The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Home » Black » Page 10

Black Archives - Page 10 of 87

Do You Have a “Signature” Painting? I Finally Found Mine…

April 17, 2024

My Mother's 90th birthday!

It's something that fascinates me - people who know themself so well that everything about them seems to be made for them. You can't imagine them dressed differently. You know that their home is perfect for them, as is their car, and the books that the read, and the music that they love.

"Know thyself." Is there harder advice? When we're buffeted by advertising and entertainment that encourages us to try new and different EVERYTHING all the time (got to keep the economy churning, you know), being loyal to your personal style is far from simple...

Enter Emilio Pettoruti, and this wonderful painting:

Yes, I used this here on The Vivienne Files back in October, but it took me a while ... View the Post

Four Neutrals x Three Accent Colors – Which Ones “Work”?

April 15, 2024

So once you've studied the Pantone Colors from London Fashion Week, (found here and here), you have to decide if you like the colors, if you would be flattered by wearing any of them, and how they might look with the neutral clothes you normally wear.

I can't answer the first two questions for you - obviously - but I can give you some visuals to help you picture how the accent colors might work with your existing wardrobe...

I've assembled four "core wardrobes" in white, black, beige and navy, in varying degrees of dressiness. The level of dressiness is going to be more important than I had realized - you'll see what I mean.

Here are the four Wardrobe Cores:

The black core is pretty casual:

The beige ... View the Post

Committed to Neutrals? Start with a Scarf – The Saïdou Dicko Silk Scarf By Echo

April 8, 2024

A new scarf! And a stunning one...

One certainly could include the vivid red and gold in a color palette too, if one was inclined... but I'm going to focus on the beautiful blue:

Today's heroine is quite committed to wearing black and white, and ONLY black and white. It's her thing, and it makes it possible for her to buy the very nicest clothes she can afford.

Also, it opens the door for her to own all kinds of accessory families, in all kinds of colors. Imagine gold, silver, bright red, soft pink...

So she's planning outfits for a summer trip around her new and cherished scarf - they look like this:

I suspect this might be her travel outfit...

So all of her chosen items, ... View the Post

Part 2 – Do You Need Accents? Or Neutrals? 6 Paintings, 12 Months April 2024

April 5, 2024

The second half - I hope you like them as much as you did the first three wardrobes!

First is this subtle, somewhat muted painting...

At the end of March, our heroine didn't have much for olive in her wardrobe! This is excusable though, because she had had some good luck finding the camel that's so predominant in this painting. Sometimes, you add what you an find to your wardrobe, and wait for other things to become available...

So she shopped mostly for green:

Just these three new green garments bring a new balance to her wardrobe, with almost equal distribution among beige, green and black. If she ever runs into a lode of rust, she's going to go a wee bit nuts!

She's quite excited by the ... View the Post

Weekend at the Beach? Start with a Scarf – The Eva Noblezada scarf by Echo

April 1, 2024

I'm going to start on the "Six Paintings - 12 Months" wardrobes on Wednesday; it may take me three posts to get them all done!

Today, our heroine is going to the beach for the weekend. You might be surprised, if you don't live near a big lake or the ocean, how many people head out 3 out of 4 weekends to hang out beside some water...

Our heroine saw this scarf and knew immediately that this was going to be a favorite:

Black and white are always her core neutrals, but this summer she's looking for accents in green and pink!

yes, she could certainly use blue also - I didn't find any of the right shade of blue that really felt worked...

For the trip up there (it's always "up" no matter what direction ... View the Post

Dressy Weekend? Start with a Scarf – The Raven Garden of Happiness by June Hunter

March 22, 2024

It's a dressy weekend - the weather will probably be warm... but there is always a chance of a cool snap!

But how to be dressy without bringing everything you own? Well, a tight color palette and planning ahead is always the way to go.

And how about starting with black and pretty accents?

Before you go down this path, you want to be ABSOLUTELY certain that wearing black isn't a problem. This wardrobe is actually designed for someone who's a prominent figure in a wedding, at which the bridesmaids will be wearing black dresses; I think she's okay with this!

She's wearing a very "normal" travel outfit - closed-toe shoes, and a cardigan for the inevitable freezing air conditioning... but she's rocking ... View the Post

Looking for Unique Accent Colors? Start With a Scarf – Emiliano Ponzi Scarf by Echo

March 15, 2024

Some of us like lots of colors in our wardrobe. And sometimes, we're looking for an inspiration for a new accent color (or two...)

How about this clever and beautiful scarf for some inspiration?

Let's assume that our heroine wears black as one of her neutrals, and is interested in adding at least a couple of new things to her warm-weather wardrobe in black. She then has three really "off the beaten path" accent colors from which to choose!

Most of us can stand to replace summer pants every few years, and a nice cardigan is never a bad choice. But this year, instead of a black & white striped tee, how about butter yellow?

For some of us, this dress might feel short - others might find it just ... View the Post

A Big Multi-Destination Trip? Start with a Scarf – Michela Picchi scarf by Echo

March 13, 2024

One of you has a BIG trip coming up - a week in New York, and then a yacht cruise!

WHERE TO START?

For me, I'm thinking that a color palette is a good place to start...

I'm particularly drawn to this scarf for this particular trip, because it includes the black that seems almost obligatory for New York (although I can assure you that it really isn't...), and then includes white for the cruise. Although, of course, this heroine is going to be able to wear ALL of her colors at both destinations.

The turquoise is perfect for this time of year, as is the yellow. This really could be the ideal color palette!

First up, let me state that for a trip this varied and this long, I assume laundry. At least once. ... View the Post

March 2024 “Six Paintings, Twelve Months” – Part 2

March 4, 2024

First three paintings can be found here...

Let's visit our other 3 heroines, and their paintings! It's funny how much I love these paintings when I come back to them after almost a month...

 

At the end of February, our heroine had a cheerful and very practical 12-piece travel capsule wardrobe:

I fully expected to be adding white to this wardrobe at this point, but then I stumbled onto some lovely light grey, and decided it was wise to grab it! Gray in the summer can be really difficult to find, so avail yourself of it when it's around.

Her wardrobe now looks more like she wants to include a range of shades of grey - up until now, she's been pretty dedicated to charcoal... And the red is ... View the Post

Want An Easy Travel Capsule Wardrobe? Start With a Scarf – Jacky Marshall Scarf by Echo

February 19, 2024

Love at first sight...

Her favorite neutral colors, and a wonderful pink accent that she KNEW she could wear forever... It's THE Current Accent Color this year, but pink never goes out of style!

She's taking an unconventional - but very practical - approach to her packing. She's going to grab four of her favorite outfits, and then see if the sum of those pieces will work do the trick... If you stick with a disciplined color palette, there's no reason that this shouldn't be brilliant! And if you make certain that each of the outfits can be worn with your new favorite scarf, the color palette will fall into place...

First outfit is a black "suit-like" ensemble with a tan vest:

Next, she feels ... View the Post

February 2024 “Six Paintings, Twelve Months” – Part 1

February 2, 2024

I'm always so excited to look at these wardrobes again!

This month, I'm going to clearly establish what has been my method so far - four garments and three accessories. With adding 4 garments each month, coupled with the 4 garments that each heroine started with, we're going to finish the year with 52 garments - sort of like the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe!

It's interesting how these numbers recur...

I understand that a lot of us aren't going to want a 52-piece wardrobe; for many of us, that seems too few, and for some it's going to be too many! But it's nice to have a target in mind, if situations change and we have to reconfigure everything.

Let's go!

In January, our heroine found herself with eight ... View the Post

Love to Wear Black & White? Start with a Scarf – Helen Nonini Scarf by Echo

January 31, 2024

We're almost through January! Did you notice that there were THIRTY-ONE Mondays in January? Sheesh....

But we have loveliness to brighten this last day:

The colors here are glorious - bright, strong, and just slightly off of the usual or expected red and blue...

I realized within seconds that there was virtually NO way I was going to be able to match those colors to any dress, sweater, or much of anything. Furthermore, I decided that I wasn't going to try!

Many of you know that I wear a lot of black and white; the best way to show this scarf in its full beauty would be to pair it with subtle, classic clothes, and some special accessories.

This first ensemble is a simple but perfect way to dress ... View the Post