The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 39: A Shirt-dress or Warm-Weather Dress

I'm in full "dreaming of my summer wardrobe" mode right now, although I'm not sure how soon I'll be able to actually go OUTSIDE to wear it... Or how often I'll be able to go out, for a while.

That's what fantasy is for, right? And we will all be out and about eventually; we just have to do what's most important for a while...

There are no real rules for buying a dress, except of course making certain that you adore it, and that you'll wear it to pieces...

If you're following along with the Six Scarves wardrobes, I was easily able to find lovely dresses to go with each of the scarves:

I swear, when we're all out and about again, I'm going to be a LOT less of a sissy about wearing white clothes. You get a spot - life ... View the Post

Start with Swimwear? Building a Travel Capsule Wardrobe

"The say that we can go up to the island, if we voluntarily observe social distancing for 14 days..."

please note that this is the same style swim suit that I bought for myself, and I can recommend it without hesitation; I look splendid in mine, and THAT's saying something!

She had realized about a week ago that her life was changing, and her attitudes were... surprising.

After decades of being self-conscious about wear a swim suit, or going into the ocean around other people, she realized that she was worrying about ALL THE WRONG STUFF...

And so she planned for things to be different, now.

She was going to participate fully. In everything. Including splashing, and building sand castles, and just plain sitting under ... View the Post

Start with Art: Build a Travel Capsule Wardrobe based on Arara Azul by Victoria Ragna

This is a LOT like yesterday's post, I admit. Not because I'm inherently lazy (although I could be, given the right circumstances...) but more because someone asked yesterday about wearing accents of teal, aqua and soft blue with navy. I HAD to show how well many of these garments work just as well with a slightly different neutral.

(yes, grey would be lovely...)

This is very much the same color palette as yesterday, except the shift away from black...

After a LONG summer... They're free to travel again! She's been planning for months for this trip...

What kept her sane through the summer was the ability to go outdoors and watch the birds. It had never been a hobby before; they had had a bird feeder for a long time, ... View the Post

Start with Art: Building a Travel Capsule Wardrobe based on Sea Change by Helen Frankenthaler

Such calming colors....

It's not a complicated color palette, but it's certainly beautiful!

She's Ready to Dress Up... Now that she's free to travel again, she does NOT want to pack jeans, nor sweatpants, nor a sweatshirt. Frankly, if she doesn't see her casual clothes for a LONG time, she won't mind!

They're going to take the train into the city, and stay in a hotel near the harbor. She wants to be able to see the sea from their room; it's been too long.

They've had months to plan this trip, and dream about it. Leisurely walks, holding hands. Lovely, lingering dinners. Sitting in a cafe by the sea, watching the waves and sipping a cocktail.

Nothing strenuous - they don't have a check-list of things that ... View the Post

Start with Art: Building a Travel Capsule Wardrobe based on Mountains and Sea by Helen Frankenthaler

I think we're going to have an art week; art transcends all things...

It's Truly Summer... Now that she's free to travel again, she's going to get on the train and go someplace she's never been. She randomly chose a train stop, and now she's spending a long weekend in a small city she's never visited!

She's decided that she wants to feel summery, and light, and free...

Her pants come in TEN colors...

Everything won't go together perfectly. Things will get dirty. She doesn't really mind; laundry can be done, outfits can be repeated, and she's okay with this. She knows what's important...

She packs her favorite things, and she's going to be perfectly delighted with her travel wardrobe:

Once she checks her ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 38: A Twill or Denim Skirt

Let's all take advantage of having a lot of time indoors to really clean out our closets and be ready for those warm days ahead...

Keep in mind: we're allowed (encouraged?) to go outdoors and exercise, or just sit under a tree with a book. We're not forced to stay in our homes! So being ready for warmer weather and long walks might be a good focus right now.

I'm suggesting a skirt, but you know that if you absolutely HATE skirts, there are lots of other possibilities. I personally will probably substitute a simple sleeveless black dress...

Although it feels a little bit like a "spill magnet," a white skirt always looks so good in warm weather. And EVERYBODY looks at least a little bit tan wearing white, right? (although ... View the Post

Start with Art: Building a Travel Capsule Wardrobe based on Icebound by John Henry Twachtman

The first day of Spring! And our anniversary...

Quite Enough Solitude, Thank You... Now that they're free to travel again, they're making plans...

Their favorite apartment in their favorite city is available for a few days, and they are OFF!

No more wearing sensible sweatpants and warm shirts while working from home. No more being sensible PERIOD, for a while....

They've walked miles every evening in their neighborhood; they've exhausted pretty much any avenue of exploration left to them! Now, in their favorite city, they're going to go down every alley, every turn that seems uninteresting, any corner that appears to lead to a dead end...

This will eat out - of COURSE they will! But they will also pick up some ... View the Post

How to Build a Travel Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Bracelet – March 2020

Calm, subtle, with just a touch of vivid red!

She's Been Brave for Months... And now that she's free to travel again, she's just going to sit... She's going to go to her favorite city, go to an outdoor table at a cafe, order coffee, and watch the world go back to work...

I'm not usually a fan of logo scarves, but this one is so subtle that I'm including it...

She's going to travel during the week so that she can see the city come back to life; she's going to dine out, and pour her modest travel budget back into the economy!

She doesn't want to be terribly conspicuous, and she's not concerned about getting wildly dressed up...

Oh bother, I forgot to include 1 of the scarves!

She's been a heroine for months; ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 37: A Lightweight 2nd Layer

I think our current need to spend a great deal of time at home is a great opportunity to really sort out and clean out things that have been neglected for a while; I have a plan with my closet that is probably going to drive Belovedest COMPLETELY over the edge...

But right now, let's look at some cool cardigans, shall we?

You might feel that you don't really need another cardigan for warmer weather - you know your requirements best! But I find that I have to have at least an over-shirt or some kind of 2nd layer with me most of the time, if I'm going indoors at all...

Of course there are wonderful sweaters that look beautiful with our six favorite (current favorite!) scarves:

I love the feel of a long, "duster" style ... View the Post

Start with Art: Mountain Forms by Lawren Harris

Let's do our utmost to keep The Vivienne Files an oasis of cheerful optimism and plans for the future, okay?

The Balance has Shifted... Now that she's free to travel again, she realizes that a certain... caution? has vanished from her personality...

Where she once would have shied away from a blue pedicure, and opted for the much more safe soft pink or nude, she now chooses the blue without hesitation!

She realized that her old suitcase was about to fall to pieces - one good THUMP of those hinges against the Baggage Claim carrousel and her dainty underthings are all over the airport! So she buys the best suitcase she can find... She's not spending down her retirement account, but she's treating herself... a bit ... View the Post

Start with Art: Revisiting Tribute to Franz Marc – Foxes by Becky Kelley

I thought we could all use something bright and cheerful today...

I love this color palette - using navy rather than black as the neutral here makes it feel very... different?

We've met this heroine before, last summer...

Another Art Fair... Oh, this is not her usual style AT ALL! She represents emerging artists, and is normally dressed... eccentrically, I think might be the best way to describe it. But she has to travel, from time to time, in order to meet new artists and see what's going on the art world. And she feels that she can be more effective if she's not quite as conspicuous as usual...

So for travel she's wearing a pretty traditional outfit, with some pretty UN-traditional accessories:

She expects to ... View the Post

I’m SO SORRY, but a Change of Schedule…

 

Yesterday, I had a colonoscopy. Everything was fine, EXCEPT I had an atrociously bad reaction to the sedative. I won't share the gruesome details....

But normal service on The Vivienne Files will be restored tomorrow, and the Friday post will very possibly not be finished until Saturday.

I didn't expect this; I should have planned for a worst-case scenario! I always assume that I'm bulletproof...

love,

Janice

p.s. The painting of lilacs? My favorite flowers! I'm just trying really HARD to be cheerful... ... View the Post