The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Ferrand Khnopff - L’Encens Archives

Need a Subtle, Foolproof Travel Capsule Wardrobe? Start With Art – L’Encens by Fernand Khnopff

July 25, 2025

Oh, how I admire this painting!

You could easily shop with these colors in mind: warm but NOT reddish browns, very muted olive, ivory and cream...

Subtle She's got really vivid coloring. Her hair is every shade of orange and brown, that all mixes together in glorious, gorgeous auburn. Her eyes are cool brown, with highlights of olive, and a color that's almost taupe. Silvery? Hard to describe, that's for sure!

So she dresses in the most subtle colors, so she will always outshine what she's wearing...

Once the weather starts to cool down, she takes a couple of four day trips - leaving Monday, coming home on Friday. Just enough time to see friends, and art, and eat some good food!

She might go to New ... View the Post

Dressy Weekend? Start with a Scarf – The Raven Garden of Happiness by June Hunter

March 22, 2024

It's a dressy weekend - the weather will probably be warm... but there is always a chance of a cool snap!

But how to be dressy without bringing everything you own? Well, a tight color palette and planning ahead is always the way to go.

And how about starting with black and pretty accents?

Before you go down this path, you want to be ABSOLUTELY certain that wearing black isn't a problem. This wardrobe is actually designed for someone who's a prominent figure in a wedding, at which the bridesmaids will be wearing black dresses; I think she's okay with this!

She's wearing a very "normal" travel outfit - closed-toe shoes, and a cardigan for the inevitable freezing air conditioning... but she's rocking ... View the Post

Four Paintings, Four Different Ways to Wear Black and Ivory Neutral Building Blocks

March 21, 2017

Ah, here's where the heroines with the wardrobes from last Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and yesterday all come together, and where we get to see just HOW much a few accent piece can change the look of very simple, neutral pieces of clothing.

First up - all four of these women own the SAME black cashmere cardigan. But once they put it into the mix with their own things, the results are very different:

Someone didn't mention to our last woman (the very avant garde lady) that we were getting dressed up, but I don't honestly think she's the kind of person who would mind...

If these four women were sitting in a restaurant together, I don't think anybody would be inclined to walk up to them and point out that ... View the Post