The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Choosing Accessory Colors, or Accessories in Clusters

June 4, 2015   Woo hoo!!!  The absolutely wonderful ladies at Kathkath send me a scarf!  (fwiw, I am NOT one of those bloggers who are constantly being sent things to review - I can now count on 2 fingers the number of gifts I've received from designers...)   They sent me this beautiful wonder:  

It is, in fact, more beautiful in person than it is in the photographs! The size is the same as Hermes scarves - 90cm square (just about a square yard). And the fabric is soft and light without being flimsy; for those of you who find Hermes to be too "crispy" and heavy, definitely look at these. I'm so happy... And so, of course, I'm immediately figuring out what to wear it with. Black clothes - piece of cake. ... View the Post

RED Cowboy Boots – Integrating a Wild Splurge into your Wardrobe

May 21, 2015

We've all done it. Something just CALLS OUT YOUR NAME... and the next thing you know, you get home, and you have a pair of red cowboy boots in your hands. Maybe not cowboy boots, but something that's outside of your normal wardrobe confines...

There's nothing wrong with this, if the item in question has true "whappage" - if it really strikes you, appeals to you, speaks to you on some deep level. Let's just figure out how to incorporate this newly exposed facet of your persona into your existing wardrobe.

These are the culprits in question:

And your normal wardrobe (I know, because you told me...) is grey and camel. Let's grab a couple of simple outfits with which we can work - jeans and sweaters are ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Joss Sticks, a Silk Story Scarf

May 14, 2015   A local scarf maker - she travels, takes the photographs, makes the scarf, writes the story behind the scarf, and shares it with all of us! You must visit her site...  

I've used shades of brown, a warm beige, and that divine red:  

This is a Four by Four wardrobe meant to break rules - starting with a printed skirt! This isn't always something I'd recommend, but in this case, the skirt was irresistible, and it didn't interfere with the versatility and the options inherent in this capsule wardrobe.

 

And I'm working with two shades of the 2nd neutral. This is also a variance from my usual pretty strict adherence to one color, but as with the printed skirt, these two shades ... View the Post

A Red Handbag: Integrating a New Accent Color in a Capsule Wardrobe

May 11, 2015

Red seems to be a color that a lot of us want to incorporate into our lives; I've received a few emails asking specifically about what to do with either a red handbag or red footwear (check out my post on integrating red cowboy boots)! Maybe a red sweater or dress is too bold, but smaller doses of red can be beautiful with literally any neutral color. I don't know of another accent that can be used as widely, and as universally, as red.

So I found a bag I really like; while this bag is styled very much like a tote bag, it's really just a medium-sized barrel shaped handbag or shoulder bag:

And I'm going to work with a VERY modest assortment of grey clothes this time. In addition to being a great way to illustrate ... 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

My French 5-Piece Capsule Wardrobe for Spring and Summer 2015

April 11, 2015   This spring is a festival of Eileen Fisher! There's an Eileen Fisher Company Store in Schaumburg, in the west Chicago suburbs, which is a wonderful place to shop if you have both a plan and some discipline! Couple that with being able to get Eileen Fisher clothes at every department store in Chicago, and the canny shopper can often scare up some good deals!   So, for this upcoming warm weather period, I've got a new red twinset-ish sort of arrangement, as well as a pewter cardigan, a GORGEOUS silver silk jacket, and my engineering-striped dress. (the black dress I bought in New York qualifies as a neutral, if anything ever did...)  

  I'm just going to work with five simple black ... View the Post

Solid Clothes with Patterned Jewelry in a Capsule Wardrobe

March 12, 2015

I'm often asked about the possibility of wearing only solid-colored clothing - nothing patterned. Because I show stripes and flowers (and every other kind of print) so often, some people seem to be concerned that wearing only solid colors is somehow prohibited.

First off, let me make it perfectly clear that, in my opinion, you can wear anything that makes you happy. So long as you don't get arrested, or fired from your job, go for it. Let your preferences shine through. Express your personal preferences, your inner nuttiness, or your freak flag - it's only clothing, and as long as you are truly, deeply happy with what you wear, the rest of us can just accept it. Ultimately, it's up to you!

Another request I recently ... View the Post

Start with Art: Still Life with Bottle by Samuel John Peploe

March 11, 2015   Ah, this made me think of warm weather, leisure, simplicity, being outdoors...  

  Yes, it's a cardigan, but it's relaxed, and it's linen! When choosing loafers for this trip, I would make sure that they were low enough cut over the foot so that they would look nice with shorts, worn without socks. I'd even travel without socks, although I think I'd want some sort of little socklet/footie for in the airport. Barefoot in the airport gives me the willies!  

  If you're only going away for a few days, a Six-Pack is the perfect way to pack. These clothes would fit into the smallest tote...   (No, this dress has not been made to measure for someone - the brand name is ... View the Post

Start with Art: Version 2 Lake and Red Tree by Tom Thomson

March 7, 2015   A couple of days ago when I first worked with this painting, someone suggested substituting black for the brown that I used. Since black appears in the painting, this wasn't a misuse of the painting, and it produced some lovely ensembles.   I kept the same sweaters and blouses, in order to use the identical accent colors, but I substituted everything else. The accessory theme today is flowers!

 

 

love, Janice

                            ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Lake and Red Tree by Tom Thomson

March 5, 2015  

These colors made me want to create outfits for a woman who was strong, confident, and who could stand up to the vividness with appropriate exuberance. This is a woman who considers red boots to be a neutral... oh yes, she likes boots!  

The neutral beige can come in handy on a day when one wants to be a bit less confrontational, or at least settle into the background more than usual. 

If you're struggling to find a scarf that combines particular colors, check out Valezhki on Etsy. While Etsy is rapidly becoming yet another dumping ground for mass-produced Asian junk (think of ebay...), there are still some talented crafts-persons to be found there.

  And while ... View the Post

A Clothing Diary Week 2

February 17, 2015   Week #2 is an ongoing effort to dress when the weather is brutally cold. I find that I'm liking wearing dresses more and more, for the speed and the uncomplicated sleekness they bring.   Someone asked me about tights... Tights should be as easy and as comfortable as leggings or yoga pants. (Yoga pants especially are considered the most comfortable garments ever made!) Keep trying different brands and sizes of tights until you find some that don't dig into any part of your body, but rather hug you warmly and softly. You will then be able to pop on a dress in a heart-beat and be read to roll!   Some of you were interested in where my goodies were purchased, so I'm including a caption that shows brands. ... View the Post

Maximize Your ROI: St. John Collection scarf

February 16, 2015

Sometimes retailers can be so maddening! This is NOT an inexpensive scarf, but there's really no way to get a truly excellent photograph of it. For this much money, I would think that they could scare up two more photographs to show the entire scarf, as well as a 2nd close-up of the print. But nobody asked me...

That said, this is a beautiful scarf, and one of you has chosen to indulge in it, and wondered how I would put it together with clothes and other accessories...

Red - so easy, and so striking! In addition to working with the colors of the scarf, I enjoyed finding "flower-ish" accessories to tie it all together. Nobody may notice but you...

Something became clearer to me as I worked on ... View the Post