The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Twin Posts: What to Pack to Visit Chicago, Labor Day Weekend

This is really exciting for me; as a blogger who seems to be under most radars, to have been asked by Susan of Une Femme d'un Certain Age to partner up for a pair of posts was unexpected, and pretty thrilling.

Susan's blog was one of the very first I ever followed, and her style and élan are qualities that I try to emulate in my own way. I can't encourage you enough to get to know her and appreciate the charm and elegance that she brings to her life, and in turn, to ours!

So today, Susan's going to give us some guidance about what to pack if we're off on a voyage to her neighborhood, in Los Angeles. I'm really eager to see what she has to say, since that's an area to which I've only traveled ONCE, and I'm sure I have a few things I ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Untitled, 1953 by Mark Rothko (revisiting navy and cognac)

July 27, 2015   Wow! When I ask for help finding art, you all jump right to the rescue!  And isn't this a great version of navy and cognac, with a striking pink accent?  

I snuck in a touch of white... and if you look really closely, our celadon green from last week is present, just a slight touch, along the bottom of the painting.

  I kept the navy garments, but changed out everything else here. In honor of the block-like angularity of the Rothko painting, our accessories are now going to be square, or include a square motif if possible. (even the tote bag here has an embossed texture with a square feeling to it...) I took the cognac accessories down a notch darker, to show the options that are available ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Vase: A Qianlong Vase, and packing for China

July 24, 2015   One of you is taking off soon for a trip to China, and you have asked me for some ideas about what to pack.   I did quite a bit of reading about travel to China, and one thing that was stated repeatedly was that it's important not to take too many clothes, because (a) it's extremely easy and inexpensive to get laundry done in China, and (b) there are quite a few non-clothing items that you need to pack, so you want to reserve space for those kinds of items. (OTC medicines etc. - PLEASE do some research before a trip like this, to be certain that you have with you all of the recommended necessities.)   Now, for some aesthetic inspiration.   Sotheby's assessed this vase at around ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Coast Road by Fanny Brennan

July 21, 2015   Thanks a ton to the reader who sent this suggestion to me - I wasn't familiar with Fanny Brennan. It's particularly interesting that these paintings are tiny - the size of postcards. Her sense of humor is very appealing!  

The colors in this painting are wonderfully striking and clear. I'm going to use black as the base here, but a summer wardrobe using white, with these bright colors would be lovely. And the hills in the distance are colors that suggest shades of denim.... lots of possibilities here.

Going Alone You have planned this trip for a long time. You bought athletic shoes and started walking every evening, after work. Longer and longer, faster and faster. You understand that being in ... View the Post

“Whatever’s Clean 13” Capsule Wardrobe in Coral, Navy and Beige

June 12, 2015   Oh, this was FUN! It's delightful how much difference the change in accessories makes in the look of the whole capsule.   First up, a wonderful scarf, and some classic, inexpensive coral-colored jewelry. (it goes without saying that we don't wear real coral - no reefs will be destroyed to adorn us!)  

And then I changed out the shoes, the rest of the jewelry, and tossed in a cute little clutch! The only clothing that I swapped was to substitute a coral cardigan for yesterday's beautiful brown one...

 

Just the one change in the template makes a difference!

 

  This overview looks VERY different from the one with the leopard accent, to me. Accessories ... View the Post

How to Pack Light: Navy and Beige “Whatever’s Clean 13” for Uncertain Weather

June 2, 2015  

You don't know what the weather is going to be, but you know for a fact that you're NOT packing white stuff...   Starting out, let's wear this to travel - a cuddly cardigan, a beautiful scarf, and closed-toe shoes, just in case you have to sit on a cold plane (or slide down an evacuation slide!):

   

This is what I've chosen for you to pack; everything is keyed off of the two cardigans that you really REALLY wanted to take along. In order to be thoroughly "dress in the dark", those need to be your only printed garments. But that doesn't keep you from packing some cool metallic tops! And there are always accessories - another scarf, and some pretty jewelry will go a long way toward ... View the Post

How to Pack Light: Uncertain Weather, and the “Whatever’s Clean 13”

May 30, 2015

Something everyone struggles with is having to pack when the weather is iffy, or when you're going to be moving around through different weather conditions. So I thought I'd take our "Whatever's Clean 13" template as a guide to making this easier.

I've laid it out this way:

A simple navy, white and turquoise palette is the order of the day. (and starting with the Kathkath scarf, I've loosely adhered to a theme of waves and water...)

No matter what the travel plan is, I like to make sure that I'm traveling with long trousers, closed-toe shoes, and a cardigan. Depending on your mode of travel, you want to be prepared for too much air conditioning, or a rotten heating system. And it's always easier to take off your ... View the Post

How to Pack Light: The ‘Whatever’s Clean 13″ in black and beige

May 27, 2015   I really love the "Whatever's Clean 13"...   I love travel, and I love packing light, and I love the idea of being able to just stick your hands into your bag and pull out things that will come together in a beautiful outfit.   Today, I'm looking at warm weather, but prepared for some coolness. I know that trips to the south of France, ranging into Cinque Terre and Venice, will give you some hot, lavender-scented days in Provence, but then in Venice, after dark can be positively damp and cool... You can't be prepared for every last possible need, but you can be intelligent, and beautiful...   Lace is the unifying theme today, starting with this beautiful (and outrageously expensive) lace top. ... View the Post

How to Pack Light: The “Whatever’s Clean” 13 Capsule Wardrobe

May 22, 2015

 

One of the interesting things about writing The Vivienne Files is that I can see what posts are continually revisited, and what images get Pinned (and re-Pinned) on Pinterest. And without fail, every week, the "Whatever's Clean" wardrobes are at the top of the list.

That makes sense to me - there's really nothing in the world easier than being able to reach into your closet without looking and know that you can grab a coherent ensemble.

So I've been thinking a lot about how "Whatever's Clean" can transfer to travel - it's an obvious fit. Especially for all of you who have to travel through a variety of climates, knowing that all of your clothes will work together makes it possible to relax about at least one ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Capri Scarf from Radical Chic

May 7, 2015   Nobody wrote to me asking to have this scarf included in a post - but I was browsing Boticca recently (as I do every day, looking for gorgeous things for you), and I saw this, and I was completely SMITTEN. If this scarf bore any vague resemblance to my wardrobe, I would buy it in a New York minute!  

sadly, Bottica is long gone... but the scarf is still available directly from Radical Chic!   But I get to do this next best thing, which is to build an imaginary summer wardrobe that uses these colors are the starting point. One could, of course, include some beautiful crimson rose, or hydrangea purple, or burnished gold, if one was so inclined...    

I'm using a nice warm light ... View the Post

A Four by Four Whatever’s Clean Capsule Wardrobe in Black, Beige, Marsala and Natural

April 18, 2015   As soon as I launched the newest Pantone Spring and Summer 2015 color scheme file, someone asked me to do some work with the color of the year - Marsala. She had honed in on the black and khaki, and after a bit of discussion we agreed that the best 2nd accent color would be an unbleached linen/natural color.  This is the palette we finally chose for a capsule wardrobe.  

  I started with black, of course! Sleeveless and short-sleeved, cropped pants and "normal" pants, and all from 3.1 Phillip Lim, just for ease of matchy-matchedness.  You can, of course, find your four pieces from a different, less pricey, company, or mix them from a few different places.  

In fact, in order to ... View the Post

The road to New York was paved with good intentions…

  Yes, I took my gym clothes with me to New York. I was not in the gym once... But, in my defense, I spent four days of our vacation sacked out in our hotel room, sicker than a dog. Our theory is that the very first meal we ate after arriving is the culprit, but if you've done any research into food poisoning, you know that it could have been anything for days before...

I am one of the very few people to go to New York on vacation and lose weight!

However, in the few days that we were able to be out and about, I did some excellent sight-seeing, and some power shopping! (remember POWER? Purchase Only When Everything's Right). I'll tell you more about what I bought, and where, tomorrow.

But I will close today with a beautiful ... View the Post