Project 333 Archives - Page 2 of 6

A Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 Update, and a Request

I don't talk about it much, but I am pursuing Project 333 in an effort to really learn WHAT I wear most, and what I should thus be keeping in my wardrobe, and perhaps investing in when I start shopping for clothing again. (I don't plan to buy anything for at LEAST 2 or 3 months, at this stage...) This is the clothing that's currently in my Project 333. I've got two things in here that aren't making much sense - the short-sleeved COS dress is wonderful, but I'd have to layer it, and for some reason that seems to keep it in the closet rather than on the back. And the blue jeans? I don't HAVE blue jeans anymore... They got to be so much too big that they were donated. Things are not pretty when ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333, Planning, Packing, Paris, and the Unexpected

September 17, 2014

I leave later today for Paris... and Yes, I'm excited! It never gets old, and I never get tired of doing the same things, going the same places. This trip will be very different from most of my recent ones, because I'm going with someone who's never been there. This will definitely add some new perspectives to how I see the city. My carefully schemed packing is going to be changed slightly, because the weather in Paris is quite a bit warmer than it is here in Chicago. This makes me think AGAIN that it's only reasonable to be prepared for weather changes when you travel.

Last week, in Chicago, the weather went from air conditioning overnight to weather cold enough to wear gloves. ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 Autumn 2014 – I’m IN!

September 6, 2014

No, it's nowhere NEAR cool enough to wear autumn clothes in Chicago - I think right now the temperature could be around 90, the humidity nears 3 digits (I swear it goes over 100% - it's like swimming in a bathtub...) and we're going to get thunderstorms any time now. But I am travelling very soon to cooler climes, and it's only reasonable to be prepared when the weather whiplashes us into cold, as it will...My clothing requirements become more and more simple; after I spend eight hours a day looking at thousands of garments and accessories for The Vivienne Files, I only want to wear black or grey. Maybe some pearl jewelry. Maybe a scarf! I now understand why some fashion designers wear ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Earrings

October 18, 2013

Earrings are far from an essential part of any wardrobe, but I wear them every day; I find that I really hate the look of the holes in my ears without earrings. But most of the time I prefer to wear only small stud earrings, or very modest hoops - I'm not terribly keen on large earrings on me...These are the core of my day-to-day wardrobe:

Pearls, or another lustrous stone in a neutral tone, are a good starter:

A metallic stud is always nice:

It's generally handy to have a somewhat dressy earring for those occasions:

And a small earring in an accent color is fun:

If you're a hoop earring type ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Bracelets and Necklaces

October 14, 2013

Bracelets and necklaces are also items that absolutely nobody MUST have in their wardrobe; women have lived completely fulfilled and productive lives without them. But for me, this is the core of what I will be wearing through the autumn and winter.Note that I wear both silver and gold, mostly because I have a Trinity ring as a wedding ring, and my watch has a yellow and white gold band. As will ALL things style, your mileage may vary.

Pearl bracelets - there are SO many beautiful ones available:

Pearl necklaces with some black detailing - I would buy two of these and layer them together:

A nice simple gold ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Scarves

October 8, 2013 Who am I kidding - I will wear more than six scarves before the winter is over - there will be WEEKS during which I will wear more scarves than this. But these six scarves represent the critical categories into which my scarves seem to fall. None of them is still currently available - and I can only remember buying two of them at all clearly. I DO remember buying my pink scarf the first time I visited Paris (1998?), and being absolutely horrified with myself that I spent so much on a scarf. Now that I've worn it about 500 times, I no longer remember the price...

Mostly pink/blush colored scarves:

Halogen, La Fiorentina, Nordstrom, ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Shoes

October 7, 2013

Lots of people have been interested in where I purchased my various Project 333 items, and what designers or brands were represented. So I'm going to break down the whole show, by category, and review what I have. Better yet, since so much of my stuff is no longer available, I'm going to source out reasonable facsimiles or replacements.Starting with shoes: I have 2 pair of loafers included in this assortment, and 2 pair of oxfords. If I were starting from scratch, I'd probably only get one pair of each. But here are the autumn shoes, shown in order of absolute criticalness in my life.

My loafers are from Stuart Weitzman, the tall boots are from Eddie Bauer, the athletic ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: The Full Lagerfeld

Yes, Karl Lagerfeld wears the same outfit every day. And I'm going to be getting close to that point...I can see how people who are continually immersed in fashion all day, every day, can get completely burned out on making clothing choices. For every garment or accessory that I show here on my blog, I estimate that I look at over 100 items that get rejected. Sometimes, I can say with confidence that I looked at over 500 pair of pants, or 700 bracelets, before I found what I really wanted to include here for you.

After I've written a blog post, I want to wear absolutely simple, plain, easy and uncomplicated clothes. I don't need to have more than a dozen discrete, discreet outfits, so this upcoming Project 333 ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 for a new season – shifting white tops

Another gradual change for my Project 333 wardrobe - the white tee shirt will give way to a simple white blouse. If you haven't had luck purchasing a button-front shirt, I can't encourage you enough to continue to try them on from time to time. Companies continue to tweak their cuts, and it's very possible that you will be able to find one that fits you perfectly. When I did my gig working in the bakery last year, I had to wear a white shirt EVERY DAY, and I found that Lands' End made petite styles that fit me as if made to measure. Now that I own FIVE of them, they are definitely going to get rotated into my fall and winter wardrobe.

And they're ideal for wearing scarves...

White Shirts for Cool Weather

Outfits with a white ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Planning for a New Season, and learning from success

Everybody talks about learning from failure, but there are some excellent lessons to be learned from our successes, too.I've been really loving my summer wardrobe, and thus have decided to carefully think about the garments that I'm wearing frequently, and consider the possibility of finding a cool-weather version of those garments. Building on my summer successes, if you will.

First and foremost, I'm wearing a black tank FREQUENTLY. The logical shift for cooler weather, to my mind, will be a long-sleeved top with a similar cut and a similar neckline. Something like this:

So my favorite summer outfits will transition like this! A simple tank and skirt, with a cardigan over my shoulders, will become more like a ... View the Post

Packing for an Emergency from Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 – warm weather

Realistically, Project 333 makes packing a snap - you don't have terribly much from which to choose, and if your garments were wisely chosen, most of them should go together pretty well. But I always find it comforting to have a plan in mind, when those phone calls arrive. I've had a few near misses recently with having to travel at the last minute, so I'm happy to have the following plan for the balance of the warm weather. Travelling for me almost always involves flying - my relatives are scattered about the planet. Even on the hottest summer days, airplanes are cold (it's always WAAAY below zero at 35,000 feet), so a cardigan, a light wrap, and SENSIBLE shoes are always appropriate.

In these clothes, I ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333 continues, with 3 substitutions

July 11, 2013

Now that I'm home during the day, I've found that I don't need to dress like a serious business executive all of the time, and I'm able to indulge my fondness for ballet-ish garments, and a lot of dark neutral colors. I find that being able to have a simple, monochromatic wardrobe makes sense for me... This month's additions: the most excellent Preloved tee shirt that I bought in Toronto, a charcoal tank top from Eileen Fisher, and a pair of black skirted leggings. You either LOVE, or HATE, skirted leggings. I've found that I love them - they're comfortable, flattering, and just unusual enough that they make me happy.

This was what I was using for Project 333. I ... View the Post