The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Olive Green Archives - Page 18 of 19

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Scarf: Dark Pool version 2

May 8, 2014   Maybe, when you first saw this painting (or scarf) you saw the end of it with the black and red accents, and not the pastels...  

The way you fold a scarf can make a huge difference in what's shown or concealed - the beautiful Mai Tai is a master at showing you how this works (and just, in general, how to wear a scarf to brilliant effect.)   So if you're more drawn to the high-contrast interpretation, here are some very different ways to approach the same neutral garments that I used yesterday.  (I know, I'm lazy...)   Using black or white instead of a pastel immediately changes the whole feel of the capsule.    

Scarf – Elizabeth Blackadder’s Dark Pond, sweater – Uniqlo, ... View the Post

Start With a Scarf: Dark Pool by Elizabeth Blackadder

May 7, 2014

A couple of years ago, the National Gallery of Scotland held an exhibit of the works of Elizabeth Blackadder. I've been hard-pressed to find an actual picture of the painting from which this was drawn, but this is a great scarf, with some interesting possibilities.Today I've chosen to focus on the accent colors on one end of the scarf - the pastel apricot, rose and light blue, in order to see how they will work with the murky, sophisticated greyish green that dominates the scarf:

 

This sort of olive/grey shade is tough to find in clothing, but well worth seeking out if it appeals to you and is flattering - it has a depth that looks sophisticated, and lends itself well to a wide variety of garments.  And ... View the Post

Start with Art: From Mount Darling by Peter Simpson

February 28, 2014   So this is your dream:  

  And maybe this is your current reality:  

  All the more reason you should consider shopping your dream, and at least wrapping your immediate self (i.e. your body) in the calm, soft, organic and tranquil colors of which you dream.   Start small - a simple silk tunic that can be worn with any pair of pants you own... This tunic, all on it's own, could raise your spirits for a few days!  Maybe some blue shoes, or a bag.  And your next pair of jeans could certainly be green rather than something more predictable and conformist...  

  So many shades of blue from which to choose - but you don't really have to choose! ... View the Post

Start With Art: Jackpine by Tom Thomson

February 18, 2014   This painting has such gorgeous colors, and for a summer travel wardrobe the options are wonderful...   I'm starting with a core of four - I'm a really strong believer in the usefulness of having a core of neutral garments around which everything else can revolve.  The colors don't have to be dye-lot matched, but they should be chosen with an eye to being wearable together.  And getting your shoes taken care of frees you up to go just a bit wild later on in your second and third waves of shopping!    

   For summer, shorts and capris.  Then when you branch out into tee shirts, this painting gives you a wide variety of colors from which to ... View the Post

Wearing a Celtic Knot Scarf – January through June

February 5, 2014   One of my dearest readers sent me a couple of photographs of this scarf, and asked me for some suggestions...  This scarf has great possibilities - the gold, turquoise, carnelian and olive drab colors, with some white, offer tons of possibilities.   If anybody can tell me who designed this scarf, or where it's available, please let me know ASAP - I hate showing something this beautiful without giving credit where credit is due!  

    Cold weather requires sweaters and boots - and olive and carnelian are both exceptional colors for this.  All of the major colors in this scarf go really well together, so you can combine them pretty much at will and the scarf will pull everything ... View the Post

Start With… a Plate? A Great Blue, Green and Beige Idea!

February 1, 2014    One of the best questions I've ever received...  One of my friends really loves this plate, and wondered if it would be a good basis upon which to choose clothes.  Heck, if you can use a painting, you can surely use a beautiful piece of pottery...  Look for beautiful shades of blue and green, with beautiful soft white (or brown) neutrals...  

 

 

  love, Janice

  ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Woman in Hat with Pompoms and a Printed Blouse – Picasso

January 7, 2014   Many readers asked me to work with a Picasso painting, and I happily oblige.  These outfits are based on beige, just as the painting is literally on a beige background.  Accents of red, orange, yellow, a touch of green, and you're set for almost anything!   My guiding adjectives for this project were warm, saturated, and clear, with unexpected bursts of bright against the toasty neutral.  

     

  This is a wardrobe that could see someone through much of the summer!  

love,

Janice ... View the Post

Two Neutral Colors – Dozens of Options

I get a lot of emails from people who are concerned about building a wardrobe around neutral colors, because they're worried that they will end up looking like everybody else.  If you devote yourself to black, and you live in a major city, that is certainly a valid concern!  But I think that there are more neutral colors around than you immediately think of, and that if you can focus on two colors as your predominant theme, you have dozens of options.   First off, let's choose a palette of possible neutral colors.  This palette is NOT exhaustive, and the colors as they are shown here are NOT intended to reflect the beauty and the depth that the color actually exhibits in three-dimensional garments and accessories. ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Double Lucky – Charley Harper

September 30, 2013   This is such a great painting - simple, but beautifully balanced and whimsical, with a wonderful usage of multiple shades of green.  Many people find green hard to wear, but if it looks good on you, I say wear it often, and with a smile.   From this painting, I drew primarily the idea of looking for a lot of different shades of green, and of balancing the outfits through the strategic use of green accessories...   Does anybody else remember reading a book - maybe as a child in the '60's - that included a character named Mrs. Moss?  She was a schoolteacher, and she ALWAYS wore green?  It's tickling around in the back of my head, and I can't figure out if I really read this, or if it ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Cliffs of the Upper Colorado River, by Thomas Moran

September 24, 2013   This painting made me think of subdued yet strong colors - both warm and cool.  Intensely pigmented, but muted in brightness...  It was a beautiful challenge.  

  Cardigan – A. F. Vandevorst,  jeans – Brunello Cucinelli, bag –nada,  loafer – Trotters, gold silk blouse – Lanvin, pearl necklace – Majorica,  skirt – Deborah Drucker, high-vamp pumps - Trotters  

 

 

Stud earrings-  Linda Friedrich Jewelry,  Blouse –Marc by Marc Jacobs,  jeans – Uniqlo,  ballet flats – Sofft,  taupe tunic – Maison Martin Margiela 4, pleated skirt – Uniqlo, triangle earrings- Robert Rose,  belt – Halogen,  pumps - ... View the Post

How to wear an olive v-neck sweater

March 23, 2013    

Sweater – Burberry Brit, tee shirt – Equipment, white jeans – J. Crew, flats - Lanvin, tie-dyed tee shirt – Proenza Schouler, yellow flats – Emilio Pucci  

Sweater – Joseph, earrings – Astley Clarke, scarves – Hermes, jeans – Ralph Lauren, boots –  Officine,  earrings – Miguel Ases, khakis – Vince, loafers - Gravati  

Sweater – Burberry Brit, white cotton shirt – Equipment, bracelet – Stella McCartney, pants – Thakoon, boots - Acne, opal  earrings – Vaubel, white silk blouse – Chloe, watch – Movado, suede skirt – Ralph Lauren, tights – HYD Cristalle, pumps – Maison Martin Margiela   

Sweater – Burberry Brit, earrings – Hari Jewels, silk blouse – Dries ... View the Post