March 2, 2026
Ah, this is what Chicago has been looking like recently – bare trees, drifts of old snow, sun peeking through at sunset:
Our heroine is very fond of the stems, the roots, and the “unattractive” working parts of plants. Her goal, and her passion, is to make all plants acceptable, and no plant a pariah.
Her very subdued wardrobe is based upon these colors:
At the end of February, she has assembled as 12-piece capsule wardrobe, which is almost completely foolproof. Our heroine doesn’t really have a lot of time to spend standing in front of her closet, debating what to wear!
Who among us has that time?
Any person who lives in rhythm with nature knows that you have to deal with what’s right in front of you at this moment, AND plan far ahead. Our heroine’s March wardrobe additions reflect this!
A warm sweater, a versatile cotton sweater, a 12-month shirt, and a summer dress!
And a small kerchief that ties together every color in her wardrobe – sometimes you just HAVE to grab these things…
brown merino sweater – J.Crew; silk bandana – Elizabetta; candlelight cotton sweater – J.Crew; dark chocolate poplin shirt – Alex Mill; eyelet-hem dress – J.Crew; satin ballet slippers – J.Crew; bag – Dune London
When she adds her new clothes to her wardrobe template, she’s not quite sure where the dress should go… All of these questions do NOT have to be answered immediately!
Now, when she looks at her 16-piece wardrobe, it’s still just what she wants! And she can clearly see that her new wee kerchief is going to be a staple:
Her new garments bring her far more than four new outfits, but it’s always fun to find the first four…
This is so restful and effortless! One could be tempted, eh?
love,
Janice
Earlier posts on The Vivienne Files, which feature this wardrobe, can be found here: Christmas Eve Preview, January, February
p.s. Ten years ago, I HAD to share a Japanese screen that I saw at The Art Institute of Chicago; the heroine’s wardrobe was shades of grey with aqua, blue and yellow accents!
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That dress is wonderfully feminine and it would look great with a sweater, blazer or a shawl for cooler days. I love that the pale butter yellow sweater is made of cotton.
I’m slightly tempted to watch for items in that super dark brown. It has cool undertones unlike the classic warmer chocolate browns.
Not for me, but so, so pretty. I love the way everything goes with everything else, and I particularly adore the brown dress you chose. One tip: Dresses in this wonderful fit-and-flare style look fantastic with sweaters over them, making the bottom half into a skit. I can see this pretty dress with any of the pullovers, as well as the cardigans, of course, as well as a scarf. This just makes it that much more versatile a piece too!
Happy Monday, all!
I love Broderie Anglaise fabric, but it usually comes in colours that are too pastel for me. I think the chastisement I received when I was three for walking into a boating lake in my Sunday best pale blue Broderie Anglaise dress & coming out stained by algae may have influenced that feeling. However, a few years ago I found a saffron yellow shell top in the fabric that gets an outing on the hottest summer days – right colour for me, and devoid of flounce.
That black dress and ballet shoes are reading very Audrey Hepburn to me– classic style never goes out of fashion.
While I do like the simple elegance of this wardrobe, it would be nice to see some patterned garments. Might be hard to find a nature print that doesn’t feature green, florals, etc., so maybe a subdued abstract pattern. Of course, stripes are always an option.
The fit-and-flare dress is nice, and flattering to most of us. It draws attention to the upper torso which may be more attractive than the lower torso where some of us have put on weight. And those dresses work well with layering.
What a restful and charming collection this is. I tend to go for deep rich ‘autumn’ colours, but this has me seriously tempted to re-think, re-organise, and re-new, keeping my chocolate browns, creams, and ambers but adding in more softness and subtlety, which could work with both my retirement and my increasingly grey hair! Thanks for the inspiration, Janice :-)
I do see white in the painting and I think the capsule will benefit greatly if added.
Love the addition of the dark brown elements. They’re the color of really rich, loamy soil!
Someone above mentioned adding pattern, which made me realize I don’t really use pattern at all. I have one wool plaid half-circle skirt, which I love. But I don’t own a single top or sweater with pattern, although several of them are cabled or have other textures.