Denim/Chambray Archives - Page 3 of 19

Denim and Brown: Three 13-Piece Travel Capsule Wardrobes

September 18, 2024

When we last visited our heroine with the modular wardrobe, she was packing in denim and black, with autumn-hued accent colors.

Just as a reminder, this is her autumn wardrobe in its entirety:

She's refreshed her accessories, as she moves into a few weeks in which she's going to pack her denim and brown cores. Each week, she will change to a new accent color, so while she's wearing the same clothes most of the time, she doesn't get bored...

Here are her denim pieces:

And her brown things - how yummy is brown?

She's found a new burgundy scarf, with a lot of deep green in it - it will look great with her evergreen accent pieces too. Sometimes that happens - you get lucky!

So for the ... View the Post

Three Travel Capsule Wardrobes in Denim and Black

September 16, 2024

You certainly remember that on Friday, I grouped a bunch of wardrobe clusters into a wardrobe that offered lots of possibilities for travel or for visibility in a small closet:

But we need accessories! While this wardrobe is fine without them, it's not much of a reflection of how women actually get dressed, eh?

Starting with denim! If you find denim shoes that you like, and you can picture wearing them, grab them. Denim shoes aren't growing on trees, and a lot of them are tricked out with lots of sparkles, embroidery and other unnecessary stuff that will just fall off if they get wet or you brush against something...

Today, I'm going to focus on wardrobe that use just two of the neutrals available to ... View the Post

Multiple Capsule Wardrobes Starting with Denim, Built Cluster by Cluster

September 13, 2024

In honor of Friday the 13th (not really!), I'm sharing a post that's been lurking in my brain for a while.

It's pretty backwards, in that I'm going to show you the complete wardrobe first, and then show you all of the options in this that I see...

clear as mud, as I can sometimes be, when I'm trying to use words, where pictures work better!

Here's the full 27-piece wardrobe for cool weather:

The questions that brought me to this included heroines who very much want a mostly denim wardrobe, heroines who can only keep a tiny portion of their wardrobe in their "main" closet at any time, and heroines who travel four nights a week EVERY WEEK, and who pack around a core of denim clothing...

So I ... View the Post

MUST. HAVE. DENIM? Start With a Scarf – The Alexandra Kleeman silk scarf by Echo

August 14, 2024

Our heroine loved Monday's wardrobe, except she just can't imagine traveling to her kinds of destinations without denim. Lots of denim... So Echo releases another Echo 100 scarf, in perfect colors for her!

(true story, what are the chances?)

This is the color palette that she really wants!

She loves to travel wearing her denim jacket. She can't explain it, and she doesn't have to!

I agree with our heroine on this - there are very few people who can't find a good use for a denim shirt:

JEANS!!!! Along with a favorite tee, a nifty hat, warm sweater, and water-resistant sneakers...

She's going to pack her denim dress, because it generally happens that they find something to do in which ... View the Post

Need a Travel Capsule Wardrobe? Start with a Scarf – the Tracy O’Neill silk scarf by Echo

June 17, 2024

I love this scarf - I need another scarf like I need a bad headache, but a silk bandana? With wee ducks all around the edge? Be still by beating heart...

"It Will Be Cool in Paris in October..." And she's going to be there for at least two weeks! She's going to be tutoring English students in perfecting their accents - how fun is that? If things go well, she could be there are long as six weeks! Was there ever a better motivation for doing your best work?

She's keeping it simple:

She's going to have a place to stay - a VERY TINY place to stay, she's been warned. They were particularly specific about letting her know that she shouldn't bring much luggage, which is true of so many trips we make in life!

Her ... View the Post

Want to Add Denim to Black & White? Start with a Scarf – the Willow Allen Scarf by Echo

June 10, 2024

Maybe you really loved the black and white wardrobe on Friday, but you know that you don't want to travel without some denim or chambray!

This scarf should set you up pretty well:

the text means "take care of the land and animals and they will give you life"

I've isolated the three shades of blue in the scarf, but I think you can be pretty flexible with this:

These four outfits are going to look familiar, but different. This is what The Vivienne Files is all about - the possibilities you have available with small changes. Nobody needs an entirely new wardrobe (well, almost nobody); most of us just need a few well-chosen updates!

Yes, her handbags are similar, but it's not that easy to find a nice ... View the Post

Like Green and Blue Together? Start with Art – Portrait of Woman in Green Hat by Picasso

March 6, 2024

She's been thinking about this painting a lot...

Lots of possibilities - from the most basic black and white, with tan accessories, to immersion in green and blue...

If you're only going to be away for a few days, and you're not going to see the same people twice, you can put together a wardrobe that might not be ideal for a longer trip...

And she would really like to see what it feels like to wear blue and green for 3 or 4 days in a row! She wears a LOT of black and white, so something colorful is a change of pace for her.

She won't be doing anything really dressy - a simple shirtdress is as dressed up as she will want to be... Mostly relaxed, casual tourist activities!

If it turns cool, she ... View the Post

Start with Art: Cherry Branch by Bror Lindh

May 17, 2023

I've never heard of Bror Lindh - what fun to find new (to me) artists!

Our heroine chose to include the darker green of the grass under the tree, rather than the more yellowish green out in the sunlight. Good move, I would say!

Garden Tour Weekend A group of her friends are going along - but the weather is expected to be unseasonably cool! Annoying, but not something that will keep them from attending...

They've been assured that there will be NO walking in grass or soil, so they can just wear comfortable shoes without worrying about bringing waterproof boots with them! (they have been on tours that felt more like trekking through the deep forest...)

She wants to be warm, but also have a variety of ... 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

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: (Country Doctor) Night Call by Horace Pippin

March 13, 2023

She is ready to simplify. The recent report "Unfit, Unfair, Unfashionable" recommended that people living in 4-season climates should have a wardrobe of no more than 85 things - garments and shoes...

For winter, she's going to start here:

If she's going to have 85 items, that means 22 per season, with a bonus item; she's already decided that her bonus item will probably be a wool dress than can be worn all year!

The colors:

She's going to go outfit by outfit - 3 garments and a pair of shoes... And she's starting with jeans!

Next she starts with her black knit pants...

A simple grey and white outfit with jewelry:

And black jeans too! Her life is pretty casual...

She ... View the Post

First Half of Six Paintings, 12 Months – February 2023

February 1, 2023

I'm already at the point where it's better to break this post into 2 posts; it's a lot to digest (or to produce!) at 1 time!

The order of the paintings is different this month; I'm hopeful that I can remember to re-order them each month to keep things fresh...

First up - the train station!

Maybe it's the single-digit temperatures today, but I realized that all of our heroines could probably use a jacket (although these are NOT the jacket one needs for the dead of winter)... Another tee shirt is pretty important at this point, and jeans or other pants.

This heroine is due for something in beautiful soft green (called "eucaluptus steam" - it feels like a humidifier when you have a cold!), and a pair ... View the Post

Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Daikan – Major Cold

January 23, 2023

It's certainly cold enough, although I'd give quite a bit for some real snow...

I hope that it's safe to assume that we've all worked through all of the autumn and winter sales, and are more than ready to start thinking of Spring!

If you're difficult to fit, or picky, or wear an unusual size (especially shoes!), this is when you should start looking at your warm weather wardrobe. Having an entirely new outfit queued up for the first warm day is sensible AND fun...

This soft light camel can be worn with darker brown now, and with white later on:

Is this the year that you get yourself a great new spring jacket?

In winter, as in all seasons, the beauty sometimes lies in the details:

The ... View the Post