The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Home » capsule wardrobe » Page 25

capsule wardrobe Archives - Page 25 of 29

Start with Art: Steamboat leaving Boulogne by Edouard Manet

March 30, 2015   To whomever requested this painting as the basis for a wardrobe - a big thank you!  

 

  From time to time, I hear from women who need only the smallest of work wardrobes, because they work as temps - employees who go into an office for a very brief period of time. A wardrobe for this kind of work needs to be very conservative and very neutral; you don't really want to make any kind of a "mark" on the organization except for the excellence of your work!   I temped at a few times in the past - sometimes only for a day, and sometimes for as long as 2 or 3 weeks. This is the kind of work that allows you to have an extremely small work wardrobe, and to thus dedicate your income to ... View the Post

Start With a Bag: Longchamps Tote

March 13, 2015   Sigh...   The happy owner of this lovely bag wanted me to style it with bright colors. Believe me, I've been working toward that goal for a few days, and it just never looked good...   But this bag is ideally suited as a way to integrate earth tones and black into a lovely warm-weather travel ensemble.   And of course... the bag's no longer available. But you really should check out the Longchamp site from time to time, because they always do special editions that are wonderful. Some day, they might have something perfect for you!  

 

Yes, the earrings are bamboo styled. You don't want to overdo that kind of thing, but I thought a bit of matching would be sort of ... View the Post

Solid Clothes with Patterned Jewelry in a Capsule Wardrobe

March 12, 2015

I'm often asked about the possibility of wearing only solid-colored clothing - nothing patterned. Because I show stripes and flowers (and every other kind of print) so often, some people seem to be concerned that wearing only solid colors is somehow prohibited.

First off, let me make it perfectly clear that, in my opinion, you can wear anything that makes you happy. So long as you don't get arrested, or fired from your job, go for it. Let your preferences shine through. Express your personal preferences, your inner nuttiness, or your freak flag - it's only clothing, and as long as you are truly, deeply happy with what you wear, the rest of us can just accept it. Ultimately, it's up to you!

Another request I recently ... View the Post

Start with Art: Still Life with Bottle by Samuel John Peploe

March 11, 2015   Ah, this made me think of warm weather, leisure, simplicity, being outdoors...  

  Yes, it's a cardigan, but it's relaxed, and it's linen! When choosing loafers for this trip, I would make sure that they were low enough cut over the foot so that they would look nice with shorts, worn without socks. I'd even travel without socks, although I think I'd want some sort of little socklet/footie for in the airport. Barefoot in the airport gives me the willies!  

  If you're only going away for a few days, a Six-Pack is the perfect way to pack. These clothes would fit into the smallest tote...   (No, this dress has not been made to measure for someone - the brand name is ... View the Post

A Clothing Diary Week 5

March 10, 2015   Another cold week, but I managed well! But my weight is shifting, and so I'm going to have to get some new clothes! My upcoming spring French Five-Piece Wardrobe is going to have to do a lot of hard work...  

Yes, I wear my Munro boots a lot! They're amazingly comfortable, and I can walk a lot in them. Munro is known for making "comfort" footwear, but these don't look like mumsy marshmallows...   love, Janice ... View the Post

Start with Art: BLUSH, with Rose by Ansel Adams

March 9, 2015  

The all-grey wardrobe based on the photograph Rose, by Ansel Adams (see it here) prompted lots of excellent questions about using that wardrobe as a base for accent colors. Oh yes, I could think of at LEAST 10 accent colors that would work beautifully with these grey items...   I chose this vaguely named blush, peach, apricot, whatever color to show the possibilities. I kept the core grey jacket, trousers, skirts, dresses, shoes, and even a couple of tops, but I swapped out the jewelry for the warm "rose gold", and tossed in a few lovely scarves.   An accent color changes everything, doesn't it?  

  love, Janice ... View the Post

Start with Art: Rose by Ansel Adams

March 6, 2015   Not everybody wants a monochromatic wardrobe, but for those among us who find this idea comfortable, and even exciting, the opportunity to experiment with texture is irresistible...  

This woman has been in business long enough to be in charge. Long enough to love her grey hair. Long enough to know the power of simplicity...

If you have a moment, note that many of the accessories have a circle theme; that's the kind of thing I love to do!   Our executive packs fearlessly for a long trip. She has people who handle her bags...  

   

love,

Janice ... View the Post

Start with Art: Version THREE of Peripheral Vision 2 by Elis Cooke

March 4, 2015   More and more ideas for this particular painting continue to be suggested - today, I'm addressing the possibility of using this lovely work as the basis of a summer travel wardrobe.    

  For the travel outfit, I kept the basic idea of a cardigan "suit" and a contrasting tee shirt, but I lightened up the cardigan considerably, as well as finding a lighter short-sleeved tee.  

For the rest of the six pack, I stuck with the general theory of a "core of four" in grey, but I chose a seersucker skirt, rather than solid grey. Why aren't there more things available in seersucker???   All of the jewelry in this little vignette has an starry aspect - the necklace (this one is Libra) is ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Hermes Maroon Shawl

February 24, 2015   Someone sent me a photograph of this delectable item - a shawl, no longer available, from Hermes - and asked if it would be possible to build a little something beautiful around it. Ooooh, yes, this is DEFINITELY possible...  

First up, a color scheme, as always. Using camel as the neutral, there's a whole range of maroon, dark red, bright red, and hints of yellow here - lots of possibilities!

  My imagination called this transition season dressing - either spring or fall. Maybe for business, or for pleasure. One dress, for a splashy night out, and otherwise dressy but not fussy separates for business or elegant sightseeing.   (Note that the accessories are either angular, or have a ... View the Post

Start With Art: Peripheral Vision 2 by Elis Cooke, or How to Pack for a Casual Vacation in France

February 23, 2015  

A recent request prompted this capsule: lightning up burgundy/grey/forest green into brighter cranberry, light mossy green and grey - specifically for a 3-week trip to France this spring.  A lovely trip, and beautiful colors with which to work!   Just for fun, I searched (and searched) until I found a painting to complement this idea:  

  For our purposes, I isolated these colors, but there's also clearly an opportunity for white, cream, and a gentle blue, as well as a touch a deeper charcoal. This painting could generate a palette with which one could live forever.

 

  As always, our travel outfit includes closed-toe shoes, a cardigan, and a scarf. But this ... View the Post

Maximize Your ROI: Estellon Striped Handbag

February 14, 2015

It's so easy to do - you see a bag you adore, and the next thing you know, you're struggling to use it...

Bag - Estellon  

 

love, Janice

PS - For more in the Maximize Your ROI series, check out the following articles:

Maximize Your ROI: Orange Boots Maximize Your ROI: Black and White Houndstooth Check Flats Maximize Your ROI: Leopard Flats Maximize Your ROI: Estellon Striped Handbag Maximize Your ROI: St. John Collection scarf ... View the Post