The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Archives for 2018

2018 - Page 12 of 17

How to Pack Just Enough Accessories

March 26, 2018   So, while Friday's travel capsule wardrobe looked pretty good, it's really not complete! Without at least shoes (and maybe a bag) you're not probably going very far... (and yes, some people don't ever wear shoes; there are ALWAYS exceptions...)  

Let's do some planning, before we add accessories to that wardrobe - first, by remembering and building on our color palette.

 

It's worth considering if these colors will give you sufficient guidance for your choice of accessories. I like to - at a minimum - add a metal color, so that I don't just willy-nilly toss all of my jewelry into my bag! You might want to also be certain that you've got a dark neutral that's going to work for things like shoes ... View the Post

I Want to Pack ALL of my Clothes!

March 23, 2018  

All of my clothes are lovely - why can't I take EVERYTHING with me on vacation?Well... of course this isn't going to work, but it's a legitimate question that I think about every time I'm going out of town - if I take everything that I own that I really love, I'm just going to end up moving away. (don't tempt me - I LOVE to move...)But let's be adults about this for a few minutes; choices are hard, but must be made. Let's walk through an example to see 1 way to make these decisions rational, if not any easier!

Start with the spring into summer wardrobe:

The first thing you want to do is get EVERYTHING out in front of you, or at least on a list. Visibility is really key to see where redundancies ... View the Post

Shopping for Paris! Thanks to Talbots…

March 22, 2018

Yep - a sponsored post! It's always a fun occasion to sit down and browse through the Talbot's site, mentally trying on different pieces and pondering how I'd wear them, and how they might work with my existing wardrobe...And since I think I'm FINALLY going to make it to Paris in May, I thought that choosing some things with that trip in mind might be a way to add to the anticipation that's already almost out of control. (for those of you who haven't heard, I had to cancel a trip to Paris in December because of a fibromyalgia "interlude," and then ANOTHER attempt to go in February was rendered completely impossible by the worst flu I've ever had...)

Talbot's asked that I specifically look at their RSVP selections - ... View the Post

What I Wore, What I Packed, and What I Bought in Dublin

March 21, 2018  

Packing for unpredictable weather is always tricky... And since it's been snowing CATASTROPHICALLY in Ireland, off and on for the last few weeks, this trip was really a challenge!But I managed to cobble things together well enough - hallelujah! Of course, knowing that I would have my coat on most of the time makes things much easier.

2 things were really issues, the expected cold weather, and the unexpected moving out of the AirBNB into a hotel. I packed relatively lightly (for 10 days) because we were counting on doing laundry pretty regularly during our stay. Belovedest ran TWO Parkrun 5K's when we were there, so there were gym clothes in need of care...

So, theoretically, I would have been okay with just ... View the Post

Ireland! What a Vacation…

Back in Chicago, and slightly jet-lagged... (I know, the 2nd day is always worse...)We had a glorious trip - the highlight of which was the Ireland v Scotland rugby match at the Aviva Stadium. If you're not a sports, or a rugby, fan, trust me that this was a REALLY BIG DEAL, as it was the match that clinched Ireland's victory in the Six Nations Tournament, and set the stage for the St. Patrick's Day show-down against England at their stadium in London.It's quite the achievement to have clinched the title to a tournament with a match still yet to be played, but Ireland was so dominant in their first matches that nobody could touch them... It was delightful!

Belovedest and I had a couple of  "player sightings" in the days running ... View the Post

A Timeless 4 by 4 Wardrobe

March 19, 2018

While I'm in Ireland, here at The Vivienne Files we're wandering back through some of my most popular posts on Pinterest...Isn't this wardrobe timeless? I wrote this a year and a half ago - long enough for some people to want to get rid of every stitch and start over! - but I don't see a thing here that I wouldn't cheerfully wear today...

I hope you're all well and happy! If you're interested in where I am, and what I'm doing, come follow me on Instagram....

love, Janice

  ... View the Post

An Oldie, but A Classic…

This image turns up frequently on Pinterest, and that makes me really happy! This might be the concept of which I am the most proud, of all of the work that I've done on The Vivienne Files. The idea of being able to be well-dressed and fully-prepared for most of what life throws at us with only SIXTEEN pieces of clothing... Simplicity, economic responsibility, and care for the environment, as well as a clearly-defined personal style - they're all here!

But this is NOT the only template that I have suggested for planning a wardrobe - the original post from which this came runs through a variety of planning ideas that might be helpful...

love, Janice ... View the Post

Popular Posts on Pinterest….

If everything has gone according to plan, I'm in Dublin... (if THIS trip falls through, I'm just going to move to Europe and give up trying to visit there...)But of course I like to leave you pretty things to enjoy while I'm gone, so I thought that this time, I'd see what people are "pinning" from The Vivienne Files onto Pinterest. (if you've never visited Pinterest, be warned - it's a highly-addictive way to collect images that you love...)

These aren't going to be in any particular order, because this list fluctuates quite a bit... but one of the most popular posts? Accessories in the autumn colors from Pantone, for 2017:

As so often happens, I'm delighted to look at this and feel that it's really timeless. One might have difficulty ... View the Post

Periwinkle! A French 5-Piece Wardrobe, with Grey and White…

March 13, 2018

I have to admit, this might be my favorite color. Most shades and hues of purple are way up on my list... and since my favorite flowers are lilacs, hyacinths, and violets, it all sort of fits together!

These 2 garments work well together or separately, the earrings and scarf blend nicely, and what wouldn't you do for THAT BAG??? What a fresh jolt of spring this brings to the timeless grey and white...

If you start with some nice, casual piece in grey and white, you're in a good place... (this is the wardrobe from last Tuesday, of course)

 

You've got all sorts of ways to get dressed:

 

Adding that dash of periwinkle gives you more choices, of course, but it also really changes ... View the Post

Sage and Blush! A French 5-Piece Wardrobe, with Camel

March 12, 2018 I don't think I've ever pointed this out specifically - your French 5-Piece Wardrobe doesn't have to be all one color! It probably should all go together, if only to make wearing it easier, but 2 colors that are beautiful together could be a great idea...  

Imagine that you've already pulled together your camel and ivory Common Wardrobe for spring...

 

Yes, this is the same wardrobe from Monday the 5th - and the shirt is NOT (at this very moment) sold out... You would already have a good many ways to get dressed in the morning without really even thinking - that's handy when you're in a rush, and distracted!

When you add just the 5 new items you purchased for spring, your options ... View the Post

Lovet Green! A Great French 5-Piece Wardrobe, with navy and white

March 9, 2018   I haven't a clue what a lovet is... any ideas? But when I saw this color I knew that we had to look at it a bit - it really calls out to me...    

So if you're starting out with this lovely, and very versatile, classic wardrobe for spring... (which we saw last Friday...)

 

Without adding any accents at all, you're already pretty well-equipped for most of the occasions that you might encounter during the spring (or on a lovely spring break vacation!).

 

 

But adding on the green accents gives you some lovely possibilities.... And this is the kind of accent color that would be equally beautiful and useful in the autumn - always a ... View the Post