The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Accessories for multiple European Cities

May 30, 2013    

paisley scarf - Brooks Brothers, red earrings - Blue Nile, knot earrings - Brooks Brothers, navy sunglasses - Paul Smith, square scarf - Etro, gold chain necklace - Brooks Brothers, red & white scarf - Monsoon, turquoise earrings - Michael Kors, navy & gold bracelet - C. Wonder, watch - Nixon You could survive without three scarves - you can live with no scarves at all!  The gold jewelry all shares a chain/link sensibility, and two simple pairs of earrings in your accent colors can get a lot of mileage.  Sunglasses in one of your core neutrals, and you're ready to travel...

Navy short-sleeved tee - J. Crew, navy ... View the Post

Multiple European cities: Packing with navy, khaki, red and turquoise

May 29, 2013  

 

I get some amazing questions, with descriptions of trips that make me absolutely green with envy!  One of my friends recently shared that she's going to be in Belfast, London, and Paris - what a dream trip for me...

She had isolated two jackets that she wants to take, and around which she would like to build her travel capsule wardrobe.

navy rain jacket - Jack Wills, short trench coat - Woolrich These are great choices - something waterproof is ALWAYS essential in Ireland, and it's wise to have a lightweight jacket even in the middle of the summer.

So my thinking: you need to start with a dark neutral color; navy is the obvious choice in this case.  I always start with a "core ... View the Post

Packing for a warm-weather vacation, in red & navy

May 13, 2013  

This was an interesting question - how do you pack if you want to carry on your bag, and you're on one of those airlines with a really LOW, and really STRICT, weight limit? (At least the destination was a warm weather vacation spot...)   My first advice was to get the lightest bag possible - nylon, with no structure at all.  You should consider lining it with dry cleaning bags, or packing your clothes in plastic bags, because these bags are not waterproof.  Beyond that, a very few items of clothing, in silk, linen or cotton.  No jeans -they weight too much!   The other aspect of this request that really piqued my interested was the desire to wear navy, red and white - a color combination ... View the Post

Closing the triangle of Hot Pink, Turquoise, and Orange; traveling again with Hermes Fleuri de Provence

May 11, 2013  

There was one more color combination waiting to be addressed in the beautiful Hermes Pique Fleuri de Provence - Turquoise and Hot Pink. And that got me thinking that these three accent colors (don't forget Orange), on a base of black and white neutrals, would be a perfect wardrobe scheme for... well, for everything, forever. I see the symbol for this wardrobe like this:

And with this as your focal point, you can just combine garments and make purchases with confidence...

So one last trip, with the Hermes scarf as the initial inspiration:

Piqué Fleuri de Provence silk scarf - Hermes, silk  “Neon Love” scarf – Marc Andersen  

 

Shirt – J. Crew, jacket –Faberge & Roches, ... View the Post

Dressing modestly in a hot climate: travel in blue and tan

Many of you are headed to warm climates, but still want or need to remain modest and somewhat covered-up.  This is one approach to this task.  I always choose a travel outfits that's layered, because airplanes are of course going to be cold (five miles up in the sky, the outside temperature is pretty low!).  The photograph was sent to me by someone planning for such a trip - I'm not using it for color inspiration as much as just a focal point for the delights to come...

Striped tee – Majestic, cardigan- J. Crew,  linen pants – Rafaella, earrings – J. Crew, water-resistant watch – Sperry Top-Sider, loafers- Cole Haan, cotton scarf – Becksondergaard, tote bag – French Trotters, suitcase - Tumi   Next, there ... View the Post

Turquoise & Orange: A Packing Capsule based on Hermes Fleuri de Provence

So if you love the scarf, but hot pink isn't your favorite, what about turquoise?

Piqué Fleuri de Provence silk scarf - Hermes, cashmere and linen wrap – Etro  

Orange knit top – Weekend MaxMara, jacket - Carven, earrings- Jamie Joseph, watch – Skagen, white linen pants – Nicole Farhi, espadrilles - Zara, white tote- Longchamp, rolling bag – Diane Von Furstenberg  

Necklace – K. Amato, dress –  Roksanda Ilincic, earrings – Bounkit, bracelet – Anton Heunis, pumps – Butter, sweater – J. Crew, skirt – No. 21 cardigan – Vanessa Bruno,  tee shirt- Majestic,  white capris – Dorothy Perkins, ballet flats – Dr. Scholls  

  ... View the Post

Hot Pink & Orange: A Packing Capsule based on Hermes Fleuri de Provence

Yes, traveling with white pants might seem sort of nutty... But they look really great!  Just make sure they're washable, right?  And this would certainly work well with black in the place of white.

Piqué Fleuri de Provence silk scarf - Hermes, dip dyed linen scarf – Sperry Top-Sider  

Orange knit top – Weekend MaxMara, fringed silk poncho- Ralph Lauren Black, earrings- Fossil, watch – Salvatore Ferragamo, white linen pants – Nicole Farhi,  flats – Manolo Blahnik, white tote- Longchamp, orange tote - Bodhi  

Silk necklace – Nangara by Julia Fusinato, dress –  Reiss, earrings – Ben Amun, bracelet –  Stella and Dot, pumps – Jimmy Choo, hot pink tee - BurberryBrit, skirt – Versace, ... View the Post

Navy and Hot Pink: A Capsule travel wardrobe based on 2 scarves

I received a very specific request for a travel plan that was mostly navy, but accented with hot pink, and which wasn't "stodgy".  This plan built on a "core of four" in navy: pants, skirt, cardigan and tee, and tossed in a navy dress too.  A white tee shirt, a bright cardigan, and a couple of whimsical tops negate any possible worries about being too mumsy...  Some fun jewelry, and you're away!    

Promenade au Faubourg silk scarf - Hermes, silk wrap – Stella McCartney

Tee shirt - Hugo, cardigan – Vanessa Bruno, earrings- Michael Kors, watch – Mougin & Piquard, pants – Lucza London, loafers – Brooks Brothers, bag – Solomon Appollo,  suitcase - Rimowa

Necklace – J. Crew, dress – Philosophy ... View the Post

A Post-Travel debriefing

May 1, 2013

The best time to evaluate the success of your packing plan is the day after you return; theoretically you're not exhausted (ahem...) and you can still remember what choices and decisions you made on your trip.My results were very mixed on this trip:

 

I did NOT pack enough underwear.  Don't ask me how this happened, but let's just say that it was really handy that I was visiting relatives. I've gotten so accustomed to assuming that my normal suitcase stash will be complete, that I didn't actually pull out my pajamas and undergarments and check them...

Two pair of black pants were perfect - one was cotton twill (which I wore for all of the yard work) and one pair was silk, which I wore for more ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Packing from the 33 for a long weekend

I'm out of town right now - actually, I've been out of town since Thursday afternoon; the magic of the internet means that I can schedule blog posts ahead of time!  I'm visiting a number of my relatives, which is the easiest packing; laundry is available, and borrowing clothes is always possible.  I'm carrying the huge suitcase because belovedest and I are sharing the bag, and his clothes and shoes take up a LOT of space...

       

  ... View the Post