The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Clothing Archives - Page 7 of 20

Start with a Sweater: Boden Fair Isle Crewneck

October 23, 2020 I'm the ONLY Person Available?

She knows the answer... When the tech who works at the clinic finally took a few days off, there would have to be someone on-site in the data center, and there really isn't anyone else who knows how to repair things. ("Have you tried turning it off and turning it back on again?")

So she's going to suck it up and wear her new sweater! In fact, she's going to build her entire travel wardrobe around the colors of her sweater. Why not? She's going to either be in the data compound or quarantined in her room at the visitor's center...

She starts with 3 outfits that she knows she wants to take with her:

They've already seen snow, so she's wearing her serious boots for the ... View the Post

Rescuing a Forgotten Garment: Print Sleeveless Tunic

June 4, 2020

Today's interesting warning - if you're wearing a mask frequently, be ABSOLUTELY sure that you're washing both the mask(s) and your face every 5 minutes or so. I currently have a really painful broken-out face from mask irritation. It's both ugly and sore...

But let's look at helping one of our friends get some good use from a beautiful garment, eh?

This isn't the exact tunic, of course, but it's sleeveless, and includes the colors royal blue, black and white, just like our friend's tunic. So I'm hopeful that any advice I can think of will be useful!

With a little bit of thought, this top could be worn for most of the year - I know it's odd to think of wearing sleeveless things in cooler weather, but stick with ... View the Post

Rescuing Forgotten Garments: A Leaf-Print Skirt

May 27, 2020

It wasn't a sad email, but it definitely was a cry for help! She loves the skirt, but so far has only worn it with a white tee shirt or white tank top. She owns lots of other clothes, so there MUST be more possibilities...

Note that this skirt does NOT have a bunch of gathers at the waist - thus untucked tops will not look awkward when they extend below the waist. Of such small details is a versatile garment made!

So, as I've done before, I tried to think of how this skirt could be worn each of the next 4 months, in 2 different ways.

First, for June, a pretty blouse is 1 option, or a linen tee shirt. I'm still smitten with these ruffled espadrilles; espadrilles aren't always terribly pretty, but a ruffle seems ... View the Post

What Pants Go With my Warm Neutral Tops?

September 13, 2019

Last Friday, I sang a small serenade in praise of stone-color cotton pants, as a vehicle for getting more mileage out of a LOT of garments... And some of you asked - rightly - if they would work well with warmer colors...

Yes, but not as well as these:

I think that these pants will go with almost any other color, but I particularly wanted to see how they would work with these neutral colors...

Some are more successful than others - of course! - but I think that these pants are a good possibility if your wardrobe has some "orphaned" tops in warm shades...

These colors are perfect together:

If you're moving from cool colors - especially black - to warmer colors, these pants might help you ... View the Post

I Want a Different Pair of Pants…

September 6, 2019

When you focus on a color palette for your clothes and accessories, you spend money smarter, and you have a much more versatile and coherent wardrobe. But sometimes you might want something... different? Some variety? A change of pace?

I'm feeling that way these days... I'm happy wearing blue jeans, black pants, and the occasional pair of white linen shorts... but what could I add to my wardrobe that might be practical and useful?

This color is called "stone," and is a relatively cool color... So I thought about what other neutral colors could be worn easily with a pair of pants in this color...

If you already have your core sweaters, tee shirt and other pieces in your neutral colors, these pants fit in ... View the Post

Start with a Jacket: Travel Six-Pack

June 5, 2019

I saw her in O'Hare last week, wearing a deeply amazing and eye-catching jacket...

I've chosen NOT to use that jacket as the core of this wardrobe, because of both the price and limited availability. But it wasn't difficult to find another beautiful jacket in a bright and joyous mix of prints!

Destination: To Be Determined! She's going to Europe, but beyond that, nothing is definite. Maybe cool, maybe warm...

So she's dressing for the unexpected...

Since she's not sure where she's going to go (probably where the train tickets are least expensive!) she's packing small, and very versatile:

She's erring a bit on the dressy side, because she plans to sleep quite a bit, and do some very lovely ... View the Post

10 Ways to Wear a Denim (or Chambray) Shirt

May 27, 2019

I prefer chambray - it's more "shirt weight" fabric, but if you can find a lovely denim shirt, grab it! It should last forever... Might take a while to break in, but worth the effort, I'd say.

This shirt seems pretty versatile. If I could find one without chest pockets, I'd be happier, but sometimes, one must compromise just a bit, right?

I have a few thoughts about what to keep in mind when you get one of these shirts. These are, of course, just guidelines! But as I often suggest, simpler is better...

One of the easiest ways to wear this shirt is to pull it on like a jacket on cool evenings...

Maybe you feel TOO dressy? Or a cool breeze kicks up? Picture this shirt tied at the waist over this lovely ... View the Post

White Jeans? They’re Quite Versatile…

May 25, 2019

As I continue to minimize my wardrobe (it's going to take forever!), I try to make a point of keeping individual garments that are most versatile. That's not to say that every piece of clothing you own should be wearable 10 ways, but for core pieces it's worth considering.

I bought these a few weeks ago, to replace my old white jeans, which looked as if I'd worn them to clean... something disgusting...

(I don't consider replacing worn-out garments to be shopping, so by my rules, I haven't violated my "no shopping in 2019" plan! If you make your own rules, you NEVER break them, right?)

I have some thoughts about the "best" jeans to get - uncomplicated and easy to wear often without them being too memorable, or ... View the Post

How to Decide – Should You Buy This Cardigan? (or anything else that tempts you…)

August 31, 2018

The entire purpose of the garment industry is to tempt you to buy things that you don't need. I think we can agree that we are far past the point of saying that they exist to make sure that we're all appropriate attired for the weather and our social environment. Most people have far more clothes that they'll ever need!

But sometimes, you do want to buy something new. Maybe just a refresh to your existing wardrobe, or a treat because you deserve one. There's nothing wrong with this thinking, in moderation - so long as it IS thinking, and not just an emotional response.

So how to know?

Let's say that you've seen a cardigan that you really love. REALLY love...

First thing is to determine if the colors of the ... View the Post

Can I Make a Capsule Wardrobe with my Gym Clothes?

March 28, 2018  

It's a frequent question - does the idea of a capsule wardrobe work when we're talking about clothes for athletic activities? Heck yes! If you like black, it's really difficult to avoid a capsule wardrobe, because so MANY athletic garments are black. But even if you source out different colors, there's no reason at all not to have a plan and a structure for the purchase of your sports apparel...And this works for any sport - golf, yoga, running, weight-lifting...

So let's start with a favorite outfit - a tee shirt and capri athletic pants, with a cropped sweatshirt to top it all off. I'll assume that you have the appropriate shoes and socks, as well as any sort of sun protection or hair control ... View the Post

Packing for Overnight – Start with a Guild Prime Shirt

September 20, 2017

Sometimes, it's best to keep things simple... Could Someone Make Up Their Mind? Maybe the meeting is business dress. Or maybe business casual - they're not sure yet...

Happily, she long ago mastered the art of keeping things simple, and flexible!

She likes her 3 colors, and all kinds of clean geometric shapes. So while they're all dithering and fussing and undecided, she's relaxed and prepared!

She can literally walk in the door of the conference center (walking distance from the train) and change into an appropriate outfit, from her tote bag...

She can carry her own luggage, and she's confident and comfortable that she can handle whatever silliness is thrown her ... View the Post

Easing a Neutral Dress into Cooler Weather with Accessories

August 7, 2017

If you've got a dress that you dearly love, but you're wondering if you're going to be able to wear it when the weather cools down (in the Northern Hemisphere), let me suggest that you look at an earlier post of mine, where I show a navy dress with a whole BUNCH of very muted, autumn-ish accessories....

The power of a simple dress is easy to under-estimate, until you get one in your closet and really put it to work!

love, Janice ... View the Post