The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing for summer on the coast of Maine

A dear reader asked me for some suggestions about what to take for a summer on the coast of Maine.   She has these garments (well, garments very similar to this) that she currently really likes:

white linen shirt – Ralph Lauren, orange striped tee – Debenhams, navy striped tee – Sandro, purple striped tee – Splendid, white shirt – Marc Jacobs, white & dark wash jeans, denim jacket – Adriano Goldschmeid, black shirt – La Garconne  

And she told me that she really likes blue, so I suggested the following additions (some of which she may already have), as well as some essential accessories.   A few possible combinations follow.  Enjoy! and dream of the beach...

Blue cardigan – Paul Smith, white tee – La ... View the Post

The price of a manicure

Years ago, after I turned 30, I decided that absolutely nothing was more important to me than to travel. It became, for me, the primary criteria by which every purchasing decision was made: "Does this get me closer to an airplane?"  If the answer was no, then I at least paused before proceeding.

The upshot of this discipline is that I was able to go to Europe twice a year, spending about 3 weeks there in total each year.  My co-workers exhibited a constant combination of annoyance, jealousy, and just plain incomprehension as to how this could be done.  

Here's how:

As soon as I got a cell phone, I disconnected my land line. Packed lunches. Coffee from the free office coffee maker, rather than the expensive cafe ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing in brown and turquoise

This is the last iteration of the original "honeymoon" packing theme that I started over a week ago. But in the next few days, I'm going to do some imaginary shopping, I've got a chic sighting to share, and then I'm going to tackle a "second honeymoon in Paris" theme, which will have a slightly greater focus on neutral colors and modest silhouettes!

love, Janice ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing in brown and TANGERINE!

It's the color of the year!  But you can still wear it and look more elegant than trendy...   And I know that I said today would be the last iteration of this travel package, but someone asked me to try on turquoise, so tomorrow is brown and turquoise.  It's going to be beautiful!    

Brown cardigan – Aviu, gold heart earrings – Alex and Chloe, white tee – Michael Stars, Scarf – Hermes, orange jacket – Creenstone, brown pants – Maxmara, penny loafers – J. Crew, brown bag – Christopher Kon      

sunglasses – Miso, orange clutch - Tiffany, gold hoop earrings – J. C. Penney, orange striped top – J. Crew, flower earrings – J. C. Penney, white short-sleeved button-front top – Kookai, ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing in Brown and coral, for uncertain weather

Still evolving the same packing which started with my honeymoon, I'm now thinking of a trip where you're leaving a cooler climate (maybe early autumn in northern climes) and heading south.  Brown keeps your grounded in the September or October mood, but still lots of soft coral colors to enjoy your vacation destination!Tomorrow is the last installment of this particular theme and variations; I'll be using the color of the year - tangerine!!!  (the identifying of annual colors always makes me laugh...)

Brown cardigan – Aviu, gold heart earrings – Alex and Chloe, white tee – Michael Stars, Scarf – Hermes, Coral jacket – H&M, brown pants – Maxmara, penny loafers – J. Crew, brown bag – Christopher ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing in camel & blue

April 11, 2012

Today, I've swapped out the black for a much softer camel, and you can see that with just a few adjustments to the accessories, the same 5 (core neutral garments) + 2 (white or light neutral tops) + 7 (accent pieces, including a jacket or coat) approach continues to work.

This could be particularly useful if you have a well-established base wardrobe in your best neutral(s), and were considering making a big investment in a new accent color.The seven garments, a scarf, a couple of pieces of jewelry, and you've added LOTS of new options to your core wardrobe.

Stay tuned; I'm still playing with this idea!

love, Janice

p.s. If you're currently estranged from someone you once loved, get back in ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe – Packing in black, white & blue

The general theory behind my packing plan can be translated into nearly infinite color combinations.  If pink is not your cup of tea, try blue!  In the next few days I'm going to swap out for at least one different neutral, and a few different accent colors.  The theory is always the same: 5 core neutral garments, an accent jacket, a couple of white or light neutral tops, and then the 6 dash accent garments in your color(s) of choice.  Easy peasy, once you get the hang of it...  

 black cardigan – Ganni, sapphire earrings – Lord & Taylor, white tee – Michael Stars, Scarf – H&M, Denim coat – Derek Lam, black pants – Donna Karan, patent loafers – Tod’s, black tote – Big ... View the Post