The Vivienne Files - Page 228 of 263 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Denim shirt – Found!!!

I'm over at Tish's today, extolling the wisdom of buying one perfect dress, and wearing it constantly...

And as for what I've been up to:

This is the winner - from J.Jill - NO breast pockets, princess seams, 100% cotton - but not bulky or heavy. AND it's available in Misses, Petites, (yaaaay, no sleeve shortening for me!), Womens and Talls.

Why can't more companies provide a wider range of sizes?

Honestly, if I needed new clothing in a hurry, J. Jill might be the first place I would go, if only because I know that I could buy things that would not need to be altered. Petite clothes are THAT rare, and save me a lot of time and alteration money... ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Garden in the Rue Cortot

If you were ever afraid of mixing shades of blue, this might give you courage!

Garden in the Rue Cortot – Renoir, flower earrings & necklace – Julia Failey, dress – Madewell, navy sandals – K Jacques, linen cardigan – J. Crew, tee shirt – Debenhams, loafers – Avec Moderation, silk pants – Stella McCartney

Garden in the Rue Cortot – Renoir, tee shirt – Chinto & Parker, shorts – Oasis, sandals – Bruuns Bazaar, blue sweater – Yves Saint Laurent, bracelets – Asos, moccasins – Minnetonka Moccasin, cotton pants – Paul & Joe

Garden in the Rue Cortot – Renoir, earrings – Amanda Sterett, silk halter top – Michael Kors, silk pants – Bottega Veneta, teal pumps – Miu ... View the Post

Another Common Capsule Wardrobe, with romance

Some of these accessories are the same as an earlier version of the "romance" idea, and some of them are very specifically chosen to do justice to the warmth of this wardrobe... so anybody who thinks that brown is too masculine needs to think again! A Common Capsule Wardrobe can be as feminine as one wishes...

Bracelet – Shamballa Jewels, peach moonstone ring – Irene Neuwirth, stone necklace – Alexis Bittar, pearl drop earrings – Carolee, stacked bracelets – Dorothy Perkins, bib necklace – Stella & Dot, calla lily earrings – Annette Ferdinandsen, watch – Anne Klein, pearl flower stud earrings – Romwe, shawl – Milleneufcentquatrevingtquatre, striped scarf – Soaked in Luxury, ballet flats – Lanvin, bag – Sam ... View the Post

Another Common Capsule Wardrobe, with gold

The Common Capsule Wardrobe shines with warm colors and gold accessories!

Jewelry – Alexis Bittar, socks – Maria La Rosa, square scarf – Hermès, bag – Anya Hindmarch, watch – Swatch, fringed scarf – Stella McCartney, metallic cable tights – Emilio Cavallini, flat boots – Calvin Klein Collection

Top row – L.L.Bean, cream shirt – Kitsune, peach blouse – Chloe, cardigan & v-neck sweater – L.L.Bean, brown long-sleeved tee – La Garconne, tan pants – Jil Sander, cream jeans – Les Copains, brown pants – Maison Martin Margiela

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A dress for all seasons: Grey

Grey cotton dress – Thakoon, necklace – Swarovski, blazer – Rag & Bone, pumps – Jimmy Choo, sweatshirt/denim jacket – Jet by John Eshaya, brooch – Georg Jensen, silver flats – Gianvito Rossi Today, I'm over at A Femme d'un Certain Age, where I explore the possibilities of this grey cotton dress (which has an interior drawstring - how cool is that?).

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Another Common Capsule Wardrobe, with amber

Why yes, these ARE the same amber accessories I used with the first version of The Common Capsule Wardrobe; thank you for noticing!

Bracelet – Modcloth, ring & earrings – Kenneth Jay Lane, square scarf – Liberty London, leopard amber bracelet – Romwe, beads – Linda Lee Johnson, stud earrings – Goldmajor, belt – J. Crew, bag – Maison Martin Margiela, oxfords – Dolce Vita, paisley scarf – Etro, ankle boots – Aldo, chunky necklace – Kenneth Jay Lane

Simply Seasonless: Denim Shirt

Denim shirt – Marc by Marc Jacobs

Denim shirt – Marc by Marc Jacobs, grey pants – Stella McCartney, scarf – Hermès, blazer – Allsaints, grey loafers – Dune, zigzag scarf – Missoni, grey sweater – VPL, jeans – Mango, sneakers - Converse

Denim shirt – Marc by Marc Jacobs, black skirt – DKNY, black cardigan – L.L.Bean, scarf – Etro, opaque tights – Armani Exchange, pumps – Stuart Weitzman, grey pearl earrings – Lord & Taylor, tweed dress – Dolce & Gabbana, grey tights – Topshop, loafers – Tod’s

Denim shirt – Marc by Marc Jacobs, moonstone earrings – Andrea Fohrman, white cardigan – Rag & Bone, black cropped pants – Emilio Pucci, ballet flats – See by ... View the Post

Another Common Capsule Wardrobe: warm colors

Ever since the beginning of A Common Capsule Wardrobe, I've been asked to show what I would consider to be a version for someone who prefers warmer colors. While this version isn't going to be quite as versatile as the original, it's certainly got plenty of potential. Does anybody want me to expand on this one, with accessories?

Top row – L.L.Bean, cream shirt – Kitsune, peach blouse – Chloe, cardigan & v-neck sweater – L.L.Bean, brown

long-sleeved tee – La Garconne, tan pants – Jil Sander, cream jeans – Les Copains, brown pants – Maison Martin Margiela

... View the Post

Paris: scarf shopping at Crimson

October 19, 2012

Crimson is an absolutely irresistible, tiny little Paris shop that specializes in cashmere. A dreadful temptation...

The above is a close-up of the scarf I purchased. It's a bit sheer-ish, and it's FIVE FEET WIDE, and SEVEN FEET LONG... It is about the most gorgeous thing I've ever owned; it looks great with black, delicious with grey, and I have a hunch I'll be able to wear it for decades.

I could have bought another sweater, or another dress, but this scarf will outlast anything like that, and will remain gorgeous long after another piece of clothing is forgotten! love,

Janice ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: 2 weeks, with accessories

Yes, there are eight outfits in each week - I just can't find a nice way to show seven outfits on a page!

Now if you dressed like this for two weeks, and someone remarked that you were wearing the same clothes repeatedly, you should just laugh at them, and suggest they get a hobby.

For reference purposes, these are the Project 333 garments:

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A dress for all seasons – navy

Ink blue dress – Alexander Wang, purple turtleneck – Christopher Kane, scarf – Hermès, boots – Jil Sander, square scarf – Hermès, cardigan – Mango, ankle boots - Acne

Come visit today at A Femme d'un Certain Age, where I explore the possibilities of wear ONE DRESS every month of the year. ... View the Post

Paris: shopping @ Agnes B., Muji, French Trotters

Of COURSE we shopped. It would require super-human discipline for belovedest and I to stay out of stores in Paris. Partly, of course, shops in Paris are a great opportunity to get some insights into the French aesthetic - the way the stores are arranged, the way the merchandise is displayed - it's just NOT like shopping in Chicago.And then, there are some stores that just don't exist in Chicago - specifically Agnes B. (who had a store here which closed a few years ago), Muji, and French Trotters. If I were absolutely forced to purchase all of my clothing from one store, it would be Agnes B.; her designs appeal to me completely. And Muji is just cool - streamlined products of every possible sort. French Trotters ... View the Post