The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Archives for November 2011

November 2011

In Praise of Whimsical Socks

Zebras – Old Navy, stripes – Wetseal, dots – Kate Spade, stripes – Armor Lux, crocheted – Pacsun, 2  Fair Isle – Peopletree.co.uk, argyle – Kate Spade  

Ah, for us workers bees, the holiday season wardrobe is boring, boring, BORING.  Black tee shirt, jeans, work shoes.  Gray tee shirt, jeans, work shoes.  Rinse and repeat ad nauseum.  And oh yes, don't forget my apron, which all employees wear...

A sock with a bit of color, pattern, or texture doesn't make a lot of difference in how I appear; very few people get much of a look at my socks.  But at least my laundry basket has a bit of zing to it!

And although I know I won't win a Nobel Prize for this, I have not lost a sock in decades.  When ... View the Post

Michigan Avenue Style Lab: Navy pea coats

I don't see very many pea coats, which is a shame, because they can be quite attractive.  Just in the last week I've seen two, both of which were accessorized with colors relatively near to navy on the color wheel.  Clearly, my eye is drawn to the strongly monochromatic vertical line, with striking accessory accents!

Pea coat - Burberry, beret & gloves – Portolano, scarf – Bindya, navy turtleneck – Splendid, navy pants – Theyskens, black boots – Rochas, plaid shirt – J. Crew, jeans – Levi’s,  green beanie – Topshop, green shawl – Black.co.uk, navy gloves – Bottega Veneta, green boots - Hunter   ... View the Post

Michigan Avenue Style Lab: Trench coats

In this sort of "middling" weather we're having right now (40's to 50's Fahrenheit), a trench coat is a great outerwear choice.  I've seen some lovely ensembles based on them in the last few days...  

Trench coat – A.P.C., beret – Liberty.co.uk, leopard scarf – Fendi, gloves – Banana Republic, black turtleneck – Jil Sander, black pants – Etro, black boots – Rochas, striped tee – Dorothy Perkins, jeans – Levi’s, red boots – Frye, red cashmere scarf & gloves – N. Peal       ... View the Post

A retail rebellion

I work in retail, and I'm quite grateful to have any job at all, right now.  But many of my fellow workers are being mistreated, and you can change that.

The day after Thanksgiving is, in the US, a big shopping day - one of the biggest of the year.  In a bizarre effort to increase the amount of shopping done on that day, retailers are opening their stores earlier and earlier each year.  Now, the final straw, Target stores are opening AT MIDNIGHT on Thanksgiving evening!

If you're an employee, do the math.  "I have to be in the store at 11 p.m., so I have to leave for work at 10:30 p.m... I'm going to work at least 9 hours, so I'll have to sleep before I go to work, so I realistically need to be in bed by... 2:00 ... View the Post

Maximize your ROI: leather skirt

Brown leather skirt – Ralph Lauren  

Silk blouse – Hante Hippie, cardigan – Golden Goose, sweater – Ralph Lauren, suede pumps – Sergio Rossi, bow pumps – Clarks, gold disc earrings – Kenneth Jay Lane, necklace – Kate Spade, brown clutch – Maison Martin Margiela, gold bracelet – Citrine by the Stones, scarf - Missoni  

Beige sweater – Oasis, gray sweater  - J. Crew, ivory sweater – Isabel Marant, twist scarf – Hortensia, ombre scarf – Bajra, brown/gray scarf – Faiero Sarti, short boots – Madewell, backpack – Bothos, tall boots – SE Boutique  

Turtleneck – Missoni, pearl jewelry– Kate Spade, watch – Debenhams, yellow sweater – Lela Rose, green sweater – Jack Wills, square scarves – Hermès, ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing the Last-Minute Suitcase

Someday, the call will come:

Your Aunt Trudi is in the hospital, and nobody else can get there to be with her! or The data servers are all down in Edinburgh - get there NOW and fix them, or The Excel trainer broke her leg - you've got to go to New York tonight to teach the seminar, or Honey!  We're going to Paris TONIGHT for a long weekend!  (this is a dream we share, eh?)

  So somewhere in the back of my mind, every three or four months, I consider what I would do if I got this call.  The best defense, of course, is to have a carefully curated and deliberately distilled wardrobe, so that you just just stick your hand in the closet and grab a handful of things and you'll probably be okay.  And if ... View the Post

Maximize your ROI: brightly colored pants

Pants - Sandro  

Ivory sweater – Carven, teardrop earrings – Kendra Scott, plaid shirt – J. Crew, ankle boots – Common Projects, Beige sweater – Alexander Wang, blue & gold earrings – Amy DiGregorio, black & blue scarf – Diane von Furstenberg,  beige flats – Thierry Rabotin, black turtleneck – Vince, bracelet – Kenneth Jay Lane, black suede loafers – Rebecca Minkoff  

Beige cardigan – Zadig & Voltaire, scarf – Versace, blue silk tank – Kain Classic, lais pendant – Anton Heunis, tasseled necklace – Kenneth Jay Lane, black cardigan – Michael Michael Kors,, white tee – Paul Smith, white cardigan – Ralph Lauren, beige tee shirt – J. Crew, sandals – CO-OP Barneys, cap-toe ballerinas – AK Anne ... View the Post