Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature
March 16, 2015 Even though I worked every day on The Vivienne Files, I also spent quite a bit of time last week doing things with my relatives and my neighbors. I find my wardrobe to be so helpful to me when I've got so many other demands on my time; it's easy to just reach into my closet and find something appropriate and comfortable without a lot of angst!
love, Janice ... View the Post
March 14, 2015 Belovedest and I are leaving Wednesday for New York for what is either a very long weekend, or a rather short vacation - six days. B lived in New York a few different times (he had one of those jobs that required frequent transfers), and so we know the city very well. Our anniversary is next Friday, so we have an excuse for some festivities. Overall, it will be a nice opportunity to spend some time together and reacquaint ourselves with a favorite city. My biggest packing constraint for this trip is the desire to take gym clothes with me. Normally, for European vacations, I just throw my workout routine into the shredder and assume that my walking will stand in for exercise. (uh, it really doesn't work that ... View the Post
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
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
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
February 26, 2015 As soon as I did the earlier version of this painting (found here), people emailed me asking that I use a different mix of colors, and that I do a business travel version of a wardrobe. So I'm combining requests here - I hope it works out!
I kept many of the elements of the original travel outfit, just swapping out the sportier tee shirt with something just a smidge dressier, and then coordinating earrings and a scarf with this new top.
love, Janice ... View the Post
February 25, 2015 Another week with incredibly cold weather. For those of you who live in warmer climates, you just have to take my word for it that this weather is exceptional, even for Chicago. Consistent lows below zero or in the single digits, days upon days of highs MAYBE in the teens. Dry dry dry air, wind to knock you over... just lovely! I actually love winter, but this is even more extreme that I would prefer. But we carry on, in style! As before, if I can link to my item, or something substantially similar, I will provide a link. The absence of any link means I couldn't find anything close enough...
I know I've mentioned it before, but these Bogs boots are the WARMEST I've ever owned. They're ... View the Post
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
February 19, 2015 I love this painting! And I still marvel at how many decidedly winter-themed paintings have been suggested to me in the last few weeks! Any other paintings you want to see? Leave a comment, and I'll do my very best.
You could certainly include a warm, dark golden brown here, and rust as an accent...
For these colors, I was thinking of someone who had to travel overnight for a special dinner. Not necessarily a work event - possibly a family fete? But this is definitely ideal for some cold travel in order to get to a lovely festive occasion. (note that in defiance of the cold, I included a floral-trimmed scarf, and floral ... View the Post
February 17, 2015 Week #2 is an ongoing effort to dress when the weather is brutally cold. I find that I'm liking wearing dresses more and more, for the speed and the uncomplicated sleekness they bring. Someone asked me about tights... Tights should be as easy and as comfortable as leggings or yoga pants. (Yoga pants especially are considered the most comfortable garments ever made!) Keep trying different brands and sizes of tights until you find some that don't dig into any part of your body, but rather hug you warmly and softly. You will then be able to pop on a dress in a heart-beat and be read to roll! Some of you were interested in where my goodies were purchased, so I'm including a caption that shows brands. ... View the Post
February 6, 2015 She has to travel for business, but it doesn't have to clutter up her mind... One of the reasons that she is so good at what she does is her ability to cut through the noise and focus on the essence.
love,
Janice ... View the Post
January 30, 2015 I love winter, and sometimes a perfect photograph will convey what my feeble words never can about the beauty to be found in this austere, crisp and bracing time of year.
I strongly suspect that either of these button-front shirt would look quite nice under the grey dress. It's a look that a little bit gamine for some women, but for others it can be charming.
love, Janice ... View the Post
