be, or when I know that I'm going from cold to warm (or warm to cold) temperatures?   Things to keep in mind:

Avoid any garment that's overtly "one climate" - like a bulky cable knit sweater, or a filmy linen tunic. Try as much as possible to choose what you pack from that middle-ground of transitional clothes.  Consider:

merino sweaters (or cotton, or silk, or a blend of these), cotton blouses and tee shirts, pants in flat finish fabrics like crepe, twill or gabardine, and dresses that can be layered under a sweater or worn alone.

Plan around a color scheme that will be ... View the Post

Neutral Accessories: Scarves, Part 1

December 11, 2013  

As much as I love to use a scarf as an accent to an outfit, once the weather starts to get cold, I find that I often turn to my black, black and white, or grey scarves.  A little bit of texture, a subtle print, or a pattern can lend a lot of interest to a monochromatic outfit.Tomorrow, I'll show you scarves from the other 8 neutral colors - I'm now including rust and teal as neutrals!

  love, Janice ... View the Post

Scarves for a Six-Pack – Grey, Pink and Black

November 15, 2013

 

Cardigan – Uniqlo, skirt– Uniqlo,  watch – Movado, tee shirt – Uniqlo,   opal earrings – Novica,  boots – Vaneli, scarf – Alva-Norge, tote - Tumi  

Bracelet – Novica,  Black and grey pants – Uniqlo, grey sweater - Uniqlo,   skirt – Wunderkind,   dress – Emilio Pucci, shirt – John Lewis, pumps – Isaac Misrahi, pink sweater - Jil Sander    

  love, Janice   ... View the Post

Packing: The “Triple Top” Secret

October 28, 2013   I found, after a few days of travelling, that the shirts and sweaters that I had packed gave me a lot more options than I had anticipated!  A reminder: these are what I had in my bag:  

  Of course, I could wear any of these except the cardigan on their own.  But as the weather, and my location, shifted, I began to experiment with different ways to layer these 5 garments.  I discovered that, ultimately, I had a DOZEN options.  In the coldest weather, I was able to layer three tops together for maximum warmth, and thus the Triple Top Secret was born!    

But I quickly realized that, if I had chosen JUST a little bit more carefully, I could have had even more ... View the Post

How to Pack for Changing Weather

October 26, 2013  

My recent adventures took me from decidedly summery weather to something more in keeping with gloves and scarves.  As usual, I was limited to just a carry-on bag... But I was really delighted with what I took with me.Nobody around you is going to be fooled into believing that you have a vast and limitless wardrobe at your disposal, and you're going to need to be able to do some laundry occasionally with this little ensemble. I found, however, that I was covered (or uncovered, as the case may be) for everything that I encountered.

AND!!!  I deciphered the reason that all of this worked so well, and next week I'm going to explain the secret, and show some other ... View the Post