The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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The Holidays with Edith and the Kingpin, by Jack Vetriano

December 25, 2019

Remember these 2? We first met them back in the summer of 2015, then Edith went to interview to work at the resort, and then AGAIN after she was hired...

Even during the first week of December, the resort was still quite busy; Edith has not realized when she was hired that they had an extensive winter sports complex in the forested areas behind the lodgings. She was thrilled - rather than just a summer job, this had become real, full-time work!

She clocked out from her lunch hostess shift and checked her mail cubby hole for any notes. And found this very imposing envelope:

Probably just a holiday card, although it felt sort of... hefty...

She was a bit excited, but she took a deep breath, composed ... View the Post

Revisiting Edith and the Kingpin by Jack Vettriano

July 19, 2019

Remember Edith? She originally went to the resort after she had been ill, and then was invited back to interview for a hostess position...

Burning with Curiosity... He's there every day, at lunch. At the same table. He recognized her immediately, and gave her that cryptic half-smile that curls her toes...

She's frankly thrilled that she's wearing such an elegant uniform. They actually did alterations on her dress before she started working! Imagine...

After her interview, they decided to hire her immediately. They took her to the room that would be hers, on 2nd floor of the back wing of the hotel, where the staff lived. Women are on the 2nd floor, and men on the 3rd...

She was able to leave the ... View the Post

Revisiting a Start With Art: Edith and the Kingpin by Jack Vettriano

March 30, 2018 When we left Edith, she was deeply smitten with a gentleman that she had... encountered... at the resort to which she had been sent to recuperate from a recent illness...So when one of her friends wrote to her that the resort was looking for a new hostess for the luncheon salon, she determined that she was going to get the job!"You're going to do what?"

"Well, it's only 5 hours of work (10 to 3) five days a week, AND I get a room at the resort for the season, and I get all of my meals provided, AND I get paid. It will be almost like being a guest there, except that I'll get to meet everyone, and I'll get paid to get a bit of exercise..."

Her parents are not convinced, but they recognize that expression on her ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Edith and the Kingpin by Jack Vettriano

July 28, 2015

"Edith," they told me, "make sure you rest when you're at that beach resort, and get your health back."

"Uh huh..."

I never go swimming within an hour of having a meal, so when the luncheon salon closed, I went over to sit on the window seat in the lounge, to watch the activities outdoors. I hadn't been there more than a minute when he sat down next to me.

He was really quite familiar, especially since we hadn't been introduced! But he knew the names of absolutely everyone staying at the resort, and he told the funniest little stories about each of them...

His conduct was far from gentlemanly; he kept his hat on (Father would have been appalled) and he was wearing those funny two-toned shoes that ... View the Post

It’s Almost 2026, and I Have Choices to Make!

December 12, 2025

If all goes as planned, when you read this, I will be in Paris. Probably in the airport, which is no great bargain...

But let's think about art! I'm kind of thinking that 2026 will be the last year of The Vivienne Files, unless we're still in Chicago, and I still have the time and energy to continue. But let's work with that assumption.

After looking at more art than you can stuff in a 30 gallon garbage bag, I've decided that for next year, I want to revisit artworks that we've seen here in the past. When I do small travel wardrobes - even if we visit the same heroine repeatedly - we never see their complete wardrobe.

If we spend 12 months with each work of art, we can get a more thorough idea of what a ... View the Post

The Second of Six Paintings-Twelve Months, March 2025

March 4, 2025

A painting that I love, and a wardrobe that grows on me every time I look at it:

At the end of February, our heroine had this very tidy and versatile (as well as lovely!) 12-piece wardrobe:

Our heroine decided that she was going to try to fill in some of her cold-weather basics, before they vanish from stores in favor of bikinis! She knows that - even though it seems like it's the end of winter - there are still at least a few more weeks of weather plenty cold enough for a turtleneck.

If you've been looking for wool pants that are lined, I found these; you see them pretty often here, but they're a rare species of garment here in the 21st century...

Now, when she looks at her Weekly Timeless Wardrobe ... View the Post

Start with Art: Six Paintings, 12 Months for 2024!

December 25, 2023

Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating, and Happy Monday to all the world!

Let's look at some art, and some tiny wardrobe clusters that I assembled to get our heroines started on their wardrobe-building adventures:

Someone mentioned that we had no red last year - this might fix that!

A range of greys, a range of red, and some pure white for relief!

All of our heroines are starting out with VERY basic clothes - the kind of things that you need, but don't necessarily get a big thrill out of buying...

I love this painting - these women are pretty dressy for just hanging around under the trees!

Our lover of all things olive green has an interesting palette with which to work - she's got ... View the Post

I’m So Sorry…

August 26, 2022

I don't have a post ready for today - other obligations have kept me far from my desk!

But have you looked recently at my "Start with Art" page?

You can scroll through and see ALL of the art that's been used on The Vivienne Files, with a link to the relevant blog post!

If you see something that we should revisit, please let me know! 

Except Edith and the Kingpin; I think I've exhausted their story...

love,

Janice

p.s. Seven years ago, Mark Rothko's "Light, Earth and Blue" was our inspiration... ... View the Post

Building Your Weekly Timeless Wardrobe by Clusters!

July 28, 2020

Yes, the series ended yesterday, but my ideas about it could go on for a long time...

The world's easiest flashback - remember these 13 garments from yesterday's post?

It's been pretty evident to me for a while that these 13 garments arranged themselves into 3 clusters pretty neatly. Actually, you could arrange these pieces in at least a few different ways, but for now I'm looking at this:

If you're not inclined to want to analyze your wardrobe on a weekly basis, maybe shift to a monthly basis, and look at clusters rather than individual garments!

Plus, this is a really easy way to pack - if you pack clusters, you know for a fact that you have garments that go together! (you do of course have to be sure ... View the Post

Packing

What should I pack? It's the first question on everyone’s mind when they’ve just booked a trip.

Don't worry - The Vivienne Files includes suggestions about all kinds of travel capsule wardrobes: warm weather, cold weather, business, leisure, weekend travel, and long trips. I'm sure there are suggestions in these posts to give you ideas and inspiration and keep you from packing your entire wardrobe!

Not sure what to wear on the plane? Check out my Template for Your Travel Outfit.

Carry-On Travel Capsule Wardrobes If you need insight on minimal packing, read How to Pack Light: The "Whatever's Clean" 13 Capsule Wardrobe. The following posts provide a variety of travel capsule wardrobes that are small enough to fit in a carry-on bag ... View the Post

Year 2 – Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Taisho – Large Heat

July 21, 2023

Why yes, I DID miss the previous season - July 7, Small Heat. This year, Chicago is having a VERY cool summer, unlike so much of the world. It makes thinking about warm-weather clothing sort of difficult! 

But let's pick up with the current season...

At this point in the year, when major retailers are pushing cool-weather clothing at us, we can at least find nice dresses...

If I were to only own 1 dress, this might be a candidate. The dark background would make it easy to wear dark tights and flats, with a navy sweater, in cool weather:

Similarly, this dress is made to be worn with a cardigan or blazer:

I'm currently wearing the black version of this dress, with amethyst jewelry to match ... View the Post