March 1, 2016 It's that time again! This month, I have chosen outfits that are the most casual way POSSIBLE to wear a skirt. While you might never feel comfortable wearing a skirt with a pair of Keds, it's a normal outfit for me, and it at least gives you a good laugh at my expense! Just a reminder, these are the scarves around which I'm building each capsule wardrobe. Your choice of focal point does NOT have to be an expensive scarf - it can be any beautiful object or image that resonates with you. If your favorite picture in the world is your computer wallpaper, work with it! But I feel like I should mention that if you really DO love one of these scarves, don't hesitate to get it. Hermes does NOT carry ... View the Post
brown Archives - Page 11 of 25
How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe in Brown, Cream, Aqua and Golden Yellow: 1 Piece at a Time
February 27, 2016 Wow, this was much more difficult than I expected it to be!
Tee – J. Crew; cardigan – J. Crew; pants – J. Crew
This is really a great color scheme - the accent colors are sufficiently different from each other that introducing them into an outfit gives you two very different sensibilities...And I didn't set out to find so many pieces from one source, but when I found that they had matching pieces in brown, it didn't seem like a bad idea!
Tee – J. Crew; cardigan – J. Crew; pants – J. Crew
So the matching brown pieces made it impossible to resist getting a brown shell, too. I think of this as a wardrobe that's ideally suited for changeable weather, or for those of us who have ... View the Post
Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: The Sea Seen from the Heights of Dieppe by Eugene Delacroix
February 26, 2016 What a gorgeous image, especially in late February, in Chicago!
As much as this painting suggests a wardrobe with a LOT of gold and yellow, I'm going to have to work around that, because those clothes are NOT easy to find! So I'm going to take advantage of the boat in the foreground, the beige clouds and distant sea, and the glimpses of blue sky. Some mother-of-pearl jewelry would be logical, no?
They Met on The Internet Not that it's unusual to date someone you met online - much the contrary. Many of her nieces and nephews dated people they met on the internet, and she even knew of a couple of very successful marriages that started there. It's just not something she ever ... View the Post
Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Nature: Male and Female Cardinals, in Warm AND Cool Colors
February 24, 2016
So I'm going to start alternating "1 Piece at a Time" Wardrobes with other fun things, so that we don't collectively burn out on the concept before I've addressed ALL of your color scheme requests. I am absolutely going to look at accessories for these wardrobes - those might be some of the "interspersed" posts. As much as I have an endless attention span for a single subject, I understand that a bit of variety keeps things fresh for us all.Someone suggested that the male cardinal wardrobe (here) and the female cardinal wardrobe (here) might be combined. I'm ALL OVER that idea!
Do these two look like they get along?
I've often thought that it's possible to build a wardrobe with 4 or 5 neutral colors ... View the Post
Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Nature: A Cardinal, in Warm Colors
So Wednesday I danced with the "cool male" cardinal; today, let's see what the "warm female" cardinal colors have to offer!
I'm going to use exactly the same red garments as I did on Wednesday, just to show how very different they feel when they're used with brown and camel.
Blazer – Emilio Pucci; pants – Austin Reed;
Blouse – Joseph; skirt – Austin Reed
Cardigan – Elder Statesman; trousers – J.Crew;
Tee – Sonia Rykiel; jeans – Austin Reed
V-neck blouse – Velvet; silk-trimmed top – Madewell;
Red sweater - Balenciaga; turtleneck – L.L.Bean
Camel sweater – J.W. Anderson; skirt – Adam Selman;
Space-knit sweater – Adam Selman; dress ... View the Post
The Finishing Steps: Shifting Accessories from Cool Colors to Warm Colors
February 15, 2016
When we left this project, it was neither fish, nor fowl, nor good red meat, as they say...But that's okay, because transition REQUIRES a period of "this and that." Unless you're going to throw out absolutely everything and start from scratch (which I don't recommend, and actively discourage!), you're going to find yourself in this kind of spot if you choose to make a major wardrobe shift. Just press on, patiently and intelligently...
Step 6 - Shoes for Skirts, and a Tote Step 6 of the clothing change gets rid of black skirts and move toward warmer pieces, so your black pumps and boots are pretty obsolete! And you might as well address a new tote bag, since you're in the "leather goods" mood.
Since ... View the Post
The Last 4 Steps: Shifting a Wardrobe from Cool Colors to Warm Colors
February 13, 2016
Okay, let's finish shifting this wardrobe!By now, you should be REALLY comfortable with the colors of your new clothes, and you should also be feeling slightly uneasy when you wear your older things. If you aren't finding this shift to be a big improvement in your love for your wardrobe, STOP SHOPPING. Don't make this shift if you're not 100% sure it's the right thing, and don't continue the move if you feel at any time that you might be making a mistake. There's no shame in stopping at any stage for a lengthy reassessment, and there's no shame in deciding part way through that it was a bad move. The only shame would be in persisting in taking advice from someone else about your wardrobe, when your instincts ... View the Post
The 1st Five Steps: Shifting a Wardrobe from Cool Colors to Warm Colors
February 9, 2016
It's a timeless question, frequently asked here on The Vivienne Files: "I recently had my colors done, and was told that I should wear warm colors. Most of my wardrobe is black - HELP!!!"
First and foremost, always remember that you don't HAVE to do what one color consultant tell you to do. Remember when I described two color consultations that I had. Two RADICALLY DIFFERENT recommendations.... sigh...
But if you choose to shift from cool to warm, I have some ideas about how it might be managed.
Let's start with the wardrobe from last Friday:
If I do say so myself, this is a pretty gorgeous wardrobe, and would see you through a lot of activities and events. But if you're trying to move away from cool ... View the Post
Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Scarf: Hermes Panthera Pardus
February 2, 2016 The minute I saw this scarf in the store, I knew I wanted to use it here on The Vivienne Files, so you all could see it too:
He's got green eyes! The colors, and the details here, are just gloriously beautiful. I always particularly admire the contrast edge on a scarf, because it's pretty, and because I can't even imagine how difficult it is to silkscreen that part, and then roll it and hand stitch it so perfectly. Artisan genius... and it comes in other colors!
The range of possible colors that can be used here was pretty impressive, and a bit unusual. Hermes can always be counted on to come up with color schemes not seen elsewhere.When I do capsule wardrobes like this, please ... View the Post
12 Months, 12 Outfits in 6 Capsule Wardrobes: February
February 1, 2016
Although the marketing types will urge us all to dress up in lace and frills and all sorts of dainties for Valentine's Day, I think it more likely that many of us will consider it a big night out if it requires a dress of any sort! So for February, I looked for dresses - simple, classic, versatile, timeless dresses that will be as useful for you in July as they are in February...As before, I tried to keep the "parts" as consistent as possible across the six color palettes, so that the impact of the changing colors will be shown to better effect.
Remember, these are the six scarves around which I'm building these "month by month" capsule wardrobes. Any beautiful item can serve this function - ... View the Post
Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Portrait of Madame Lisle and Madame Loubens by Degas
January 28, 2016
A long time ago, someone asked for me to work with a painting by Degas; it's taken months, but I'm finally on it! (I really do try to get to as many requests as possible, I hope you understand...)If you just glanced at this painting, it might seem somber and sort of gloomy. But give it a minute - there's a lot of warmth and beauty here. These women appear comfortably tucked up in the lap of luxury!
So I felt that the black component was impossible to avoid, but it seemed equally inevitable that the accent colors would be warm:
No Need for Accolades Now that everything is finally accomplished, and all of the celebratory events are beginning, it would only be natural that she might want a bit of the ... View the Post
Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Nature: The Common Shelduck
January 14, 2016
When I say there's inspiration everywhere, I'm really NOT exaggerating! My recent trip to Florida is a good example - I saw these lovely guys all over the place (although they are not, in fact, indigenous to the area I was visiting - someone imported them! Someone with good taste....)
The color scheme was so easy!
Come Sit on the Veranda... Well, the invitation was a little bit more fleshed-out than that! It went more like "we have great internet down here, so you can work during the day, and then in the evenings, we'll sit on the veranda with a bottle or two of wine, and watch the birds on the lake until it gets dark. Then after dinner, we can come back out and look at the stars..."
Her toes ... View the Post
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