By Season Archives

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

Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Shosho – Limit of Heat

August 19, 2022

This upcoming season promises "limit of heat," which would be welcome in much of the world!

If you love red and black, you will soon be able to bundle up, and include your favorite witch scarf! (note that if you fold this scarf at all, nobody will be able to see the witch; but if you wear it somewhat like a cape, she will be visible in all her amusing glory!)

If you struggle to find a scarf that you love, don't forget to check the men's departments. I don't know WHY some scarves are strictly for men, and others for women; men's are often less expensive, and can be very beautiful!

Early autumn, when the trees are beautiful, and the leaves are still MOSTLY on the trees and not on the ground!

I ... View the Post

Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Risshū – Beginning of Autumn

August 17, 2022

Here in Chicago we felt it yesterday - that sense that autumn is coming. We all know that there will be sweltering days ahead, but we were reminded...

For me, that early cool day reminds me that I might want to check my wardrobe for upcoming autumn weather. This is a good time to start looking for the accent cashmere sweater that you will wear every week for six months, the scarf that you will cherish for years to come, or the warmer trousers that you need to replace the ones that you've worn to pieces this last few years...

Even if you live somewhere that doesn't get a lot of snow, you might still need a warm outfit or two!

This leaf perfectly conveys where we are, right now!

When I was ... View the Post

Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Taisho – Large Heat

July 22, 2022

Well, this is timely! I was just out on Michigan Avenue, the temperature is around 90 degree Fahrenheit, and the most comfortable women I saw were wearing loose dresses...

And so was I!

The most important thing to remember on days like this is to stay hydrated! And of course, protection from the sun is critical...

It's possible to wear black, if you've got your route planned so that you can stay on the shady side of the street! If you're not sure about how sunny it may be where you're going, you may want to choose something in a lighter color.

This is how it feels...

Even if you're somewhere surrounded by buildings and pavement, you can wear pretty flowers!

You might find that ... View the Post

June 2022 Start with a Bracelet: The Surprising Lynx Bracelets

June 27, 2022 They Never Know What to Expect...

Some years their more... eccentric aunt can't make it up to the lake for a weekend with them. They understand; she travels a lot and is often busy with work...

So when they got a call asking if there was room for her this coming weekend, they were all pretty excited to see her, for all kinds of reasons!

Her current car is a convertible. Electric. Very sleek... And she looked quite elegant...

They weren't expecting purple socks, but they weren't exactly surprised...

It was the next morning, when she turned up for breakfast wearing a swim-dress, a matching hoodie, and water shoes, that they were gobsmacked...

"Yea, I was stuck in the Maldives for a few days on a ... View the Post

Start with Art: The Golden Stairs by Sir Edward Coley Burney-Jones

June 24, 2022

Yes, you saw this painting a long time ago! That heroine was also traveling for a family celebration...

Let's take a close-up look at a bunch of these lovely ladies, and enjoy the color palette...

Our heroine is off for a quick weekend trip to a family wedding! She's taking Friday off of work, so that she will arrive early in the afternoon - certainly early enough for lunch with relatives, and possibly early enough for a quick nap:

Because the partying starts tonight, with the rehearsal and the following dinner, and then of course the wedding on Saturday! By Sunday, she just needs to drag herself to brunch before they run out of coffee, and then sleep on the train on the way home!

She wants to ... View the Post

Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Bōshu, Grain in Ear

June 8, 2022

Time flies when the weather is lovely!

These Are NOT Gardening Clothes... These are sitting on the back porch admiring your garden clothes...

These are clothes for walking around your neighborhood, admiring other gardens...

These are clothes to wear while sitting on the porch swing, discussing how many raised garden beds you can fit on your lot...

These are clothes to wear when you're watching your friends and family play sports...

These are clothes for the backyard barbecue, picnic, fire pit, marshmallow toasting...

These are clothes for sitting under the trees, snipping the ends off of green beans...

These are clothes to wear when taking baskets of fresh vegetables to your ... View the Post

Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Shōman, Grain Full

May 23, 2022 2-Lane Roads, Top Down

After the main crops are planted, a lot of farms open to the public on weekends for visits, tours, and even a bit of shopping!

Our heroine is a particular fan of old barn architecture, of driving in the country, and of buying fresh produce!

And she takes this as a chance to dress nicely - she already knows that she's going to need a scarf in her hair, so wearing a dress isn't overdoing it. It's not like SHE'S the farmer, right?

I like to think that all of these heroines have a pair of driving shoes in their car (these come in about 20 colors!) - they kick them off when they park, and slip on their sandals... Better for driving, better for their sandals, and safer too!

Yes, people who ... View the Post

Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Rikka, the Beginning of Summer

May 6, 2022

Yes, for those of us still shivering in VERY cool temperatures, this is aspirational. I think we all have to accept that these 24 Japanese Seasons probably don't conform to what we're currently experiencing...

Nonetheless, aspiring to a warm summer day is a lovely daydream!

Shopping, Cooking, Celebrating Summer The Farmers Markets are back! And she's ready - tote bag in hand, shirt with a bit of a sleeve to keep sunburn off of her shoulders...

Never was a woman so thrilled to be going shopping!

Does she wear lots of olive and denim-ish blue?

Of is this our heroine from Wednesday, dressed for a casual day?

A couple of hours later, she's got her work cut out for her! Some freezing, some ... View the Post

Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year

April 25, 2022

When I started working on this post, it was pouring rain in Chicago. I mean pouring buckets and barrels and VATS of rain...

The next day, the temperature is over 20C, and quite lovely. If the wind doesn't (literally) blow you over...

Which made me realize yet again that there are really more than 4 season in the year; they've apparently always know that in Japan!

So I'm very intrigued by the idea of 24 Seasons - which are divided into 72 wee mini-seasons! I'll stick with this 24 for now, but I never rule out doing something fun with 72 seasons!

My thinking, at this early stage: an outfit for each mini-season, 3 garments. That would be a 72-garment wardrobe - considerably smaller than what I currently ... View the Post

2 Spring Capsule Wardrobes – Navy and Green, Green and Beige

June 18, 2021

Lots of green! I don't really have a good explanation - I just happened across quite a few pretty things!

I feel like our first heroine must be going back to her office; a wardrobe like this might reconcile me just a little bit to such a fate:

She has choices galore for serious work days, casual work days, and work from home days:

And what will be our last Spring Weekly Timeless Wardrobe is for a heroine who is relaxed, but likes to feel pretty and pulled-together!

I don't think I could be pulled together right now if 2 snow-plows pushed directly at each other, with me in the middle...

This wardrobe gives her the option of outfits that are all green, or subtle beige, or a mix of the ... View the Post

13-Piece Spring Wardrobes – Rose and Chambray, Grey and shades of Purple

June 16, 2021

Oh, you all are SMART! This turned out well, I think...

Yes, there's only 1 cardigan, because I just never saw a denim-colored one that I liked. But when I saw my mother wearing my denim shirt over her tee shirt, I knew I had the answer!

Even with prints above and below the waist, this wardrobe has lots of possibilities:

Just for reference, here's the garment list. I want to remind us all that this isn't a hard and fast list - it's a guideline, just like everything on The Vivienne Files. Nobody should tell you what to wear...

I discovered something interesting, and sort of weird, when I was putting together this next wardrobe: when I searched for "purple," I got all sorts of shades of pink, and ... View the Post