The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Vivienne Files - Page 209 of 268 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Elegance is Refusal? What DOES this mean?

This is a quote that gets bandied about quite a bit, but I don’t know how many of us have thought about how this idea translates into everyday actions and choices.

But I think it might be:

Refuse to buy what we’re told are “must-have” items. Elegance is not conforming to the dictates of others – especially when their primary goal is to sell you something, and not to help you be more elegant, more attractive, or more financially secure. Refuse to accept the conventional wisdom that you need new clothes constantly, no matter that you already have enough clothes, or that you don’t need to spend more money, or that the environment can’t sustain each of us buying clothes without restraint and planning. Refuse to fall prey to the “color of ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Fall Accent Color: Linden Green

September 21, 2013   I wasn't crazy about this color when I started looking for accent items for our capsule wardrobe, but when I started putting it against the neutral colors it really began to grow on me.  And I'm also beginning to see the value in an accent cardigan.  I think it's easy to assume that an accent color for a season or two might be best purchased in a blouse, tee shirt or sweater, but upon reflection I can see that a cardigan could be worn more often, and make more of a visible impact...  Food for thought.

 

  While I was combing the internet for this color, I noticed that the brand Schumacher had a variety of garments in this color currently available.  It's not uncommon for a ... View the Post

Photography, Catalogs, Shopping, and My Wardrobe

After I took the photograph of my grey clothes a couple of days ago, I was so happy with it that I decided to take one with a few of my black garments too, and I realized something:

For some reason, once we get clothes or accessories home, in our closets, we don't see them as the same wildly desirable and outrageously beautiful things that they were BEFORE we bought them.  And that's absurd.  The items are unchanged, but our perceptions are skewed to leave us feeling as if we are always lacking something...

What if I took some time to assemble my most beautiful things in vignettes like the one above, and took some pictures of it, as if it were going to be in a catalog or an online store?  And what if I kept these ... View the Post

The Role of Texture in the Monochromatic Wardrobe

When you get a look at my upcoming Project 333 for Autumn, you might be terribly concerned that I've fallen into a deep depression, because a LOT of my clothes this autumn are grey...But if you look carefully at the photograph above, you can see that my wardrobe's not going to be boring.  The dotted fabric is my skirt, the grey ribs are a dress, the absolutely WONDERFUL sequined sparkly thing is a cardigan, and the seed and ladder stitched garment on the right is a crew neck sweater.  I'm not at all sure how I'm going to wear these various garments, but as Project 333 moves forward, I will be sure to let you know.

Simple outlines or photographs of clothes don't always show the true depth of beauty in the garments; texture can ... View the Post

Travel Capsule Wardrobe Packing for a Book Tour: Leaf Green and Black

September 16, 2013   After I finished today's post for Tish at A Femme d'un Certain Age, I looked around at some other possible colors with which the black items could be worn... and stumbled upon some beautiful green options.  Not something which you might want to wear every day, but an interesting choice if you want to be remembered and make a statement of originality!  

Blouse – Uniqlo,  earrings – Annette Ferdinandsen,  Black slouch pants – Helmut, black cardigan coat – Ann Demeulemeester,  scarf – Nordstrom,  watch – DKNY ,  flats – Delman , tote – Victorinox  

Peridot and blue topaz earrings- Ippolita, green asymmetric sweater – Allude, earrings – Arunashi, green tank ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Fall Accent Color: Deep Lichen Green

September 14, 2013   This is another Pantone seasonal color that feels a lot like a neutral to me - and a beautiful neutral!  There are lots of items available in this color; if you aren't comfortable wearing this near your face, there are still a lot of options for shoes and pants...  

Scarf – YuhOkano,  cardigan – Bark, earrings – Nikki Baker, Buddha bracelet – Eastern Mystic, loafers - Munro  

 

love,

Janice ... View the Post

Fashion Fairy Tale #1

Have a wonderful Friday,

love,

Janice

And come visit A Femme d'un Certain Age today, where I make a few suggestions for a book tour wardrobe for her. (what excitement!!!)

                        ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Fall Accent 2013: Vivacious

September 12, 2013   I'm always amazed when a bright shade of fuchsia or hot pink is considered a "special, seasonal" color, because it seems to me that it's always available in some shape or form...    

Drop stud earrings – Dorus Mhor,  Blouse – Maison Martin Margiela,  scarf – Pucci ,  clutch – Poupee Couture, flats – Adam Tucker  

  love, Janice                        ... View the Post

An interesting juxtaposition of timeless and trendy

September 11, 2013

So yesterday, I spent the afternoon with Slim, at an auction house here in Chicago.  They were having an extensive sale of Vintage Couture and Accessories - Vintage, using the term loosely...  Specifically, we wanted to see if it was within budget to bid on either of these two:

Turned out that things went a bit too rich for our budgets, but the contrast between the things we saw at the auction, and the contents of my email inbox when I got back to my desk, was striking:

There's nothing particularly wrong with thinking about next year's colors - if you're in the fashion industry.  But the difference between clothes that were impossible to date, and the implied "temporary-ness" of the lists of ... View the Post