The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Start With a Bag: Longchamps Tote

March 13, 2015   Sigh...   The happy owner of this lovely bag wanted me to style it with bright colors. Believe me, I've been working toward that goal for a few days, and it just never looked good...   But this bag is ideally suited as a way to integrate earth tones and black into a lovely warm-weather travel ensemble.   And of course... the bag's no longer available. But you really should check out the Longchamp site from time to time, because they always do special editions that are wonderful. Some day, they might have something perfect for you!  

 

Yes, the earrings are bamboo styled. You don't want to overdo that kind of thing, but I thought a bit of matching would be sort of ... View the Post

Solid Clothes with Patterned Jewelry in a Capsule Wardrobe

March 12, 2015

I'm often asked about the possibility of wearing only solid-colored clothing - nothing patterned. Because I show stripes and flowers (and every other kind of print) so often, some people seem to be concerned that wearing only solid colors is somehow prohibited.

First off, let me make it perfectly clear that, in my opinion, you can wear anything that makes you happy. So long as you don't get arrested, or fired from your job, go for it. Let your preferences shine through. Express your personal preferences, your inner nuttiness, or your freak flag - it's only clothing, and as long as you are truly, deeply happy with what you wear, the rest of us can just accept it. Ultimately, it's up to you!

Another request I recently ... View the Post

Start with Art: Still Life with Bottle by Samuel John Peploe

March 11, 2015   Ah, this made me think of warm weather, leisure, simplicity, being outdoors...  

  Yes, it's a cardigan, but it's relaxed, and it's linen! When choosing loafers for this trip, I would make sure that they were low enough cut over the foot so that they would look nice with shorts, worn without socks. I'd even travel without socks, although I think I'd want some sort of little socklet/footie for in the airport. Barefoot in the airport gives me the willies!  

  If you're only going away for a few days, a Six-Pack is the perfect way to pack. These clothes would fit into the smallest tote...   (No, this dress has not been made to measure for someone - the brand name is ... View the Post

Start with Art: BLUSH, with Rose by Ansel Adams

March 9, 2015  

The all-grey wardrobe based on the photograph Rose, by Ansel Adams (see it here) prompted lots of excellent questions about using that wardrobe as a base for accent colors. Oh yes, I could think of at LEAST 10 accent colors that would work beautifully with these grey items...   I chose this vaguely named blush, peach, apricot, whatever color to show the possibilities. I kept the core grey jacket, trousers, skirts, dresses, shoes, and even a couple of tops, but I swapped out the jewelry for the warm "rose gold", and tossed in a few lovely scarves.   An accent color changes everything, doesn't it?  

  love, Janice ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Lake and Red Tree by Tom Thomson

March 5, 2015  

These colors made me want to create outfits for a woman who was strong, confident, and who could stand up to the vividness with appropriate exuberance. This is a woman who considers red boots to be a neutral... oh yes, she likes boots!  

The neutral beige can come in handy on a day when one wants to be a bit less confrontational, or at least settle into the background more than usual. 

If you're struggling to find a scarf that combines particular colors, check out Valezhki on Etsy. While Etsy is rapidly becoming yet another dumping ground for mass-produced Asian junk (think of ebay...), there are still some talented crafts-persons to be found there.

  And while ... View the Post

Start with Art: Version THREE of Peripheral Vision 2 by Elis Cooke

March 4, 2015   More and more ideas for this particular painting continue to be suggested - today, I'm addressing the possibility of using this lovely work as the basis of a summer travel wardrobe.    

  For the travel outfit, I kept the basic idea of a cardigan "suit" and a contrasting tee shirt, but I lightened up the cardigan considerably, as well as finding a lighter short-sleeved tee.  

For the rest of the six pack, I stuck with the general theory of a "core of four" in grey, but I chose a seersucker skirt, rather than solid grey. Why aren't there more things available in seersucker???   All of the jewelry in this little vignette has an starry aspect - the necklace (this one is Libra) is ... View the Post

Start with Art: Version 2 of Peripheral Vision 2 by Elis Cooke

February 26, 2015   As soon as I did the earlier version of this painting (found here), people emailed me asking that I use a different mix of colors, and that I do a business travel version of a wardrobe. So I'm combining requests here - I hope it works out!  

  I kept many of the elements of the original travel outfit, just swapping out the sportier tee shirt with something just a smidge dressier, and then coordinating earrings and a scarf with this new top.  

  love, Janice ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Hermes Maroon Shawl

February 24, 2015   Someone sent me a photograph of this delectable item - a shawl, no longer available, from Hermes - and asked if it would be possible to build a little something beautiful around it. Ooooh, yes, this is DEFINITELY possible...  

First up, a color scheme, as always. Using camel as the neutral, there's a whole range of maroon, dark red, bright red, and hints of yellow here - lots of possibilities!

  My imagination called this transition season dressing - either spring or fall. Maybe for business, or for pleasure. One dress, for a splashy night out, and otherwise dressy but not fussy separates for business or elegant sightseeing.   (Note that the accessories are either angular, or have a ... View the Post

Start With Art: Peripheral Vision 2 by Elis Cooke, or How to Pack for a Casual Vacation in France

February 23, 2015  

A recent request prompted this capsule: lightning up burgundy/grey/forest green into brighter cranberry, light mossy green and grey - specifically for a 3-week trip to France this spring.  A lovely trip, and beautiful colors with which to work!   Just for fun, I searched (and searched) until I found a painting to complement this idea:  

  For our purposes, I isolated these colors, but there's also clearly an opportunity for white, cream, and a gentle blue, as well as a touch a deeper charcoal. This painting could generate a palette with which one could live forever.

 

  As always, our travel outfit includes closed-toe shoes, a cardigan, and a scarf. But this ... View the Post

Start With a Scarf: Le Voyage de Pytheas by Hermes

February 20, 2015   A couple of days ago in this post, I included this page:  

  And someone asked if I could build a wardrobe around this scarf. Since I already had a clear vision about the details of the scarf, and the color scheme was familiar, it was pretty straightforward!  

  Maybe because I'm freezing my toenails off, or maybe because I've received lots of questions about seeing some warm-weather travel capsules, but I pictured this as a long weekend to a warm destination. (PLEASE notice that I included starfish earrings to go with the fish mosaic border of this scarf; it's details like this that keep me amused!)  

  This would keep you covered for a few days, ... View the Post

Start with Art: The Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Brueghel the Elder

February 19, 2015   I love this painting! And I still marvel at how many decidedly winter-themed paintings have been suggested to me in the last few weeks!   Any other paintings you want to see? Leave a comment, and I'll do my very best.  

You could certainly include a warm, dark golden brown here, and rust as an accent...

 

  For these colors, I was thinking of someone who had to travel overnight for a special dinner. Not necessarily a work event - possibly a family fete? But this is definitely ideal for some cold travel in order to get to a lovely festive occasion. (note that in defiance of the cold, I included a floral-trimmed scarf, and floral ... View the Post