The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Start With Art: Winter at the Convent by Margaret Loxton

February 3, 2015

I love this painting... if this doesn't make you smile, I can't help you.

While I strongly suspect that these nuns are wearing black habits, the habits look very navy on my computer, and so my imagination was strongly drawn to working with navy, white and cool pastels.

 

  I've talked before about the usefulness of having six garments that are the same color, that give you a basis for getting dressed on Monday morning without opening your eyes. That idea has really stuck in my head, so I've decided that I want to build on it a few times. Let's start here:  

Even if you get dressed out of here every Monday, you still have LOTS of clothes unworn, so let's toss in a few extra goodies ... View the Post

A Mid-Winter Refresh: Cashmere Sweaters for All (Color) Seasons

January 31, 2015  

Fear not, I'm FAR from finished with Start With Art. (frankly, it's a theme that I will never stop doing - it's just too beautiful, and too much fun)

But there are so many really lovely cashmere sweaters on sale right now - for those of us who are growing MADLY tired of winter, and our winter clothes, this is a great time to grab a well-considered and carefully integrated new sweater into our wardrobes. (mine is a red cotton cabled crewneck, which will have legs far into the spring...)

If you're in the market for some winter clothes to brighten up the end of the season, it's well worth browsing sites like The Outnet, Saks Off 5th, or Neiman Marcus Last Call. Major retailers are dying to ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Winter Photograph by Kris DaPra

January 30, 2015   I love winter, and sometimes a perfect photograph will convey what my feeble words never can about the beauty to be found in this austere, crisp and bracing time of year.  

  I strongly suspect that either of these button-front shirt would look quite nice under the grey dress. It's a look that a little bit gamine for some women, but for others it can be charming.  

  love, Janice ... View the Post

Start With Art: Wildlife near the Gosse Range – Albert Namatjira

January 29, 2015   There's really no question that I'm going to be looking at warm weather clothing!  

  Although the overall look of this painting is very light and bright, I always feel more comfortable anchoring a wardrobe with a few pieces of dark neutral, so I took advantage of the birds to work a dark brown into the scheme. The rosy beige of the sky is my 2nd neutral, and after that, the sky's the limit - pastels taken from the grass, the trees, and the distant mountains are all possibilities.  What lovely colors...  

 

I would start collecting pastel, bone, earthy accessories...

 

  love, Janice ... View the Post

Start With Art: The Apparition by Gustave Moreau

July 27, 2015  

 

The reader who requested this was particularly interested in the black, olive and camel parts of the painting, so I've taken the liberty of cropping the top third in order to focus on the colors in question. I'm sure Moreau will forgive me, since I'm such a big fan!

 

  Any Moreau painting cries out for an exotic and Byzantine wardrobe, but I wanted to keep things in the realms of the wearable, so I've opted for velvet, silk and cashmere in order to express the more exotic and sensuous aspects of the painting.  

Accessories are where you can really express the ornate impulses that seem to spring from this painting (and what that character in the painting is wearing!) - ... View the Post

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo

Just one quote, which I thought was worth the price of the book (emphasis mine):

"When you come across something that's hard to discard, consider carefully why you have that specific item in the first place. When did you get it and what meaning did it have for you then? Reassess the role it plays in your life. If, for example, you have some clothes that you bought but never wear, examine them one at a time. Where dd you buy that particular outfit and why? If you bought it because you thought it looked cool in the shop, it has fulfilled the function of giving you a thrill when you bought it. Then why did you never wear it? Was it because you realized that it didn't suit you when you tried it on at home? If so, and if you no longer buy ... View the Post

Another Thing to Remember…

January 4, 2015

It's tempting to try to rationalize purchases, even though you try something on and it's not quite perfect. "This will look better with the right tights..." is something that I said to Belovedest just a couple of days ago. And then I realized that I was just making excuses...

Quote from "I'll Drink to That" by Betty Halbreich.

love,

Janice ... View the Post

A Good Reminder…

January 1, 2015  

 

For those of us doing some major wardrobe overhauls, a reminder that it doesn't have to be finished by Monday...

Happy New Year to you all, my dearest friends, Janice

p.s. the accessories for the "All Black" wardrobe are on their way - soon - I promise! ... View the Post

In Praise of “Not Quite Perfect”

December 29, 2014  

It comes as a surprise to nobody that I am not a spring chicken; Dwight D. Eisenhower was President of the United States when I was born... so it also won't surprise you to hear that I have a few... marks of experience and character about my person. And frankly, it doesn't bother me a bit. I'm not going to dye my hair, nor shoot dubious chemicals into my face in order to try to look younger. After everything I've done in my life, I look pretty fabulous! (your preferences may vary - do you own thing!)

I'm coming around, more and more, to feeling that way about inanimate objects too - particularly scarves and jewelry. Small spots on silk, or tiny scratches on metal, don't bother me much - most people around ... View the Post