June 28, 2023
She’s smitten with this…
So when her sweetheart invited her to a mystery weekend away, she has an idea…
They’re calling it a mystery weekend, but she knows that they’re traveling by train, so she can narrow down their destination to a couple of dozen cities…
Scarf – Ferragamo; earrings – Kate Spade New York; black cotton cardigan – L.L.Bean; bracelets – Fierce Lynx Designs; pink tee shirt – Alex Mill; linen pants – Wit & Wisdom; weekender bag – Vera Bradley; crossbody purse – Like Dreams; flats – Schutz
They’ve agreed that they will DEFINITELY dine out somewhere nice, but not “over the top.” And other than that, they will do the things that they always do when they’re in a “new to them” city – walk, window-shop, visit museums and historical sites…
Gold ribbed earrings – Bony Levy; leather-wrapped earrings – Talbots; pink pendant – Swarovski; striped linen shirt – Frank & Eileen; dotted top – Anne Klein; ivory cardigan – Alex Mill; striped bracelets – Roxanne Assoulin; striped tee shirt – Boden; stone cropped pants – L.L.Bean; square scarf – Echo; black pleated skirt – J.Crew; black espadrilles – J.Crew; gold bag – Like Dreams; gold espadrilles – Charleston Shoe Company
Her sweetheart has reminded her a couple of times to bring a sweater, because evenings will be cool. She could use this fact to try to figure out where they’re going, but she’s just going to roll along with the surprise!
If it turns warm, she’s prepared! And if it’s cool, she’s prepared!
It’s not like she can’t go shopping in an absolute emergency, right?
Have you ever been taken on a surprise trip? I’m torn – I can see how much fun it might be, but it sort of goes again my hyper-prepared personality!
And I can see the black and beige with different accent colors – if you see something very like this again, don’t be surprised!
love,
Janice
p.s. Six years ago, we were starting with denim and khaki, accented with camel and teal!
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I adore this one! I’d love to substitute the khaki for celadon green…I think that might a sweet twist. I’ve never been on a surprise weekend, but I love the idea!
💕 your capsule collections. I always say my favorite color is sea glass. How about a collection in those blue-green colors? Thank you!
Oh gosh, this is so pretty. Not my colors at all (any more) but i do love the black/white/pink. I was laying out my clothes yesterday for our train trip in a week or so and debating whether I had too much, but I have less than this, so guess I’m good! Ours will be very casual, so I don’t have to pack anything “extra” for a nice evening. This really is just lovely. Thank you Janice.
I love these colors! I may be planning my own weekend getaway around them soon.
I see SO many possibilities here. She can stay on her mystery vacation for two weeks. I love the little striped bracelets with the striped tee. And, yes, I would try them with the sleeveless checked top.
She could also swap out her neutrals and keep the beautiful pink. Warm, chocolate brown can replace black and cream can replace the stone/beige and she’s got another mood going. Of course, a few accessory swaps would be in order, but doesn’t she have a drawer full of scarves and a tray of bracelets at home?
I find this capsule wardrobe so very pretty. I am amazed that with simply two articles of pink clothing the whole wardrobe becomes feminine and light. The power of the accessories is transforming, and such a good lesson for me when packing.
I love the idea of a short surprise getaway with the caveat that I’m given some parameters for wardrobe needs.
Is this the same heroine from last summer who planned the black, white and pink wardrobe based on the painting of the Geisha? This wardrobe feels like a romantic extension of that wardrobe. I’m really loving that floral crossbody bag and with that swishy skirt, it feels like just the right thing for a romantic summer night.
I love black and beige and look forward to seeing it with other colors. Fuchsia or turquoise would be my picks.
I have been admiring the Roxanne Assoulinr bracelets for a long time, but I’ve been afraid to pull the trigger because I have metal sensitivities. Does anyone have any input on this?
Love everything about this except I also wouldn’t enjoy a surprise trip.
Thank you thank you for all you do!
Oh a surprise trip by train would be so exciting and romantic! I’d think twice about the wide legged long pants in transit ie getting on and off a train can be challenging in anything long and ‘sweep-y’. Though I’d certainly bring them for going to a nice restaurant or site seeing.
I’m a black and white person so cream is out for me but I adore black and camel/beige. I have a JCrew knitted blazer in their camel and despaired of finding much to wear with it but black looks amazing. Worn with a black cashmere turtleneck, black trousers and black suede booties accented with gold jewelry it’s sophisticated and timeless. The right ‘beige’ is key though. It can drain the life out of one’s face. I need the contrast of black or navy. A cream top under the beige does me no favours but would look lovely on another who requires less contrast. The pink is pretty but not MY pink..it’s too warm. Fuchsia or bright turquoise? Maybe a cooler coral or acid green? ( I can feel the flinching;) So my final verdict would be black, white and beige along with an accent. ( The fashion choices are lovely BTW)
This capsule has a lovely mix of classic and feminine vibes. I think the swishy quality of the black skirt and pants help blend the optic quality of the black/ivory pieces with the soft sweetness of the pink ones. Also black/ivory does have a softer feel than black/white, which helps. It can just be difficult to bring two disparate types of clothing (color, style, whatever) together into a small capsule. For a weekend trip with this many items, it doesn’t matter much at all how well these two aspects of the wardrobe can be combined, but for a longer trip, I’d definitely want to test out more combinations to see whether pairings like the pink striped shirt + black pants/skirt would work. If not, it’s not the end of the world, of course! Every heroine has to judge these things for herself.
The dotted top, striped T, and floral/dotted scarf down the center of “In Her Bag” made me very happy to see as a print lover. As for the striped bracelet set – they are nice looking and work very well with the optic prints in the capsule, so I see why they were included. But man, $285 for brass/enamel Chinese-made jewelry (which I assume is factory manufactured) is a big ask! I know this brand is popular but the design is really not so special as to justify that kind of mark up from the cost of materials/manufacture in my opinion. I’d definitely be looking for an alternative tile bead bracelet set. I also think that a gemstone bracelet set in dalmation jasper, perhaps with black onyx or similar, would be a gorgeous addition to this heroine’s accessory collection as the pattern is optic but the black/ivory color combination has a softness to it. And I just get a gemstone kind of feel from this heroine…
Because Janice has done an astonishingly good job using this capsule to give a very strong sense of our heroine as an individual, which I love. If our heroine doesn’t already own a Kate Spade rabbit tote bag in black with the pink ears, she needs to get that on her radar! :)
Speaking of rabbits, thanks to everyone who commented so kindly on Monday’s hare/wedding post. Your thoughts and words made my day! (I also spent about 20 minutes yesterday evening watching from my balcony as a cute cottontail rabbit ate grass and clover on my block so it was a bunnerific day for me, which is always a good thing!)
oh! I love “Bunnerific”, it makes my day when the rabbits come for breakfast and/or dinner in our back yard. Yesterday I happened to look out the front just at the right time and watched a bunny hop up our neighbors steps, hang out on their front porch for awhile, then hop back down. Bunnerific indeed!
ps. I do have the Fable rabbit brooch and he is just as cute as he can be!
Oh Sally “bunnerific” may be my new favorite word!! I love this capsule and could replicate it from my closet. Of course the thing I want is the Ferragamo scarf, but do not need. Many many years ago, when my children were 12, 8 and 3 and we had a very tiny travel budget my husband tried to surprise me with a trip to New Orleans. Yes we could drive, the kids would go along, someone needed to dog sit, soccer and baseball schedules needed adjusting, etc. The day before we were leaving he broke down and told me. He needed to go on business but was struggling with handling all the family logistics! To this day when said children are 52, 48 and 43 they howl at the thought of him packing the clothes. Thanks to TVF I’m a terrific planner/packer. And now our travel budget is much improved. This year we are going to Portugal on a river cruise and spending some time in southern Spain and Morocco!!! The month of November! And I will pack in a carry-on.
I hope those children fully appreciate what a really lovely idea that was! :)
Gosh, I’d wear any of the garments in this capsule, and would be delighted if they were all in my wardrobe. Some colour swapping would be necessary – no black, & I’m unsure about the pink but it sure is pretty in this capsule, and is a very pleasing combo with these neutrals. I particularly like the sleeveless top, the striped top, the striped shirt and the pleated skirt.
I love this mix of colors. I could see myself wearing it. Red would also be a lovely swap for the pink.
There is something extra brilliant about this wardrobe. It is truly so versatile, and the sum is so much greater than its parts.
I actually married such a man, and I’ve lived with these surprises for 30 years now. I love it, but at first I just didn’t know how to pack when he would say we were getting out of town for the weekend. We live within a half-day’s drive of hot deserts, warm beaches, and cold mountains, and we might camp and hike or stay in fancy bed and breakfasts and go to very dressy events—- sometimes all in the same weekend! I think the challenge of living with this adventurous man is part of what originally drew me to the Vivienne Files.
Studying this wardrobe, it’s nearly perfect for my needs. I’d add a swimsuit, a pair of beige shorts, a pair of Teva hiking sandals, and a more formal chiffon blouse. I would probably have to leave the black espadrilles behind, but I’d certainly want to have them in my closet!
Ah, ha! That’s the term for me: hyper-prepared. It usually vexes my husband pre-trip but he always ends up being thankful when I can produce just what he needed like pulling a rabbit out of a hat. Thank goodness for smartphone lists!
This is gorgeous! I love the wardrobe, would wear every inch of it! Thanks for the ideas ☺️
I like this wardrobe. Can you make it a 4×4 capsule wardrobe please? I am wearing hijab and i find your color combo interesting. I always wear monochrome color from head to toe. Your 3 layer ideas can be put together into hijab fashion.