Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature
March 7, 2015 A couple of days ago when I first worked with this painting, someone suggested substituting black for the brown that I used. Since black appears in the painting, this wasn't a misuse of the painting, and it produced some lovely ensembles. I kept the same sweaters and blouses, in order to use the identical accent colors, but I substituted everything else. The accessory theme today is flowers!
love, Janice
... View the Post
March 6, 2015 Not everybody wants a monochromatic wardrobe, but for those among us who find this idea comfortable, and even exciting, the opportunity to experiment with texture is irresistible...
This woman has been in business long enough to be in charge. Long enough to love her grey hair. Long enough to know the power of simplicity...
If you have a moment, note that many of the accessories have a circle theme; that's the kind of thing I love to do! Our executive packs fearlessly for a long trip. She has people who handle her bags...
love,
Janice ... View the Post
March 5, 2015
These colors made me want to create outfits for a woman who was strong, confident, and who could stand up to the vividness with appropriate exuberance. This is a woman who considers red boots to be a neutral... oh yes, she likes boots!
The neutral beige can come in handy on a day when one wants to be a bit less confrontational, or at least settle into the background more than usual.
If you're struggling to find a scarf that combines particular colors, check out Valezhki on Etsy. While Etsy is rapidly becoming yet another dumping ground for mass-produced Asian junk (think of ebay...), there are still some talented crafts-persons to be found there.
And while ... View the Post
March 4, 2015 More and more ideas for this particular painting continue to be suggested - today, I'm addressing the possibility of using this lovely work as the basis of a summer travel wardrobe.
For the travel outfit, I kept the basic idea of a cardigan "suit" and a contrasting tee shirt, but I lightened up the cardigan considerably, as well as finding a lighter short-sleeved tee.
For the rest of the six pack, I stuck with the general theory of a "core of four" in grey, but I chose a seersucker skirt, rather than solid grey. Why aren't there more things available in seersucker??? All of the jewelry in this little vignette has an starry aspect - the necklace (this one is Libra) is ... View the Post
March 3, 2015 Another cold week...
love, Janice ... View the Post
Your normal fun from The Vivienne Files will return tomorrow, but today I have a question about crossbody bags. I have a bag from Tumi - a wonderful bag - which is an earlier version of the beauty pictured above. It holds everything a human being could possibly need for a day in any city in the world. It fits flat against my body, and isn't at all bulky or obtrusive. But every time I wear it, my clothes develop little pills and snags along the diagonal across my front and back, where the strap rubs. Does anybody else experience this? What should I do differently? In the grand scheme of life, this isn't a big deal, but I really don't like to feel like my handbag is destroying my ... View the Post
This is a wonderful Friday to pause for a minute, to appreciate the beauty and the abundance of our lives, and to tell our loved ones what they mean to us.
I'll be back soon - I wouldn't want to miss the fun we share! love, Janice ... View the Post
February 26, 2015 As soon as I did the earlier version of this painting (found here), people emailed me asking that I use a different mix of colors, and that I do a business travel version of a wardrobe. So I'm combining requests here - I hope it works out!
I kept many of the elements of the original travel outfit, just swapping out the sportier tee shirt with something just a smidge dressier, and then coordinating earrings and a scarf with this new top.
love, Janice ... View the Post
February 25, 2015 Another week with incredibly cold weather. For those of you who live in warmer climates, you just have to take my word for it that this weather is exceptional, even for Chicago. Consistent lows below zero or in the single digits, days upon days of highs MAYBE in the teens. Dry dry dry air, wind to knock you over... just lovely! I actually love winter, but this is even more extreme that I would prefer. But we carry on, in style! As before, if I can link to my item, or something substantially similar, I will provide a link. The absence of any link means I couldn't find anything close enough...
I know I've mentioned it before, but these Bogs boots are the WARMEST I've ever owned. They're ... View the Post
February 24, 2015 Someone sent me a photograph of this delectable item - a shawl, no longer available, from Hermes - and asked if it would be possible to build a little something beautiful around it. Ooooh, yes, this is DEFINITELY possible...
First up, a color scheme, as always. Using camel as the neutral, there's a whole range of maroon, dark red, bright red, and hints of yellow here - lots of possibilities!
My imagination called this transition season dressing - either spring or fall. Maybe for business, or for pleasure. One dress, for a splashy night out, and otherwise dressy but not fussy separates for business or elegant sightseeing. (Note that the accessories are either angular, or have a ... View the Post
February 23, 2015
A recent request prompted this capsule: lightning up burgundy/grey/forest green into brighter cranberry, light mossy green and grey - specifically for a 3-week trip to France this spring. A lovely trip, and beautiful colors with which to work! Just for fun, I searched (and searched) until I found a painting to complement this idea:
For our purposes, I isolated these colors, but there's also clearly an opportunity for white, cream, and a gentle blue, as well as a touch a deeper charcoal. This painting could generate a palette with which one could live forever.
As always, our travel outfit includes closed-toe shoes, a cardigan, and a scarf. But this ... View the Post
February 21, 2015
I defy you to find someone who looks at more pieces of clothing, pairs of shoes, or accessories than I do. Any day I'm working on The Vivienne Files, (and that's 6 days a week!) I look at hundreds, if not thousands of things. While I reject the vast majority of them as being unworthy of your attention, I still see lots and LOTS of things that are beautiful. Really, astonishingly, beautiful. (remember that green velvet dress?)
So I constantly have to remind myself that, just because something is beautiful, doesn't mean that I really want to own it. The absolutely amazing Samuel Beckett Bridge, in Dublin, is beyond lovely, but I don't really need to take it home with ... View the Post
