The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Weekly Timeless Wardrobe Archives - Page 6 of 14

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #14 – a sleeveless top

June 14, 2021

No, you do NOT have to show your bare arms! But I often find that the most useful garment in my suitcase might be a simple tank top - it can replace a sweaty pajama top, or serve as a layer under something that has too much "show through," or it can bring a sliver of color to an outfit - I've even worn one over a button-front shirt as a vest!

In all modesty, my arms are still pretty glossy, but that doesn't mean that I want to share them with the world...

And sleeveless does not necessarily equal tank top!

I have 2 sleeveless button-front tops that I've had for years - black and white dotted, and black and white striped... I wear them under a light black cardigan and they're just right...

If you want to ... View the Post

13-Piece Spring Wardrobes – Black and White, Olive and Beige

June 11, 2021

I can clearly see that I want to do at least 2 more of these after today! The denim/chambray/soft pink idea MUST be investigated, as well as... what other color?

But today, we look at black, and then at my nemesis, green!

First up - a wardrobe that I could envision buying if I lost every stitch of clothing that I own... the pink skirt would be a real adventure for me, but why the HECK not try it?

This may not qualify as a completely "Whatever's Clean 13" wardrobe - I can see some of us feeling uncomfortable wearing the blue tee shirt with the pink skirt. But if one could find the right scarf, necklace, or bracelet to tie them together, or if one just plain and simply LIKES the 2 colors together, why not? (it's ... View the Post

Two Spring Capsule Wardrobes, Using the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe

June 9, 2021

Ah, you would have laughed if you could have seen me starting this post - I thought that I would just open ALL THIRTEEN of the earlier posts, and copy things from there...

Now remember, since the beginning of the pandemic, I've been blogging from a laptop!

Just as well it didn't work out - many of the garments from early weeks are long gone in many sizes...

So I've used quite a few familiar garments, and picked up some new things to fill in the blanks!

I really like to show these wardrobes to reinforce my personal conviction that these classic garments can come together to give you a great travel wardrobe, or the base of a Garde Robe du Mois.

I love the subtle elegance of these colors:

Just imagine this ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #13 – a summer dress

June 7, 2021

Dresses! I wear a LOT of dresses in the summer time, because they're fast, easy, and modest but still cool...

I know that the list of garments that I wrote years ago specifically says "shirtdress," but we can be flexible... I like shirtdresses because you can wear another top under them, or use them as a swimsuit coverup, or as a duster jacket over another outfit etc.

Let's look at some ideas!

For those of you who are saving the individual garment images, here's the glorious dress all on its own:

I often see women wear button-front dresses with a contrast top underneath, and the dress itself unbutton down to mid-torso. It's a nice look...

And I'm picturing this scarf tied around a pony ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #12 – a warm weather skirt!

May 31, 2021

Let's get dressed up - just a little bit!

yes, I know some of you will never wear dresses or skirts - imagine that these skirts are shorts, or cropped pants, or long pants...

When I started thinking about the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, it never occurred to me that this skirt should be in a neutral color. I think I realized somewhere in my cluttered mind that a skirt isn't going to be worn as often (maybe?) and thus can be the standout part of an outfit!

You could take a simple navy skirt and dress it for work - imagine dashing into the loo at the end of the day and changing into shorts and sandals, but keeping your tank top and cardigan on!

Maybe this scarf is tied in your hair, or arranged in an ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #11 – neutral lightweight 2nd layer

May 24, 2021

This is timely - this morning when I put on my long linen tank top, and linen cropped pants, I realized that I was going to need a cardigan if I was going to go out for lunch, or to the grocery store, or almost anyplace indoors! Air conditioning around Chicago woke up yesterday, with a VENGANCE...

If the heroine wearing this lovely linen dress hangs around the garden party 'til after the sun sets, she may want her beige cardigan too!

This isn't a category where you have to stock up, so you can go ahead and buy a couple of really NICE cardigans... I have 2 - a black and a white - and they serve me well!

What if you're still occasionally required to look like an adult - at least from the waist up?

Your ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #10 – short-sleeved textured top

May 17, 2021

I know that I describe this top as "textured" in order to be consistent with the way that I described things like cabled sweaters... What I'm looking for here is a warm-weather top with some visual interest - something more than just a tee shirt...

A print makes perfect sense for spring and summer, so don't be terribly bound by the idea of texture!

A simple pleated top in a pretty color can change the look of anything with which you wear it!

I actually saw a man on the street the other day in a seersucker suit, white shirt, pink madras tie and pink pocket square. Pink socks and white bucks.... He looked amazing!

 

Even if you're wearing shorts, a sweater can be about a million times more ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #9 – short-sleeved print or patterned top

May 10, 2021

I still believe that the weather will warm up. I believe...

Alert to everyone who follows along with this series - I've made a change to the garment list! A small one: I took the word "neutral" out of the description of this week's top. So long as the top looks really GOOD with your neutrals, it can be any mix of colors that you want!

I don't know why I ever thought thought that it needed to be a neutral. Maybe back when absolutely everything revolved around work wardrobes?

This is the top that I've chosen to be the "representative" of this week's garments. The poster child? The spokesperson?

I'm not quite sure what to call it, but it looks really great with a navy skirt!

I own this next skirt ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #8 – short-sleeved light neutral shirt

May 3, 2021

It's starting to feel like summer clothes might actually be useful this year!

What we're looking for this week is the "go-to" shirt for warm weather, to be worn either as a shirt on its own, or as a shirt-jacket over a more bare top:

Pink as a neutral is fun, because it looks like an accent color so often!

yes, this is the same black cardigan and pants that we saw last week; being able to wear clothes in lots of different combinations is sort of the point...

If you're wearing a top that's sleeveless and maybe scoop-necked, or open in the back, having a shirt to wear over is good sun protection, air-conditioning protection, and modesty protection!

Maybe your light neutral is warm rather than ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #7 – Dark Neutral Cotton or Linen Cardigan

April 26, 2021

Ah, let's start with a version of my FAVORITE travel outfit...

Even though it gets to be quite hot here in Chicago, I find that I often need a cardigan or jacket when I'm indoors - because of air conditioning, or outdoors in the evenings when the wind turns and blows in off the lake...

This week I chose this black cardigan at least in part so that I could introduce you to COS - a store that I discovered a few years ago in Paris. They now have locations in a lot of countries, and they also do mail order...

My all-time favorite tweed dress came from COS, as well as a couple of tops and a jacket that I quite thoroughly love - I've had excellent luck with buying from them!

We all know how versatile a ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #6 – Dark Neutral Lightweight Pants

April 19, 2021

It's not quite summer yet - you don't feel like wearing corduroy pants, or fleece-lined jeans, but you still need a "real" pair of pants...

yes, I wore a cashmere sweater all day yesterday; we're supposed to get snow on Tuesday!?!?!?

These are the kind of pants that you can wear during Spring and Autumn - not too warm, not too cool:

Any accent color goes with navy, I'm convinced!

These pants and a nice sweatshirt give you the option to use any color of the rainbow as your accent:

You can still look like spring, even if you're wearing 2 shirts and shoes with closed toes!

Navy and red were made for each other!

Sometimes, your tote bag will dictate what your accent color will ... View the Post

Weekly Timeless Wardrobe #5 – Denim Capri or Cropped Pants

April 12, 2021

Before we go anywhere, I MUST tell you about Red Thread... They make just a handful of garments - mostly black pants. But they make them BASED ON YOUR BODY... no sizes!

When you start an order with them, they send you a link that guides your phone through the process of taking 2 photographs of you - pull on your swimsuit, or leggings and your swim top (that's what I did...) and the phone tells you what to do. It's sort of weird, but fun!

And in 2 weeks or so, you have a pair of pants that fit amazingly well. I ordered the ankle pants, which are styled a lot like ski pants - they have stitched creases in the front and back, and deep pockets of sturdy fabric, with zippers on the pockets. The fabric is ponte knit - one ... View the Post