The Vivienne Files - Page 135 of 269 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: El Trovador by Claudio Bravo

October 7, 2016

Every time I see this artist's name, I think of the Manchester City soccer goalkeeper of the same name....But this is so serene and lovely, with a beautiful muted palette:

Since this week we're talking about small wardrobe updates , I focused these colors into a simple mauve and grey, and accents of warm, light golden brown.

As we have done all week, I'm starting with this minimal, classic assortment of pieces:

Just a reminder - 9 pieces, carefully chosen, can give you quite a few outfits, before you've incorporated any updates or refreshers!

Yes, I broke one of the BIG rules of The Vivienne Files - but I looked and looked and LOOKED for items in just the right shade of ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Untitled by Wilfredo Lam

October 6, 2016 How cool is this?

Sleek and calm, but with that tiny little pop of gold eye shadow, and those hot pink lines...

As has been the theme so far this week, I'm starting with a very small, very neutral capsule wardrobe that might be found in almost anyone's closet, and then I'm adding just a few accent items. This gives you the opportunity to test-drive a new color in your wardrobe without going crazy...

As before, these few pieces give you a fair number of ways to get dressed:

This is basically the "French 5-Piece Wardrobe" idea- adding a handful of pieces each season to your core wardrobe. It's a simple way to try out a new accent color, or just to ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Proserpine by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

October 5, 2016

Ah, you've seen this before, I'm sure:

But did you know that Rossetti was working with a model who really LOOKS like this? Her name was Jane Morris; she was married to William Morris, the textile designer... (see the teal and black scarf below for one of his designs!)

What do you do if this kind of aesthetic appeals to you TREMENDOUSLY, but you live a very normal, ordinary life that doesn't involve having 3 feet of madly waving hair, or standing around all day in swishy velvet dresses, brooding over a pomegranate?

A few small additions might help channel that feeling for you...

As I did yesterday, let's start with a very simple wardrobe of extremely neutral garments that ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Vase with Honesty by Vincent van Gogh

October 4, 2016

I'm going to take a rather different approach to working with art, for this week. One of the biggest concerns that you raise to me is that it's impossible to completely re-do a wardrobe from the very beginning. So I'm going to look at introducing accent colors and art inspirations into an existing wardrobe, and see how that works...First, let's start with our beautiful painting:

These were the colors that I saw within the painting. For the most part, they're nice neutrals, and thus should be easy to combine.

Here's where I want to change things, for now. Imagine that the above painting has become something of a fascination for someone; they've decided that, moving forward, they want it to be their ... View the Post

12 Months, 12 Outfits in 6 Capsule Wardrobes: October

October 3, 2016

For October, I decided to be really, really practical; I looked at the capsule wardrobes as they are currently assembled, and tried to think of what I would be missing, right now, if this were my wardrobe. First off, there are NO JEANS!!! 2 other basics that I also felt would be useful were a v-neck sweater, and another button-front shirt, in a light neutral color if it's not already present.So let's plunge in!

(The previous months of this lovely project can be seen here: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September)

First off, as always, the scarves upon which we are basing our color schemes and thus our capsule wardrobes:

Navy– Hermès Voyage en Etoffes; brown – Hermès ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Hint of Hibiscus, with Six Neutrals

September 30, 2016 Okay, this color does more than hint... but it's not as overpowering as some hot pink shades can be. There's a world full of colors, if you have the patience to look for it; it's possible to find just the right one!

The manufacturer calls this "Neon Geranium," but I've never seen a geranium this color! And I have seen hibiscus, at my mother's home, exactly this color...

It's easy to see how a fondness for this color could start with a sudden desire for a beautiful tote bag... And for what it's worth, this isn't a bad color to love; it looks good on a lot of people, and I found it pretty easy to combine with all of the neutrals in question. So if you're tempted, it's worth making a plan!

Tee – J.Crew; ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Sprig of Shamrock, with Six Neutrals

September 29, 2016 Why yes, I'm Irish... I've lived in Dublin! I love it there...

For some reason, the images arrived here in the blog post in a different order than usual! Ah, the wonders of computers...Frankly, this color was very difficult to find in scarves, so I thought that this would be a good opportunity to investigate the possibilities of fine jewelry. If you were born in May, maybe an emerald or two could be in your future?

This combination is unexpected, but I think it works...

earrings – John Hardy; cardigan - Kettlewell; grey tee – J. Crew; pants – J. Crew; clutch – Red(V); loafers - Patricia Green; necklace - Effy; grey cardigan – J. Crew; ring – John Hardy; sweater - ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Touch of Turquoise, with Six Neutrals

September 28, 2016

If I were to advise you, sight unseen, to try an accent color, this would be the one! It's not TOO bright, it goes well with everything, and it flatters most people. Plus it's pretty readily available in all kinds of garments and accessories - what's not to love!

But I struggled to find a "nice enough for you" pair of shoes in this color, so I'm opting to include a clutch bag. When you think about it, a clutch or other small bag in an accent color adds some color to your outfit without being worn near your face, and won't break the bank. If you want to retire the accent color after a season or two, you just pack your accent pieces away for a few seasons... A clutch, wallet, or cross-body bag isn't going to ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Bit of Bright Blue, with Six Neutrals

September 27, 2016 I love this color! To some of us, it's still quite a flashback to the '80s, but we shouldn't let that keep us from wearing it...

sweater – Lands’ End; cardigan – Lands’ End; loafers – Nine West

Yes, the sweaters are a twin-set. You don't ever in your life have to wear the 2 pieces together, if you don't want to. But it wouldn't be crazy to make certain that both of your accents garments are compatible, if only so that you know that your accessory choices work equally well with each piece.And you might want to wear a twin-set some day. Crazier things have happened!

This bright blue with the olive brightens up the outfits quite a bit. For someone who adores olive but who finds it ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Soupçon of Scarlet, with Six Neutrals

September 26, 2016 You asked for "soupçon," you get it!

If you're going to have a red sweater, why not a cozy cashmere cardigan? This is one of those garments that you could keep forever, and wear it mostly for Christmas and Valentine's Day, but there are a lot of other times when it could be just the ticket. Some gloomy day in November, when the sun has never shone...

First up, scarlet and olive! This is a combination that might veer too far into the Christmas-y, if the green is too bright. (Which isn't a problem, unless you don't like the look.) However, this olive green mutes those holiday associations, and provides a good base for the brightness of the scarlet.

I've worn red with grey for ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art Part 2: Portrait of Marevna by Diego Rivera

September 23, 2016 A calm, balanced woman, able to see all sides of an issue.... Remember her from the class reunion? This was her visual cue:

When we met her at the reunion, this was what she had with her to wear; she was deftly straddling the divide between warm and cool colors:

Just a few days later, she's headed to Europe for a 10-day... attempt to talk some more extreme individuals down off of a political ledge. It's all pretty quiet - no fanfare...

(yes, she seriously considered packing the matching leopard shell...) She's going to have to talk to a wide variety of people, in a WIDE variety of settings. She will certainly see the inside of a conference room, but also ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art Part 2: Spirit of Autumn by Albert Pinkham Ryder

September 22, 2016

Do we remember the veterinarian from the class reunion? She was the woman who used this as her style leitmotif:

And who had packed this eclectic mix for that trip:

Since she's an expert in the study of contagious diseases in free-range ruminants (someone's got to study these things!) she's been invited to an extensive symposium on lifestock health being held at a major university. Thus, she's going to be gone for a while, and is going to need some additional things to wear:

Flannel shirt – Uniqlo; earrings – Aurelie Bidermann; brown turtleneck – Uniqlo; green turtleneck – Jardin des Orangers; cream turtleneck – Lands’ End; tee – Kettlewell; cardigan – Simply Be; scarf ... View the Post