Packing with Four by Four: Navy, Tan and Coral

I've had a ton of questions from readers about packing for trips that include multiple cities, and a variety of activities.  And I've also had a few requests for packing navy, tan (or khaki) and coral.  So I endeavor to answer questions and fulfill requests with this post.

As usual, I like to start with the travel outfit - I'm always a fan of a cardigan, long pants, loafers, and a big scarf.  Simple stud earrings don't get caught on things when you're sleeping on the plane.  Dark colors are good, because they don't show wrinkles or spills, and a cardigan gives you the layering option for when the plane is cold.

Gold shard earrings- De Anna Kiernan,  Tee shirt – Max Mara, navy cardigan – Miu Miu, checked pants – Steven Alan, scarf – milleneufcentquatrevinftquatre, watch – Fossil, tote bag - Brahmin

Then I start with a four-some in your dark neutral.  These four garments will give you four outfits, and they offer you a range of looks from extremely simple and casual to dressy.

Tee shirt – Majestic , Pleated top – Carven ,  capris- - Marni Edition, skirt – Miu Miu

 Next I  build a four by four of the second, lighter, neutral.  At this point, I usually introduce another cardigan, or a jacket.  Unless you're traveling  to someplace guaranteed to be extremely warm ALL the time, a second cardigan is useful.  Remember - a cardigan can be worn with nothing underneath them, just like a sweater.  And at this point in time, you're going to have a LOT of outfit options.

Tee shirt – J. Crew, Tan pants- J. Crew, skirt – J. Crew, cardigan – J. Crew

 And finally, I pull together three accent-color tops, and a pair of jeans...  I don't know how many different outfits this would give you, but as long as you have access to laundry, you should be all set!

Blush tunic – Mango, tee shirt – J.Crew, cotton shirt – J. Crew,  jeans  - Textile Elizabeth &James

The ABC's of Chic Sightings: Timeless, Unique, Vital

I think one of the most striking things about seeing photographs of true style icons - Audrey Hepburn, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis etc. - is that they could easily be seen on the streets of any major city in the world TODAY, and they would still look wonderful.  There's a lot to be learned from this.

Uniqueness isn't essential - you can easily conform to the current uniform of modern culture and blend in, but that's (1) no fun, and (2) not very chic.  You might have to do some thinking in order to figure out who you are, and what you want to convey  in your image, but if you want to live an authentic life, your personal image is an important thing to establish and refine.

Walk with some energy.  Look interested in your surroundings.  Convey some sense of life and engagement with the world around you.  Slouching along the streets with a frown on your face won't be chic, no matter what you're wearing.

More about Preloved

Tag that was on my tee shirt from Preloved. What's not to love?

A number of readers have been curious about my Preloved shirt that I bought a few weeks ago in Toronto.  Well, I adore it, and moreover, I really like the entire premise of the company...

Even if you're not nuts about the idea of clothes made of multiple fabrics, Preloved has some wonderful things to consider:

A tote bag made of khaki pants, lace, and leather - I think this is SO beautiful.

A hooded sweatshirt for children - what a brilliant idea!

Send them a couple of old tee shirts, and they'll make a pillow for you.  This could be the answer when confronted with garments with overwhelming sentimental value.

I do not get commissions from Preloved; I support them enthusiastically because of their thoughtful solution to the endless global problem of garment waste.

Transition: Black & Grey with Accessories

earrings- Chen Fuchs,   bag -  Mei Vintage, black, white and grey scarf - Esther Bonte,  grey and white scarf - Fusekata Hana,  star anise seed necklace- Justine Brooks,  flutter leaf necklace - Cynthia Jones Jewelry,  leaf bracelet- Lei Van Kash,  cap toe flats - Naturalizer, oxfords - Munro

In the interest of full disclosure, if your click on any link to Boticca and purchase something, they give me a (very) small commission.  That's not why I use their accessories on The Vivienne Files; I use them because they're timeless, elegant, classic, and unique, just like us!

Transition: Phasing out a secondary neutral

I repeatedly make the questionable choice of including beige or khaki in my summer wardrobe... sigh...  it's not a great color for me.  So here, in addition to addressing the idea of moving toward warmer clothes, and buying with a purpose, I'm also showing a move from one color in a wardrobe to a different one.

Remember, this was the summer Whatever's Clean wardrobe:

all clothes - L.L.Bean

 First, because I'm starting to really feel like beige isn't working well, the 2 beige pieces are going to take a back seat. And of course white linen pants aren't going to go too far into the fall...

all clothes - L.L.Bean

 Here's where grey takes the place of beige, and a pair of jeans will replace the white linen pants.

all clothes - L.L.Bean

 Second step:  the sleeveless black dress, and the two white tops, and due for a vacation...

all clothes - L.L.Bean

The easiest possible swaps - a sleeveless dress replaced by a long-sleeved dress, and a white long-sleeved shirt will take the place of the tee shirt.  And instead of a casual white top, a casual grey top... 

all clothes - L.L.Bean

 Solid black garments can easily be worn 12 months... but for the sake of illustration we'll give a vacation to the cotton tank top, the cotton cardigan/button front top, and the black capris.

all clothes - L.L.Bean

 I can't say enough positive about this striped top... And a grey cashmere cardigan- but zip-front instead of the more expected buttoned.  Grey knit pants put us in a very good position for cooler weather.

all clothes - L.L.Bean

 The beige pieces do look uncomfortable in this ensemble, but since all wardrobes are a work in process, and are always in transition, this is not an unusual thing to see in a well-planned closet.

all clothes - L.L.Bean

Chic Sightings: Grey and Green

Not a color combination I would have thought of, but I've seen it a lot recently, and it's been beautiful!  There's a LOT of grey on the streets of Chicago these days - I'm going to revisit it a handful of times...

mint green top - Dorothy Perkins, shorts- Emma Cook, earrings - Cynthia Jones, sandals - Justfab, silk top - Emporio Armani , earrings - YooLa, pants - Carven, loafers - Cole Haan

dress - Alice + Olivia,  cardigan - Dorothy Perkins, bracelet - Hringa,  sandals - Splendid, cardigan - Boden,  necklace - Vlum, jeans - Monsoon, flats - Frye

Tee shirt – J. Crew,  scarf - Antagoniste,  cropped trousers – Moschino Cheap & Chic, flats- Adrienne Papell,   blouse – Reiss,  scarf - Yuh Okano,  skirt – Marc Jacobs, cardigan – Miu Miu, pumps - Tsubo

                       

The ABC's of Chic Sightings: Polished, Quiet, Relaxed, Simple

You would never wear clothes that were dirty or torn.  So why do so many people wear shoes that are scuffed and run down at the heels?  Such a simple thing - looking better, and having shoes last longer too.

And of course polished has a larger meaning - attention to detail, and a certain "finish" about one's appearance.

Quiet, to me, means not screaming for attention.  Recently, I saw someone in a blouse which combined leopard print, paisley, flowers and appliqued rhinestones.  Trying too hard...

Relaxed is not synonymous with sloppy, or slouchy, or messy.  I think relaxed means being comfortable in what you're wearing - both physically and mentally.  And being able to move around without hindrance helps a lot; avoid the awkward shoe or the skirt that needs constant adjustment.

An absence of clutter, or extraneous ornamentation, or zippers that don't unzip and buttons that don't unbutton.  If someone has to study what you're wearing in order to figure out what's going on, you may want to scale things back a bit.