The Vivienne Files - Page 158 of 261 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

3 x 3 = 45 in a Six Pack Travel Capsule Wardrobe

June 15, 2015 So I was thinking about Six-Packs (the clothing kind, not beer...) and I realized that if you chose your pieces exactly right, you could get 45 different outfits from 9 total garments - six of them packed.

This isn't to say that you are going to want to take off on a six-week trip with just a few changes of clothing, but what we DO learn from this is that you can give yourself options. If the weather changes, if the level of dressiness of your activities are unexpected, or if you manage to destroy one garment during your travels (it can happen!), you can still get dressed. Some excellent accessories, and you'd be all set!

love, Janice ... View the Post

“Whatever’s Clean 13” Travel Capsule Wardrobe in Green, Navy and Beige

June 13, 2015

Soft green - not bright, not acid, not kelly. It's a hard color to describe but you know it when you see it! And remember, because your accessories are made of all sorts of different materials, they don't have to be "dye-lot" matched.

I like the looks of this - the change of cardigan really shifts the feel of these capsules, doesn't it?

The green brings a fresh, but gentle, feeling to this grouping.

Have a lovely weekend, love, Janice ... View the Post

“Whatever’s Clean 13” Capsule Wardrobe in Coral, Navy and Beige

June 12, 2015 Oh, this was FUN! It's delightful how much difference the change in accessories makes in the look of the whole capsule. First up, a wonderful scarf, and some classic, inexpensive coral-colored jewelry. (it goes without saying that we don't wear real coral - no reefs will be destroyed to adorn us!)

And then I changed out the shoes, the rest of the jewelry, and tossed in a cute little clutch! The only clothing that I swapped was to substitute a coral cardigan for yesterday's beautiful brown one...

Just the one change in the template makes a difference!

This overview looks VERY different from the one with the leopard accent, to me. Accessories ... View the Post

“Whatever’s Clean 13” in LEOPARD, Navy and Beige

June 11, 2015 You wanted to see this idea "warmed up", and many of you mentioned leopard... here it is!

I swapped out the beige garments for a warmer, more golden shade, and I chose a brown cardigan because it's just lovely! Some leopard accessories, and you're ready to travel...

This is how the template filled up - it looks really coherent, and you can clearly see that everything (including the striped tee shirt) will work together.

And this helps us visualize everything, including accessories. The 2nd tote bag is the kind of thing that you would smash down in your outbound suitcase, and then use to carry purchases on the return. It was SO reasonably priced that I could ... View the Post

Another Template for The 4 by 4 Capsule Wardrobe

It's apparent, when you look back through years of The Vivienne Files, that my thinking about some concepts... evolves... the more I work with them. Foremost among the ideas that have gone through some changes is the Four by Four Capsule Wardrobe. But I'm pretty settled on how I think this best comes together, (finally...) so I built a template from which we can all work, in the future.

You should be able to "right click" on this baby and print it, but if you can't, just send me a note at [email protected], and I'll send it to you.

It felt really odd to work on a document in "portrait orientation"... but it fits much better this way!

And yes, I'm going right back to the navy and beige "Whatever's Clean 13", with some ... View the Post

“Whatever’s Clean 13” in Navy and Beige, with different accessory “moods”

June 9, 2015 You all send me the best requests! How about a "Whatever's Clean 13" in navy and beige, with the accents and prints/patterns in the accessories? Our starting template:

The "Flower Burst" scarf from KathKath was specifically mentioned, and I thought that a few She-Beads bracelets would work well. I really want to support these designers that have been so generous to The Vivienne Files!

After much pondering and searching, this is what I've chosen to pack. The sandals have jeweled tops in muted, soft shades, and the canvas shoes have clearer pastel flowers. Of course, you also now have your bright pink loafers with you, so you are able to accessorize your ... View the Post

Choosing Accessory Colors; More Accessory Clusters

June 6, 2015

I was thinking a lot about yesterday's winning color scheme, and so I thought it might be productive to put all of that thinking into action! The first thing I did was start browsing around looking at scarves that might be harmonious with the color scheme in question; it's important to bear in mind that things don't always have to be dye-lot matched. If someone gets a big thrill out of noticing that something you're wearing isn't EXACTLY PRECISELY the same color as something else... well, they're easily amused, and you've done the good deed of keeping them entertained. Some people will complain that their ice cream is cold...

So I found this beautiful Hermes scarf:

And I thought I'd monkey around with the ... View the Post

A “Whatever’s Clean 13” Template for you!

I made the boxes a little bit bigger, so you can write in them, made the font in the boxes lighter so you can write OVER it, and made the "spectrum" on the bottom neutral, so it can be a question of weather, or dressiness, or whatever uncertainty faces you. You can click on this image, in your browser, and it should bring up a page with just the image. From there you can print it and go wild! Or if you're completely stymied, email me, ([email protected]) and I'll send you the JPG. love love love on a Friday, Janice

... View the Post

A Winner!!! And WHAT a color scheme…

We have a winner in the "choose your color scheme for a bracelet", which was so very generously offered to us by She-Beads. Dearest Anonymous, who choose "persimmon, heliotrope and emerald", please get in touch with me at [email protected], so I can put you directly in touch with my friends who are going to make your bracelet!

Also, please let me know what your preferred wardrobe neutral is, so that I can start working on the wardrobe possibilities. I can easily see these colors looking smashing against navy, black, beige...

I want to share with you an update to my vow to buy only second-hand this year. After doing laundry this weekend, I realized that my white jeans were... execrable... which is a great word, and an apt ... View the Post

Choosing Accessory Colors, or Accessories in Clusters

June 4, 2015 Woo hoo!!! The absolutely wonderful ladies at Kathkath send me a scarf! (fwiw, I am NOT one of those bloggers who are constantly being sent things to review - I can now count on 2 fingers the number of gifts I've received from designers...) They sent me this beautiful wonder:

It is, in fact, more beautiful in person than it is in the photographs! The size is the same as Hermes scarves - 90cm square (just about a square yard). And the fabric is soft and light without being flimsy; for those of you who find Hermes to be too "crispy" and heavy, definitely look at these. I'm so happy... And so, of course, I'm immediately figuring out what to wear it with. Black clothes - piece ... View the Post

How to Pack Light: Yellow and Black “Whatever’s Clean 13” for warm weather

June 3, 2015 You knew this was coming, didn't you? Some people really LOVE printed skirts and trousers, and they deserve to be able to pack a "Whatever's Clean 13" wardrobe too!

Figuring out what to include in this suitcase mostly requires finding a common "accent" color that's shared by a handful of your skirts and pants, and then building around that. When I was browsing things to get started, I found a few things that shared this glorious yellow, and so I chose that as my accent, and selected the black and white found in these Valentino trousers as my neutrals. First up, a travel outfit with bright, happy trousers, but a simple top and cardigan, all pulled together with yellow earrings and a yellow scarf. You ... View the Post

How to Pack Light: Navy and Beige “Whatever’s Clean 13” for Uncertain Weather

June 2, 2015

You don't know what the weather is going to be, but you know for a fact that you're NOT packing white stuff... Starting out, let's wear this to travel - a cuddly cardigan, a beautiful scarf, and closed-toe shoes, just in case you have to sit on a cold plane (or slide down an evacuation slide!):

This is what I've chosen for you to pack; everything is keyed off of the two cardigans that you really REALLY wanted to take along. In order to be thoroughly "dress in the dark", those need to be your only printed garments. But that doesn't keep you from packing some cool metallic tops! And there are always accessories - another scarf, and some pretty jewelry will go a long way toward ... View the Post