The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Start with a Scarf: The Iridescent Hummingbird Silk Scarf by Emily Carter

May 19, 2023

A Wedding at the Lake She's not convinced that she would want to drag a long white dress across the lawns, boat ramps, errant piles of discarded bait etc., but it's not her wedding!

But she will be beautiful, and just dressy enough to be festive!

She's one of those women who would be happy wearing all black, all day, every day, but of course you can't do that for most weddings - especially one that's immersed in nature!

So she focuses on her favorite scarf, and chooses her wedding outfit (and other garments) accordingly...

She looks lovely in green and blue - her family will be beyond thrilled to see her in a dress, and a green dress at that!

And an off-the-shoulder top for the rehearsal ... View the Post

Year 2 – Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Rikka – Beginning of Summer

May 12, 2023

Is it beginning to feel like summer where you are? (assuming Northern Hemisphere, of course; I know that some of you are moving headlong into autumn and winter!)

Chicago has finally warmed up; now that I have looked at warm weather clothing for a few days, I think we need to consider adding accents - maybe prints? - to our wardrobes...

The first interesting accent that caught my eye was this cognac sparkle tee. Sparkle! Cognac! What's not to love?

for all of us who are short-waisted (i.e. the distance from our neckline to our waist is shorter than the distance from our waist to our hipline), cropped tops might be just the right length!

the leaves on trees around here seem to have appeared ... View the Post

Start With a Skirt: black & white gingham linen

May 10, 2023

It's easy to look at a garment and think that you know how to wear it - we are, after all, adults. Mostly.

But it's easy to lose sight of possibilities; one of you is quite smitten with this skirt, but wasn't sure that there were enough options to make it worth including in her wardrobe.

Let's think...

This is the skirt - it's easy to see the appeal, if you're among the "black & white" crowd!

Let's start with the obvious - a white sweater, black & white jewelry, and a very modern pair of two-tone flats:

Similarly, a black sweater, bag and flats are easy choices. Adding pearls and shiny earrings help balance out the lightness and print of the skirt:

Any white blouse could be worn ... View the Post

Second Half of Six Paintings, 12 Months – May 2023

May 8, 2023

Let's see what our second trio of heroines has been up to!

The first has decided that she would like to own something sort of like a suit, so she finds a cardigan/blazer and pants that match. She can't resist the Liberty print shirt - it goes with so much of her wardrobe!

This is her wardrobe now; it might not suit many of us, but I can see this on the right woman...

Her accessories are a soft and feminine delight:

Her new outfits show that even an unusually light and delicate wardrobe can be versatile:

Our second heroine made a pretty big decision about her wardrobe this month!

The main character in her inspiration painting is wearing what appears to be a pretty dark purple coat. ... View the Post

Wardrobe of the Week: April 30 – May 6, 2023

May 7, 2023

A doctor appointment, a couple of long walks through the city and a couple more long walks through the parks near our home to admire the flowers. Maybe next week, with the promised arrival of warm weather, I will wear more linen and less wool... Not that I don't like wool in warm weather - it's surprisingly comfortable...

love, Janice ... View the Post

Wardrobe of the Week: April 23 – 29, 2023

April 30, 2023

Two days out - two blazers with brooches! End of the week was quiet, as I'm wrestling with something - maybe flu? In April?

I'm going to try to assemble all of the clothing that I've worn since I finished the "1 Dress, 100 Days" challenge last autumn; it will be fascinating to see what got worn a ton (like my blazer from 4, or my three shirts from them?) and what never got out of my closet...

love,

Janice ... View the Post

Year 2! Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Kokuu – Grain Rain

April 26, 2023

Why yes, 2 seasons in 3 days! It's sort of like living in Chicago...

(at least if you live with me, where being forgetful is a way of life!)

Given the scattered and disorganized way I'm living these days, I thought that a really simple, comprehensive little cluster of clothes might be something useful for me; I could open my closet and find clothes that I can wear for anything from warm to reasonably cold...

It's kind of like the stress dressing that I've addressed in the past; having enough ready any time, just in case you're suddenly invited out to lunch, or for a walk, or for a meeting with your tax preparer! (THAT is stress...)

If the weather is cool, a shirt, sweater, pants and closed ... View the Post

Wardrobe of the Week: April 16 – 22, 2023

April 23, 2023

A week that started out warm, and then veered right back into the "it might snow" temperatures overnight. So right now, I'm living with a wardrobe full of "man I need to iron!" summer clothes, and all of my favorite winter clothes too!

I'm discovering more and more that, since I wore the Wool& dress for 100 days, my need to constantly change outfits from day to day has diminished substantially. My social life is mostly limited to everybody here in my building (that's a LOT of people...), and they don't seem to care what I'm wearing. 

As it should be!

love

Janice

p.s. I think I'm going to try to aggregate all of the cold-weather clothes that I've worn since I started the Wardrobe of the Week - I'm ... View the Post