The Vivienne Files - Page 118 of 264 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

How Can You Pack a Foolproof Travel Wardrobe? Use the Whatever’s Clean System!

May 9, 2017

I can always tell when a lot of you are planning travel because I start to see more and more emails with packing questions. Many people want a wardrobe that they don't really have to think about once they've arrived at their destination; that's why I cooked up the idea of a "Whatever's Clean" Wardrobe. If all goes according to plan, you should be able to pull any available garments from these wardrobes and assemble a reasonably presentable outfit. Certainly, some combinations are going to be better than others, and you're going to like some outfits more than others, but overall, you've got mountains of flexibility, after doing a bit of strategic thinking...

First off, let's start with a great color inspiration - ... View the Post

What to Pack for Paris? How About Beige and Navy, with Teal and Brown Accents?

May 8, 2017

Remember our heroine who was taking photographs in Paris for a long weekend? Well, she's realized (we're shocked) that she needs to go back for a much longer trip!

She's staying with her original color scheme and her original travel outfit. She's maybe going to see the same people when she checks into her hotel, but it's possible that wearing the same outfit might help them recognize her; that would be good!

After a few days of consideration, she's decided to take everything with her that she took for her first trip. She really wants to dress up a bit more on this trip (because her sweetie is going with her!), but most of these pieces are going to work just as well for that!

Since Sweetie is coming ... View the Post

W.H.A.T. to Pack for New York?

May 5, 2017

When you read this, I will be in New York for a long weekend with La Photographe. She's got a chance to photograph at Ellis Island on Sunday, and so we decided to make a long weekend of it! Why not?

But of course, one must pack.... How do you make these choices? I have thoughts - oh do I have thoughts!

(my brain generates acronyms like normal people make conversation...)

W - here are you going? This is pretty critical, because the difference between the city and the beach, or between the mountains and the downtown office, are massive. The joy of going to New York is that I could pack a tutu, a Buddhist monk robe, and a leather jumpsuit, and still be fine... it's pretty difficult to be inappropriate there!

H - ... View the Post

How to Add an Accent Color for Warm Weather; Start with Art: View of New York by Charles Sheeler

May 4, 2017

This painting couldn't be allowed to fade into the history of The Vivienne Files without another look, right?

Our bird watching, star gazing heroine is going on a much longer trip, but has decided that she doesn't need to make any changes to her travel outfit:

You might remember what she packed for her shorter trip to visit her friends with the veranda - all of these things were perfect, so she'll definitely include them:

These are what she's adding to her suitcase for her longer trip; she's gone a wee bit overboard on her accent color, but summer clothes don't last as long as winter, so she felt a bit like indulging. And no, it's not the exactly precise color that ... View the Post

How to Add Accent Colors to Your Capsule Wardrobe – Hot Pink and Green

Remember this beautiful painting, and intriguing color palette?

And of course you remember this wardrobe from last week...

In and of itself, this is a pretty good assortment of clothes:

But for most of us, for the entire summer, we're going to want more than 16 pieces... So let's have our heroine start out her shopping by adding some hot pink, as well as a bit more black and white. For many of us, these shorts might be a big longer (like capri pant length!), or one could also find a skirt in this color...

This is how her wardrobe now looks with the additional pieces. The hot pink definitely doesn't blend in with everything else, but since it's meant to be an accent color, it really doesn't have to go with everything ... View the Post

A Bit of Immodesty…

May 2, 2017

Yes, The Vivienne Files is one of Feedspot's top 100 Women Fashion Blogs...

This is particularly surprising and delightful for me because The Vivienne Files is pretty thoroughly unlike any other blog - you don't get any photographs of me (trust me, you're happier this way!), and I don't really talk about my own wardrobe and cosmetic choices very much (except when I'm traveling, at which time all rules are broken). These characteristics of The Vivienne Files are deliberate, and I made these choices knowing that writing a blog like this would limit my readership. So it's particularly delightful to have any organization in the world notice me and include me in their list.

And WHAT a list - it includes some of our ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe in 12 Months, 12 Outfits – May 2017

May 1, 2017

Hurrah!!! I always enjoy this day so much.... There's not going to be tons of narrative this month - I've chosen the new outfits and accessories, assembled the really amazingly cool wardrobes that are coming together, and ALSO showing six additional ways to wear the 3 new pieces that are added. If I wrote too much smart-aleck commentary, you'd be here until June...

Please note - four of the six original scarves are sold out on the US website, but that doesn't mean that getting the scarf you love is impossible. If you are smitten with one of the sold-out scarves, call an Hermès boutique - anywhere - and ask if they can find one somewhere, in someone's inventory, for you. They're really very lovely... (and I get nothing from ... View the Post

How to Pack for a Long Weekend (in Paris?)? Start with Art: Eiffel Tower by Robert Delaunay

April 28, 2017

This painting just makes me sigh...

This color scheme has so many possibilities:

More and more I find that brown leather is a great way to incorporate brown into almost any outfit!

I know that it's possible to just go to Paris for a long weekend (I've done it - it was insane...) if you live much closer than those of us in North America. Imagine that our heroine is going there, to spend some time outdoors - maybe photographing sculptures in the many parks?

I'm assuming that for this trip, she's going to neither climb nor crawl, so she doesn't have to wear absolutely hard-core work clothes. Just a handful (+1) of nice things that will look attractive during the day and not leave her ... View the Post

How to Wear Emeralds – the May Birthstone

April 27, 2017

Emeralds were TOUGH to work with here on The Vivienne Files - they're very rare, I suppose, because they're quite expensive and not available in the mad range of designs that you can find with most other precious stones. Nevertheless, we're more than able to find a lot of lovely ideas...

Given their price, you might not be wearing "authentic" emeralds (that's fine...) and you might just use emeralds as an accent with a larger, less-expensive semi-precious stone. It's your birthstone - wear it the way you want! Finding a beautiful scarf with a bit of bright green in it will draw attention to your beautiful jewelry, and make it all look wonderfully intentional and well-planned.

Don't ... View the Post

How to Pack Light for a Long Weekend? Start with Art: View of New York by Charles Sheeler

April, 26, 2017

Do you remember one of my very favorite all-time posts, where a woman went to visit friends to look at the stars? Her wardrobe colors were inspired by the colors of the common shelduck - brown, black, and white...Well, she's found a painting that she really likes, so this year, when she's going back to visit her friends again, she's in the same color scheme. The weather is warmer, but you might recognize a few of her accessories from last winter's trip...

Her color scheme expands to include cream and grey (earlier, she was pretty strictly black and white with brown leather accessories), and some day she's going to try something in sky blue. Some day...

She knows that it's going to be warmer in April ... View the Post

How to Build a Warm Weather Travel Four by Four Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Palimpsest 46 by Kamrooz Aram

April 25, 2017

Let's revisit yesterday's painting - I don't feel like we've nearly exhausted the possibilities of these colors! My hypothesis is that yesterday's heroine has been invited to... a wedding, let's say, out of town far enough that she's going to stay for a week or so. Except for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding itself, she won't have to get madly dressed up, but she can reasonably expect at least another dinner or two out with relatives and old friends.

So we start here:

And we remind ourselves of what our color scheme is going to be for this travel capsule wardrobe:

Our heroine was really happy with her travel outfit when she took her long lazy weekend break, so she's not changing a thing ... View the Post

Build a Warm Weather Travel Six-Pack by Starting with Art: Palimpsest 46 by Kamrooz Aram

April 24, 2017

I'm smitten with this artist, Kamrooz Aram - you're going to see more from him:

I love these colors - especially those little touches of brightness! I didn't use them in this Six-Pack, but in a larger wardrobe, you would definitely see them... I also don't have any grey garments included here, but for a trip that would last a few more days, a nice grey summer dress, and certainly a tee shirt and shorts, would be such simple things to add.

And while I don't have style notes here, I'm definitely thinking that this is a woman who loves flowers, but who also appreciates the compelling power of large patches of solid colors, arranged in a way understood only by the artist.

My heroine is traveling ... View the Post