gold Archives - Page 4 of 6

A 4 by 4 Capsule Wardrobe in Bright Gold, Tomato Red, Olive and Camel

September 5, 2014

Looking for the right items in this color combination caused me to hit the wall - at some juncture, I was at a loss to find more camel garments that were suitable for this capsule wardrobe!But then I thought about you all for a moment (as I think about you all constantly when I'm working on The Vivienne Files!), and I realized that if I was having trouble finding garments, then you must have the same experience, right? I spend hours a day working on this - you certainly don't have the time to devote to shopping that I do to my full-time job of blog creation. So rather than throw the towel in on this wardrobe, I figured out what a reasonable approach might be, and I'm sharing it with you all.

The ... View the Post

A Four by Four Capsule Wardrobe in Brown, Grey, Green and Gold

August 16, 2014

One last visit to these four grey garments - this time, a entirely different color scheme!

Making grey work with otherwise warm colors isn't difficult if you keep a few simple things in mind. In order to make everything hang together here, I made sure that the accessories mixed cool and warm. For example, the brown linen bracelet has silver beads, the smoky quartz earrings are set in sterling, rather than the most obvious gold, the brown leather band is on a stainless steel watch - even the grey boots have brown heels!

These little touches make a lot of difference to the way things look to me...

Today, let's start with the colors:

Starting with the brown ... View the Post

Choosing a Scarf: A Bright Summer Accent

May 31, 2014

Some of us aren't going to be wearing white all summer long, nor will pastel accessories work really well for everybody. So I'm going to revisit the idea of buying a summer scarf, but this time working with a base of navy linen clothes... The idea of picking up a couple of bright accessories to update my summer wardrobe is very tempting!These are the scarves:

Red Cayenne linen blend scarf – Halogen, Blue Blithe linen blend scarf – Halogen, turquoise gem linen scarf – Halogen, gold shine linen blend scarf – Halogen, pink cyclamen linen blend scarf – Halogen, blue royal linen blend scarf - Halogen And the simple navy garments:

Top – Hobbs, shorts – Dorothy Perkins, dress – ... View the Post

Start With Art: The Girl with A Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer

May 13, 2014

The most beautiful color scheme, combining warm tobacco brown, black, and brilliant blue and golden yellow highlights... That Vermeer guy was good!

One nice warm outfit, for in transit, or for a sudden cold snap, and some beautiful silky solids...

A simple outfit, and a nice basic dress:

A much less basic dress, and a warm-weather outfit with an over-shirt for air conditioning.

And a few extra pieces, for versatility!

love,

Janice

Looking Back:

2012 - one of my readers had a piece of jewelry that she wanted to wear more, and so I suggested What to wear with a ... View the Post

Start with Art: The Libyan Sibyl by Michelangelo

May 6, 2014

I am often asked to consider basing a wardrobe or a travel capsule on this most lovely of Michelangelo's works, and I have to admit that I find her sort of intimidating! The unusual color combinations, as well as the overall strength and power of her image are so striking that my brain goes a bit blank after studying her for a while.

Let me quote, at length, the excellent www.moodbook.com site's description of her:

"The Libica, or Libyan Sibyl brings pre-Christian prophecy to a close. With a graceful movement, displaying her lovely shoulders, her foreshortened arms, and the lowered profile of her fine head with its gold tresses, she lays aside the open book as if about to close it. It is a large and cumbersome ... View the Post

I Love Ornate Details…

March 13, 2014 Maybe your living room looks like this... Okay, maybe your dream living room looks like this!

But like so many of us, you have a simple wardrobe that works for your everyday life:

But if you pay attention to the details, you can incorporate that style that you love into your everyday outfits. A touch of lace, a bit of muted floral, and some silk in the place of where many of us would wear cotton.

So you have quite a few outfits that are still very low-key, appropriate for your life, but still include that touch of luxe that warms your heart.

Keep to the same philosophy for your accessories - ... View the Post

I Love Baroque, but I Live Simple and Contemporary

March 8, 2014 Maybe this is the living room of your dreams:

But your core wardrobe is our usual:

So let's try the same exercise we did before - find three garments that reflect the warmth, the rosiness, the ornate and filigreed nature of the room...

You have to keep, somewhere in the back of your mind, the reminder that you need to work with neutrals of black, white and khaki. Otherwise, let your heart go wild... and you will have lots of ways to wear them.

If this feels comfortable for you, you can branch out and add a few accessories that also share you sensibility...

These will work beautifully ... View the Post

When Starting With Art goes Haywire: Van Gogh’s Bedroom in Arles

February 20, 2014 One of my readers has been shopping with this great Van Gogh painting in hand... She's got a solid core of gorgeous gold items:

And she's picked up some light blue clothes too, which she doesn't like to wear with the gold:

And she's also picked up a few tee shirts in the accent colors of the painting:

So now, she's got this assortment of clothes. Everything, on it's own, is beautiful, but she's not finding that this is as versatile as she would like.

One of the charms of Van Gogh is that he combines difficult colors in innovating ways, and isn't terribly dependent on neutral colors. It's a glorious way to ... View the Post

Start With Art: Jackpine by Tom Thomson

February 18, 2014 This painting has such gorgeous colors, and for a summer travel wardrobe the options are wonderful... I'm starting with a core of four - I'm a really strong believer in the usefulness of having a core of neutral garments around which everything else can revolve. The colors don't have to be dye-lot matched, but they should be chosen with an eye to being wearable together. And getting your shoes taken care of frees you up to go just a bit wild later on in your second and third waves of shopping!

For summer, shorts and capris. Then when you branch out into tee shirts, this painting gives you a wide variety of colors from which to ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Woman in Hat with Pompoms and a Printed Blouse – Picasso

January 7, 2014 Many readers asked me to work with a Picasso painting, and I happily oblige. These outfits are based on beige, just as the painting is literally on a beige background. Accents of red, orange, yellow, a touch of green, and you're set for almost anything! My guiding adjectives for this project were warm, saturated, and clear, with unexpected bursts of bright against the toasty neutral.

This is a wardrobe that could see someone through much of the summer!

love,

Janice ... View the Post

Wearing Hermes Les Clef Silk Scarf All Year – July through December

January 6, 2014 In the hottest of hot weather, your scarf may just be tied around the handles of your bag, or around your ponytail...

Don't let your scarf get wet, but wearing it on a rainy day can brighten things up... And finding a print skirt in the colors of your scarf can be tricky, but when it happens you can have a lot of fun!

Tweeds that meld together the main colors of your scarf are a particularly interesting thing to look for - you can wear your scarf from the most conservative family or professional functions to the dressiest of business outings at the holiday season.

And after a year of using your scarf as the core inspiration for outfits, you have a relatively ... View the Post

Wearing Hermes Les Clef Silk Scarf All Year – January through June

January 4, 2014 I was recently asked if it was possible to wear this scarf all year 'round. (the scarf is Hermes Les Clefs - the keys - and it's only available second-hand) This scarf is particularly versatile, because in addition to black and white, you can wear this with camel, gold, or yellow. Camel suits the cooler weather very nicely:

Brighter yellow is perfect for spring - and gold is ideal for dressy activities...

Even when it gets warm, this scarf would make a great belt!

The rest of the year will be here on Monday - have a great weekend! love, Janice ... View the Post