The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Articles
    • Starting From Scratch
    • Common Wardrobe
    • Packing
    • Start With Art
    • Project 333
    • 4×4 Wardrobes
    • Weekly Timeless Wardrobes
    • Archives by Date
    • Archives by Categories & Tags
  • Support The Vivienne Files
    • Books, Clothes & more
    • Templates & Color Planners
  • Contact
Home » Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Pinch of Plum, with Six Neutrals

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Pinch of Plum, with Six Neutrals

September 16, 2016
 
 
Depending upon whom you consult, this is NOT plum. However, I like it, and so for now we’re going to roll with it… There are going to be more colors in this series, so some other interpretations of plum in a capsule wardrobe are entirely possible!
 
 
Capsule wardrobe colour palette inspiration - a pinch of plum with 6 neutral colors

sweater – L.L.Bean; cardigan – L.L.Bean; flats – Nine West

Purple is an interesting color in shops; a great deal of what’s available looks very… goth? Sort of like you’re living on the fringes of normal society? Just plain strange? It’s such a pity, because purple is a lovely color, and goes so well with all of our neutrals.(I’ve had a deep fondness for the “stitchworks” L.L.Bean cardigan for years. I’m really happy that I’ve finally found a good place to show it to you!)

Capsule wardrobe colour palette inspiration - a pinch of plum with olive

earrings – Caona Designs; cardigan – L.L.Bean; bag – Salvatore Ferragamo; flats -Nine West; tee – J.Crew; pants – L.L.Bean; scarf – Givenchy; olive cardigan – H&M; bracelet – Mela Artisans; boots – Sarto; sweater – L.L.Bean

I was REALLY doubtful of how well olive was going to play here, but I think it’s lovely…

 
Capsule wardrobe colour palette inspiration - a pinch of plum with grey

earrings – Bling Jewelry; cardigan – L.L.Bean; bag – Travelon; flats -Nine West; tee – J.Crew; pants – J.Crew; scarf – Armani Collezioni; grey cardigan – J.Crew; bracelet – Swarovski; boots – Corso Como; sweater – L.L.Bean

If you really want a purple bag, but you don’t want to spend three fortunes, look at JCPenney, (I was surprised!) which has eight different styles, in nylon, with anti-theft features. This might be a very good way to test-drive the idea of a purple bag, before going off the deep end with an expensive leather… And they are worth checking if you’re looking for almost any non-black bag – they have red, teal, olive…

Why yes, I will get a wee commission if you buy one; it’s how I keep the lights on chez The Vivienne Files. But you and I both know that I don’t make my choices about what to show you based on that, right?

Capsule wardrobe colour palette inspiration - a pinch of plum with beige

earrings – Vince Camuto; cardigan – L.L.Bean; bag – Baggallini; flats -Nine West; tee – ATM; jeans – Closed; scarf – Chico’s; cardigan – L.L.Bean; bracelet – Charming Charlie; boots – Seychelles; sweater – L.L.Bean

I was surprised to be so happy with the results of the camel experiment. Camel isn’t a color that I handle well, but the beautiful purple just settled in happily…

 
Capsule wardrobe colour palette inspiration - a pinch of plum with navy

earrings – Lord & Taylor; cardigan – L.L.Bean; bag – Travelon; flats -Nine West; tee – J.Crew; pants – L.L.Bean; scarf – Lily And Lionel; navy cardigan – Uniqlo; bracelet – Origins; boots – Franco Sarto; sweater – L.L.Bean

I knew that navy would be perfect with purple. Is there a color that doesn’t go well with navy? I think not…

 
Capsule wardrobe colour palette inspiration - a pinch of plum with brown

earrings – Mela Artisans; cardigan – L.L.Bean; bag – Valextra; flats -Nine West; sweater – J.Crew; pants – L.L.Bean; scarf – Front Row Society; brown cardigan – Iris von Arnim; bracelet – Francesca Romana; boots – Cole Haan; sweater – L.L.Bean

Brown and purple? Oooh, that sounds difficult… But the colors share a depth, and an intensity of color, that makes them surprisingly appealing together. Not for the faint of heart, perhaps, but worth a 2nd look. THIS is the bag upon which you splurge after you’ve worn out the nylon one you used for the test-drive…

Capsule wardrobe colour palette inspiration - a pinch of plum with black

scarf – Hermes Frots, Fleurs et Frontaux; cardigan – L.L.Bean; bracelet – Lagos; flats – Nine West; tee – L.L.Bean; pants – L.L.Bean; earrings – David Yurman; cardigan – L.L.Bean; bag – Studdio Hank; boots – Munro; sweater – L.L.Bean

Purple and black is a color scheme that could go wrong really quickly. When I’m unsure about the best way to handle a color combination, I go to the experts. In this case, an Hermes scarf helps a lot!

Next week, I’m going to look at brighter accent colors… Should be fun!

love,
Janice

 

Capsule wardrobe colour palette inspiration - a pinch of plum with 6 neutral colors
Like this article? Save it to Pinterest!
Tweet
Pin770
Share
770 Shares

09.16.16 23 Comments

Tags: accessories, black, brown, camel, grey, navy, olive, purple
<<Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Touch of Teal, with Six Neutral ColorsBuild a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Portrait of a Young Woman by Henri Regnault Part 2>>

Comments

  1. Taste of France says

    September 16, 2016 at 8:02 am

    Aubergine?
    I'm a sucker for purple, even though, as you say, the choices tend to be a little goth, which I'm not.
    Why do you think purple and black could go wrong? I think they look great together. And if one wants to lighten it up, go for a lighter shade of purple, no?

    Reply
    • Anonymous says

      September 16, 2016 at 12:03 pm

      Oh my goodness, that kettlewell colours site! I'm going to have to play with that. Now if only they sold every article of clothing in every color…
      – Kaci

      Reply
    • Anonymous says

      September 16, 2016 at 10:25 pm

      Kaci, they have lots of colours but don't seem to venture into the plus sizes. Every now again I take a peak just in case… and then move on. Carol S

      Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    September 16, 2016 at 10:16 am

    A lovely series Janice! And its been so interesting because it reminds me of last April's color and proportion posts. It really makes me realize that I don't like the accent color shoes combinations. For some reason it does not please my eye. I could wear the accent shoes with a printed top that combined the two colors, but there is something too matchy about the accent sweater and shoes outfits that doesn't work for me. Good to realize my own bias! I'll have to ponder more on how to incorporate accent color shoes in my wardrobe.
    And on a different but related note, are you familiar with the british clothing brand – kettlewell colours? They emphasize colors with personal seasonal color matching. I've recently discovered it and I've yet to purchase anything, but a great resource for hard to find colors and color matching ideas. Would love to hear from any other readers familiar with the brand.
    I always appreciate your wonderful work! K.

    Reply
  3. Gail says

    September 16, 2016 at 12:10 pm

    Purple, like teal, always screams 80's to me–but somehow you managed outfits here that seem fresh and new and casual and very wearable. But, of course, you're a genius as we all know!

    Reply
  4. Anonymous says

    September 16, 2016 at 2:36 pm

    I also have a problem with purple, as it never seems to look right. But a scarf would be a good starting point. I own a gorgeous purple cashmere sweater that gets very little use. Back to the drawing board. ~ Cornelia

    Reply
  5. Lena says

    September 16, 2016 at 2:54 pm

    What would be the cause for purple and black to go very wrong? I'm having a hard time imagining the combination not working.

    That Stitchworks sweater is quite the temptress! It comes in such beautiful jewel-tones (sapphire, ruby, emerald, amethyst) – I was looking for basic navy but found myself wandering in "off my color plan" territory…

    Reply
  6. Nancy/n.o.e says

    September 16, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    There definitely ARE plums that are this purple color, although I must confess that to me "plum" is more reddish and a bit lighter/brighter. My wardrobe has pieces of both versions of plum, and they play nicely with a variety of neutrals and other colors. It took me a while to want to wear jewel tones again, after living in them in the '80s, but now I am back on board. Many of those colors are so versatile and pretty. – nancyo

    Reply
  7. Amie Rikke says

    September 16, 2016 at 11:01 am

    I am loving this series so much!
    I have a purple purse from about 2 years ago that imperfect for fall.
    Purple and olive green is one of my favorite combos, I feel good wearing that. I am a pale redhead with blue eyes.
    You always provide us with something I would never come up with, this time purple and navy! Thanks for helping open my mind to consider new combos.

    Reply
    • Amie Rikke says

      September 16, 2016 at 11:04 am

      Oh dear! Thanks to autocorrect, my "perfect for fall" turned into "imperfect for fall"! ?

      Reply
  8. Anonymous says

    September 16, 2016 at 5:11 pm

    I'm a huge fan of Kettlewell colours and their colour palettes and blog articles – although you need to know your 'season' to get the most out of it. This plum colour is too flat and dark for me, I much prefer the brighter purples shown in the Lily and Lionel 'carrie' scarf. I'm looking forward to next week when Janice explores the brighter accents. Sharon, UK.

    Reply
  9. Anonymous says

    September 16, 2016 at 7:39 pm

    I really like this dirty purple plum colour because it works for me. But, in general, I love all purple shades on other people, plants and flowers and décor!!
    I have bookmarked the antitheft bag from JC Penney as it looks smart in fashion and safety for travelling.
    Deb from Vancouver

    Reply
  10. Cynthia Peterson says

    September 16, 2016 at 9:47 pm

    Love, love, love the olive combination!

    Reply
  11. Nelmarie Louw says

    September 16, 2016 at 5:26 pm

    Purple is my favourite colour!

    Reply
  12. Ragged Ivy says

    September 16, 2016 at 9:29 pm

    Yep, works for me! Lovely, jewelly, rich purple. I need a touch of cream with it if wearing it near my face, but these days that's true for any colour darker than, well, light. So scarves, luvverly scarves … and then a deep, rich, auberginey, purple top/cardie/jumper/jackety thing. Swoon.
    Robyn in Tasmania

    Reply
  13. Jai Brast says

    September 17, 2016 at 5:42 pm

    I love this color with all tones of denim blue.

    Reply
  14. Jai Brast says

    September 17, 2016 at 5:42 pm

    I love this color with all tones of denim blue.

    Reply
  15. Leah says

    September 18, 2016 at 2:13 am

    I was surprised too by how well the sweater and camel pants paired…makes me rethink my standoffish relationship with camel!

    Reply
  16. Anonymous says

    September 18, 2016 at 7:38 am

    I was surprised that you consider purple plus black or brown to be difficult – I love purple and wear these combinations often – but I prefer a purple that's a but lighter and more reddish. Everybody's different and has different tastes, obviously. Personally I don't like the plum with navy at all, for example.
    Sonja

    Reply
  17. Susan Bybee says

    September 18, 2016 at 2:57 pm

    Purple and black seems like a winning combination. I have no purple in my wardrobe. Must rethink this. What a nice series of posts! Thanks, Janice!

    Reply
  18. Kimm says

    September 19, 2016 at 12:21 pm

    I wear both reddened plums and blackened plums, really any shade of purple except for royal (blue) purple. So I loved this post Janice! Thank you. I think my fave may be the olive combo as it's a bit unexpected. I've ordered from Kettlewell before and have liked everything I received. The quality is worth the cost IMO. My only complaint with Kettlewell is that I wish they'd offer all the styles in all the colors.

    Reply
  19. lrlincks says

    September 19, 2016 at 6:52 pm

    Love the dark purple with olive! Who knew?? Not so much with the brown but doable. This is a great series!

    Reply
  20. Gst consultants delhi says

    September 23, 2016 at 4:43 pm

    I don’t know how can I give you thanks! I am totally stunned by your article. You saved my time. Thanks a million for sharing this article.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

logo
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...
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

STAY UP TO DATE

Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

  • Build a capsule wardrobe starting with a bracelet in aquamarine and amberBuild a Travel Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Bracelet: Forget-Me-Not Bracelets by Fierce Lynx Designs
  • Build a Warm Weather Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art Wagen in Silberner Strasse by August MackeBuild a Warm Weather Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Wagen in Silberner Strasse by August Macke
  • Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Shunbun – Vernal EquinoxJapanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Shunbun – Vernal Equinox
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 The Vivienne Files | All Rights Reserved - Built with ♥ by RockFort Media

THE VIVIENNE FILES IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR US TO EARN FEES BY LINKING TO AMAZON.COM AND AFFILIATED SITES.