The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Archives for 2013

2013 - Page 11 of 27

Transition: Whatever’s Clean in Navy and Pink

Ah, we're all pretty interested in how to shift from warm weather to cool.  Even if it's not yet time to actually WEAR cool-weather clothes, it's nice to have a plan in which we can do a bit of shopping and look forward.  So starting in August, we have this wardrobe:

Sleeveless and shorts seem like natural items to phase out (although that sleeveless navy top, with the navy cardigan, really is 12 month...).  So these would be the garments that would be slowing down:

Add in some jeans, a striped jersey, and a long-sleeved pink shirt in a pretty floral...

By October, you've got to say goodbye to the white pants, and it might be time to look for something to take the place of your white tee shirt, and your ... View the Post

We Have a Winner! in the Impressionism, Fashion & Modernity drawing

Yesterday evening, I tallied up the last of the entries, and found that I had 135 people entered into my drawing for the catalog for the Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago.  This is how I chose a winner.

 This is a particularly cool outcome, because Emma is only 10 years old, and is a BIG fan of Impressionism.  I'm sure everyone joins me in congratulating her on her good luck, and wishes her great joy in this lovely book.

The exhibit was amazing - very hard for me to digest in just one visit.  As one might expect, it was tremendously crowded (not "Mona Lisa room in the Louvre" crowded, but more like "on the staircase near the Winged Victory" crowded). ... View the Post

The ABC’s of Chic Sightings: Modest, Non-Smoking, Original

Our world is full of blatant displays of... appalling immodesty.  Really outrageous. I don't find it attractive, and I'm certainly not going to honor that kind of bad taste and bad judgment with the title of Chic Sighting.

People who smoke can be chic. I'm sure it's possible.  But I've never seen anybody ACTUALLY IN THE ACT of smoking who felt chic to me.  A cigarette hasn't been a chic accessory for at least 40 years...

You have to look like yourself.  You have to have something about your person that represents you, and you alone. Buying an entire outfit, from earrings to shoes, from a store or catalog, and turning yourself into a carbon copy of someone else is not chic, to me. ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 for a new season – shifting white tops

Another gradual change for my Project 333 wardrobe - the white tee shirt will give way to a simple white blouse. If you haven't had luck purchasing a button-front shirt, I can't encourage you enough to continue to try them on from time to time. Companies continue to tweak their cuts, and it's very possible that you will be able to find one that fits you perfectly. When I did my gig working in the bakery last year, I had to wear a white shirt EVERY DAY, and I found that Lands' End made petite styles that fit me as if made to measure. Now that I own FIVE of them, they are definitely going to get rotated into my fall and winter wardrobe.

And they're ideal for wearing scarves...

White Shirts for Cool Weather

Outfits with a white ... View the Post

Transition: Whatever’s Clean shifts from Summer to Autumn, in Beige and Green

Hypothesis:  You've had a lot of success with a small "Whatever's Clean" wardrobe, and you'd like to be able to make a seamless transition to cooler weather.

First off, shorts and sleeveless tops just feel wrong when school starts and the calendar rolls over to September.  So these would be the first three items to phase out.  

[/caption] In October, it might be time to give up linen pants and your simple white tee shirt.  

[/caption]   For November, these three are ready for a break:

[/caption] But of course you don't HAVE to put the nine replaced garments away - they'll still work well for layering.  Except the shorts - accept that most of us can only wear shorts in November in the ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Planning for a New Season, and learning from success

Everybody talks about learning from failure, but there are some excellent lessons to be learned from our successes, too.I've been really loving my summer wardrobe, and thus have decided to carefully think about the garments that I'm wearing frequently, and consider the possibility of finding a cool-weather version of those garments.  Building on my summer successes, if you will.

First and foremost, I'm wearing a black tank FREQUENTLY.  The logical shift for cooler weather, to my mind, will be a long-sleeved top with a similar cut and a similar neckline. Something like this:

So my favorite summer outfits will transition like this!  A simple tank and skirt, with a cardigan over my shoulders, will become more like a ... View the Post

You, Me, Impressionism, Fashion and Modernity

I missed a chance last week to go see this exhibit, so I'm going to see it Thursday, with Belovedest and his mother.

We stopped by the Art Institute of Chicago yesterday, to renew our annual memberships, and to check that we wouldn't need special tickets to see the Impressionism exhibit. And I bought a copy of the exhibit catalog, for one of you.

Send me an email at [email protected], and tell me your name, and your contact information (email address is best).  Friday morning, I'll put all of the names on a (hopefully very LONG) list, and generate a random number to choose the winner of the book.  Your book is still shrink-wrapped, so you can have that thrill of unwrapping it and thumbing through a pristine book full of ... View the Post

Pantone Fall Colors, and the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

July 28, 2013

I might be the last blogger in the world to be mentioning the Nordstrom Anniversary sale, but it's certainly worth mentioning, IF you have a clear idea of what you're planning to purchase for this fall and winter.  Nordstrom marks down selected NEW merchandise for a couple of weeks, before returning those items to their regular price in early August.  IF, AND ONLY IF, you KNOW what you need and want, this can be a great opportunity.  If you just wander in unprepared, you're doomed - everything looks delectable, and you will leave laden with parcels, flat broke, and confused...

I'm going to show you a few things that are currently on sale, and I've chosen them to reflect the colors that Pantone has advised ... View the Post

Simply Seasonless: Navy Skirt with White Dots

July 19, 2013    

 

Navy sweater -  Maison Martin Margiela, Scarf – Brooks Brothers, Boots – Frye, Pink sweater – Proenza Schouler, Necklace – Georg Jensen, Sandals – Softspots

Anchor-trim sweater – Lucien Pellat Finet, Pearl necklace – Ann Taylor, Navy suede flats – Brooks Brothers, Quartz earrings – Nikki Baker, green boucle tee shirt – Michael Kors, Hermès vintage scarf,   Suede flats – Butter  

Navy tee shirt – Paul Smith, Striped bag – TL 180,  Pumps – Bettye Muller, White embellished tee shirt – 3.1 Phillip Lim, Leather bracelet – Totokaelo, Striped flats – Jenni Kayne  

Tank top – Organic by John Patrick,  Earrings – Georg ... View the Post

Packing for an Emergency from Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 – warm weather

Realistically, Project 333 makes packing a snap - you don't have terribly much from which to choose, and if your garments were wisely chosen, most of them should go together pretty well.  But I always find it comforting to have a plan in mind, when those phone calls arrive.  I've had a few near misses recently with having to travel at the last minute, so I'm happy to have the following plan for the balance of the warm weather.   Travelling for me almost always involves flying - my relatives are scattered about the planet. Even on the hottest summer days, airplanes are cold (it's always WAAAY below zero at 35,000 feet), so a cardigan, a light wrap, and SENSIBLE shoes are always appropriate.

  In these clothes, I ... View the Post