Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature
July 8, 2013 This painting was suggested by a reader, and I'm so happy to have been given the chance to study this in greater detail. I love the contrast of warm and cold colors, the blues and purples contrasted with the acid light green and warm tans...
love, Janice ... View the Post
Awkward is always awkward. If you seriously feel that this is something you want to improve, look into yoga, ballet, or some other physical activity. Nobody is too old to improve muscle control and enhance their grace.
More than anything else, you have to look like yourself. You can dress up in outfits that are supposed to make you more professional, or sexier, or more elegant, but ultimately you have to dress like yourself. Yes, of course it is possible for you to be more professional, more sexy, and more elegant, so long as at the core of everything, you continue to have a core SOMETHING that is truly you, as you are now.
So many of the people that I see when I'm hiking around Chicago look as if they ... View the Post
July 5, 2013
For a business event that is quite dressy, this ensemble below would be wonderful. And I particularly like this whole assortment of clothes, because it is all very suitable for those of us who do not have a well-defined waistline. Do remember, this much unrelieved black relies heavily on judicious and generous accessorizing to avoid looking monastic...You may not feel comfortable wearing a black dress to some occasions; I see them more and more at weddings - but of course now many brides dress their attendants in black, which opens up the possibility for the guests also. It's all about how comfortable you will feel - that's the only standard that ultimately matters.
Dress- ... View the Post
Sometimes, a white shirt (tee shirt, tank top) is the ideal choice for an outfit... First and foremost, if you love the way you're dressed, then you're wearing the perfect clothes, no matter what ANYBODY else says. In hot weather, when you're wearing other light-colored garments, or when you need the brightening effects of white near your face.And you do understand that "your" white might be ecru, or cream, or ivory, or some other variations of white? Choose what's best for you. Always. Every day. Without exception. Your happiness is really the only standard by which your garments should be evaluated.
The lighter-background tee shirt is much more in keeping with the feeling of the white jeans. ... View the Post
July 3, 2013 If you have the good fortune to own a pair of Hermes enamel bracelets, you may want to use them as the basis of some outfits...
Cardigan –Closed, Earrings- Georg Jensen, V-neck – Closed, Silk blouse – Steffen Schraut, Blue cardigan – Massimo Alba, Wine jeans – Closed, Bag – Dolce & Gabbana, Grey tee shirt – Organic by John Patrick, Wine tee shirt – Organic by John Patrick, Slate blue pants – Massimo Alba, Tweed skirt – Dolce & Gabbana, Suede loafers = Patricia Green, Flats – French Connection
love, Janice
... View the Post
July 2, 2013 It's always difficult to know what shoes to wear with a dress like this. While metallic sandals would always be an appropriate choice, the coat in this ensemble makes it possible to wear open, ornamented black sandals. Packing a black clutch and black sandals is handy, because you can then wear them if you want to dress up the other dress, or the skirt.
Amethyst earrings - DeLatori, Lavender dress – Valentino Roma, Bag - Artessorio, Sandals – Van Eli, Coat – Philosophy di Alberta di Ferretti
Blouse – Giambattista Valli, Cardgan- Nicole Farhi, Pants – Saint Laurent, Bracelet – Sisco & Berluti, Bag – Bottega Veneta, Suitcase – ... View the Post
July 1, 2013 This painting is so beautiful - the first thing that struck me was the clean simplicity of it. So I was initially drawn to cool, somewhat architectural clothes, of course in blue...
More blue - still simple, clean, with silver accents.
I loved this sweater juxtaposed with a lace skirt- it felt like it captured the balance between the simplicity of the overall painting contrasted with the delicacy of the flowers. And there was no way I could resist chambray...
And even winter clothing can reflect the beauty of this painting. Soft sweaters, tweed, suede, all capture the gentle grace Katsushika Hokusai brought to life ... View the Post
June 29, 2013
This is really a biggie - the woman with loose threads dangling about, run-down heels, just a generally ill cared-for appearance, will never be one of my Chic Sightings. You may not have money, you may not have access to the world's most amazing assortment of clothes, but you can always be clean, tidy, and well-maintained. Anything less just doesn't cut it!
By elegance, I don't mean decked out for the opera in the most expensive, high-fashion swank garments available. To me, elegance is a reflection of clarity and simplicity. I always feel a bit twitchy when I'm confronted with too many ruffles, studs, grommets, and other gee-gaws on fast fashion. Pile on a couple ... View the Post
June 28, 2013 White shirts are an absolute classic, right? Everybody should own one. Everybody should pull it out and wear it whenever they're in doubt about what to wear. Uhhhh - I don't quite agree. Yes, there are times and places where a white shirt is the most appropriate choice - a conservative job interview, for example. But many of us, on a day to day basis, might be better flattered to wear tops that are closer in color to our pants or skirts - if not a solid color, then a darker background. See what you think... Belovedest and I saw this woman a couple of days ago, and he asked me why she seemed so out of proportion - the woman in question is actually tall and thin. Her white ... View the Post
The Vivienne Files is not dead - they've only been moved back to their old URL.
Due to circumstances that only someone MUCH more computer-savvy than me could explain, the site theviviennefiles.com has died. Gone kaput. Vanished. Google ate it, and Google will NOT spit it back up for me.
So I can be found at theviviennefiles.blogspot.com.
I'm so sorry. If I knew who to yell at, I would be screaming myself hoarse right now...
love, Janice
p.s. Make sure you scroll down and see today's "real" post about all of the Chic Sightings of white in Chicago, in the heat of summer... ... View the Post
June 27, 2013 As soon as the weather warms up, white clothes are a common choice, even in Chicago. I personally would be more likely to go out naked than to wear white - especially a white dress, but I admire many of these choices. They bring a freshness to summer, and color to the streets. And note that there are, indeed, a pair of leggings in the mix here. Worn, modestly, with a tunic that covers all of the anatomically graphic bits...
Pink cardigan – L.K.Bennett, Earrings-Shanny Alon, White pique dress- Damsel in a dress, Pink ballet flats-Ras, White sheath – Dorothy Perkins, Purple belt – Ralph Lauren, Purple tote – Lacambra, Purple jacquard sandals – ... View the Post
June 26, 2013
Rose quartz earrings – Nikki Baker, Bag – A. F. Vandervorst, Dress – Paule Ka, Coat- Jil Sander, Taupe pumps – Kristin Michaels Yes, this is the second day in a row that this lace-trimmed scarf is shown - I think it's both amazingly beautiful and quite versatile. I can't imagine anything that you might wear from this travel wardrobe that wouldn't look just a tiny bit nicer with this somewhere.
Cardigan – Eric Bompard, Blouse – L’Autre Chose, Watch – Movado, Pants- Gardeur, Loafers- Munro, Scarf – futabaya, Suitcase – Tumi And yes, there are a couple more tops in here from Eric Bompard. If ... View the Post
