The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Archives for 2012

2012 - Page 21 of 25

Chic sightings: LaGuardia International Airport

One common characteristic that all of these women shared: a sense of planning.  They weren't over-burdened with a bunch of stray bags, they knew where their ID and boarding pass were, their hair was neat and clean, they wore modest but attractive makeup, they just didn't appear to be frazzled and out of control.  And some of the outfits that you might assume were worn by younger women were in fact being sported with great elan by women of a certain age.  With confidence and flair...

 

London 2012 sweatshirt – John Lewis, White capris – Monsoon, ballet flats – French Sole, black dress – DKNY, blue cardigan – Kenzo, tights – Fogal, bag – 3.1 Phillip Lim, pumps – ... View the Post

Airport follies

So in the last 48 hours, I've been on:

4 subways 3 buses 2 airplanes 1 taxi

and I logged more time hanging out in 2 airports than I'd care to relive, except for the AMAZING people-watching.

At LaGuardia yesterday, they should have had a paramedic team on standby all day, because I saw FOUR different women fall off of their shoes, in a 90-minute period.  If there is ever a day in your life when you must assume you're going to be walking a lot, it's a day when you fly.  Sometimes I feel like I've walked halfway from Chicago to my destination before I ever get on a plane, and that's a phenomenon that gets repeated after arrival.  So what prompts someone to wear 6-inch heels with 2-inch platforms when they're ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing for 1 night in New York with no suitcase

Yes, I'll be in New York for about 24 hours - I'm flying in, having dinner, sleeping (I hope), and then running literally TWO errands the next morning, and flying back.  Because I'm going to be racing about with very little "down time", I've determined that I don't want to pack more than I'm prepared to carry with me at all times...To the rescue - the Tumi bag that I've been carrying for almost 10 years as a brief case.  It was originally a diaper bag, but it's logged more miles as an all-purpose bag than I can remember.  I've determined that I'm NOT going to wear my usual argyle cardigan - switching from black & white stripes to grey with Hermes will give me at least a different feeling on the 2nd day. Clothing, pajamas, ... View the Post

Customizing the Classics: the trench coat

Trench – A.P.C.  

Yellow – Burberry, blue – Burberry, green – Lanvin, bright indigo – Burberry, purple – Max Mara, red – Burbearry, raspberry, orange – Burberry  

Sage green – Wallis, white – Ann Demeulemeester, pale grey – Moncler, olive grey – Organic by John Patrick, apricot/lt. blue – Dries van Noten, light denim – Derek Lam, grey – Preen, yellow – L.L.Bean  

Trench coat with ruffled hem – Miu Miu, drawstring hem coat – Acne, san suede waterfall-front coat – Ralph Lauren Black Label, cotton belted coat – Carven, leather jacket – Preston Knight, beige coat with black leather piping – Marni, short waxed cotton jacket – Vince, military style jacket - Gryphon  

Metallic brown ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe: Packing in taupe & blue

This is the last of the cardigan-based travel wardrobes that started with last week's "Flying in Cardigans".  This assortment is ideal for a short business trip which combines dressy and more casual activities.  I apologize for my currently messed-up schedule, I'm going to have to rely on your imaginations to build all of the possible combinations yourself!

Cardigan – BANK, earrings – Majorica, tee shirt – John Lewis, pants – Michael Kors, cotton parka – Altazarra, loafers – Burberry, scarf – Etro, tote – Michelle Vale  

Linen cardigan - Toast, blue top – Reiss, taupe silk blouse – Alexander Wang, earrings – Amrita Singh, taupe sweater – Paul Smith, Dress – Isaac, cropped pants – Reiss, skirt – Marc Jacobs, ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – What to pack for Paris in grey & black

This is pretty close to what I pack when I go to Paris (or most other major cities that I visit).  I always take a pair of jeans, because we try to go to a rugby match when we're there!  My suitcase would probably have even more jewelry in it, and quite a few scarves; I find that I don't mind wearing monochromatic outfits day after day if I have my favorite accessories with me.   If I had to augment this assortment for a slightly longer trip, I would add a grey cotton twinset, and another pair of capris - maybe in a black and grey paisley print.   If you ever see someone in an airport dressed like this, come up and say hello - it will almost certainly be me!

A Simple Black and Grey Travel ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing for Paris in orange and beige

You DO understand that when we invoke the "dream meme" of Packing for Paris, we also mean "a plan for what I will purchase this spring and summer"?  I know we're not all going to Paris, but it's a lovely structure around which to plan this season's carefully curated and deliberately distilled wardrobe additions...And I've got to go to work soon, so you'll have to build your own outfits from these choices.  Someone once commented to me that it was like paper dolls!  Enjoy, and thanks for being here.

Cardigan – Oasis, earrings – Roberto Coin, tee shirt – Michael Stars, khakis – Mulberry, jacket – Burberry, loafers – J. Crew, scarf – Debenhams, tote - Madewell  

Cardigan – Richard Nicoll, Tank – A.L.C., ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing for April in Paris, in navy & yellow

Cardigan – Erdem, aquamarine stud earrings – Lord & Taylor, tee shirt – Debenhams, pants – J. Crew, jacket – Barbour, navy loafers – Robert Zur, scarf – Ralph Lauren, tote - bcbg  

Cardigan – L.K. Bennett, scarf – Liberty London, gold hammer stud earrings – Lord & Taylor, aquamarine bracelet – Pippa Small, Sleeveless top – Acne, yellow stone bracelet – Baccarat, Dress – Erdem, navy enamel necklace – Kenneth Jay Lane, navy earrings – Kate Spade, navy skirt – Nicole Farhi, navy flats – Jil Sander, yellow pants – Pucci, cropped pants – Marni, 5 tee shirts – J. Crew, yellow sweater – Burberry Brit, yellow flats - Bloch   ... View the Post