The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Archives for 2015

2015 - Page 5 of 26

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Arrival of the Normandy Train, by Claude Monet

November 6, 2015

She loves Paris, and she loves Monet, and she loves these colors...

Just three colors here, but WHAT colors...

 

Softly shaded colors, blended shades, and a few touches of a grid pattern to do homage to the glass roof of the train station. These subtle shades aren't easy to find. Happily, they can be blended, rather than having to be perfectly matched!  The Trains are Essential  She has a list of destinations. She's planned VERY carefully, studying train maps at length. While she understand that schedules might change, she's confident that she will make it from city to city with no problems. Taking trains is truly the only way she can make it work!

A little bit dressy, a little bit ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Scarf: Black Dahlia by Yuh Okano

November 5, 2015

 

When this scarf arrived Chez Vivienne Files, I thought "there's no way on planet Janice that I'm giving this scarf away!"But of course, I managed to rein in my enthusiasm and genuine admiration for this beauty, and I'm going to give it to one of you. Leave a comment... and yes, no matter where you are in the world, you may certainly comment and be entered to win! I'll ship anywhere...

 

It's a crispy but sheer silk organza (?), and it's primarily black, white and shades of grey, but there's this elusive hint of pink that makes it just... riveting. You can get truly mesmerized looking at it! The size is about 6' by 1' - a nice manageable size for a big fluffy bow...Colors were so ... View the Post

A Couple of Small Upgrades…

November 4, 2015

I'm not feeling super-strong these days, so I'm resting up, but I do NOT forget about you all!

Today, I'm sharing a couple of quick and easy little things that I've done that amuse me. Do bear in mind that I am easily amused...

First up, there's a very distant chance that you remember that I own a pair of excellent wing-tip oxfords, from Clif in Paris. Very similar ones still available HERE; bless them for not changing all of their styles every year. Their philosophy is similar to mine - timeless, elegant, classic...

But I realized a few weeks ago that I hadn't had these beauties out of the closet in almost 2 years!

When we were in London, we saw these beautiful critters in the window at Church's ... View the Post

You’ll Thank Me…

His name is Phil Rosenthal, and he travels, and he eats. His enthusiasm is infectious, and he goes to some amazing places...

http://video.pbs.org/program/ill-have-what-phil-having/

Watch him...

love, Janice

p.s. This is indeed L'As du Falafel, in Paris... mmm...

  ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Dantis Amor by Rossetti – THE FINALE

November 2, 2015

I think this is going to be my last post about Dantis Amor; as much as I love the painting... Today, we're dressier, we're completely out of control shopping, and we're going to travel along with one of our friends....Just a few reminders of our Style Reference Point:

 

Thanksgiving is Canceled... Yes, her grandchildren have 2 sets of grandparents. Somehow, this year, they're ALL going to the "other side" for Thanksgiving. And she is going to be home alone....

Or not...

She always wanted to see the Thanksgiving Parade in New York. She always wanted to eat at that restaurant. She always wanted.... lots of things. This is the year!

She got onto her computer, and cashed out every flyer mile and ... View the Post

Scarf Selling Saturday: Hermes Les Instructions du Roy, in Light Blue

Another chance to buy one of my beautiful scarves! I have so much TOO much stuff; and this is a scarf that needs to get out and about and get some appreciation...  

But first things first  last Saturday's Venice scarf! Dear MzMary, who left the very LAST comment on that post, please send me a note at [email protected] so that we can arrange for your purchase of the gorgeous Frey Wille scarf...

So how might someone wear the scarf above?

First up, there are substantial touches of taupe in the scarf, so I envisioned someone in a simple taupe dress, a fabulous bracelet or two, and simple pumps, with the scarf tied in her hair - maybe holding back a low pony tail? Nothing over the top, but softly ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Dantis Amor by Rossetti – Step 3

October 30, 2015  

Now the fun starts! The clothes from yesterday are certainly very nice, if not mind-bending, but in order to give things just a touch of zest, and a sense of finish, some well-chosen accessories are imperative! (well, shoes are imperative, even if you never wear a scarf or a piece of jewelry; when pressed to offer up what piece of clothing every woman, without exception, should own, the only thing I can honestly think of is shoes...)Reminders of our basic style source, and the clothes with which we're working:

 

 

As I said, shoes first! I always look for something comfortable - that's completely NOT negotiable. When men start wearing uncomfortable shoes, I will too. In the meantime, my ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Dantis Amor by Rossetti – Step 2

October 29, 2015   Okay, now that we have our color scheme, we'll need to start picking clothes!  

As always, I'm going to start with the neutrals, since they're the really essential foundation garments for your 4 by 4 wardrobe. First up, the elusive camel, or vicuna, or caramel, or walnut (although I think of walnut as darker), or amber, or whatever else this color might be called. This is one of the essential qualities that you have to bring to the clothing search - a real flexibility in how you describe what you want! And look outside your normal comfort zone - Google images and see what comes up. 

This turned out to be a tremendously tough color to find, unless you were interested in spending four ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Dantis Amor by Dante Gabriel Rosetti – Step 1

You've been asking for years - HOW to I look at a work of art and devise a color-scheme from it?Today is my attempt to explain a little bit of what I do...

First off, let's pick a piece of art that I personally really admire. The admire part is critical - you need to love the colors, the subject, and the style of the art in question, or there's no point in analyzing it in any detail. If you're looking for a piece of art to serve as an inspiration or a leitmotif for your wardrobe, it must be something with real "staying power" in your heart.

This painting would never work for me for my wardrobe - all the wrong colors. But otherwise, I'm a big fan. I can't pinpoint what it is that I love about Pre-Raphaelite painting, but I am always ... View the Post

Down Vests: Eight Outfits

October 27, 2015  

For us in Chicago, it's that time of year when you haven't a clue how to dress for the weather - absolutely cold mornings turn into beautiful afternoons.. A down vest can be a useful, and fairly modestly priced, option.I've seen a few really well styled outfits, so I copied them as best I could, and then I built on the core ideas to show a few additional options. Please note that these vests are pretty trim in cut, and have a very clever elastic inset at the waist, in the back. There are not your mother's puffer vests! (although I still wear mine...)

This was the outfit that got me started thinking about vests; what really elevated the elegance factor here was the cashmere tee, the gorgeous scarf, and the ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Music Party, East Cowes Castle by Joseph Mallord William Turner

October 26, 2015   It takes a minute or two for the images to become clear...  

But it's worth the wait. These are great colors for this time of year! 

  Skipping the Reunion, Again Every year, their school has a reunion. And every year, they get together in their favorite pub, and decide that they don't want to go! (everybody in the world did NOT love their school years...) It's become a tradition...

The someone pulls out the National Rails Timetable, and they haggle around a bit about where they go for a weekend away. This year, Edinburgh!

A few weeks ago, they knew nothing. Now, they're ready for one of the great castles in the world, beautiful scenery, excellent architecture, buckets of ... View the Post

Scarf Selling Saturday: Venice Scarf by Frey Wille

October 24, 2015

As promised, here's the first of the scarves that I want to sell, and it's a really amazing one!I used to be quite mad about Venice, and when I saw this scarf, it was irresistible. That said, I don't remember ever wearing it, so it's in great condition.

Quality is very comparable to an Hermes scarf in terms of silk weight, size, and finish. It's difficult to see on photographs, but this scarf has a bright red contrast hemmed edge against the more deep maroon red right next to it. Imagine the skill it takes to (a) dye the edge of the scarf at just the right width to form the edge, and then (b) roll it and stitch it in place to form the contrast edge. This, to me, is the mark of a crafted item, rather than something ... View the Post