Olive Green Archives

Starting A Spring and Summer Wardrobe – Start With Art: Florentine Villas by Paul Klee

March 26, 2026

She likes these colors, and the angular, graphic qualities throughout this painting:

She discovered at the end of last summer that she just doesn't wear blue - not denim, not chambray, not a tee shirt...

This summer, her wardrobe is going to be these colors:

Last summer, on the last weekend they were at the summer house, she carried out enough clothes to outfit her entire extended family, plus a few neighbors! She didn't have a plan, she didn't have a clear color palette, and she forgot what was already AT the house. Not this year!

The weather is changeable, so she's starting with a mix of legitimately summery clothes, and adding in a couple of sweaters, and a pair of long-sleeved shirts...

A ... View the Post

Ready to Start Thinking Spring? Start With Art – Book Illustration by Goyo Hashiguchi

February 16, 2026

It's not quite spring here, although I hear from some of you that flowers are starting to show?!?!?

But it IS the second half of February, which, for the forward-thinking and wise heroine, means starting to look for clothes for warmer weather. The best things sell quickly, especially if you wear a common size...

Our heroine was here last summer...

First, and always most important, let's pause for just a second and appreciate this:

Our heroine has chosen these colors for her wardrobe; it might seem limited, but there's a lot of possibilities if one is patient and focused. We all might want to focus and develop a more signature, personally authentic style...

We're going to start our heroine's Spring ... View the Post

December 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #4: Street Lights by Stefan Johansson

December 4, 2025

Maybe this isn't the most festive painting in the world, but it's still really beautiful... I find it kind of mesmerizing to imagine standing where the artist stood, looking at the lights across the river:

Our heroine took advantage of some serendipitous finds when shopping. She had whappage for a bright orange sweater, but then was very wise and measured when she decided that the green cabled sweater was going to be a core item in her wardrobe.

The striped top is a calculated experiment: she hasn't worn moc neck tops since she was a child, but she has liked the way they look when layered with a sweater. Further, the colors in this top just cry out to be part of her wardrobe. Therefore, she's going to try ... View the Post

November 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #5: Street Lights by Stefan Johansson

November 7, 2025

These aren't really the colors that we think of for the winter holidays, but there's more than enough red and holly green in the world...

If one is patient, and disciplined, it is possible to find lovely dressy things that are perfect with this wardrobe:

Remember that if you're looking for a holiday brooch, Talbots is where you want to look first!

The gold sequins blend pretty well into this wardrobe, and the two sweaters are just right:

This heroine has some of the BEST scarves!

And our heroine already had a gold handbag and gold sandals; in warmer weather she can wear her gold sequined garments with sandals rather than ballet flats. Choices are nice to have!

Our heroine ... View the Post

October 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #6: Street Lights by Stefan Johansson

October 8, 2025

This painting feels like an October evening to me...

For no good reason she can pinpoint, this heroine plunged headfirst into a feast of green! She was particularly thrilled to find her lime green cotton crewneck sweater, since she's loved her cardigan in this color... And her cardigan jacket matches her new pants - a suit is never a bad idea!

Here's another Weekly Timeless Wardrobe that's gone somewhat off the rails - not that it matters! No rules, and the most important thing in any wardrobe is that we have what we need, and what makes us happy to wear.

This month, I moved the five truly orange garments onto the same page with the gold and white pieces. It looks good!

I've always pictured ... View the Post

Love Olive for Autumn? Start With a Scarf – Velour Garden Scarf by Artifact.

September 24, 2025

One last look at the fun of packing 10 simple garments, based on something really beautiful like this scarf:

There is enough blue in this scarf that you could include denim in this wardrobe; I haven't done that here, but it's worth remembering!

Maybe she's driving, and doesn't have to worry about getting her cool beige cords dirty...

The red tops don't have to match, unless you'd like to layer them together. Even then, a good strong dose of "similar tones" should work; I think that the two tops here could go together if that appeals.

This feels perfect for autumn, for those among us who don't wear orange or brown!

As with any wardrobe that includes a carefully chosen and edited ... View the Post

September 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #1: Street Lights by Stefan Johansson

September 1, 2025

I don't know why, but I feel better now that it's September. It makes no sense.

Maybe because more travel is on the near horizon - London later this month! And - of course - I'm going to Paris in December. It's a tradition, isn't it?

Let's start with this most quintessential of autumn-hued paintings:

Our heroine has kept her color palette unchanged, although she hasn't yet been able to find anything in that avocado/peridot/lime green. Until now! This is how it happens sometimes - all of the sudden a color is everywhere.

And - if you've been planning to include this color in your wardrobe, you've got to be ready to strike while the iron is hot. Or, maybe, you'll reconsider, once you see the color in ... View the Post

August 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #2: Street Lights along Klaralven River by Stefan Johansson

August 4, 2025

For years, my family insisted that I was really an "autumn," and dressed me in shades of brown, green and gold. It didn't really work, but looking at this painting makes me wish that I really could have that kind of warm coloring!

Our heroine for this wardrobe actually started by looking at her Weekly Timeless Wardrobe list, to see what she needed! She realized that she wanted to pick up a couple of print tops...

From there, it was so easy. She stumbled across these Dijon yellow pieces, and made the very smart decision to get all three of them. Having the solid fleece top to wear over her stripes makes getting dressed so easy...

She's looking very organized!

I'm quite certain that next month I will ... View the Post

Need a Subtle, Foolproof Travel Capsule Wardrobe? Start With Art – L’Encens by Fernand Khnopff

July 25, 2025

Oh, how I admire this painting!

You could easily shop with these colors in mind: warm but NOT reddish browns, very muted olive, ivory and cream...

Subtle She's got really vivid coloring. Her hair is every shade of orange and brown, that all mixes together in glorious, gorgeous auburn. Her eyes are cool brown, with highlights of olive, and a color that's almost taupe. Silvery? Hard to describe, that's for sure!

So she dresses in the most subtle colors, so she will always outshine what she's wearing...

Once the weather starts to cool down, she takes a couple of four day trips - leaving Monday, coming home on Friday. Just enough time to see friends, and art, and eat some good food!

She might go to New ... View the Post

July 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #3: Street Lights by Stefan Johansson

July 3, 2025

This painting makes me want to visit the Klaralven River... maybe go canoeing...

WHO AM I KIDDING? Maybe sitting on the deck with a cool drink!

The right paintings can make almost any place look beautiful, right?

Our heroine is committed to getting some warm weather clothes, including some accessories for dressing up. Just a tiny bit dressy...

A heroine who managed to find new things from the summer 13! There's no requirement to do this, and given the current state of retail, it's not easy...

I'm pretty sure that next month, I'm going to show our heroines' wardrobes on two separate pages. Should I separate things by tops/bottoms, or two colors on each page? I'm tempted by the idea of colors, but I ... View the Post

Want to Mix Your Neutrals? Start With Art – Green, Gold & Blue Painting by Susan Krause

June 20, 2025

Hold your loved ones close, and TELL THEM YOU LOVE THEM. One of our friends here in The Vivienne Files readership has lost their partner, and in this time of her grief, we should all remember how fortunate we are to have each day - each moment - with those we love. JR

Many of us fall into the easiest pattern imaginable - every few months, we buy a new outfit (which of course all goes together beautifully!) in one of our favorite neutrals. Today's heroine is inspired by this painting, which gives her a lovely range of possibilities:

She's spent some time admiring this work, and has determined that these are the colors that she sees there. These colors are pretty obvious, but what's maybe more important is that she ... View the Post

June 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #4 – Street Lights by Stefan Johansson

June 5, 2025

This painting is really starting to grow on me; it's certainly NOT colors that I usually wear, but the image itself is stunning. Anyone who can paint lights, water, and reflections impresses me!

At the end of May, our heroine had clothes from each season of the year, which makes sense. As with all of the wardrobes this month, we're going to try to fill in some gaps!

If you're ever going to wear sleeveless tops, right now is the time to buy them! Nice swishy pants for warmer weather are a good choice too. And thinking of cold weather (and price increases) to come, our heroine treats herself to an ivory cashmere turtleneck. For some of us, this is the kind of purchase that could last the rest of our lives! Good ... View the Post