The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Weekly Timeless Wardrobe Archives - Page 5 of 15

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #45: Warm Pants

January 24, 2022

I know I'm getting old when I start reminiscing about things you used to be able to BUY... but who else among us can remember going into a department store (pretty much any of them!) and buying a pair of wool pants, fully lined? Possibly with the blazer and skirt to match?

Those were the days....

I thought that today I would share with you lovely wool pants that I found, but nearly everything that I saw broke 1 of my 2 general rules for garments on The Vivienne Files; lots of them were over $1,000 US, or they only came in single-digit sizes.

I wish I had kept some of my pants from 40 years ago...

Still, we have to get dressed even now, and unless we make our own pants, we're going to have to work with ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #44: Corduroy Pants

January 17, 2022

Corduroy is one of my favorite fabrics - and I have no reason why! I know that some people don't like the "schwoop, schwoop" sound that your thighs make when you walk in them, but I'm pretty sure nobody else can hear that!

I like the softness of the fabric, and the richness of the colors; corduroy seems to take dye beautifully. But if you just can't bear the idea, you can always just get a nice pair of winter pants in place of these. Maybe wool - remember wool pants? With LININGS? The '80s weren't all bad...

I'm assuming that we're all in the mood for a simple outfit - pants and a sweater. Toss on a scarf, and some fun shoes, as well as some jewelry, and you're out the door. Well, not these days; at least ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #43: A Print, or Another Accent Color Cotton Turtleneck

January 10, 2022

I have finally realized (for the millionth time, actually) that winter is NOT a good time to buy winter clothes. My goal for this week was to show you nice lightweight cotton turtlenecks in stripes, or paisleys, or some whimsical prints, that brighten up your winter outfits.

I could show you swimwear more easily...

So? I'm not a martyr to my lists, nor am I completely nuts; we're going to look at more options for turtlenecks in pretty accent colors. For those among us who crave colors, there's really no limit to how many different color bottom layers you can have in the dead of deep, dark winter!

For example - if you have a beautiful scarf that you adore, you should definitely be looking for a tee shirt or ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #42: An Accent Color Cotton Turtleneck

January 3, 2022

Happy New Year! Let's all be as kind, and as happy, as we can possibly manage! Why do anything else, right?

Today, I'm looking at the possibilities of a suit with a turtleneck. Not a "real" suit - although you could certain wear a real suit if your life calls for one. I'm thinking more of a matching 2nd layer top and pants. This can be sweatpants - we're not judgmental...

First up, no matter how grey the day, or your wardrobe, the addition of butter yellow brightens up everything!

 

Why yes, Santa is bringing me this lavender turtleneck... Gift cards can be lovely...

Oddly enough, you are going to see this next turtleneck twice; sometimes scarves that I see seem to suggest the same accent ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #41: A Dark Neutral Cotton Turtleneck

December 27, 2021

Now that we've all survived the extravagance and jollity of the early winter holidays, it's time to remind ourselves that - most of the time - we need some practical, neutral clothes to serve as the base for our more wonderful and distinctive things...

I suspect that many of us got sweaters for Christmas or Hanukkah... (yes, a sweater you buy yourself is still a gift!)

If you're trying to find an easy way to wear your new sweater, how about layered over a neutral column?

This is also a good way to bring a new scarf into an outfit in a way that really emphasizes the color(s) and pattern of the scarf!

Think about what fabric you want, and what cut. Do you want a more lightweight turtleneck? All natural ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #40: A Light Neutral Cotton Turtleneck

December 20, 2021

Is it cold yet where you are? (Northern Hemisphere, obviously!) Chicago is NOT "Winter cold" - more still like Autumn... With the first day of Winter tomorrow, I still don't think it's going to suddenly snow and get freezing cold!

That said, it's still cold enough to wear layers - I've been layering 2 tops, and then wearing a down vest as my outerwear. With a scarf and gloves, I have been warm enough, so far.

So all of these outfits are right in my wheelhouse!

Cotton turtlenecks are great for warmth, for bringing some much-needed light and plainness under a bold or bright top, or for giving you some softness under a scratchy sweater. My favorite fisherman knit crewneck is itchy as heck, so I never wear it ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #39: A Dress

December 15, 2021

Yes, many of us don't wear dresses very often, but it's worth keeping in mind how very EASY it is to wear a dress. One garment - DONE... No coordinating separates, no worrying if you tee shirt is too short to tuck in (or too long) etc. etc...

And you can pretend to be all dressed up, even if you dress is made of sweatshirt fabric, or fleece!

This is the dressiest dress I'm sharing today - but this could get dressed down a lot with brown boots, and a brown sweater (or rust, or camel!). This weight of dress could be useful for all but the hottest weather, too.

If you're only going to own one dress, this next one is worth a look. Black ponte knit, short sleeves, modest neckline but beautiful swirl of skirt. ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #38: A Neutral 2nd Layer

December 8, 2021

Time for another 2nd layer! In honor of all of the gift-giving occasions in the recent past and near future, I'm suggesting cashmere sweaters! (and yes, you can indeed purchase a gift for yourself? Who better to buy, and who better to receive?)

I'm recycling last week's skirts, showing them in a less dressy way. If you're going to own a skirt, you may as well get some mileage from it, right?

A simple, beautiful sweater can be worn with lots of things, and will always elevate your outfit by a notch or two; if I were to only own 1 sweater, it would be a black cashmere cardigan:

The same plaid skirt that you wore for a holiday neighborhood gather can be worn to work too....

The brown toile skirt ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #37: A Skirt

November 29, 2021

 

Ah, skirts... Some of us love them, many of us don't. But this time of year, one well-chosen skirt can get you through lots of dressy occasions, without a massive investment in multiple outfits. Pick a color or fabric that you deeply love, and that looks good with the neutrals in your existing wardrobe, and build around that!

Imagine that you bought this skirt, and each winter holiday season after that, you treat yourself to a piece of pink tourmaline jewelry, or a stunning evening bag, or just a couple of gold "things" to brighten up your winter wardrobe:

the sequined top comes in black, grey and pink, too...

If you love earth tones, this next skirt might be a good one to consider; if the slit is ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #36: A Print or Pattern Neutral Top

November 22, 2021

It's getting to be that time of year when you might want to look festive, but not get really DRESSED UP... For those of us who will be celebrating the holidays with only 3 or 4 people in our household, something colorful but not "over the top" might be just the ticket!

I'm a big fan of thermal fabric tee shirts and tops - the texture is casual, but the depth of color in the weave makes them just a bit more interesting than a plain tee shirt...

If it's already quite cool where you are, it's worth considering a turtleneck! (I really wanted to make certain that all of the fans of navy were aware of this top - it's so OBVIOUS to make a dotted turtleneck, isn't it?)

You don't have to wear red and green to be ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #35: A Print or Pattern Neutral Top

November 15, 2021

The randomly chosen comment from last week's scarf give-away was #47:

Jacqueline Croydon - please send me your mailing information, so that I can send you YOUR NEW SCARF!!!

Note, I'm working on another scarf for Wednesday, which I also have in my hot little hands, to give to one of you...

Now, down to The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe!

Solid colored clothes are the core of any functional wardrobe, but woman does not live by solids alone! If you love florals, or stripes, or prints with dragonflies in them, you should NOT neglect these feelings - this is how you personalize your wardrobe!

A print doesn't have to be gaudy or loud - this shirt is beautifully subtle and elegant:

If you really want to ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #34: A Light Neutral Top

November 8, 2021

Before we plunge headlong into 24/7 sweaters (at least in Chicago!), we need to pause and make certain that we have an essential light neutral top to layer UNDER all of these warm things!

I can personally vouch for the usefulness of waffle-fabric tops - I'm currently alternating between my grey one and my black one every few days. They're perfect on their own when I'm in the (quite warm) apartment, but then they are nice and warm under a cardigan or flannel shirt...

Even for those of us who don't do all that well with things that button down the front, I think it's worth the effort to scare up at least a couple of tops with buttons. This next one would be great fun for dressing up just a bit through the ... View the Post