The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories: Turquoise, Coral, Black and Ivory 1 at a Time

April 8, 2016  

Yesterday's "1 Piece at a Time" capsule wardrobe is a great base for accessories - although trying to find turquoise and coral that are the same shades can make you a bit daft...This is our starting outfit:

 

Shoes are critical, and I thought that a simple ballet flat would be pretty with the swing and movement of the black skirt.A small-ish bag is my next accessory choice. I'm particularly smitten with that octagonal bag...

  I love earrings, so they're next! While I'm not usually a big fan of "matchy-matchy" accessories, I think there's some wisdom to purchasing the earrings that were manufactured in the same batch as your necklace; you know that they're the same overall mood and ... View the Post

12 Months, 12 Outfits in 6 Capsule Wardrobes: April

April 1, 2016

What fun! I was really eager to get to these outfits, and see how the assembled capsule wardrobes continue to grow. For April, I was thinking of an outfit that provides a transition between seasons, and gives us a couple of solid basic garments (and some fun jewelry!).Capri or cropped pants are the kind of garment that can be worn twice a week for the next six months, so it's important to get these into your wardrobe early. I chose really basic neutrals for all six wardrobes, so there's lots of different ways for them to work for you.

A sweater might seem sort of counter-intuitive going into warm weather, but these sweaters are all either linen or cotton, so they can be tossed over your shoulders as necessary, without ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 by Georgia O’Keeffe Part 3

March 26, 2016  

Remember our friend in the cabin? She's made a bold decision...  

  WWSM (Widowed Woman Seeking Man) for sporting events, opera, symphony, dining, and whatever else we want to do... (she thought about specifying an age range for respondents, but she really doesn't care if her new friend is just out of college...)

Must be a man who appreciates simple pleasures, and is unimpressed by logos, bling, and obvious displays of wealth or debt. (if they're hanging around with her thinking that they'll get written into her will, they've got another thing coming!)

 

I will buy tickets if you do the driving! (maybe this will give them a hint that she remembers when Nixon ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 by Georgia O’Keeffe Part 2

March 25, 2016  

When we left our heroine, she was unpacking her things in her new cabin...Remember, her original wardrobe inspiration was this:

 

After a few weeks of settling in, she had met new friends and discovered a new routine of activities, interspersed with delightful leisure... And she realized that her love of wearing jeans was a reflection of her need for relaxation, which was now being fulfilled! So she decided to invest in a few new ensembles, to give herself a few more wardrobe options.

Her new home was a perfect combination of urban and rural: street lights on poles in the front, fireflies among trees in the back; city water in the front, a natural spring (far) in the back; mail delivery in the ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories: Denim, Stone, Pink and Soft Blue, 1 at a Time

March 24, 2016  

This wardrobe is such a nice mix of casual fabrics with soft and pretty accents, I thought that I would try to continue the theme of femininity in the accessories, without getting too girly or sissy... I love these challenges!The original wardrobe is from yesterday; this is the starter outfit:

While I felt that jeans and a sweatshirt strongly suggested boots, I limited my choices to softer colors or boots with a metallic sheen to them. A lady-like boot might be a stretch, but these at least have a lighter feel to them!For the first bag, I wanted to see something in the stone neutral, but with a bit of softness, or texture, or "pink-ness" to it...

An all-navy outfit strongly suggests a scarf that ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories: Cobalt, Black and Grey, 1 at a Time

March 22, 2016  

I love this wardrobe...This wardrobe was originally put together in this post; with the starting outfit I'm leaning toward a pair of shiny black flats:

And for no better reason than to show some variety, I think that we'll give our mystery wearer a nice clutch bag. If you're not usually a handbag person, maybe all you really need is one nice bag for dressy occasions!

 

I'm changing the order of the accessories here so that I can find a scarf to really tie this outfit together. This is another thing that you really want to bear in mind when you're finding accessories for your wardrobe - they should be sourced (purchased, gift-hinted, etc.) in whatever order you need ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories: Grey, Blue, Lilac and Black, 1 at a Time

March 18, 2016  

The more I look at these colors, the more I like them; for a wardrobe with only 16 pieces, there are wide-ranging options from somber black to gentle pastels. This shows the possibilities of just a few pieces of carefully-chosen clothing.Here's the original wardrobe, and this was out starting point:

I thought it would be nice to show the possibility of some metallic accessories!

  And small, simple, classic silver earrings...

 

But you are always going to want a pair of neutral shoes. (well, I'm sure someone out there would be happy wearing silver shoes every day. If that's you, then do it!)

 

The Ted Baker floral scarf was perfect with our first outfit, ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories: Lime, Coral, Beige and Cream, 1 Piece at a Time

March 17, 2016 This wardrobe cried out for a bright floral tote bag... I managed to avoid the temptation and look for things a little bit more restrained. The original wardrobe step by step can be seen here; this was where we started:  

Take care of the essentials first thing - shoes and a bag!

 

The coral color put me in the mood for some rose gold...

 

Some of these shoes you've seen before, but I like them, and I think they're terribly versatile!

 

The overall warm feeling of this wardrobe suggested GOLD to me.

 

Three choices here: (1) ornate, (2) small and simple, or (3) statement, but still streamlined. Choices are a good way to isolate what ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories, 1 at a Time: Navy, Beige and Poppy

March 12, 2016   Remember this wardrobe, viewable here? Time for some essential accessories!  

Start, as always, with some shoes in which you could do serious walking:

  This time, you might prefer a small bag:

 

 

I will always have earrings as the 3rd step, but from here on, the order of choices, and the overall numbers, are entirely up to you. If you want to have 3 pairs of sunglasses, go for it!

 

I love the range of off-white shoes that are available. Since the materials are very different from those of your garments, the colors don't have to match exactly, but they should be in the same color family. It's easy to wander into the "too grey" crowd if you're not ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe of Accessories, 1 at a Time: Navy, Yellow and White

March 9, 2016

I promised you accessories, and I try to always keep my promises! My plan is to take a representative outfit from each step of the wardrobe built earlier (this one is here), and then show a few choices for accessories. It will make more sense once you see it in action, I hope...

This was the "starter outfit" for the wardrobe in question. The first accessory needed, without exception, is shoes! With warmer weather coming, mules could be a fun choice, but there are those among us who are devoted to their driving mocs, or their ballet flats, so those are also possibilities.

For most of us, given the lack of pockets in our clothing, a bag is essential. I was trying to find a mid-sized, classically styled option ... View the Post

12 Months, 12 Outfits in 6 Capsule Wardrobes: March

March 1, 2016   It's that time again!   This month, I have chosen outfits that are the most casual way POSSIBLE to wear a skirt. While you might never feel comfortable wearing a skirt with a pair of Keds, it's a normal outfit for me, and it at least gives you a good laugh at my expense!   Just a reminder, these are the scarves around which I'm building each capsule wardrobe. Your choice of focal point does NOT have to be an expensive scarf - it can be any beautiful object or image that resonates with you. If your favorite picture in the world is your computer wallpaper, work with it!   But I feel like I should mention that if you really DO love one of these scarves, don't hesitate to get it. Hermes does NOT carry ... View the Post

The Finishing Steps: Shifting Accessories from Cool Colors to Warm Colors

February 15, 2016  

When we left this project, it was neither fish, nor fowl, nor good red meat, as they say...But that's okay, because transition REQUIRES a period of "this and that." Unless you're going to throw out absolutely everything and start from scratch (which I don't recommend, and actively discourage!), you're going to find yourself in this kind of spot if you choose to make a major wardrobe shift. Just press on, patiently and intelligently...

Step 6 - Shoes for Skirts, and a Tote Step 6 of the clothing change gets rid of black skirts and move toward warmer pieces, so your black pumps and boots are pretty obsolete! And you might as well address a new tote bag, since you're in the "leather goods" mood.

Since ... View the Post