July 26, 2014 Today's step will bring our second neutral color more fully into our capsule wardrobes, by the addition of another "suit-like ensemble" in this color. Please note that you can choose a really different cardigan style from your first one, or you could choose a jacket - even a denim jacket! And I'm opting for ballet flats for this color - no matter what shoes I choose, someone somewhere is going to detest them and want something very different. I'm including these in a really neutral style mostly for illustrative purposes - I want to focus on the role that a second pair of shoes, in a different color, will play. Tomorrow, when I show outfit options, this 2nd pair of shoes will make a ... View the Post
olive Archives - Page 8 of 9
How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 6: Accent Color Tops and a Scarf
June 25, 2014
Now, the fun starts! A couple of accent color tops and another scarf will bring each capsule wardrobe to life and give you many more options. Don't be terribly fanatic about matching up your accent colors, because you won't be wearing these pieces together; just make sure that you're choosing items that convey your preferences and your personal statement... That's what this is all about - showing yourself to the world exactly as you wish to be seen.
Yellow tee – Warehouse, scarf – Collection Weekend, aqua tee - Reiss
Red blouse – Cutie, scarf – Brooks Brothers, blue shirt - Uniqlo
Pink shirt – FennWright Manson, scarf – Twisted Muse, tee ... View the Post
How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 5: Accessories round one
June 24, 2014
Now that we have enough clothes in our capsule wardrobe to put together at least a handful of combinations, it's time to pause and make sure that we're truly heading down a path which we like; if we want to change courses, now is the time!
At a minimum, wearing coordinating accessories with your wardrobe will keep you from making that excuse in your mind - "this wardrobe isn't working because I don't have the right earrings (watch, scarf, bag); when I get THAT then it will be okay." So let's take a break from clothes and take a look at our accessories. Unless you're making a completely radical change of colors, you might find that you have accessories already in your collection which ... View the Post
How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step One: A Nice Pair of Pants
Many people would tell you that you should start building your capsule wardrobe with a black suit. And there's an undoubted crowd who would vote in favor of a little black dress. (for me, personally, that's where I would start...) But after wrestling with this question for weeks, I've finally decided that most of us might find the most utility, and the most immediate transformation of our wardrobe, could come from investing in a really NICE pair of pants. Trousers. Even (very unpopular word) slacks... If you've changed sizes, a new pair of trousers that fit you perfectly will immediately elevate all of your old blouses and shirts. If you want to improve the overall quality of your wardrobe, nothing will ... View the Post
How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch: Choosing Color Schemes
It's a question that's as old as The Vivienne Files - if you're starting a capsule wardrobe from scratch, how do you start?
What an ambitious question! But after thinking about it for three years, I'm going to give it a try - a step by step approach to rebuilding your wardrobe from the ground up.
Before you buy any garments at all, you've got to make a couple of decisions. One thing you'll have to work out for yourself - which silhouettes suit you best. I'm really not qualified to answer this question for every woman, but I encourage you to address this question on your own; you know better than anybody else in the world what shapes and sizes of garments suit you best...
But the next question - truly critical - is to choose a color ... View the Post
Neutral Accessories: Shoes Part 1
May 15, 2014
One of the keys to putting together a truly effortless wardrobe is to assemble the minimum necessary clothes and accessories, so that getting dressed is a nearly foolproof exercise.Once you've made it through the most difficult step - deciding what your basic neutral is going to be - you just gradually stock up on basics and move forward...
The most important accessory?
Neutral Shoes
You've got to have shoes. Not a ton of them, and not with insane stupid heels, but a few good timeless styles that can take you almost anywhere.
For my world, I narrowed down all of the world's available footwear to six pairs: a pair of flats, a pair of pumps, some loafers, a pair of sandals, some ... View the Post
Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Scarf: Dark Pool version 2
May 8, 2014 Maybe, when you first saw this painting (or scarf) you saw the end of it with the black and red accents, and not the pastels...
The way you fold a scarf can make a huge difference in what's shown or concealed - the beautiful Mai Tai is a master at showing you how this works (and just, in general, how to wear a scarf to brilliant effect.) So if you're more drawn to the high-contrast interpretation, here are some very different ways to approach the same neutral garments that I used yesterday. (I know, I'm lazy...) Using black or white instead of a pastel immediately changes the whole feel of the capsule.
Scarf – Elizabeth Blackadder’s Dark Pond, sweater – Uniqlo, ... View the Post
Start With Art: An Interior from Architectural Digest
February 25, 2014 This photograph was sent to me as a suggestion for a wardrobe - and what a great idea. This photograph prompted, in me, ideas of wood, stone, natural fabrics and textured fabrics. While I'm going to start with mostly colors in the beige/brown/grey families, there are definite hints here of green, blue and orange that would be great accent colors here.
Another question I've been asked is about the possibility of purchasing garments one at a time, so this is something we're going to try here. And the idea of not matching colors exactly - the colors in this wardrobe (with one exception) won't be identical matches... So here we go! First off, wouldn't you like to be sitting ... View the Post
Wearing a Celtic Knot Scarf – July through December
February 6, 2014 As is usual in the hottest weather, you might only be able to use your scarf to tie up your hair, or to decorate the handle of your bag, but the colors can still be the guiding inspiration for your wardrobe choices. These four garments clearly give you four outfits for the summer months.
Even though September is still warm, it always puts me in the mood for a sweater - and warm gold seems so perfect for autumn. For October, olive is a perfect neutral for a jacket, and a suede skirt in deep russet will have lots of mileage through the colder months.
Many of us need a dress during the winter months for family and holiday events. If you wear warm colors well, ... View the Post
Wearing a Celtic Knot Scarf – January through June
February 5, 2014 One of my dearest readers sent me a couple of photographs of this scarf, and asked me for some suggestions... This scarf has great possibilities - the gold, turquoise, carnelian and olive drab colors, with some white, offer tons of possibilities. If anybody can tell me who designed this scarf, or where it's available, please let me know ASAP - I hate showing something this beautiful without giving credit where credit is due!
Cold weather requires sweaters and boots - and olive and carnelian are both exceptional colors for this. All of the major colors in this scarf go really well together, so you can combine them pretty much at will and the scarf will pull everything ... View the Post
Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting With a “Difficult” Scarf: Sepia and Light Grey
January 24, 2014 One of my friends asked me specifically to suggest some ways to wear this scarf - Musique des Spheres, from Hermes. The scarf came out... at least 10 years ago? And thus is only available on the secondary market, but as you can clearly see, it's a stunner. There is NOT a pink patch in the upper left corner... I struggled to find the best image of this scarf I could, and this was what I found. Identifying the adjectives that convey the aesthetic of this scarf is difficult - I had to think and study for quite a while. But I found that I kept coming back to the ideas of contrast (the clarity of the lines against the background), balanced with an overall sense of muted coloring (the scarf is not pure white, ... View the Post
How to Pack for a Long Weekend: Olive and Grey
December 2, 2013 Difficult colors to track down, but well worth it...
If you're staying an extra day or two:
love,
Janice ... View the Post
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