The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Accessorizing Archives - Page 19 of 22

Autumn Zest: Brooches

I feel like these posts on brooches are almost vanity posts, because I have so much fun doing them.  They take HOURS - don't get me wrong - but I always have such a good time searching out the pins and cleaning up the images to share them with you.If the weather every gets cool enough that we can break out outerwear, a beautiful or whimsical brooch is a wonderful addition to the everyday coat.  In a city with a sea of black, navy and grey coats, the chance to see the occasional brooch, or grouping of brooches, is a chic sighting indeed.

So what could you break out, for the approach of autumn?

(I used a variety of background colors, to give you a sense of how different pins will work with your clothing or coat ... View the Post

The Role of Texture in the Monochromatic Wardrobe

When you get a look at my upcoming Project 333 for Autumn, you might be terribly concerned that I've fallen into a deep depression, because a LOT of my clothes this autumn are grey...But if you look carefully at the photograph above, you can see that my wardrobe's not going to be boring.  The dotted fabric is my skirt, the grey ribs are a dress, the absolutely WONDERFUL sequined sparkly thing is a cardigan, and the seed and ladder stitched garment on the right is a crew neck sweater.  I'm not at all sure how I'm going to wear these various garments, but as Project 333 moves forward, I will be sure to let you know.

Simple outlines or photographs of clothes don't always show the true depth of beauty in the garments; texture can ... View the Post

Transition Summer to Fall: Tan and Brown Accessories

August 10, 2013   A few simple accessories will help you get into the autumn mood...  While the tote bag I show is technically supposed to be a beach bag, it's so incredibly well designed that I wanted you to see it!  It could easily be used through most of the year - where did we get the idea that we could only use certain materials at certain times of the year?  If you're not a scarf person, you might want another necklace or two; if jewelry isn't your thing, then you can go nuts with scarves...  To each her own very personal and beautiful preferences!  

  love, Janice

  ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: Black with Metallic Accessories

June 21, 2013

There were lots of black dresses on the streets of Chicago yesterday, and lots of all-black outfits. But a few really stood out from the crowd by virtual of their carefully chosen metallic accessories. From the young lady in the spikey necklace and woven flats to the executive with her Ferragamo shoes and bag, (and great silver sunglasses), black and silver caught the eye.

The first woman I saw who really got me noticing the all-black outfits with metallics was wearing a simple sleeveless top with shorts, but her accessories really elevated what might have been a very stark outfit. Right behind her was a lovely person in a sleeveless dress with gold flower jewelry - uncluttered, but very charming.

In the Loop, ... View the Post

Signature: The same necklace, every day

June 17, 2013  

Among the many perks of blogging full time, I think the best so far is that I get to spend much more time with Belovedest. Particularly fun is either walking to his office with him in the morning, or walking over to meet him after work and then walking home together.  In doing this, I get to see literally thousands of women, every day, either going to or leaving their workplaces.One woman, who either lives or works very near to our home, wear the same coral, turquoise and gold necklace EVERY day.  After I saw her the third time, I mentioned to her - in passing- that I recognized her necklace, and that it seems to be a favorite.  Her reply, with a very moving and wistful smile: "I wear it every day; ... View the Post

Six accessory “families” – groups of accessories that share an aesthetic DNA

June 14, 2013   Many people asked to see more groupings of accessories- including a scarf and a cardigan - in order to better understand the possibilities inherent in this idea.  When I choose these accessories, I don't necessarily match the colors exactly, or make sure that everything has a "theme" to it (like flowers, or dots, or stripes).  I'm going more for an elusive sensibility - the idea that all of these things could easily belong to the same woman.  To me, that seems like the most logical criteria of all for assembling any  wardrobe, or a wardrobe of accessories.  

 

 

 

 

 

  I always feel that thinking of accessories and ... View the Post

Choosing a scarf – Hermes, in black

June 10, 2013  

Many people ask me how I choose the scarves I buy... (I can hear my mother, replying "Veeeeery carefully!") Most important, absolutely, is that you should LOVE the scarf. Not just like it, not just think that it goes well with your wardrobe - you've got to feel strongly, and perhaps in a way that you can't explain rationally. The appreciation of beauty is a gut-level reaction that can't always be verbalized, and can never be faked. This is as true for an inexpensive scarf picked up at a street fair, just as much as it's true with an Hermes - it should be true for anything that goes into your closet, frankly...

So, hypothetically, you've narrowed your choices down to six different scarves.  All Hermes, all ... View the Post

Accessories for multiple European Cities

May 30, 2013    

paisley scarf - Brooks Brothers, red earrings - Blue Nile, knot earrings - Brooks Brothers, navy sunglasses - Paul Smith, square scarf - Etro, gold chain necklace - Brooks Brothers, red & white scarf - Monsoon, turquoise earrings - Michael Kors, navy & gold bracelet - C. Wonder, watch - Nixon You could survive without three scarves - you can live with no scarves at all!  The gold jewelry all shares a chain/link sensibility, and two simple pairs of earrings in your accent colors can get a lot of mileage.  Sunglasses in one of your core neutrals, and you're ready to travel...

Navy short-sleeved tee - J. Crew, navy ... View the Post

Part 2, Accessories Step by Step: Khaki and Green

May 26, 2013  

Just as a reminder, these are the additional accessories that we haven't discussed yet:

Bandanna - Jacob Cohen, watch - Wewood, star scarf - Dianora Salviati, green earrings- Nan Fusco, bracelet - Chan Luu, striped scarf - Faliero Sarti, necklace - Seta di Jaipur

Picking patterned scarves is exponentially more difficult than working with solid scarves, but for this wardrobe I've stuck with the simplest solution - scarves that combine the two or three main colors of the wardrobe.  As a reminder, the adjectives I was keeping in mind while searching for accessories included natural, organic, lineny, matte textured, and relaxed.

A bandanna seems obvious, but this one, ... View the Post

One dress – Six ways, in Black, White and Pink

May 22, 2013  

Okay, let's do some imagining... Imagine a person who has truly made the choice that their wardrobe core colors are going to be black, white, and pretty pink. Over the years, she accumulates the necessary basics - cardigans in her colors,  a black suit, shoes and sandals in black, with a fun pair of pink dress shoes, just for kicks. She has a beautiful pink scarf that has been around forever, and she has been carefully, gradually accumulating pink and silver jewelry...

 

Now, one day this person is shopping, and they see a dress. A classically cut, simple, (no beads, nor sequins) dress.  In black, white and pink!

It's easy to immediately fear that a dress in a print or ... View the Post

The Navy & Pink Common Capsule Wardrobe – with Navy & Pink accessories!

  May 18, 2013   Okay, this is the most obvious way to accessorize the navy and pink Common Capsule Wardrobe!  But with so many beautiful accessories available in these colors, why resist?  

 Striped scarf - Missoni, square scarf - Dareen Hakim, bracelet - Luv Aj, Pink quartz earrings - Fantasy Jewelry Box, pink necklace - J. Crew,pink watch - Radley, tote bag - Jack Wills, silk bracelet - Brooks Brothers, Hermes Passementerie scarf - vintage, navy penny loafers - Bass, pink flats - Sperry Top-Sider, pink socks - Bank, pink argyle socks - Chrissy's

 

 

all clothes - L.L.Bean

  love, Janice ... View the Post