Build a Capsule Wardrobe Archives - Page 22 of 87

Start with Art: Dans la Forêt: Portrait de L. Massine by Natalia Gontcharova

May 14 2020

Remember the accountant? With a man's first name? Well, she's been doing quite well; the last big engagement in which she was immersed resulted in 3 people being charged with financial fraud, and a handful of other officers resigning in the dead of night and vanishing...

She was made partner...

Her color palette for her wardrobe is unusual - just when someone thinks that all she wears is black and shades of beige and brown, she trots out some cobalt blue!

She's got to go back. Yes, during the pandemic. She's assured that nobody is there, and that this is the very best time to take a team in and go through some of the really old "on paper" records that seem to have been... forged? Expense ... View the Post

What Do I Need in My Wardrobe? Navy, Teal, Plum and Lavender

May 13, 2020

It was a sort of urgent email - I get those sometimes! In the middle of quarantining and lots of disruption, SHE GOT A PROMOTION!!!! A big one...

After much back and forth, we settled on the 4 colors in our palette, and she has already isolated these 8 things to launch her work wardrobe:

These are her chosen colors:

She's going to need to travel some, and be on screens for teleconferences a lot, so I'm targeting - eventually - a 20-piece wardrobe for her for these "visible" work activities. I thought maybe this template would help me be organized in making recommendations:

So the first thing we need to do is show her 8 existing garments in this template, so we can see where we have ... View the Post

I Love It, But Will I Wear It? Blue Cotton Cardigan

May 1, 2020

It catches her eye every time she's on the website. She has wondered how she might wear it, if she were to treat herself...

Finally, she decides to actually try to PLAN an outfit or 2, from current garments and some possible other lovely things she's seen. She does want to buy something for spring, and starting with this cardigan might make sense. If you keep daydreaming about a piece of clothing after you've seen an image of it, you might want to think seriously about how much you're attracted to it, right?

She is fond of a wide range of neutral colors, so there are plenty of possibilities...

First off, there's no reason that you can't just wear a cardigan in a different color over anything neutral and ... View the Post

Start with Art: Portrait de Greta Prozor by Henri Matisse

April 23, 2020

She's been sitting for a REALLY long time...

She's taking her favorite painting, distilling it down to the essential colors, and then PACKING!

Black, denim, olive, and BRIGHT golden yellow! She doesn't want to work very hard getting dressed, but she's okay with people noticing her...

It's just for a long weekend... She's going to plan outfits for each day, although she won't necessarily wear every outfit. She just doesn't want to have to work; she's done quite enough work, spending so much time indoors...

Her travel wardrobe is dark, and a bit intense. That's just exactly what she wants - no worry about spilling things, no worry about putting together outfits "on the fly," and no having to shop ... View the Post

Adding Pastel Wardrobe Accents! Expanding a Beige & Olive Weekly Timeless Wardrobe

April 22, 2020

She, too, has a wardrobe core of olive and beige, just like that of her friend from Monday's post. But her inspirations for accent colors of quite different!

She saw this painting in Paris, years ago, and took a photograph of it. She has, since then, found a poster of the painting, and hung it in her bathroom! Why not... It reminds her, and keeps her focused.

While there are quite a few possible accent colors hidden in this wonderful work of art, our heroine made her choices:

Of course, she's going to start with her Weekly Timeless Wardrobe 13 core garments, in her 2 neutrals:

She knew in her heart that she was craving light, and softness, and prettiness. She decided to listen to her heart, and ... View the Post

Planning Accessories for a Travel Capsule Wardrobe, in Black and Pink

April 21, 2020

A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you one of my favorite blog posts from a few years ago, and then my revision of it in my current favorite colors. I think this an exercise that a lot of you engage in frequent, since there's no way that the wardrobes that I post here will ALWAYS be your favorite colors!

But I didn't include many accessories - I just accessorized the initial travel outfit, but nothing else. THAT won't do...

We started here, with a travel outfit in which I could live for quite a while:

And these are the 10 garments that I chose to pack; at the time I said that I wasn't sure if I was packing for Paris or Dublin (or maybe New York?)...

My best plan (so far) for making certain that I pack ... View the Post

Adding Wardrobe Accents! Expanding a Beige & Olive Weekly Timeless Wardrobe

April 20, 2020

After being indoors for AGES (I'm in my 6th week...), I find that paintings full of "nature" colors really appeal...

Today's heroine realizes that she's going to need to move toward some navy, maybe by the time summer rolls in... Her current Weekly Timeless Wardrobe for Spring is lovely beige and green, but she understands that the green is just too difficult to find.

This is her inspiration:

She's going to indulge in some accent colors, before she starts gradually working on her 3rd neutral...

Here's where she's starting:

For so long, she's been comfortable with muted colors. But now that she's free to be out and about, she is really in the mood for something bolder and brighter!

After much ... View the Post

Start with Art: Choosing a Travel Capsule Wardrobe based on Petit Matin by Joan Mitchell

April 10, 2010

I promised pretty colors...

Our heroine is looking for flowers... She's packing for a long weekend, basing her choices on this palette that she's chosen:

Thinking about flowers, and admiring photographs of flowers, were a part of what kept her happy and content during the quarantine. But now, they're going to walk a ton, outdoors, and admire nature.

Now that they're free to travel again, they've found the perfect destination - a mansion house with extensive gardens! Miles and miles of gardens...

She's less conservative than she has been in the past. Once upon a time, she would have a solid navy suitcase, and wear solid navy shoes for the drive. But now, she's more relaxed, and understands that ... View the Post

Start with Art: Building a Travel Capsule Wardrobe from Rising Green by Lee Krasner

April 7, 2020

She's feeling... exuberant...

Now that she's free to travel again, she's going to do things differently. She's had so much time to plan, and she's going to be so much more organized!

This is her color palette:

She's not going to be reckless - she's still wearing her compression socks, and waterproof loafers. But she's finally going to start wearing the scarves that have been living in a dresser drawer for ages...

Before, she would NEVER have considered packing pants that were lighter than dark navy. She wouldn't have consigned lovely scarves to a suitcase, nor would she have traveled with cashmere sweaters.

Now, she realizes that life is for living, and the things that we own are for using ... View the Post

Personalizing a Favorite Capsule Wardrobe

April 3, 2020

Today I'm looking back at one of my all-time favorite blog posts, and choosing how I would interpret it in my own wardrobe!

My computer screen savers are all images from The Vivienne Files, that change ever 20 seconds or so. Although they are supposed to be randomly chosen from a huge file of images, in fact I see the same wardrobes fairly often, and this one I see EVERY DAY:

Something about this just feels so right to me...

So in my dream travel, I'm going to... either Ireland or Paris - it doesn't really matter. If I'm in Ireland I'm going to have some business to transact, and if I'm in Paris, I want to look lovely...

After much consideration, this is what I would pack. I don't own these exactly ... View the Post

Start with Art: Building a Travel Capsule Wardrobe based on The Swan No. 21 by Hilma af Klint

April 1, 2020

Yes, this should be the "Six Scarves, 12 Outfits" post, but I forgot that I was working on a post for the first day of April! Frankly, I'm thrilled to see the end of March - aren't you?

I will get that post for you tomorrow, I promise...

Our heroine had hoped to see the Hilma af Klint exhibit in Malmö, but she might not make it...

But she's still a massive fan of the artist!

Now that she's free to travel, she's going to Stockholm for a long weekend to the Moderna Museet, to see some art! This is going to be her color palette for her travel capsule wardrobe:

She has decided that she's beautiful. After spending so much time alone, it's finally dawned on her that her body has done wonderful things for ... View the Post

Start with Swimwear AGAIN? Building a Travel Capsule Wardrobe

March 30, 2020

Well this is embarrassing... The post that was supposed to be here today - the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe post - was erroneously posted on SATURDAY. I've well and truly lost track of what day it is! If you're looking for it, just scroll down past this new post and it's right there... sigh...

The People Who Own Their August Rental... Just sent them an email and asked if they wanted the house for the entire summer - same price as they usually pay JUST for the month of August!

Well... they had to consider if they could telecommute from there - YES.

Will they be able to get groceries and other necessities - YES.

Will they have a beach, and the chance for some fresh air - YES!!!!!

So they're packing in a ... View the Post