shoes Archives - Page 12 of 14

A Leaf Green Handbag: Integrating a New Accent Color

April 30, 2015 I've been thinking a lot about my friend's inclination to buy a bright green handbag. This time of year, when it feels like we haven't seen ANYTHING green since the Christmas tree came down, bright green can be really tempting. And if the bag in question is beautifully well made, in a classic design, the urge makes even more sense! This was the bag in question - you might be able to see the allure:

But I, for some reason, just can't quite see an ensemble in which you're wearing other colors (in this case, navy), and the only green thing in your outfit is the bag. Other people are okay with this, but for balance and a sense of intentionality, I like to see another green something included. ... View the Post

Custom Designed Shoes…. You’re Going to Owe me BIG!!!

April 28, 2015

My computer is behaving badly, and my familial obligations are cutting into my blogging time (which is fine, because I know you all understand!), but I have enough time to share this WONDERFUL site, where you can design your own shoes, and actually have them MADE!!!

Pick a general style, and start playing with leathers, fabrics, trim, ornaments etc. The prices are not out of this world (more department store than thrift store, but nothing I built was over $150), and the options are nearly limitless.

Many of you make your own clothes (and I know that at least a few of you are truly artists at what you do!), but some of us who don't have the facility, or the facilities, to do that could certainly indulge our ... View the Post

Maximize Your ROI: Black and White Houndstooth Check Flats

February 11, 2015

As I mentioned before, I've received a couple of questions about what to wear with a special pair of shoes. When I saw these, I KNEW I was going to have fun, given my abiding love of all things black and white:

A little fearless mixing of stripes is the perfect foil for these simple flats. And a classic black dress with just a hint of white would be madly useful through the summer.

Putting dots with the houndstooth of the shoes seemed like a fun idea, and the pleated shorts are a lot more forgiving than the super-short shorts that seem to be everywhere! The red dress is easy with the black and white shoes - and a bag in a MUCH larger houndstooth pattern keeps things amusing.

Any bright color works ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: Navy Tunic and White Cropped Trousers, times 6

July 22, 2014

It seems to be almost the uniform of the weekend - roll up the sleeves of a navy linen tunic, pull on some white cropped trousers, and accent with brightly colors jewelry and sandals... The jewelry isn't all precious stones, and the sandals are casual, but the effect of the bright accents was very eye-catching.I think you can learn a lot about your personal color preferences based on which of these looks appeal to you, or which you swear you could never wear!

love,

Janice ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 15: A Versatile Dress and an Accent Cardigan

July 11, 2014

Many of you have pointed out that we really need something dressy in the capsule wardrobe that can be worn in warmer weather, and many of you have asked specifically for a dress, so that's what we're doing today! These dresses are paired with accent cardigans, which dramatically pull together all sorts of looks... Very neutral, comfortable sandals will be wardrobe workhorses - make sure that they're appropriate for more than just one dressy occasion...Can you see turquoise jewelry here? And this dress with the simple beige cardigan and gold necklace would be lovely.

If you're not mad for sleeveless, just look for a dress with an elbow or bracelet sleeve.

No, this dress and ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 10: A Casual Jacket, Top and Shoes

July 3, 2014 So after we've prepared ourselves for those unavoidable formal occasions that crop up, let's have a bit more fun and pick up a few things for our capsule wardrobe to make us more "casual-worthy". First off - a jacket. This could be a hooded sweatshirt (one of my favorites), a denim jacket, leather jacket, or whatever strikes your fancy. Add in a relaxed top, and a pair of casual shoes (maybe in one of your accent colors?) and you've got a LOT more options...

love, Janice

... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 2: Shoes

June 19, 2014

Now that you're in the process of having your new and wonderful trousers altered to fit perfectly, it's the ideal time to make sure that you have the right shoes in our capsule wardrobe.

Let me vent. If you're one of those people who has a stack of shoes under their desk at work, or piled into a file cabinet drawer, it's about time to stop that. Trust me, the CEO does NOT keep a wardrobe of cheap shoes in their office. In fact, I'm willing to wager that absolutely nobody on the executive committee keeps an assortment of footwear under their desk. If we're in an office environment, let's measure up to the highest standards we can manage.

Whew! thanks for letting me get that off my chest...

Now, choosing excellent ... View the Post

Neutral Accessories: Shoes Part 2

May 16, 2014 This is the second half of the Neutral Accessories: Shoes post that I started yesterday. Although I'm trying to show all of the 14 neutral colors that I've included in my Combination of 3 Neutrals document, I chose put both of the shades of grey together. Similarly, I've put natural and khaki together... In both of these cases, the number of items available are so small that it didn't make sense to break them into separate listings!

love,

Janice Looking Back:

2012 - one of my favorite paintings of all time - I got to Start with Art: Monet Water Lilies. 2013 - Sometimes I need to be reminded of my Project ... 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

What Shoes Can I Wear with Navy Clothes?

April 25, 2014 It's a question that comes up often - what are the best shoes to wear with navy clothes? Well, men have, for generations, worn black shoes. Nobody would expect them to wear anything different; navy shoes worn with a navy suit would be inappropriate for most men in most business settings. I've never felt that there was anything wrong with women doing exactly the same thing... Or you can thrown yourself into the project of finding navy shoes that work with your clothes. Generally speaking, I think this means looking for about the darkest navy you can find that doesn't look like black. But then you've got to make sure that you keep your shoes together and that they don't migrate into your black ... View the Post

The Vivienne Files FAQ: Are Accessories Necessary?

March 4, 2014 Do you have to buy and wear accessories? Absolutely not - except most of us will have to wear shoes... But I very strongly feel that just a few well-chosen accessories can make a world of difference in how the simplest of garments come together into ensembles. If you're not comfortable wearing scarves, find a way to just throw one around your neck one day and then do your utmost to ignore it for as long as possible. Make sure your first scarf isn't anything floaty or filmy that's going to blow up into your face at the first opportunity. Maybe something quite small, tied up and out of the way so that you won't even really see it... Jewelry is also pretty useful - earrings especially ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Shoes

October 7, 2013

Lots of people have been interested in where I purchased my various Project 333 items, and what designers or brands were represented. So I'm going to break down the whole show, by category, and review what I have. Better yet, since so much of my stuff is no longer available, I'm going to source out reasonable facsimiles or replacements.Starting with shoes: I have 2 pair of loafers included in this assortment, and 2 pair of oxfords. If I were starting from scratch, I'd probably only get one pair of each. But here are the autumn shoes, shown in order of absolute criticalness in my life.

My loafers are from Stuart Weitzman, the tall boots are from Eddie Bauer, the athletic ... View the Post