It's been quite a while since I've done any capsule wardrobes using the "1 Piece at a Time" scheme, and it seems to me that this is a great time of year to get back to this. If my experiences are any indication, some of you might still be stuck wearing warm-ish clothing, but thinking daily about how you're going to gradually evolve your closet when (if?) the weather gets warmer... So let's start with this - a cheery tee shirt, neutral pants in an already summer-weight fabric, and a linen cardigan. Although this outfit would be reasonably comfortable on a cool day (with a pair of socks - maybe bright yellow ones?), it's also composed of good building blocks for moving into warmer weather. And while beige or brown shoes would certainly work ... View the Post
olive Archives - Page 4 of 7
Six BIG Trends to Try (Maybe) for Spring!!!!
These lists always crack me up, but I think they're worth considering, from time to time. I see two sides of this issue:
I hate this, because I don't think you should listen to what someone tells you to wear unless you're in an organization for which a uniform is appropriate, or if you're in a wedding.... but It can be edifying to see what other people think of as "can't miss" because it can clue you into things that are going to be readily available in stores for a while, and maybe remind you that it's time to replace or upgrade something that you haven't purchased in years.
Yes, my name is Janice (like Janus, the god of beginnings, endings, doorways, portals, and both sides of everything)...
The '90s Neckline I don't remember this ... View the Post
The Last 4 Steps: Shifting a Wardrobe from Cool Colors to Warm Colors
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 and emotions tell you it's the ... View the Post
12 Months, 12 Outfits in 6 Capsule Wardrobes: January
You all have the BEST ideas! And I'm stealing this and running with it...
Starting today, and then on the 1st of each month (yes, the next installment, for February, will be Monday), I'm going to share the "monthly" new outfit for each of 6 different capsule wardrobe color schemes. By the 1st of December, we're going to have a nice tidy capsule wardrobe, built around a unifying color theme and overall "feel."
I chose 6 Hermes scarves to define our color palettes:
These six scarves indicated, to me, six different core neutral colors, and an interesting range of accents. I've included a small image of each scarf on the page with each outfit, to remind us of the colors with which we're working. Of course, you can wear the scarf with ... View the Post
How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe Starting with Art – The Third Buddhist Kesa
Dear Ellen, who left the comment "I love this capsule and the colors you've used! I can see myself in these clothes.Lovely!" - send me a note at theviviennefiles@gmail.com. The tote bag from Neiman Marcus is yours...
Back to our regular blog post:
Despite the beautiful delicacy of the fabric, the colors felt like a warm-weather travel adventure to me!
Astonishing Everyone...
"Are you sure you want to go there? It's not very dressy..."
Yes, I understand that, she thinks.
"You're going to have to carry your own luggage..."
Yes, I've been working out on the treadmill for months, carrying handweights.
"I mean, you'll be able to get laundry done, and the water's usually safe to drink, but this just isn't ... View the Post
How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe Starting with Art: a Buddhist Kesa
This was a little bit more challenging than I expected it to be! Finding these colors was surprisingly difficult...
It's just a small exhibit - maybe 28 items? - but if you have a chance to come to Chicago, to the Art Institute, before February 14th, you won't be disappointed. The exhibit displays only a few of their collection of Buddhist kesa, but they're beautiful. And because this is a "minor" exhibit, in the basement area of the museum, it's usually quiet, and uncrowded (bordering on empty). Very restful, very inspiring, very wonderful way to spend an hour!
I considered using the burgundy as the first neutral, but I think that this olive/sage green is more readily available through more of the year. This kind of color is a ... View the Post
Wearing Unflattering Colors: Olive
Wow, I had no idea that olive was such a debatable color! But I guess since there are different colored olives, there are going to be different search results when you start looking for olive green...
This is sort of what I expected to find when I started searching. The boots that have the black elastic inset in the side sort of subtly hold all of this together pretty well.
(if someone gave you this ring for the holidays, kiss them repeatedly...)
This was the other sort of shade that I expected to find, while hunting down all things olive. When you see a bag that you like, in the color you want, with leather details in YOUR neutral, you know you're in good shape!
I wouldn't usually include a bracelet with such a poor photograph, ... View the Post
Choosing an Accent Color for Olive Green
Oooh, olive is a difficult color to find, and when something turns up that's called olive, it could be anything from a nasty yellowish green pond-scum color, to this lovely deep and dusty green:
You will, I'm sure, note that these colors don't match absolutely exactly perfectly. I don't have too much trouble with that, so long as they're lighter and darker versions of the same shade of green. It's a difficult color to find and to match, but well worth the effort. By virtue of being so uncommon, you will never blend into a crowd when you wear it! And it can be madly flattering...
First up, what neutrals look good with olive? I'm quickly learning that marsala/wine/burgundy goes with EVERYTHING - a change of accessories for a bit of ... View the Post
OLIVE: With 8 Bright Accents
Olive today! Some of these were difficult...
I'm including these Yves Saint Laurent pants, even though they're the ONLY pair available, to remind you that a garment with a range of shades of green could work really beautifully with your olive neutrals.
This is a case in which the scarf really plays a key role. And this scarf is a stylized map - it's a really good thing it's not my colors.
And I have to point out the earrings from Louise et Cie; this is a company that has made shoes for a few years, and just now ventured into jewelry (at least in the US). Some of their jewelry is really cool, and not at all expensive. I'm making a note of this company for when my shopping moratorium ends!
Are there any of you who can't wear this ... View the Post
Olive, Wine and Gold join A Common Capsule Wardrobe, warm tones for summer
In honor of the season (in the Northern Hemisphere) of the ripening of all delicious things, I give you the "Tuscan inspired" capsule wardrobe of wine, olives, and gold that was sent to me a few days ago. This reader really goes all out - she finds photographs and paintings that illustrate the colors that she likes, and builds me a little collage that is my reference material. I need to find out if she'd mind if I showed the illustrations here - they're really beautifully chosen and constructed, and serve as a glorious inspiration to my already hyper-drive imagination!
And yes, I did choose that bracelet because it reminded me of olive trees and grape vines...
For easy reference, here are the original 12 garments, that are really ... View the Post
Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Stone: Unakite Jewelry
This was an intriguing request - one of you has fallen for jewelry with the stone unakite, and wanted to build their summer work capsule wardrobe (relaxed environment) around their jewelry!
This was some of the jewelry I found:
One of the first things that I noted was that the accent color in the stone ranges from dark red and terra cotta to a much lighter and more delicate peach or apricot. While we could certainly go either direction, I opted for the lighter shade, to serve as a background for the design of the jewelry.
We wanted really simple clothes, so I found three "Cores of Four" in the three non-accent colors.
Here's where things got more difficult, but also more interesting! I chose tops in a range of tones, so ... View the Post
Choosing the Right Scarf Color – One Approach
Here's a decision scenario: you know you like the scarf - the silk and wool blend, the pattern drawn from foliate motifs and calligraphy of the Sultan's courts of India, the knowledge that your purchase supports the Metropolitan Museum of Art - but WHICH COLOR TO CHOOSE????
I'm of the opinion that your wardrobe should have a certain DNA - a "fingerprint" that is as unique as your own. If this is true, then anything that you add to your wardrobe should look like it's related to the things you already own.
So maybe this decision can be made easier if we look at some options that might currently be in your closet, and see if any of them look like they're in your style family...
Do you have one of the new, very popular, lightweight ... View the Post