But this is so serene and lovely, with a beautiful muted palette:
El Trovador by Claudio Bravo
Since this week we’re talking about small wardrobe updates , I focused these colors into a simple mauve and grey, and accents of warm, light golden brown.
As we have done all week, I’m starting with this minimal, classic assortment of pieces:
Just a reminder – 9 pieces, carefully chosen, can give you quite a few outfits, before you’ve incorporated any updates or refreshers!
Yes, I broke one of the BIG rules of The Vivienne Files – but I looked and looked and LOOKED for items in just the right shade of mauve-y plumish purple, and these were the perfect pieces. They’re from Eileen Fisher – no surprise that her pieces would be in glorious colors, eh?
To me, it was more important to show you the most beautiful things I could find, rather than be tied to my usual policy of showing “flat” garments. Rules are meant to be broken!
This scarf was especially appealing – it has the subtle gradient of color that’s in the painting, and it has just a touch of ornamentation in the border stripe and fringe. The quality and beauty of the fabric does ALL of the work with this scarf.
Adding these 4 pieces to the core wardrobe gives you lots of new ensembles:
Maybe the grey that you’re considering for your wardrobe isn’t all soft and light – maybe you want to experiment with a wide range of greys! A few simple pieces will give you a chance to see how you feel when you wear grey:
Don’t be afraid to mix grey and beige – menswear does it all the time! With these 4 new items, you have another week+ of new outfits:
So being inspired by art doesn’t necessarily mean completely replacing your entire wardrobe; maybe what you should start with is just a piece or two, and see how you feel after a small “personal style experiment.”
love,
Janice
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I just love that mauve/amethyst with gray. Beautiful and rich.
Love your blog. Always inspiring.
But, since you brought up the subject, both Claudio´s are chilean as well.
My beloved country.
Good morning, Janice. I am still reading from the beginning and have had to exert some self-discipline and only read one month per day! I am making strides to having a closet that I enjoy getting dressed from each morning. I have an appointment to take 20 pieces of clothing to the consignment shop and have taken out jeans that no longer fit as well as cheap clothing that is pilling or looking sad and worn. I am realizing that I don't have to wear clothes that I hate (or that annoy me when I wear them) because I don't need 4 pairs of black pants–one will do as they are washable. DUH! I also ordered the Everlane cashmere sweater as I want clothes in my closet that are quality! I did use the link that you sent so hopefully it works for you to get your "cut" of a few pennies. Thank you for opening my eyes as well as my mind!
It finally dawned on me today that I only have two of the neutral items in that core of 9 – jeans and black pants. This doesn't mean I'm neutrals-deprived (though I do need to get a new pair of khakis – but I prefer a much darker shade). My solid black long-sleeve top is a v-neck cabled sweater, and I have a black velvet jacket that I wear a lot in cooler weather. But since I'm too hot layering long sleeved items, I wear my short-sleeve/sleeveless things all year round. I also don't like the look of buttons up my chest, so I only wear by button-down tops open as layering pieces.
So I guess my core of 9 neutrals would look more like: black v-neck sweater, black tank top, gray cardigan, white tank top, black velvet jacket, brown button-down shirt, brown cotton pants, black pants, jeans. Interesting how much variation there can be even in basics!
-Kaci
I own an EF ombre scarf and they are beautifully simple.
Thanks for a week of wonderful posts for those of us who seem to gravitate to neutrals – always. Lots of great ideas! Have a nice weekend. ~ Cornelia
This is a great series and the art you have selected has a wonderful variety of colours, shapes and moods.
Deb from Vancouver
Where do I send you a photo of art you might like?
theviviennefiles@gmail.com!
hugs,
Janice
For those that like mauve, I've seen a lot of that pinkish mauve(like from the 80's) in stores this fall.
Lovely! I've got to try your technique.
This has been a great exercise! I just love how a few simple items can make such a difference. Thank you Janice for all the inspiration!
I love that by following this "method" one looks put together, with a bit of color and personality, rather than looking too matchy-matchy.
The painting is serene and lovely! Thanks for all you do Janice!
What a lovely, lovely painting. And the mauve scarf … Thank you for these. It's altogether (with the golden brown) a beautiful set.
I have just written my packing list for 19 days away in a cool-to-cold place (south island of NZ). My Whatever's Clean 13 is built on two (black and denim) pants, three pale neutral tops, two blue/cream/black patterned Wm Morris shirts, a blue cardie, a navy jumper, a blue jacket, brown ankle boots and black flats. Oh, and some scarves but we don't count those. I can't tell you how grateful I am for all your wise, practical and interesting advice!
Robyn in Tasmania