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Home » Building a DRESSY Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: A Bridge in a Snowy Landscape by Utagawa Hiroshige

Building a DRESSY Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: A Bridge in a Snowy Landscape by Utagawa Hiroshige

One last look at our beautiful art, and the very unusual, but workable, color scheme that I chose from it: 

You Must Always Look Elegant and Refined

That’s what they told her when she accepted the position. They even give her a clothing allowance any time they change the color scheme of the business, which is every 4 to 6 months, sometimes more often!

But she’s clever, and knows that they aren’t going to ask for receipts, so she chooses timeless, elegant, classic clothes that might be “recyclable” into a later scheme…

Cashmere cardigan – Uniqlo; wool skirt – J. Crew; Silk shirt – Stella McCartney; trousers – J. Crew

 

She knows that a simple ivory silk blouse might be usable in any number of different “aesthetic messages” that her employers choose. No frittering away of a that shopping money here!

 

Cashmere cardigan – Uniqlo; skirt – J. Crew; Silk blouse – Theory; twill trousers – Temperley London

 

One of her smartest moves is to buy a few distinctive blouses or sweaters, that seem to be specifically made for the current “look”. When she wears these, nobody much notices that she pairs them with a classic skirt that might be back around in six months, when the whole staff needs to wear powdery pastels…

Blue blouse – Erika Cavallini;  grey blouse – Steffen Schraut; Cap-sleeve print blouse – Ulla Johnson; orange blouse – Max Mara

 

Yes, a couple of pieces might never make it beyond this current “vision” of her bosses. But that’s okay, because it gives her employers the clear sense that she’s completely on-board with this nutty, constant, wasteful changing of their “signature look.”

Cashmere cardigan – J. Crew; grey skirt – Cedric Charlier; Orange floral blouse – Giambattista Valli; grey floral blouse – Giambattista Valli

 

Accessories are key to making this work – these outfits look a lot more polished with just an earring or brooch. And since she has to greet people and “mingle,” comfortable but beautiful shoes are essential. She has a PILE of accessories, that get rotated in an out of active circulation depending on how well they suit her current color scheme…

Moon brooch – Lanvin; aventurine earrings – Nareerat;  silver and pearl lariat – Effy; silver pendant – Jantana; stud earrings – Vince Camuto;
 blue stone circle earrings – Kenneth Cole New York; cuff bracelet – Achara;
 pearl brooch – Bukkehave; labradorite chandelier earrings – JCPenney;
charcoal pearl earrings – Melissa Joy Manning; silk square –  Brooks Brothers;  pale grey pumps – Prada; silver flats – Shoes of Prey; bone pumps – Bella Vita;  bone loafers – Munro; cap toe pumps – Nina

 

Since she chose her pieces carefully, she will have plenty of outfit options for the next few months. It’s always interesting to see how different members of the “team” interpret the color guidelines that they’re given…

 

At home, she wears jeans, and black tee shirts. The idea of color reminds her of work, and that’s not necessarily good… but she’s accumulating an amazingly varied wardrobe, and she’s going to have the world’s best garage sale, some day!

love,
Janice

 
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09.12.15 19 Comments

Tags: blue, capsule wardrobe, cream, evening wear, Four by Four, grey, orange, Start with Art
<<Building a BUSINESS CASUAL Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Bridge in a Snowy Landscape by Utagawa HiroshigeWhatever’s Clean 13 FOR MEN – cool colors, cool weather>>

Comments

  1. Anonymous says

    September 12, 2015 at 9:03 am

    I really want to be this woman in this fantasy with this fascinating job, a clothing allowance and the intelligence and taste of Janice.
    Deb from Vancouver

    Reply
  2. Cornelia says

    September 12, 2015 at 9:54 am

    Me too, and since I live in the sticks, I wonder what kind of business requires a 'color change' every six months or so. Happy weekend!

    Reply
    • Janice Riggs says

      September 12, 2015 at 12:30 pm

      High-end restaurant. Art gallery (which is what I was thinking of when I wrote this – I know of a gallery that changes their interior color scheme when they change exhibits). Interior designer. Fashion promotion company. It's not common, but it's not impossible to find such a great job!

      Reply
    • Gail says

      September 12, 2015 at 6:51 pm

      And me too, please. The ultimate wardrobe porn micro-fiction: a woman with a clothing allowance!

      Reply
    • Amy says

      September 12, 2015 at 7:34 pm

      Gail, I had to giggle at "wardrobe porn" when I realized that's what almost every post actually is :-)

      Reply
    • Gail says

      September 12, 2015 at 7:45 pm

      Amy, indeed. But free of calories. There are worse vices. :)

      Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    September 12, 2015 at 10:59 am

    Now I know why I need to work in a place without a strict dress code! All three of these lovely sets are within the range of what I would wear out running errands/visiting friends/out to dinner/to the office/to church. My clothing levels appear to be: exercise/destruction (fieldwork, painting, heavy-duty cleaning), normal (encompasses all 3 sets with just a few exceptions – no sweatshirt at work, no skirt for just hanging out alone at home), and super dressy (cocktail party, bridesmaid dresses – mostly stuff I don't own). I actually prefer alternating among Janice's three using nothing but my mood, and am lucky that in most of my life I can do so!

    – Kaci

    Reply
  4. suzynjgonzalez.com says

    September 12, 2015 at 12:48 pm

    I think I would HATE to be forced to wear someone else's colors! Maybe it would become an interesting creative challenge, but my first reaction is no no NO.

    Reply
  5. Shrebee says

    September 12, 2015 at 1:21 pm

    Janice,
    This is a bit off of the above topic, but a friend and I (I'm 70 and she's 77) were recently discussing attire worn to college football games back in the 1950's and 60's. My friend's mother had to attend one college football game a year just to see the clothes worn by the other ladies. Often, she would have seen tweed suits, penny loafers or pumps, with nylon stockings, of course, completed with a large yellow chrysanthemum corsage on a lapel along with ribbons in the school colors. Where have those classy days gone ? I miss that kind of ogling myself !

    Reply
  6. Lucie says

    September 12, 2015 at 2:40 pm

    Hi Janice, You have had me spellbound with is colour combination for the last three days. I adore orange and have been collecting garments and other items for quite a few years. Even have a small orange teapot. However, I have not got the styling quite right until you put it all together. It is a rainy weekend here so I am going to go through my closet selecting only the white, blue, grey, and orange items to come up with some new combinations. A request if you please. I have a down parka in sunny orange for those January days when it is -30 C and the winds are wicked. Would you do a post on outer wear for the fall and winter, something with coats, snow boots and woolly knits. Thanks.

    Reply
  7. AndreaB says

    September 12, 2015 at 2:42 pm

    Great job showing the concept of different levels of dress. My life is in the super casual set but my daydreams are in the dressy set. I keep just a few pieces for those twice-a-year occasions where I can dress up. Love the color schemes, too. Look forward to your blog and my morning cup of tea every day…and if you don't post, I reread older posts!

    Reply
  8. bomm says

    September 12, 2015 at 3:09 pm

    Am very smitten with the silver – ivory outfits, a version of which I could put together from my closet. I even have blue accessories that would add some interest. I steer clear of orange as not being one of "my" colors, but the pieces you have chosen are so lovely and add so much to the wardrobes that I may have to reconsider.

    Reply
  9. lrlincks says

    September 12, 2015 at 3:27 pm

    Gorgeous wardrobe! What a job that would be! I do think it would be a challenge if the color scheme was one you looked horrible in, but what a fantasy to have a wardrobe allowance! :) There are some beautiful pieces here. I have enjoyed the whole gamut of casual to dressy.

    Reply
  10. Lorrie says

    September 12, 2015 at 4:00 pm

    The wardrobe collections you've assembled using this gorgeous painting have me going through fabric and pattern stashes. I love the elegance and ease of this. Like bomm above, the addition of orange to this collection has me re-thinking my aversion to the color.

    Reply
  11. Stephanie Herzfeld says

    September 12, 2015 at 1:50 pm

    I love this collection as well as the story behind it. I would love to have a clothing allowance!
    I'm currently struggling to find white or ivory blouses that are not see-through. Camisoles are not that comfortable living in a hot, humid climate. Are there certain brands or fabrics that I should look for?

    Reply
  12. Anonymous says

    September 13, 2015 at 5:24 pm

    I have really enjoyed the last few days. I love the colours and the serene feels. I feel a bit like a heel for wanting more. I was wondering if it would be possible to add a "corporate" wardrobe as well–fewer cardigans and more structured jackets? Pleaseee?

    Reply
  13. Virginia says

    September 14, 2015 at 12:35 pm

    I must admit that I was completely distracted by the story. Oh, how I would LOVE to see that woman's story fleshed out!!

    Reply
  14. Gail Finke says

    September 14, 2015 at 1:43 pm

    I really like all these posts but this last one disappoints me a bit. The clothes look wonderful but but concentrating on one value of gray, you dispense with one of its (to me) big advantages. Gray garments in a variety of values but one hue gives you a big advantage, in that the overall look is much more varied. If you choose all the same value (here, a sort of pewter) you get much the same feel as garmetns that are all black — they look good, they match, but they are monochromatic. THe other two wardrobes took advantage of differences in value (very light gray to dark pewter) and that gave each outfit a more varied feel. Again, these look great. I just wanted to point out a further difference possible when using different values or shades of the same hue/color.

    Reply
  15. Deborah Montgomery says

    September 14, 2015 at 7:57 pm

    I would hate to be told to wear a color I looked awful in, like orange. But a clothing allowance would be wonderful.

    Reply

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The Vivienne Files is a unique personal style blog with carefully-selected capsule wardrobes based on color palettes drawn from works of art, nature, and more. It helps women buy less clothing, and to love what they buy. Read more...
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