navy Archives - Page 29 of 46

What to Wear with a Navy Cardigan and White Skirt

May 12, 2016

This is just a "flipped over" version of the white blazer and navy trouser, but quite a bit more casual and relaxed. And I chose all button-front shirts, just to show the range of possibilities available!

Our very simple starting point:

You can wear any possible shade of red, pink, coral, blush, or whatever else the fashion people name these colors:

All kinds of orange are equally lovely:

If you like yellow, this is a good, classic base with which to wear it!

I really like the looks of both the mint and the dark olive here - very different colors, but equally at home in this ensemble.

Turquoise, because... well, ... View the Post

How to Wear a White Blazer and Navy Pants? I Have LOTS of Ideas…

May 7, 2016

A couple of you have expressed an interest in seeing a white blazer in a capsule wardrobe on The Vivienne Files, and I'm always happy to try to oblige! White blazers seem like the most obvious handy piece for warm weather, don't they? And my first instinct was to show them with a simple, timeless pair of navy pants; an easy pairing to pull on Monday morning when you don't know what to wear, but you know you have to look good!

But then I was stumped for an accent color; someone had asked for aqua, and someone else for teal...

Then I realized - this is one of the very FEW starting points in modern clothing that can lead to almost ANY accent color; the only color that might be tricky is beige, but I bet I could ... View the Post

How to Wear A Navy Cardigan for Spring – 8 Outfits!

April 22, 2016

This started out as a Chic Sighting post, but after I saw the first woman, I didn't see ANYONE else... But I really like the idea of buying a new cardigan for spring and summer wear (counter-intuitive as it seems, a lot of us that are in and out of buildings during the hottest weather have to carry a cardigan or jacket at all times, to keep from freezing to death!).Here I'm working with 4 different possibilities for below the waist - white linen pants, beige linen pants, navy linen pants, and dark-wash denim pants. This gives choices that range from cool-ish spring days, to pretty doggone hot dead of summer!

I've still got lots of "1 at a time" color ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Scarf: Hermes Jardins d’Hiver in Navy

April 21, 2016 A friend received this as a gift, and doesn't know where to start... I have some ideas; I ALWAYS have ideas!

The red in this is actually a hair closer to rust, but since we're moving toward warmer weather here, and rust is IMPOSSIBLE to find, I'm working with a more poppy red. These accent colors don't have to be a flawless match to the color in the scarf, nor to each other. Unless you plan to wear pieces together, you needn't be madly rigorous in making the colors perfect in a capsule wardrobe.

Of course, when building around a single accessory, 1 outfit at a time is a good approach:

I reused a skirt in a couple of outfits, ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories: Navy, Beige, Turquoise and Yellow, 1 at a Time

March 14, 2016 Maybe it's the unseasonably warm weather here in Chicago, but this wardrobe felt very summery to me...

We always have to start out with a couple of basic, essential accessories...

I thought that I'd introduce some pearls here - to pick up on the pearl/off-white color of the cardigan. I like to tie outfits together through these small, but powerful, little color "echoes."

Theoretically, this particular outfit would be better balanced with dark shoes, but I'm assuming that you're going to carry a dark bag, which will serve the same purpose. Let's not go completely nuts trying to do everything perfectly!

If you're an avowed "watch avoider," you can always just ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories, 1 at a Time: Navy, Beige and Poppy

March 12, 2016 Remember this wardrobe, viewable here? Time for some essential accessories!

Start, as always, with some shoes in which you could do serious walking:

This time, you might prefer a small bag:

I will always have earrings as the 3rd step, but from here on, the order of choices, and the overall numbers, are entirely up to you. If you want to have 3 pairs of sunglasses, go for it!

I love the range of off-white shoes that are available. Since the materials are very different from those of your garments, the colors don't have to match exactly, but they should be in the same color family. It's easy to wander into the "too grey" crowd if you're not ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories, 1 at a Time: Navy, Yellow and White

March 9, 2016

I promised you accessories, and I try to always keep my promises! My plan is to take a representative outfit from each step of the wardrobe built earlier (this one is here), and then show a few choices for accessories. It will make more sense once you see it in action, I hope...

This was the "starter outfit" for the wardrobe in question. The first accessory needed, without exception, is shoes! With warmer weather coming, mules could be a fun choice, but there are those among us who are devoted to their driving mocs, or their ballet flats, so those are also possibilities.

For most of us, given the lack of pockets in our clothing, a bag is essential. I was trying to find a mid-sized, classically styled option ... View the Post

12 Months, 12 Outfits in 6 Capsule Wardrobes: March

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

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe One Piece at a Time in Navy, Beige Turquoise and Yellow

February 23, 2016

I'm going to start tackling the various color schemes you all requested - what a great, long, and wide-ranging list! Today I'm going to do the first of a couple using navy and beige...

First up, the favorite outfit: (for what it's worth, the most frequently mentioned accent color from you all was turquoise).

This request was for accents of both turquoise and yellow, so the color scheme looks like this:

From here, for a while, this will look very familiar. I am a strong believer in the absolute necessity of investing in a core of neutral garments before you start going crazy with a lot of accents!

I could have included the navy and beige tee shirt I used before, but I've got a plan for ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe One Piece at a Time in Navy, Beige and Poppy

February 22, 2016

A requested color scheme - this looks so "Coast of Maine in the summer" to me! Maybe because L.L.Bean is well-represented here. I don't necessarily think that everybody is going to buy things from them, but their photographs of simple, classic clothing are among the very best I can find for our illustrative purposes.

Starting outfit:

Blouse - Uniqlo; cardigan – L.L.Bean; pants – Jil Sander Navy

Although this outfit doesn't include beige, it's been determined by the requester that beige will be the other neutral color, so our color scheme is thus:

Blouse - Uniqlo; cardigan – L.L.Bean; pants – Jil Sander Navy

This time, I decided to get that neutral tee ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe One Piece at a Time

February 19, 2016

Unpacking my bag last night, I was thinking about how, for the last handful of trips I've taken, I've started my packing by choosing my travel outfit, and then adding 1 piece at a time until I'm at an appropriate number of garments for the length of my trip. It's a system that's working pretty well for me...

I then started considering the possibility of applying this concept to the building of a wardrobe. Some people just aren't in a position to buy an entire wardrobe, or even an entire outfit, at one time. And for those among us who are more comfortable moving gradually into changes, this might be just the ticket!

Let's start with this outfit; maybe this is someone's very favorite ensemble, including ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Scarf: Version 2 Hydrangea Haze by Ted Baker London

February 8, 2016

I was working on a casual version of this when everybody started asking for a casual version... Sometimes we all think very much alike!

Hydrangea Haze scarf – Ted Baker London

I swapped out the pinks for purple and blue - a great color combination. I also softened the grey from the first version of this wardrobe (revisit it here) for a pure white.And then I found that these 2 accents were VERY difficult to find... at least in items that meet my many requirements!

On Campus?!?!? Yes, of course I'd like to go visit - we're talking about my favorite freshman in the whole wide world. But we're staying ON CAMPUS for Parents and Grandparents Weekend!

Sleeping in a dorm. Eating in ... View the Post