The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Vivienne Files - Page 183 of 262 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Planning to Shop, and Getting Discounts…

  Fall clothes are hitting the stores (amazing, I know, but we should be used to this by now), and the Nordstrom pre-season sale is coming up soon. This means that it might be wise to start planning for the next season, so that we don't get blindsided by beautiful things without having a clue about what we're trying to accomplish.   In addition to making your shopping list, you might want to look into some ways to reduce your expenditures without settling for lower-quality goods.   Recently, I discovered a company called Raise.   You can buy gift cards at a discount. Every last retailer's not there all the time, and some of the discounts are pretty meager, but sometimes you can get excellent deals.   I'm ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 11: A Complete Outfit, for Balance and Accent

July 4 2014 This is the step in which each capsule wardrobe is going to start taking on a distinct personality, based on personal needs, preferences, and desires.  I'm adding a complete outfit to each of the various wardrobes, based on a variety of scenarios that might be possible.   Starting with Madame Grey and Navy - she's starting to feel that navy is under-represented in her wardrobe, and moreover, she'd like to get a gorgeous, versatile cardigan and a luxury skirt into the mix.  Nothing overly dressy; simple and beautiful are what she wants...  

  And now her wardrobe is this:  

  Conversely, our Lady Caramel and Black is longing for something edgier - a leather jacket? A simple ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 10: A Casual Jacket, Top and Shoes

July 3, 2014   So after we've prepared ourselves for those unavoidable formal occasions that crop up, let's have a bit more fun and pick up a few things for our capsule wardrobe to make us more "casual-worthy".   First off - a jacket. This could be a hooded sweatshirt (one of my favorites), a denim jacket, leather jacket, or whatever strikes your fancy. Add in a relaxed top, and a pair of casual shoes (maybe in one of your accent colors?) and you've got a LOT more options...

 

 

 

 

  love, Janice  

  ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 9: A Skirt, and Essential Accompaniments

July 2, 2014   Somehow, one of the great mysteries of the internet, this post vanished, and was replaced in its entirety by a post from two years earlier! Happily, I have all of my images saved on my computer, and in the cloud, so I'm able to recreate the look of the original post. I think that my explanation will be much as it was, because I'm still working with essentially the same brain!   Any time you notice things that look complete bizarre or inexplicable here on The Vivienne Files, please send me a note: [email protected]. Your assistance is deeply appreciated!   Next step in the Starting From Scratch Capsule Wardrobe - you don't own a skirt or dress yet! A skirt is the more versatile of the two, because ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 8: Two Tops, and a Necklace

July 1, 2014  

One thing that I've noticed after many years of wearing clothes is that I feel like my capsule wardrobe is better balanced if I have more "tops" than "bottoms".  Two to one seems a pretty workable ratio for me, and so in search of this it's time to grab a couple more blouses, tee shirts, or sweaters. This is an ideal time to introduce a pattern, if you wish, or to bring in more of your accent colors. If you found that you really preferred wearing light neutral blouses, those are perfect for this step.   And a necklace... Some days when I'm walking in downtown Chicago, I make a point of looking specifically for necklaces, and I'm always kind of shocked that I don't see very many. A semi-precious stone or ... View the Post

Monday Morning Giveaway #5: “What Shall I Wear?” by Claire McCardell

June 30, 2014

So leave me a comment about what clothing from the '50's and '60's you miss the most (for me, I wish we all still wore hats...) and I'll draw a random number next Sunday afternoon and announce the winner next Monday morning.

Do you think that the burgeoning numbers of skin cancer cases might lead to a resurgence in the popularity of hats?

love, Janice

And the winner of last week's toiletry kits?  The very last comment left - Sharon!  Dear Sharon - send me an email to theviviennefiles at gmail dot com with your address and I'll ship them right off! ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch: Clarifying Our Preferences

June 29, 2014   As we take a pause in our capsule wardrobe building, it's a good time to begin to isolate some of our personal style preferences, and to focus on what kinds of color combinations make us most comfortable.     These aren't choices that MUST be made - you can have as much variety in your wardrobe as suits you, but for some of us, making the choice to (for example) eliminate button-front shirts can be liberating and clarifying.     I thought of these choices that could be made - what other decisions can be made at this point in wardrobe building?  

white cotton shirt – Diane von Furstenberg, white silk blouse – Nic + Zoe,  blue blouse – Uniqlo, lilac tee shirt – Nougat London, aqua ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch: A Brief Pause to Check the Map

June 27, 2014  

This seems like a good time to stop for a moment and assess what we've accomplished so far with our capsule wardrobes, and make sure that we're happy with the direction in which we're moving.   The items that we've brought into the capsule wardrobe so far give us over a dozen outfit options (I'm showing 2 dozen, but if you take off the cardigans, there are additional outfits).  Some of these outfits work better than others, but none of them are unwearable.   What might be reasonable to do right now would be to stop and look at each of these outfits, and decide if we're comfortable with most of them.  Certainly some are going to be... not to our taste... but if your choice of colors has been ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 7: A Base in the 2nd Neutral

  July 26, 2014   Today's step will bring our second neutral color more fully into our capsule wardrobes, by the addition of another "suit-like ensemble" in this color. Please note that you can choose a really different cardigan style from your first one, or you could choose a jacket - even a denim jacket!   And I'm opting for ballet flats for this color - no matter what shoes I choose, someone somewhere is going to detest them and want something very different. I'm including these in a really neutral style mostly for illustrative purposes - I want to focus on the role that a second pair of shoes, in a different color, will play. Tomorrow, when I show outfit options, this 2nd pair of shoes will make a big ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 6: Accent Color Tops and a Scarf

June 25, 2014  

Now, the fun starts!  A couple of accent color tops and another scarf will bring each capsule wardrobe to life and give you many more options.     Don't be terribly fanatic about matching up your accent colors, because you won't be wearing these pieces together; just make sure that you're choosing items that convey your preferences and your personal statement... That's what this is all about - showing yourself to the world exactly as you wish to be seen.    

Yellow tee – Warehouse, scarf – Collection Weekend, aqua tee - Reiss  

Red blouse – Cutie,  scarf – Brooks Brothers, blue shirt - Uniqlo  

Pink shirt – Fenn Wright Manson, scarf – Twisted ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch Step 5: Accessories round one

June 24, 2014  

Now that we have enough clothes in our capsule wardrobe to put together at least a handful of combinations, it's time to pause and make sure that we're truly heading down a path which we like; if we want to change courses, now is the time!

At a minimum, wearing coordinating accessories with your wardrobe will keep you from making that excuse in your mind - "this wardrobe isn't working because I don't have the right earrings (watch, scarf, bag); when I get THAT then it will be okay." So let's take a break from clothes and take a look at our accessories. Unless you're making a completely radical change of colors, you might find that you have accessories already in your collection which will work beautifully ... View the Post