The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Travel with Janice Archives - Page 7 of 15

What Women Were Wearing in London, or the Four Black T’s

October 20, 2015

If you want to blend into the London crowd, the first thing you need to buy is black tights! And a pair of very sensible low-heeled black shoes... We walked for about 26 miles over the 2 days that we were in London (yes, I'm really happy that we work out so much!) and about half of the women we saw were wearing either black tights or black trousers, with shoes in which they could easily walk. Many ballet flats...And I saw a large number of women who had paired their tights or trousers with a lightweight top in black.

Thus is born the Four Black T's: tights, tee shirt, trousers and turtleneck! (mnemonics help me remember things!)

  In my ever-mathematical mind, this immediately translated into four ... View the Post

A Little Bit About a Lot of Things… and a Special Offer!

October 19, 2015  

Back from vacation!

I thought about you all A LOT, and have all sorts of odds and ends to share... My Packing

First off, 2 suitcases are 5 times the headache of 1 bag... But we did run A LOT, so I didn't regret having my running gear with me. However, I'm seriously going to think about how to whittle down packing every more - maybe do laundry even MORE often? We had laundry done on days 5 and 10... I should have used MORE packing cubes - to segregate dress from casual from spectator sport from running. No excuses on this - I have the cubes, and just didn't use them! Economizing on the number of socks one packs is just silly... Ditto lingerie... I used to pack a plastic vacuum bag, that ... View the Post

Vacation: TODAY!!!

October 3, 2015  

To say that we're excited would be a bit of an understatement! Two weeks (which is SO un-American, the country that has NO law requiring any vacation, at all, for any person, ever) in Wales and England, including attending a Rugby World Cup match! And dinner reservations at some amazing places, and a few days in London, and a visit to my English relatives, AND a bunch of driving around amazing places etc. etc.This is gonna be good...

If you don't follow me on Instagram, you might want to start. You'll be able to see what I wear every morning (I lay out my outfits and photograph them), and we'll take some pictures of beautiful or amazing places. I'm not one of those people that buries you in photographs, but ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: White Trousers, at the Art Institute of Chicago

October 2, 2015  

I haven't done Chic Sightings for a while because... well... I haven't seen much! But last week I was walking home past the Art Institute of Chicago (which I do frequently, since it's 3 blocks from home!), and I saw both of these women. It was one of those days that started with a cool-ish morning, building to a warmer afternoon, and they both looked lovely, and perfect for the day.Is it the museum that attracts the simple, chic, eye-catching woman?

It feels like the "brunette version, blonde version" of wearing white trousers in the city...love, Janice ... View the Post

Our Move, and Cleaning out Closets

Finally! We are settled in our new apartment... It was, realistically, a pretty small move - just down the hall, from a west-facing studio apartment to an east and south-facing 1 bedroom apartment.We wouldn't have moved - we were massively happy in our studio, but we received SUCH an incredibly kind offer to rent the 1-bedroom unit that it was pretty much impossible to pass up. Now, we have enough space to have either of our mothers visit, and give them a bedroom and master bathroom to themselves. They will have a modicum of space and privacy, which is always useful when family members are in close quarters.

This is our view, seen over my extraordinary chaise longue. Why yes, it IS wide enough for Belovedest and I to sit in ... View the Post

Are These Trends for You? Autumn/Winter 2015

Two people sent me this list, from a well-known magazine, asking if I thought that the items included on this list were things that they should consider buying.Oh, me and trends.... it's a conflicted relationship...

On the one hand, I don't think we should EVER let ourselves be dictated to in terms of what we buy. Unless someone else is going to flat out GIVE me something, I will make my own purchasing choices. And I think there's something inherently self-defeating about chasing trends: you spend money that you probably shouldn't waste on things that are, by definition, going to be obsolete in a short period of time.

That said, I think that unless you're a very famous poet, you should try to look as if you're somewhat in touch with ... View the Post

New York: What I Bought, What we Did

March 28, 2015  

Although I was ill for a shockingly large portion of our vacation, I did manage to get some shopping done too! One day, we walked a long way south through The Village and then over into Soho, where I was mystically compelled into the Eileen Fisher store... Two short-sleeved dresses were the happy result - dresses because they will accommodate my shifting body composition as I work out more, and sleeveless because I've lifted so many weights that my arms DESERVE some time out in public!

Belovedest had a store in mind he wanted to visit - the very charming little Miansai shop, which is the motherlode of leather bracelets. I've never been driven to have a leather bracelet, but when B and I decided to each get one ... View the Post

The road to New York was paved with good intentions…

  Yes, I took my gym clothes with me to New York. I was not in the gym once... But, in my defense, I spent four days of our vacation sacked out in our hotel room, sicker than a dog. Our theory is that the very first meal we ate after arriving is the culprit, but if you've done any research into food poisoning, you know that it could have been anything for days before...

I am one of the very few people to go to New York on vacation and lose weight!

However, in the few days that we were able to be out and about, I did some excellent sight-seeing, and some power shopping! (remember POWER? Purchase Only When Everything's Right). I'll tell you more about what I bought, and where, tomorrow.

But I will close today with a beautiful ... View the Post

Handling Temptation

February 4, 201   Saturday, one of my friends too me to the most AMAZING store... It's completely unassuming name is Juju's Vintage Resale Shop, and it's in a strip mall in Chicago, but very near Niles, Illinois. You could drive past it every day for a decade and never imagine the amazing wonders to be found inside...   This is just one of dozens of displays. It's almost all vintage costume jewelry, it's gorgeous, and the abundance makes your head spin!  

 

 

  Maybe an entire ETAGERE of black and white holds some appeal?  

  It was pretty clear that we were going to be in this store for at LEAST an hour, just admiring all of the amazing items, and the creative and appealing ways ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: A Mixture of Greens

December 12, 2014   I rarely see anybody wearing green, and I almost NEVER see a mixture of shades of green in one outfit, so it was truly a red letter (or a green letter, I suppose) day when I saw both of these women. Sometimes it's certain that these kinds of ensembles are the result of carelessness, or color-blindness, but in both of these cases it was clear that a deliberate plan was at work. Bold statements, but eye-catching and fun. Not for the faint of heart, but certainly something in this to inspire us.  

    love, Janice ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: RED, in the cold weather

December 9, 2014  

We spent a lot of time running around the city this past weekend, finalizing the purchase of gifts for a host of interesting small people! And one of the best parts of being outside on a crisp winter day in Chicago is the people-watching...   The first outfit was pretty conventional, albeit beautifully pulled together; what made it really stand out were her bright red shoes! It was a perfect day for a statement shoe, as there was no precipitation, and nothing slushy on the pavement. She was young, with long dark hair and a brilliant smile. No red lipstick, although that certainly would have been an option!   And the 2nd ensemble was notable for a few reasons. First off, a white coat is a brave ... View the Post