The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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April 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #5 – Pines by the Sea by Bertha Lum

April 7, 2025

I think I say the same thing with every painting - if I were starting from scratch, THIS color palette would really tempt me...

One of the things that always attracts me are the 16-piece wardrobes. This is a level at which you're looking at an appropriate number of garments for travel - wear 3, pack 13. This wardrobe would cover you - literally - from cold weather (a down jacket stuffed into the outside pocket of your suitcase?) to quite warm days - a tee shirt and shorts, with sandals.

I'm just itching to travel... Which is good, since we're leaving for Ireland (Fingers crossed!) at the end of the month!!!

Our heroine's current wardrobe has three teal sweaters, which is a lot! But this happens sometimes ... View the Post

April 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #1 – Eiffel Tower by Robert Delaunay

April 1, 2025

No, I don't do April Fool's Day jokes. Just not my style...

What I DO is look for a long time at beautiful paintings, and then dream of ways that we can internalize the beauty and colors from the paintings, and express that in our wardrobes! It's pretty fun...

Let's start with this beauty:

As March ends, with wind, rain and cold in Chicago, our heroine has this 16-piece wardrobe:

Maybe Spring has completely sprung where you live, but here in Chicago, we know (well, we TRY to remember!) that we aren't going to be consistently wearing warm-weather clothing until May. But that doesn't mean that we can't start looking at linen, and cotton sweaters, and SANDALS!!!

If we fit these new garments into our ... View the Post

The Second of Six Paintings-Twelve Months, March 2025

March 4, 2025

A painting that I love, and a wardrobe that grows on me every time I look at it:

At the end of February, our heroine had this very tidy and versatile (as well as lovely!) 12-piece wardrobe:

Our heroine decided that she was going to try to fill in some of her cold-weather basics, before they vanish from stores in favor of bikinis! She knows that - even though it seems like it's the end of winter - there are still at least a few more weeks of weather plenty cold enough for a turtleneck.

If you've been looking for wool pants that are lined, I found these; you see them pretty often here, but they're a rare species of garment here in the 21st century...

Now, when she looks at her Weekly Timeless Wardrobe ... View the Post

The Third of Six Paintings – Twelve Months February 2025

February 5, 2025

I often ponder what I would do with my wardrobe if I had to start from scratch. I mean ABSOLUTELY from scratch - I got out of my apartment in my moose-print pajamas and nothing else!

Well, THAT'S a nightmare, but I have to admit that I would be very tempted to go this direction:

These colors are timeless, and so appealing. And I think it's one of Delaunay's very best paintings...

As we very happily left January, our heroine had this eight-piece capsule wardrobe. It's small, but you could get dressed for quite a bit of the cold weather with just these:

Our heroine could certainly use a brown cardigan, but I didn't see one that really suited. But at least we've put her in a really good position for ... View the Post

Want a Statement Color Palette? Start With Art – Icarus by Lee Krasner

January 10, 2025 The Reluctant Traveler

We think that you should go on this site visit, because the Superintendent says that you two have never met..."

WHAT kind of chocolate-frosted nonsense is this? She worked with the Superintendent for a half a day, at the end of the LAST site visit, drafting the recommendations for update and next steps. They sat at a table together for hours...

Still, if they say go, she goes. This time, she's going to make just a bit of a bright statement with her travel capsule wardrobe, starting with some accessories for her travel outfit:

Nothing inappropriate - but maybe the Superintendent will remember her this time?

If you've got to do business travel in January in the Northern ... View the Post

Last-Minute Packing? Start With Art – The Annunciation by Jay DeFeo

December 27, 2024

When the phone rang, she knew...

"We need you to come in for the weekend - Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. We need coverage for the full twelve hours each night..."

At least she doesn't need to wear a uniform, but that almost makes it harder, at the very last minute!

Deep breath, remember what's important...

And then figure out what's clean!

She channels one of her favorite paintings, and decides that she's going to just wear neutrals. Keep it simple, low-key, and focus on her support role...

She won't really have to go outside - they've got a spare room for her in the facility. Although she will almost certainly take a few minutes to walk outside, every now and then...

She packs a ... View the Post

Merry Christmas! Six New Painting for Us to Enjoy in 2025

December 25, 2024

Happy Christmas to all who observe today, and a happy and joyful day to everybody! 

So after wrangling, pondering, occasional hair-pulling, and a lot of general angst, I chose the six paintings for next year. This is - no question - the hardest thing I EVER do for The Vivienne Files, so if your favorite painting wasn't chosen, don't doubt that it was considered, and re-considered, and finally eliminated with great pain.

If there's anything you particularly miss, let me know and I will do a post about it! That's the least I can do, eh?

With no further ado - let's go!

This is the second year in a row that I've included Elizabeth Magill - I think she's got magical talent...

This heroine is going to ... View the Post

December 2024 “Six Paintings, Twelve Months” – 6th Painting, by John Nash

December 9, 2024

I'm leaving for Paris on Wednesday unless something happens to hold me back. I haven't been to Paris in five years, which for me feels like half my life... I plan to have posts here for you while I'm away, but bear in mind that I won't be able to fix stupid mistakes - or smart mistakes! Love, J

Our last installment of our last heroine, assembling a wardrobe that holds a strange appeal to me - the soft earthiness of these colors would be such a comfort each morning...

This heroine, as is true with all of them, currently has 48 garments in her wardrobe. For most of the world, that's an embarrassment of riches! And - if well chosen - most of us could probably manage with this:

Of course, I SHOULD have been ... View the Post

Foolproof Packing in Warm Colors? Start With The Common Wardrobe

November 20, 2024

Let's suppose that you really like what I'm packing for Paris, but you wear coffee brown, cream, toffee... (oh my that sounds tasty!)

Let's start with the "old school" Common Wardrobe, and see what I can do. For those of you who weren't here when I first realized the existence of The Common Wardrobe, you can look here to find out what it's all about. I truly was in a big room full of creative people, and virtually every person was wearing at least one piece...

This is where I started:

This is how I picture replicating the above wardrobe, only with warmer colors, and with long-sleeved tee shirts, since it is getting close to winter! (in the Northern Hemisphere, of course! I don't forget my friends in the ... View the Post

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

October 2, 2024

Let's check in with what the "Start With Art" heroines have been buying!

This month, we're starting with this heroine and this painting. The more I look at this painting, the more I appreciate it - especially the essential touches of black in a painting that is mostly warm colors. Sometimes, you just want to have some black in your closet...

First up - let's look at her wardrobe as of the end of September. I've divided these into two images, so that we can actually SEE the garments:

Hmm... no dresses, no skirts. That's this heroine's preference, and I can support this! I have a couple of friends who may have legs, but I've never seen them, so I'm only assuming this is true...

And now her accessories - ... View the Post

September 2024 Start with a Bracelet – Fierce Abundance Bracelets by Fierce Lynx Designs

September 27, 2024

Perfect for autumn:

She can take some time off this fall - what a luxury! A little photography, perhaps?

Her packing will have her blending into the forest!

It's not her usual style, but she couldn't resist the cardigan...

Everything else was simple. Her two orange sweaters aren't as much alike as they seem to be; she knows she will wear them both!

She gives everything a careful "once-over" before she packs... Socks? Clean undies? Pyjamas?

The most important thing that she checks (well, not as important as underwear!) is that she has what she needs for at least a few outfits:

How many of us make it out into nature during autumn?

love,

Janice

p.s. Ten years ago, we ... View the Post

Warm Accents With Black? Start With a Scarf – the Jasmin Savoy Brown scarf by Echo

September 25, 2024

It's been a while since Echo released one of their Echo 100 scarves - what fun these scarves have been...

And this is perfect timing, because one of our heroines who is devoted to the black core of her wardrobe has been invited to a wedding for which the color palette is warm, autumn colors! Can she do this? Heck yes...

She had already been considering adding brown to her wardrobe for ages - her eyes are brown, for heaven's sake! So she finds a few things...

She knows that she's going to need something to wear to the rehearsal...

It's the same outfit as the first outfit, only backwards! This time, she's wearing a brown column with black over it:

What to wear to the wedding???? It's ... View the Post