Vivienne Files IV

 This is part IV, the last part, of me adjusting one of Janice's capsule wardrobes. Go to her blog to see more of it, she's really good at what she does.

I'm in no way saying I'm improving her work, that would be impossible, I think, I'm just adjusting it to fit my taste :-D

Now, this last part adds four more pieces to the wardrobe. Two more tops, a dress, and one more bottom. 

Again, I'm changing most of her choices :-D

I "approved" just the pink T, I exchanged the "cute" top with a striped boatneck (pink stripes :-D), and the green lounge pants with green jeans, and then I chose a pink shirt dress instead of another cardigan. 

I saw this amazing video about what you can do with a shirtdress, and decided I have to get one :-D (The one I chose isn't optimal, because it needs to be open and buttoned down all the way down.

So... that's the wardrobe.

So, the outfits:

1. white T, white skirt

2. white T, white cardi, white skirt

3. white T, white pants

4. white T, white cardi, white pants

5. white cardi backwards, white pants

6. white cardi backwards, white skirt

7. brown top, brown pants

8. brown top, brown pants, brown shirt

9. brown shirt, brown pants

10. brown top, brown skirt

11. brown top, brown skirt, brown shirt

12. brown shirt, brown skirt 

13. white T, brown pants

14. white T, white cardi, brown pants

15. white cardi backwards, brown pants

16. white T, brown skirt

17. white T, white cardi, brown skirt

18. white cardi backwards, brown skirt

19. brown top, white pants

20. brown top, white pants, brown shirt

21. brown shirt, white pants

22. brown top, white skirt

23. brown top, white skirt, brown shirt

24. brown shirt, white skirt

25. white T, brown shirt, white skirt

26. white T, brown shirt, white pants

27. white T, brown shirt, brown skirt

28. white T, brown shirt, brown pants

29. brown top, white cardi, white skirt

30. brown top, white cardi, white pants

31. brown top, white cardi, brown skirt

32. brown top, white cardi, brown pants

33. brown shirt, white cardi, white skirt

34. brown shirt, white cardi, white pants

35. brown shirt, white cardi, brown skirt

36. brown shirt, white cardi, brown pants

37. brown top, green cardi, white skirt

38. brown top, green cardi, white pants

39. brown top, green cardi, brown skirt

40. brown top, green cardi, brown pants

41. white T, green cardi, white skirt

42. white T, green cardi, white pants

43. white T, green cardi, brown skirt

44. white T, green cardi, brown pants

45. brown shirt, green cardi, white skirt

46. brown shirt, green cardi, white pants

47. brown shirt, green cardi, brown skirt

48. brown shirt, green cardi, brown pants

49. green cardi, white skirt

50. green cardi, white pants

51. green cardi, brown skirt

52. green cardi, brown pants

53. brown top, pink cardi, white skirt

54. brown top, pink cardi, white pants

55. brown top, pink cardi, brown skirt

56. brown top, pink cardi, brown pants

57. white T, pink cardi, white skirt

58. white T, pink cardi, white pants

59. white T, pink cardi, brown skirt

60. white T, pink cardi, brown pants

61. brown shirt, pink cardi, white skirt

62. brown shirt, pink cardi, white pants

63. brown shirt, pink cardi, brown skirt

64. brown shirt, pink cardi, brown pants

65. pink cardi, white skirt

66. pink cardi, white pants

67. pink cardi, brown skirt

68. pink cardi, brown pants

Uh, I just can't write all of these!

You'll get 17 more with green pants

then you'll get 25 more with each top - the print top alone, with the white cardi, brown shirt, green cardi, and pink cardi, with all five bottoms; the pink shirt alone, with white... you get the idea. 

That is 110 different outfits. 

Then add the shirt dress. You can use it with all the layering pieces, as a layering piece itself, as a big shirt with pants (and with skirts, too, if you want to, even though it might not work too well.)

AND then consider the multiple uses of some garments. I have added some videos on how to make several different kinds of tops of the button-down shirt and even a skirt. You can use the skirts as dresses, or as miniskirts. You can style the shirtdress in different ways, for example, a skirt. 

My problem with this wardrobe is... I don't think the green and the brown go together :-D

Vivienne Files III

 This is part II of me adjusting one of Janice's capsule wardrobes. Go to her blog to see more of it, she's really good at what she does.

The next part is "Mileage 4", which are tops. I have used the same tops Janice chose, with one exception. I like the colors of the Ralph Lauren T, and I love the fact it's a T-shirt, but... I hate it :-D I tried to find a printed top with green and pink on it, that would go with all the other pieces, and this is the closest I could get. It's not good, but it's OK.

With these 12 pieces of clothing, you can create 8x4 different single layer outfits, and 4x4x4 different layered outfits - or even more, considering that the button-down shirt can be used as the first and second layer, and the cardigans can all be used as cardigans and as sweaters (worn backward). Now, if one had some vests or waistcoats here, those could be used as layering pieces or tops. The thing with capsule wardrobes is that most pieces should have multiuse, and everything should go with everything else, so that you really can get the 32+ different outfits.

Here's some outfit suggestions with accessories. I've kept it down, only 4 pieces for every outfit :-D

There's a Hermès scarf with the first outfit, and another Vera scarf with the last one. I'm starting to wonder if the teal in the Vera horse scarf is too teal, and it should be more green. 

Vivienne Files II

This is part II of me adjusting one of Janice's capsule wardrobes. Go to her blog to see more of it, she's really good at what she does.

The next four items in her 4x4 capsule wardrobe are Expansion Four, which is basically a repetition of the first Core Four, except in another color. I chose golden brown as my second neutral. (I absolutely love this golden sandy beige, or camel, or caramel. Such a delicious color.)

I chose a pair of jeans, another simple A-line skirt, a button-down shirt and a sleeveless t-shirt.

The amount of outfits grows exponentially with this. I can have all the 5 top options with both jeans and skirt, that is 10 more outfits, and then I can use the t and shirt with the four bottoms, and get 8 more outfits, and then I can mix the tops - brown t with white cardi, white t with brown shirt, brown shirt with the cardigan, with all four bottoms. 12 more outfits. That makes 36 outfits from 8 pieces of clothing.

A button down is a very versatile piece of clothing. It, too, can be used as a light jacket, and worn in dozens of different ways, made into a skirt, etc.

Now, accessories. This is a spring-time wardrobe, and "they" say the shoes one needs for spring/summer are:

- slip-in sandals
- strappy sandals
- all ground sandals
- canvas shoes or sneakers
- walking shoes, oxfords, loafers, something like that
- ballerinas
- booties
- colorful pumps

Now, for this wardrobe, let's reduce the number of shoes to four pairs. Sandals, ballerinas that will pass as finer shoes (so that you don't need strappy sandals or pumps), then two pairs of the sort of shoes you most often wear/need. Like sneakers and loafers, or rubber boots and espadrilles, etc.

Janice classifies shoes as "leather" in her "accessorize by 4s". There are 2x4 spots for leather accessories in her grid. She usually fills these spots with shoes and bags, but I'd like to put in at least one belt.

Another thing Janice loves is earrings :-D I find it amusing that her style is otherwise rather "manly" - she loves loafers and laced shoes, unisex flats, and rather unisex tops as well. There aren't many "girly" things in her wardrobes. But then comes the earrings. She loves earrings. In reality, earrings aren't that important. Suze Orman said in Oprah Show that a woman needs only one pair of earrings - diamond studs that can be used with everything. They are simple enough to be worn in an office and flashy enough to be worn at parties. 

In the first part of this "amuse l'esprit" I accessorized one of the outfits with a pair of earrings, a necklace, a belt, and ankle booties, so I think I'll honor Vivienne Files and accessorize one outfit with sneakers, earrings, scarf and bag :-D

I chose canvas messenger bag, amber studs, and this absolute amazing Vera scarf with a white horse on green bottom and some pink roses. 

Vivienne Files, part I

 I adore Vivienne Files. Except that her taste in clothes is very different from mine, and also, I'm not a businesswoman :-D Also, I suspect she's Summer because those awful dusty colors keep creeping in to her wardrobe suggestions :-D (I mean, I hate those colors, mauve and taupe are the ugliest colors I know. But that's just my opinion. It's totally fine if you like them. And I adore Janice's job even when I disagree with her on taste.)

So, I am adjusting one of her capsule wardrobes. Go to her blog to see more of it, she's really good at what she does.

I like the idea of a cream/pink/green spring wardrobe, and I like her first outfit with the pink crepe blouse, pink cardigan and cream skirt. I don't like the skirt much, though, so I replace it with a longer A-line skirt.

Now, her 4x4 capsule wardrobe idea starts with a "core four". That is, two tops and two bottoms, and preferably the two tops can be layered, that is, one is a jacket or cardigan. I love twinsets, because, as Vivienne Westwood says, they can be styled in many ways. You can use the cardigan as a sweater wearing it with buttons on the back, and it works as a light jacket. 

With these four pieces, you'll have already 10 different outfits. You see how wearing the t-shirt outside the bottom or tucked in, creates a totally different impression. I've added some accessories to the last one to give you an idea of how to diversify these outfits even more. 

Basically, you could choose a V-neck t-shirt and wear that back and front, and thus give yourself a couple more outfits.

And if you choose a jersey skirt with an elastic waistband, you could hitch it up over your breasts, and get a miniskirt, or wear it on your hips and get a longer skirt. Or, you could use it as a strapless dress. It would look very nice with a belt and the cardigan.
But - I am all for multiuse garments and multi-using garments. There's a hack on how to wear a long, wide sweater with a big neckline as a lot of things :-D I think I have posted it here.

Some things need to be said about capsule wardrobes:
- it is primarily meant for working women who need a classic, moderate, basic wardrobe. So it might look boring. It is boring. You should practically be able to wear the same clothes for decades. This wardrobe would have worked in the 80s just as well as now. You are to express yourself with the accessories. So, a capsule wardrobe idea doesn't work for everyone. 
- you need to choose colors that fit you, and cuts and styles that fit your body. Now, there's a lot that has been said about body types and shapes and personal colors, and most of it is... well... not BS, but you can take it with a pinch of salt. Or leave it. The most important thing is that YOU feel good in the clothes you are wearing. That YOU like the colors of your clothes. That is more important than any color analysis or style guide. You have the shape you have whatever you choose to wear, and no "disguise" and "diversion" hides it. If you have a tummy and want to wear belts, wear belts. 

So, let's talk about the accessories. Janice has written about that, too, in her excellent blog. For example, this: ADDING ACCESSORIES TO A WARDROBE: START WITH ART – SUNLIGHT ON THE ROAD, PONTOISE BY PISSARRO

I love accessories. The thing is that you can accessorize every bit of your body. There are shoes, belts, bags, hats, scarves, jewelry for ears, neck, arms, legs, and other things. 

Now, the classic style says you shouldn't over-accessorize. Take a look at yourself before you go out and remove one item. Or count the "points". I'll use this photo of elborn_doris to illustrate this point counting thing. (I learned it from a style guide from 1960s)

sunglasses 1p

earrings 1p

t-shirt 1p

cardigan 1p

belt 1p

slacks 1p

watch 1p

ring 1p

bag 1p

shoes 1p

colors: 

white, ecru, tan, red, gold: 5p

details: 

belt buckle 1p

bag details 1p

pant cuffs 1p

--------------------------------------------------

18 points

Now, the style guide says one shouldn't have more than 12 points, and 10 is better. In my mind, she looks very good, and I don't think she needs to cut down points, but - according to the book, she should. For example, removing earrings and rings. Choosing a belt with a buckle of the same material as the belt. Choose either white, ecru, tan, or gold shoes. Maybe a tan cardigan, just a lighter shade. (That cardigan is a lighter shade of coffee, and thus a whole different color from the tan of the bag and belt. Which aren't really the same color either, but closer so that at first sight they look the same.) Uncuffed pants. 

Frankly, I don't fully agree with this, because I'm a maximalist :-D I wouldn't think worse of her if she added things, like a scarf, a hat, more bracelets, a corsage, a couple of brooches... :-D

Anyway, Janice continues accessorizing in fours. 

1: earrings

2: bracelets and watches

3: necklaces and brooches

4: scarves

5: leather - shoes, and bags (2x4)

I chose to accessorize the cream outfit with a belt, suede ankle boots, a necklace, and earrings. I would add a bag (suede envelope) and a scarf (square silk with pink, green, and cream). 

Tightlacing

You know this... *sigh*
The above image (far left and far right - see the original in the linked wikipedia article) is from 1880s.
I have taken the image, measured about where the ladies are the same (red lines in the third body), and then squeezed with paintshop UNDER the line, leaving the ribcage untouched, to show that when one wears a corset, the ribcage isn't effected much. It doesn't get squeezed together like in the horror image.
You can also experiment with your own ribcage. How hard to you need to push, squeeze, press, to get it to move at all? One can stand on one's ribcage without it giving much in. Do you think a corset could put that much pressure on it?

Then I dressed the ladies, to show how off the proportions are. It's easy to miss, when they are presented like that, and you are told what to see, but just look at the first lady. I had to make the t-shirt image a lot smaller over her shoulders and upper arms to get it fit even that well, and it's still too big. Her lower body is too big compared to the upper body. Her waist is very long. Because of this, the actual 1850s corsets on the body sit very badly. I had to take it in on the hips of the second lady, and as you can see, I would have needed to make it a bit larger at the waist for the horror lady. There is no 1880s corset with that tight waist.

So... what does this mean? They have exaggerated the proportions to enhance the "difference" - the uncorseted body is bigger than normal uncorseted body, the corseted smaller than normal corseted body. A corset would not have much effect at all on the ribcage and therefore on anything covered with the ribcage, that is lungs, heart, etc. Also, the effect is only on less than 4 inches.

This is an 1880 corset, in Fashion Institute of Technology's museum. No, it's not for pregnant women. That's what all corsets look seen from side. A lot of people just look at the full frontal, and focus on the hourglass figure, forgetting that women were supposed to look like hourglasses all around. They didn't have any "flat belly" ideas.

ALSO, the 16-inch, 13-inch waist, that was extreme body modification that wasn't the norm. If you look at the antique dresses, there's in average just 10 inches between waist and chest size. Like Gal Gadot. I suppose that means she's dead because of her impossibly cinched waist. She must have removed some ribs to get those measurements. Or Kendall Jenner. Same proportions. Would fit in a antique Victorian dress without a corset. So horrible.

I mean, seriously!

People have claimed that wearing a corset damages your heart. There is no evidence of this.
People have claimed that wearing a corset damages your lungs or makes it harder to breathe. Your lungs are encased in the ribcage, and the corset doesn't do anything about the ribcage, so how could it? Not one woman wearing a well-fitted corset complains about difficulties breathing. It's mostly psychological.
People have claimed that a corset will misshape your ribcage. Funnily, there are no skeletons to prove this theory, even though women have been wearing corsets and stays for some 500 years.
People have claimed wearing a corset damages your liver. No evidence of this either.
I mean... people just claim things, and there is no evidence of any of this. On the contrary, people who actually wear corsets say this:

"I myself have never felt any ill effects from nearly 30 years of the most severe tight lacing, nor have I yet found any authentic case of real harm being done by stays, even when laced to the utmost degree of tightness, both day and night.

People who write against the practice of tight lacing are either those who have never been laced and have never take the trouble to inquire into the pros and cons of the subject, or those who have, perhaps been once lace up very tightly in badly made, ill-fitting stays with the settled determination of finding them most awful instruments of torture."

- a corset wearing lady, 1893

But, no, one rather believes one's own prejudices and preconceived notions than educate oneself and listen to people who actually know what they are talking about.

I don't believe in my dream :-(

That's my biggest problem. Self-image.

I mean... you remember that photo last time. I was 15 in that photo. It was my confirmation. I believed I was fat already then. I weighed almost 70 kilos. I was size 42. I was the only person I knew over 40, except for other fat people. The dress I'm wearing is a new one. I didn't fit in the old one, the dress all three of my elder sisters had used...  I was superfit. I mean, my result for Cooper's test at that time was 3200 meters. That's about as good as it gets. There was another girl who run a couple of hundred meters more, but the rest were several laps behind us. The thing that still surprises me is that... it meant nothing. The teacher didn't say anything, she just recorded the results, and it didn't show in my physical education grade. I learned only a couple of years ago how extraordinary that is. Anyway, those 70 kilos were mostly muscles. I had wide shoulders and back, thighs like tree trunks - and I felt big and ugly and fat.
I also have short, thick neck. Enhances the fat impression.
I also got into puberty at 12, and have big boobs. As you can see from this photo of me as 18 years old.
I mean... I understand why I thought I was fat.
What I don't understand is why no-one told me I wasn't. I remember my big sister saying "even your toes are fat". I was about 15 or so. Another sister was freezing, and my cousin referred to me, wearing just shorts, and that I wasn't freezing, and my sister said "she has all that isolation". Meaning fat. I was 16-17. I once overheard my sister speaking to another sister in the phone about how quickly I eat and that she has tried to stop me. And that I had surpassed "the magical 70 kilos". I look at that photo, I look at that curve under the breast, and how the fabric goes smoothly down over my tummy... what tummy?

I get so bitter and sad about all this.
Another thing... that girl had never been kissed. No-one had even tried.
Ugly and fat. (What? Seriously? Yeah. That's what I thought then and still do.)

The thing is that... if I was fat and ugly when I was in the best condition of my life, and I looked like that and run 2 miles in 12 minutes... I will be fat and ugly rest of my life. There's nothing I can do to not be fat and ugly. It scares me.
I mean, if people are going to see me and treat me as I was fat and ugly, I could as well get the benefits, and enjoy all I can eat buffet of delicious, fatty, sugary carbs and bacon and all that. And just slouch on the couch all days and watch telly and surf and do nothing. It's bothersome to exercise. Muscles get sore. Running unfit hurts. It hurts your feet, it hurts your lungs, it feels like your heart is going to burst out of your chest and veins burst and you get the blood taste in your mouth, and then it's sweaty and uncomfortable, and all the blubber gets in the way, and makes it hard to bend. And breathe when you are bent.

But... I am not doing this (losing weight and improving my fitness) to get praise or so that people would like me and want to be with me. I'm just looking at all these happy social fit people doing all kinds of fun things together, and talking about their trainers and whatnots. How do you get a trainer?
And I get distracted by that.

I am not doing this to be seen as pretty and skinny and fit and all that.
I am not doing this to get friends and... I don't know, internet fame and to be able to make viral videos of me being so flexible and whatnot. There's plenty of young people doing that. And even though it might be a good idea to add some middle-aged people doing all that in the mix, NO! I AM NOT DOING THIS FOR THAT!

I am doing this to get lighter so that my body doesn't need to carry around so much and things will be easier for me.
I am doing this to be able to DO things. I want to do things like climbing and parkour and dancing and all that without needing to stop to breathe every 5 seconds.
I am doing this to me.

And, of course, it would be nice to have the other things too :-D
Though I think the most amazing thing that could happen is if I could watch myself in the mirror and admire what I see... I don't even dare to think about that. To see me and not see all the problems and wrongs and bad things, things I don't like...

But - I don't believe I will. I don't believe I will lose weight. I don't believe I will ever be able to do any of those things. I don't believe I'll ever look in the mirror and like what I see.
That girl over there... that's not me. I couldn't possibly ever have been that cute. And pretty. And that body looks very nice.

So - that's my biggest obstacle here. I know everything is possible, if I just believe, but I have to believe it 24/7 with my whole being.

There was this guy who got 20 cm taller...

I tried this thing...

I have been pinning things on Pinterest about fitness and sports and stuff. I love dancing, I love parkour, I love moving my body and using my muscles and such things.
So - I have been pinning some workout videos, and today I decided to stop pinning and start doing.
I chose a video, it looked easy enough, they said it was easy, and probably it is... but I couldn't do it.
And I panicked.
I tried to hang on, but while I was trying to figure out what her legs did, she did something with her arms, and moved on, so when I was ready to do what she did with her arms, she has moved on to the next movement, and after JUST FOUR MINUTES I was two moves behind, and completely lost, confused, and bewildered, at the brink of tears and panicking.
"I CAN'T DO THIS!"
I just wanted to quit and run and hide in shame - and go sit in my bed and do nothing, but eat. I want pizza. Junkfood. Candy. I want to go back to my childhood and not care about anything.

You see, I am good. I am very good. I can do most things at first try. Especially physical things. So when things don't happen, when things aren't easy, when I don't succeed at first try, I get shocked and don't know what to do about it. And I give up. I quit. I have done that for 50 years now. Taken the easy way out.
But no more. I will not quit. I am not 16 with physical fitness of an Olympic athlete. (Yes, I was that 34 years ago. I just didn't know it at the time. I wish someone had known. Someone who had known what to do with it. I would have been a great heptathlete.)
I am 50, I am about twice as heavy as I should be, I am sick and I haven't done much anything about my fitness since my father died 2014.

 So - I got so upset and panicky I had to stop and go away and walk it out.
But... I didn't want to quit. I wanted to finish it. So I got back and tried to take it slower. 50% of time was too fast, and I got back into panic.
I don't want to quit! Not this time! Never again!
I will do this! It is not difficult. Hundreds of people are doing it! I will, too. Might not be able to do it now, today, but I will take it on again tomorrow, and see how far I get, and this time I'll start in 25% without sound, and learn the choreography, how ever simple it is and how ever stupid I feel, because I WILL NOT QUIT. Quitting is not an option anymore.

After I decided that, I went to my rowing machine and rowed three sets of my maximum. Which is only 1 minute of rowing, but it will grow. I will not quit. Not this time, not ever again.

I just saw an episode of --- and there was this woman who was a ---... and the more I watched, the more I disliked her. So... she just blurted out something as something she wants to do, and she got to do it. But... she didn't seem to think much of it, not really want to do it, didn't seem to appreciate it much and hasn't mentioned it since. Or then, either. Anyway, I kind of forgot all about that during the show, and in the end, when they presented her, they presented her as a --- and I just about died.
Because it is true. She is a ---. I am not.
It is so unfair! She got it for free! I can't even imagine how I ever could. :'(