Start a Capsule Wardrobe With Archives - Page 118 of 153

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Untitled, 1953 by Mark Rothko (revisiting navy and cognac)

July 27, 2015 Wow! When I ask for help finding art, you all jump right to the rescue! And isn't this a great version of navy and cognac, with a striking pink accent?

I snuck in a touch of white... and if you look really closely, our celadon green from last week is present, just a slight touch, along the bottom of the painting.

I kept the navy garments, but changed out everything else here. In honor of the block-like angularity of the Rothko painting, our accessories are now going to be square, or include a square motif if possible. (even the tote bag here has an embossed texture with a square feeling to it...) I took the cognac accessories down a notch darker, to show the options that are available ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Mulberry Tree by Vincent Van Gogh (revisiting Navy and Cognac)

July 25, 2015 I thought this would be pretty easy - take yesterday's navy, cognac and light green wardrobe, and just substitute yellow as the accent color. But I wanted to use some sort of art or craft as a focal point - to keep us honest, and to help focus the color palette. I didn't really think through the project of looking for a painting that included navy and cognac, as well as a pronounced accent color! Happily, I found this glorious work!

The color scheme is very straightforward - substitute a range of shades of yellow for the green from yesterday.

I got really lucky with tee shirts - my friends at L.L.Bean make beautiful butter ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Vase: A Qianlong Vase, and packing for China

July 24, 2015 One of you is taking off soon for a trip to China, and you have asked me for some ideas about what to pack. I did quite a bit of reading about travel to China, and one thing that was stated repeatedly was that it's important not to take too many clothes, because (a) it's extremely easy and inexpensive to get laundry done in China, and (b) there are quite a few non-clothing items that you need to pack, so you want to reserve space for those kinds of items. (OTC medicines etc. - PLEASE do some research before a trip like this, to be certain that you have with you all of the recommended necessities.) Now, for some aesthetic inspiration. Sotheby's assessed this vase at around ... View the Post

A Scarf Winner, and an idea for tying scarves in hot weather

So, for the giveaway for the Yuh Okano blue scarf, there were 161 comments! (A new Vivienne Files record, by the way. Thanks!)

I generated a random number between 0 and 162:

I love functions in Excel... It's not a normal kind of love, but it's one I can't deny...

Then I counted counted counted, and found that the winner is!!! Beffyann!

Dear Beffyann, send me your mailing address to [email protected], and I will pronto get this beauty out to you...

Yesterday, in a fit of youthful folly, I went rock climbing. There are climbing walls in the park very near my home - I literally can see them from our windows. Among many interesting discoveries (like climbing walls in direct sunlight can be literally blisteringly ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Amethyst by Alfons Mucha

July 22, 2015 I always love Mucha; what an idealistic view of women he had! And a master of colors.... sigh....

Clearly I will have to revisit this painting, because it was almost impossible to find anything in this shade of green.

President of the Association, FINALLY They used to say that no woman would ever be President of your association. Then they said that if you wanted to be President, you had to "man up", and not wear feminine stuff - no pretty colors, no amazing jewelry, no unruly curly hairstyles. You always thought that was nonsense. Members of your profession are able to see past personal style to the essence of competence and character.

So tomorrow you fly over to ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Coast Road by Fanny Brennan

July 21, 2015 Thanks a ton to the reader who sent this suggestion to me - I wasn't familiar with Fanny Brennan. It's particularly interesting that these paintings are tiny - the size of postcards. Her sense of humor is very appealing!

The colors in this painting are wonderfully striking and clear. I'm going to use black as the base here, but a summer wardrobe using white, with these bright colors would be lovely. And the hills in the distance are colors that suggest shades of denim.... lots of possibilities here.

Going Alone You have planned this trip for a long time. You bought athletic shoes and started walking every evening, after work. Longer and longer, faster and faster. You understand that being in ... View the Post

In Which I Try to Spend my Nordstrom Gift Card

July 15, 2015

After I was pondering if I should write about the Nordstrom Pre-Season sale, I remembered - I just had a birthday, and one of my gifts was a gift card to Nordstrom! So I can maybe indulge some pondering about what I should buy...

First off, I have to say that if I needed lingerie, I would hot-foot it to the Nordstrom site to see if they have my favorites on sale; their sale includes LOTS of lingerie.

Similarly, if I were interested in buying new bedding at this change of season, I'd also look at Nordstrom; it's also a category in which there seem to be lots of markdowns.

But I need neither of those things - I'm not buying undergarments of any ilk until I'm quite through losing weight and getting more ... View the Post

Prints, no Stripes, nor Flowers, nor Animal Prints

July 18, 2015

It can feel some days like there are no printed garments in the world that aren't striped, flowered, or animal printed - I know that I feel like I have to be careful not to inundate you all with tops from those categories. So today, I decided that I was going to commit my work day to find shirts, blouses and tee shirts that were printed, but that had a different take on the idea.

You do understand that I will not, EVER, try to convince you to wear any garment with something written on it? Good... I'm sick beyond belief of shirts with silly phrases written across one's bosom...

This might be a good way to add a little something to your current season wardrobe in order to get through the rest of the season, or ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: The White and Green Hat by Georgette Agutte

July 17, 2015

How did I make it so far into my life without knowing about Georgette Agutte? She was French, and she painted some really wonderful paintings; I encourage you to look her up. You're going to be seeing more of her on The Vivienne Files, I can promise! Someone suggested this lovely painting - she seems like she would be a kind and gentle friend, doesn't she?

As with most paintings, there are a variety of ways to approach the colors, but I've gone this direction:

"Doesn't she look like Grandma?" Your sister said, and just like that, the whole idea got started... So now, you and your older sister are going on a road trip, starting with ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Scarf: Gentian Blue by Yuh Okano

July 15, 2015

I've really admired scarves from textile artist Yuh Okano for a while, but it wasn't until I held one in my hands that I realize how truly wonderful they are. Her scarves have that beautiful reflectiveness and iridescence that's characteristic of organza, but they're not "crispy" or difficult to wear... I'm smitten! But best of all, if you leave me a comment on today's post, you will be entered to win this gorgeous scarf shown here! It's all silk, 70 inches long by 13 inches wide (or 180 cm x 33 cm for most of the world), and is gorgeous. (I have it here in my apartment, and I can assure you that giving it away wont be easy!) commenting closed 7 a.m. Chicago Time July 22, ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Portrait of a Girl by Marie Laurencin

July 13, 2015 Why yes, she is my favorite artist! Does it show?

In the Rare Books Department, you have to wear a lab coat... and after years of showing undergrads how to work the copy machines, and shelving books, and fixing microfilm readers, you've been promoted to work there... Rare Books is a department that's always warm, always spotlessly clean, and which has a surprisingly casual dress code.

So you've decided that you're going to indulge your love of pastel colors and focus your work wardrobe on your favorite blush and aqua shades...

Because of the fanatically dust-free environment, most of the staff wears light colors under their lab coats. Some ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with A WALL?? Pulling out all the stops, in Grey, Burgundy and Gold

July 11, 2015 Seriously. I was waiting for a friend at his gym yesterday, and I noticed that the walls in the entrance areas were painted in a mottled (maybe sponged?) pattern of shades of grey and burgundy - mostly dark - accented with metallic gold. Unexpected. Eye-catching. And it got my mind wandering...

"I view marriage as a merger of financial statements..." Two weeks before graduation, he drops this little bombshell on you, and breaks your heart. He's always made it clear that he doesn't think your chosen work is going to be lucrative, but you didn't realize quite how much the money mattered to him. I guess that's a bullet dodged, but it still hurts. ... 25 years ... View the Post