August 1, 2025
It delights me that we’re into August – it just gets us that much closer to the weather that I like the most! Bring on autumn…
But now, for our first wardrobe, let’s start with this soft, graceful and flawlessly balanced beauty:
This month’s offerings in the retail space are pretty sparse; I’m hopefully that next week things won’t all be selling out! But our heroine had some excellent shopping luck – she found a trove of really nice chambray. It’s endlessly frustrating that during the hottest part of the summer, one struggles to find a nice pair of shorts or a pretty top…
Moonstone earrings – Opium Jewels; blue opal necklace – Kris Nations; chambray top – Vineyard Vines; white cardigan – Eileen Fisher; dress – Vineyard Vines, shorts – Vineyard Vines; sandals – Talbots
This month, I’ve chosen to divide our heroine’s wardrobe by color – another month, I might divide things by style.
I find it very useful to be able to show accessories in two images – it’s easier to see the jewelry, and the shoes get a bit more space to be seen too! It can be useful to do this for yourself and your own lovely accessories; it’s very practical to be able to look at what you currently own when you’re shopping. I’ve been known to buy items that are near matches to things I already own. Talk about wasteful!
Our heroine made her August purchases without checking her Weekly Timeless Wardrobe template, and it shows. Two of her purchases are for things that weren’t “gaps” in her template. But as I insist we all remember – this is a guideline, not a law! I’m not sure how this will all work out…
It’s hard for me to remember, but the most important part of making any additions to a wardrobe is to determine how new items can be worn. Every now and then, I’ll get really close to buying myself something, and then realize that a purchase might put me in a spot where a new sweater would mean that I would also need new pants, and new shoes, and possibly a scarf! That’s not smart shopping.
Our heroine is in a good position; having this disciplined color palette almost guarantees that you can pull together outfits without pain:
Yes, I put the light green tee shirt on the page with the chambray and white. It just felt better there…
love,
Janice
Earlier posts about this wardrobe can be found here: Christmas Day Preview, January, February, March, April, May, June, July
p.s. I just finished reading Less, by Patrick Grant. His career is very interesting, and his insights into the merits of buying fewer but better things are fascinating, unique, and convincing. I highly recommend it!
p.p.s. Ten years ago, our heroine’s mother-in-law has invited the family to the regatta, so the travel capsule wardrobe is inspired by Mary Cassatt’s Boating Party!
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So I have to laugh, is it just me, or is this very similar to the Rolling Hills post you had Wednesday which we all suggested as one of the six paintings for next year? Love this. Truly do. Have a great weekend everyone! And Janice, I’m with you, bring on fall!
It’s similar in that it’s soft, and has that chambray blue in it. Rolling Hills is easier for a lot of us because it doesn’t have any warm colors in it; this one gets a lot of push back because of mixing in the camel with the cooler colors. Some people who are really attached to their “season” struggle with mixing warm and cool. It’s all very interesting…
love,
Janice
Janice, and that would be me, among others. I just don’t feel “right” in warm colors like gold, brown, beige. I remember hating a beige coat my mother bought for me when I was about ten. I couldn’t articulate why I disliked it, but I now realize the color completely washed out my complexion. I looked sick!! So yes, I like the top pictured clothes (and own many similar items), but no, I won’t be adding gold/khaki,beige to my blues and whites. Thankfully, we all have choices.
OMG as someone who does not wear camel you would have thought I’d notice that! Guess I was just too enamored of the blues and greens!
I am generally a cool color season, but I love pops of warm colors in my outfits. Not near my face, but a cardigan, pair of shoes, etc. I think it livens up my outfits and makes them pop a little more. For me it’s denim, navy, berry colors, teal and pops of mustard or an orangy brown. Those two colors are similar to the thread on denim and so for me they go really well.
This version was available years ago: https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2023/12/2-capsule-wardrobes-december-six-paintings-twelve-months.html/
And last year’s Nash was similar to this painting. This time there are more shades of blue and green.
By the way, it’s very cool and rainy here. I hope we get a few more days of summer vacation where we can spend it in sleeveless tops.
Another very useful and beautiful capsule – and I like that, while similar to yesterday’s Rolling Hills, it has that warm camel in it. The palette that suits my colouring best is a warm one, and I really struggle to wear black (ok for the bottom half) or white, so these two sets of ideas are very helpful and very me… once I move on from my attraaction to orange and turquoise! Thanks again Janice. Oh, and come to Norfolk in the UK right now: it’s very autumnal already so I’m hoping for that elusive ‘Indian summer’ next month!
Love this wardrobe and love the book recommendation! I didn’t even notice the light green tshirt in with the chambray and white. It totally made sense for it to be there.
Janice,
I cannot find the March post for this painting in your archives. There is the Feb.post then it jumps to the April post. Are there several missing for this painting. Also, I did not see Jan. Just Christmas. Thanks!
Found it under the March archive. But I was looking at the posts under the artist name with start with art. And there is where it is missing.
There are a bunch of art posts missing from the Start With Art archive. It’s hard to put things there, because of the image; I need to get my helpers to give me a hand on that…
hugs,
Janice
I am dubbed a Spring, but i feel i can wear almost any colour as long as it is in a medium tone. Many colours are crossovers, and i feel it would be a shame to miss out on those. I tend to wear many colours that make me happy, though they may not be my best lol. This and the O’Keefe are my favourites for this year.
First of all, thank you to everyone who shared their thoughts and prayers with me, regarding my son in law’s terrifying illness, emergency surgeries and hospitalization. I am happy to say he is going home today or tomorrow, after more than a week in the hospital. He will have a long road to recovery, but he is going to be okay. This has been a terrifying chapter and one in which I wish I could have spared my daughter. But, I’m grateful for his care and that they were here near home when it happened. Note to all: Be VERY vigilant about tick bites…they carry more than just Lyme disease!
Once more, I find myself attracted to this painting, even thought it’s not my colors. I do love all of the chambray pieces, as I try find chambray a neutral–and don’t count it as blue half the time. I have been looking for the right chambray dress for several years. I love the idea of this one, but it’s just too short for me. I’m a teacher, so I am getting up and down off the floor with my students all day long. I know plenty of other teachers who wear short dresses just fine, but I’m such a turtle that I have to scramble up and down…and don’t want to give my kiddos are “show”. But, I adore the weight and vibe of this dress. The hunt continues!
Phew! Long recoveries are just lots & lots of babysteps – cheering from the sidelines as he cranks on through them! (Yes, I had a multiyear recovery to cope with a few years ago – you just keep going til you get all the way back!! And then you tend to grin a lot.)
That you, Lilibear! We are grateful…we are thankful…we are exhausted.
Yes she.could do with some pattern to draw the colours together. I would add a mid tone blue-green too. Instead if the camel, I wear taupe (soft and cool). I gave up trying to find chambray trousers that fit. Maybe next year…. After all, it’s not as if I don’t have enough clothes!
Oh Ellen S so very glad to hear that your sil is going home. We have a friend whose 40yr old son took 1 1/2 years to recover from a tick bite but is now just fine. They are nasty little buggers for sure.
I love this wardrobe and can adapt it easily to clothes I own. Janis I just “discovered” Lintico a linen company. Beautiful clothes in a wide range of sizes. I personally do not care about wrinkles so I’m a huge linen fan.