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Home » A Wardrobe with Multiple “Moods” or Accent Colors? Start with an Artist: Romaine Brooks

A Wardrobe with Multiple “Moods” or Accent Colors? Start with an Artist: Romaine Brooks

August 9, 2019

Wednesday, our heroine chose accessories and was quite well-prepared for a lengthy trip…

But now, she’s really going to travel!

Just to recap, she built her initial travel wardrobe around this stark but captivating painting:

1. Ida Rubenstein by Romaine Brooks with color palette

Ida Rubenstein by Romaine Brooks

Her initial travel capsule wardrobe is quite complete…

2. 2 cluster travel capsule wardrobe in black and grey

cardigan – Nordstrom Signature; hoop earrings – Argento Vivo; chain bracelet – The Met Store; narrow scarf – Missoni; onyx earrings – French Kande; jacket – Eileen Fisher; striped tee shirt – Lands’ End; onyx bracelet – French Kande; plaid shirt – L.L.Bean; blouse – Caslon; wrap – Halogen; v-neck sweater – N.Peal; bag – Treasure & Bond; pendant – The Met Store; necklace – Simon Sebbag; striped tee – Banana Republic; boots – Munro; backpack – Rebecca Minkoff; black jeans – Lands’ End; pinstriped skirt – BOSS; shoes – Thierry Rabotin;  blue jeans – Lands’ End

She’s made a very tidy start to a quite large travel (or seasonal?) wardrobe:

3. half full 4-cluster wardrobe template

And her accessories are similarly well planned:

4. half full 4 cluster accessory wardrobe template

But now, she’s going away for 13 weeks! A guest teaching post? A short course at a foreign school? Who could guess…

She knows that there are plenty of women who could travel forever wearing nothing but black and grey, but she’s thinking that she wants to introduce some accent colors… Maybe something romantic? (ah, the plot definitely thickens, doesn’t it?)

So she comes back to Romaine Brooks for inspiration, and finds this:

5. At the Seaside by Romaine Brooks with color palettte

At the Seaside (Self-Portrait) by Romaine Brooks

Same mood, same general “feeling,” but softer colors that will be PERFECT with what she has already chosen for travel!

6. wardrobe cluster in black with pink and florals

lavender cardigan – J.Crew; black shirt – Halogen; mixed dot blouse – Anne Klein; floral cardigan – Samantha Sung; pants – L.L.Bean

She has many of the appropriate things in her closet, but treats herself to a few “softer” pieces…

7. accessory cluster in black, silver, and hydrangea floral

earrings – James Avery; bracelet – Buana; brooch – Yuli; scarf – Dolce & Gabbana; floral-embossed ballet flats – Taryn Rose; clutch bag – Ted Baker London

She’s already finding lots of new outfits…

8. 4 outfits froma 5-piece wardrobe cluster in black, pink and floral

She’s finding this very exciting; it feel quite different from her original travel wardrobe, although she’s not adding THAT many accent pieces…

9. wardrobe cluster in charcoal grey, lilac and sky blue

grey cardigan – BP.; wisteria tee – Eileen Fisher; white top – Banana Republic; chambray cardigan – Eileen Fisher; pants – Eileen Fisher

When she gets to her accessory plan, she realizes that she has enough shoes and bags! Others may feel differently, but she’s not going to pack more… If she needs something, she could go shopping, of course. Shopping when away from home is always entertaining, and sometimes one finds something amazing to treasure as both a souvenir and a lovely accessory!

10. partial accessory cluster in silver and floral

melting silver pearl earrings – Marie June Jewelry; watch – Skagen; chain necklace – Wayan Asmanan; scarf – Vince Camuto

Just with her last cluster, she can pull together quite a few outfits:

11. 4 outfits from a wardrobe cluster in charcoal and pastels

And when she pulls everything out to get ready to pack, it’s a rather thrilling wardrobe of possibilities:

12. 4-cluster travel wardrobe in black, grey, pink and sky blue

Her second ten garments work quite nicely with the first ten that she chose.

13. 4 outfits from a 20-piece travel capsule wardrobe14. 4 outfits from a 20-piece travel capsule wardrobe

Evaluating these 20 garments within the guidelines of the 4-Cluster Wardrobe seems to indicate that she did indeed make careful choices:

15. 4-cluster travel capsule wardrobe template in black, grey, and pastels

And she’s not going to allow herself to be bothered by the gap in the accessory plan – she’s not packing more things just to fill in some arbitrary template about what might be needed!

16. 4 cluster accessory wardrobe in black, silver and floral

So, does her plan using 2 paintings from the same artist feel “right” to you? It’s not easy to find 2 paintings that work so well together, but if you could isolate 2 (or 3 or 4?) items that are compatible, it’s a great way to give yourself color and mood options…

I sense that Marie Laurencin might be a wonderful artist to use for this exercise…. Any others?

love,

Janice

p.s. 4 years ago I was adding accessories to a travel wardrobe in navy, ivory, hot pink and soft blue… What a combination of accent colors!

CREATE A TRAVEL CAPSULE WARDROBE WITH MULTIPLE “MOODS” OR ACCENT COLORS - START WITH AN ARTIST ROMAINE BROOKS

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08.09.19 18 Comments

Tags: black, grey, pastels, Start with Art, travel capsule wardrobe, wardrobe clusters
<<Adding Accessories to a Travel Wardrobe; Start with Art – Ida Rubenstein by Romaine BrooksThe Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 7: A Second Layer>>

Comments

  1. sandy says

    August 9, 2019 at 3:39 am

    This works. It works really well. She can make outfits for pretty much any event or situation. And navy could be substituted for black.

    Reply
  2. Linda M says

    August 9, 2019 at 3:56 am

    Looking at Marie Laurencin’s paintings, although her colours are not my colours, it seems to me that if you are a lover of colour, you could base your wardrobe on an artist’s complete work. I did find a couple, Jeune Fille au Bouquet, and Jeune Fille d’Apres, that, in the versions I found, were warm and bright, and whose colours I wear, but I suspect they have been “improved” in Photoshop. Much more “me” would be Paul Gauguin, but I don’t see all the colours I enjoy wearing in any one painting. Just looking at some of his work, I see all my favourite colours, in favourite combinations like rust with denim, but also other combinations I hadn’t thought of. Thanks Janice, for yet another great idea. Next time I’m wondering what to wear that’s different, I’ll consult Gauguin!

    Reply
  3. SuD says

    August 9, 2019 at 7:00 am

    Though not my colors, it’s a lovely coordinated capsule. I lean more towards mid tones (otherwise, I look washed out) with predominantly charcoal gray, navy and soft white/ivory neutrals.

    Reply
  4. Kim says

    August 9, 2019 at 7:39 am

    It’s very cohesive and I really like it now that it has more color. The Marie Laurencin paintings art would definitely work for this exercise. I particularly love Elégance and Paysage.

    Reply
  5. Laura says

    August 9, 2019 at 8:00 am

    I’m a mood dresser, and this template might be my favorite that you’ve done. It’s similar to my colors too, though I don’t wear as much black. Every few years I travel with my husband and a group of college students to England for several weeks, and I think this mixture of casual and slightly dressier clothes is perfect for planning a flexible wardrobe. I’ll have to bookmark this one!

    Reply
  6. Judy says

    August 9, 2019 at 8:30 am

    Janice,
    I thought you were going to use the painting Romaine Brooks, Self-Portrait, 1923 in the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Since, she is wearing your colors: Black, White, and Red. She has a tinge of red on her lips. She is stunning wearing to die for Gray leather gloves.
    How was the iconic French Red Lipstick viewed in Paris, during the early 1920’s? Was it considered at that time in Paris to be avant garde?

    Her self-portrait would make a great study in your colors for Fall and Winter. Don’t forget those Gray leather gloves.

    Reply
  7. Lisa says

    August 9, 2019 at 10:59 am

    You’ve assembled a lovely wardrobe here, Janice! I agree with you about Marie Laurencin. The soft tones of camel, gray, and rosy pink in Femme au Caniche particularly caught my eye. Those shades can be so becoming for those of us who feel that black is just too stark for our coloring. Her painting Elegance also offers lovely colors with navy. I’d love to see what sort of wardrobe either of those might inspire from you!

    Reply
  8. Erin Roy says

    August 9, 2019 at 1:06 pm

    I wondered if a hat and leather jacket would be a good fit for the empty leather accessories blocks. I’m fair completed and need a hat for protection. And my black leather jacket is one of my favorite accessories to wear with everything from jeans to skirts to slacks.

    Reply
    • Janice says

      August 9, 2019 at 1:59 pm

      They would indeed! Good thinking…
      hugs,
      Janice

      Reply
  9. Robyn says

    August 9, 2019 at 5:18 pm

    Oh, be still, my heart!
    The colours, the moods, the accessories … And I don’t know whether I most want to be the heroine of the story or the woman in today’s painting.
    With the two new clusters there is a lovely seasonal wardrobe here. As someone who likes to wear black/dark pants and skirts but lighter colours above, you’ve made my day. These soft shades are perfect for my light colouring and grey hair.
    Bookmarking this for future reference, definitely.

    Reply
  10. Gail says

    August 9, 2019 at 7:00 pm

    It’s perfect. Beautiful colors — mine are similar but not the same. I recently changed over from a dressier office to a less-dressy (but not super casual) one and bought a bunch of new summer clothes to match the less-dressy ones I already head. I kept black but added navy and some lighter blues and I love, love, love it. I charted it out with this template and found the reason that I feel a little odd about my clothes lately — with the exception of a few tops (I always buy too many pants and not enough tops) I actually have just about the right number of garments!!! I plugged in some fall clothes (more black, and adding in some green/teal while taking away some of the white) and it feels like enough too! I like my clothes!!!!!! That’s mostly thanks to you.

    Reply
  11. Isa says

    August 9, 2019 at 7:30 pm

    I LOVE this concept. I am going to start substitute teaching this Fall after being a stay at home for 20 years. You just gave me my wardrobe plan for the school year. So thank you ! I was a bit lost and you just “found “ me.

    Reply
  12. Alice says

    August 10, 2019 at 8:29 am

    Hi Janice, I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’m having trouble using your contact form. It looks like it’s not sending the messages. I hope I haven’t sent you a ton of identical e-mails!

    Reply
    • Janice says

      August 10, 2019 at 9:00 am

      Let he have someone with some technical skills take a look; thanks for letting me know!
      hugs,
      Janice

      Reply
  13. nancyo says

    August 10, 2019 at 11:30 am

    The two paintings are complementary, and she has a good selection of colors. The mood definitely shifted from graphic (stripes and plaid) to softer floral. I’d have to say that I’d add a couple more pairs of earrings and/or another scarf with those empty slots in the accessories template. – n.

    Reply
  14. Annie says

    August 10, 2019 at 12:21 pm

    Very pretty, though definitely not my style. Pastels make me feel juvenile, or like I’m trying too hard to be pretty, which i never have been and definitely am not now. I have a mostly neutral wardrobe with black, greys, whites and a few tan items. Also jeans, naturally. My current accent colors are usually teals, hot pink, and purples. Recently a little gold as it’s current and turns out to work for me. Not usually at the same time, though there are a couple of scarves… anyway, colors that make me happy and go with my coloring. That’s the beauty of the neutral wardrobe, isn’t it? So easy to change your look with a few accessories!

    Reply
  15. Janice Collins Coyle says

    August 11, 2019 at 6:22 am

    Be still my heart! I just looked up Marie Laurencin and her beautiful soft and feminine paintings, and fell in love with most of them! My favorite is Portrait of Marcelle Dormoy. Love the touch of navy with lots of light grey with accents of teal, blue, aqua and pink and a gorgeous shade of green. What a beautiful wardrobe this would be! This is my new wardrobe inspiration!
    Almost any of her color combinations would make a Beautiful wardrobe. Thanks for mentioning this wonderful artist.
    Janice Collins Coyle, Washington, DC

    Reply
    • Janice says

      August 11, 2019 at 10:31 am

      She’s one of my very favorites…
      hugs,
      Janice

      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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