The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Archives for September 2022

September 2022

Five Accent Colors with Winter White and with Beige

September 30, 2022

Why yes, Pantone found additional colors at New York Fashion Week...

Which is fine with me, because I could look at accessories 'til the cows come home! And since I live in the city, that would be forever, right?

Let's start with this classic red; yes, this scarf is an investment. But you could wear it at least once a week during cool weather, for the rest of your life. I'm finding that I have some scarves that 20+ years old, and that I still adore. 

I've chosen ivory (Winter White?) and beige as our wardrobe core colors to "test drive" this batch of accent colors. While I wouldn't wear white pumps in this lifetime, I know a LOT of women who wear them through the year and look just lovely.

And ... View the Post

1 Dress 100 Days: Days 26 and 27

September 28, 2022

I'm sorry - this is the only post I will have today. Being sedated on Monday made it impossible for me to do anything useful or constructive for most of the day! I don't remember ANYTHING before about 8 p.m.... Kind of scary, but everything went well; preventative medicine is an adventure, isn't it?

Two more days wearing my dress, both days with a tee shirt underneath. I do NOT remember getting dressed after my test on Monday; I suspect that putting on tights was not a lot of fun...

love,

Janice

 

 

  ... View the Post

Four Accent Colors with Charcoal Grey, and 1 with Navy Blue

September 26, 2022

Let's take a look at the second five "London Fashion Week" colors, as shared with us by Pantone...

You probably remember from last week that I showed the first 5 colors as accents to navy blue; I'm going to hold onto that navy for this bright green. It just seems to be the right thing to do!

This is the minimal, core navy wardrobe that I was using:

At least in my eyes, these colors are made for each other. While these outfits feel a lot like spring, let's bear in mind that we dress to flatter ourselves, NOT to match the calendar!

For the last 4 accent colors, I decided to see how they look with charcoal grey. This wee core wardrobe is more casual than the first; what you choose will depend on ... View the Post

1 Dress 100 Days: Days 24 and 25

September 25, 2022

Yesterday, I got my flu shot, so I wore my wool shirt and a scarf over my dress; the pharmacy staff needed easy access to my arm!

And today, I'm prepping for a medical test tomorrow, so I'm just going to nap as much as I can...

Still comfortable, still liking my dress. I'm surprised...

love,

Janice ... View the Post

1 Dress 100 Days: Day 23

September 24, 2022

Yesterday, I spend a HUGE portion of the day sitting at my desk (in The Vivienne Files International Headquarters - aka our bedroom!), catching up on things and working on Monday's blog post.

It's cool in Chicago, and I mostly wanted to wear something soft and cozy - hence I FINALLY have a chance to wear my sweatshirt from 4 Objects. It is a thing of beauty...

love,

Janice

p.s. I'm surprised that I'm not at all bored with this project; I'm actually thinking that my long-term wardrobe could be nothing more than "columns of black" with 2nd layers... So easy!

  ... View the Post

Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Shūbun Autumnal Equinox

September 23, 2022

When the days get shorter, I start checking to make certain that I have a nice jacket, as well as the necessary bits and pieces to stay warm!

Today's heroines don't all have heavy, wooly scarves; sometimes a silk scarf is enough!

And all of your colors don't have to match perfectly...

Blue skies and golden leaves...

You're never too old to wear a fun hat and mittens!

And it's never wrong to stock up on navy essentials:

The angle of the sun on autumn afternoons makes everything look better, doesn't it?

If you love pink, wear pink! You don't have to match the trees...

And remember that something as simple as brown buttons can make everything look ... View the Post

Five Accent Colors with Navy

September 21, 2022

As we have come to expect, Pantone "discovered" 10 "new" fashion colors from the London Spring/Summer 2022/23 Fashion Week.

Bizarrely enough, they seem to have arranged them almost like a (weird) rainbow! So to look at these colors as suggestions for wardrobe accents, I'm going to take the first 5 colors and pair them all with a tiny number of navy pieces...

I chose navy because it looks good with all 5 colors - which makes sense. Navy is opposite to orange on the color wheel, and these colors are all on that side of the wheel!

It sounds strange, but it seems to work...

First up - how often are you looking for something in a true, "not blue, not yellowish" red color, and everything you see is really on ... View the Post

Start with Art: Revisiting Portraits Theatraux by Natalia Goncharova

September 19, 2022

Remember this heroine? She was going away EVERY weekend, to visit friends who have a summer house. She was trying pretty hard not to let on to her co-workers that she was wearing the same outfit every Friday and Monday...

I've never had a co-worker who would notice such a thing! Except for Belovedest, of course...

As our heroine start to plan her autumn travel wardrobe, she realizes that she might have to be sort of... flexible... with her colors!

This is a smart thing to remember - the fashion police are NOT going to come after you because you've decided that moss green is easier to find in the autumn than mint!

So every Friday, our heroine will be wearing this; eventually she might have gloves, or ... View the Post

1 Dress, 100 Day: Day 18

September 18, 2022

A long LONG walk through the parks, and then our favorite Mexican restaurant for an early dinner! My linen shirt over my dress kept me from getting sunburned - it was really warm today...

If you're in downtown Chicago, hunt down Gordo's Tiny Tacos; it's worth the search!

love,

Janice ... View the Post