The Vivienne Files - Page 2 of 205 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

November 2020 Six Scarves, Twelve Months, Twelve Outfits

November 2, 2020

Oh my, THIS is massive...

Our heroines collectively looked over their growing wardrobes and realized that, if they continued to accumulate clothing 1 outfit at a time, their wardrobes would become more and more unbalanced.

So they went sweater shopping! And for some other tops too...

And some fun socks, because as cold weather sets in in the Northern Hemisphere, we will all be wearing socks frequently. Some of us see our toes only while in the shower for months on end...

This heroine went for 3 well-planned neutral choices, and then a wild-card floral shirt! Heavens yes...

It all fits in well:

And she already has new outfits planned:

This heroine has all kinds of choices right now! I ... View the Post

Is It Time for a Wardrobe Brightener? Pantone 2021 Spring Colors

October 30, 2020

Most of us are being very disciplined with our wardrobes right now, but I think that we (and those around us) might benefit from the occasion cheerful update. With that in mind, I tackled the "newest" colors from Pantone.

First up - if you can wear yellow, DO IT. Many of us look like a Halloween decoration when we wear it, and that's too bad. Nothing is more eye-catching and smile-prompting.

And this gingham sweatshirt comes in 4 colors, including pink. I AM tempted...

This shade of blue might be an accent for some of us, or for many it will just be some pretty new additions. I wasn't able to exactly match the Pantone color (heck, I wasn't able to match ANY of the colors exactly!) but I tried to ... View the Post

Start with Nature: Inside the Orion Nebula by Drudis and Goldman

October 28, 2020 Star-Gazing for a Living! There's an opening at the observatory complex, and it's her turn to spend a month working on her research...

The complex is a combination of labs, residential and dining areas, meeting rooms, and of course the telescope. There are laundry facilities, so she doesn't need to pack clothes for 30 days. Her wardrobe is built around the navy of the night sky, and this is her chosen accent inspiration:

She ses the colors this way:

She starts with the core of her cool-weather wardrobe - her "Common Wardrobe" of timeless, versatile pieces:

She hesitates.... for a good LONG while. But then she remembers that she's going to be up there with a bunch of scientists, who won't ... View the Post

A Great Book, and a Fun New Wardrobe Idea!

October 26, 2020

If you're not familiar with Fiona Ferris and her books, I strongly recommend that you click on the link below and get to know her!

She's lovely, wise and lady-like, with so much good advice it's amazing. I'm currently working my way through a workshop that she did on writing books, and I get to hear her talk her way through everything - her voice is charming, modulated to an elegant tone, with a New Zealand accent! What's not to love...

But what caught my eye right away in her new book was her idea about organizing a new capsule wardrobe each month to help focus, edit, and enjoy our wardrobes. Her target number is TWENTY-ONE!!!!

(I had to write to her immediately and ask permission to use her idea - and she ... View the Post

Start with a Sweater: Boden Fair Isle Crewneck

October 23, 2020 I'm the ONLY Person Available?

She knows the answer... When the tech who works at the clinic finally took a few days off, there would have to be someone on-site in the data center, and there really isn't anyone else who knows how to repair things. ("Have you tried turning it off and turning it back on again?")

So she's going to suck it up and wear her new sweater! In fact, she's going to build her entire travel wardrobe around the colors of her sweater. Why not? She's going to either be in the data compound or quarantined in her room at the visitor's center...

She starts with 3 outfits that she knows she wants to take with her:

They've already seen snow, so she's wearing her serious boots for the ... View the Post

Start with Nature: Revisiting the Common Shelduck

October 21, 2020

She's been driving down to visit them at their lake house on a regular basis for a few years now... Her first trip was in the dead of winter; a bit of warmth and sitting outdoor was delightful!

After the pandemic started, she was down earlier in the summer to take advantage of their cooking frenzy...

Now, they're talking about having her come for the entire winter! Why not - it's not like she's having buckets of fun being in her apartment almost all day every day!

And she wouldn't mind seeing some birds...

"Come down for the weekend and we can discuss it; you can have the bedroom and bath that you had back in the summer, and you can work on the desk in your bedroom. We're upgrading the wifi..."

"If ... View the Post

Start with Art: Adding Accessories to a Wardrobe – Poem by Bunya no Asayasu by Hokusai

October 19, 2020 She Chooses LOTS of Accessories! She has her inspiration:

And her clothes are all chosen (as well as 1 scarf!):

So she heads into the kids rooms with a handful of garbage bags, and duly loads ALL of their clothes into the bags.... It's what they wanted, and she's so happy that they're going to be away from civilization for a few months that she's NOT going to quibble about odd wardrobe requests....

And then, she walks into her bedroom. She needs to pick up some shoes, and whatever other accessories she might want for the next few months. Her first inclination is just to grab her loafers and a pair of slippers and call it a day, but then she pauses, to take the time to think about this with herself and her ... View the Post

Start with Archaeology: The Nebra Sky Disc

October 16, 2020

Two notes from your humble author:

1. Please note that when you're assembling YOUR wardrobe, and your accents, everything doesn't have to match as closely as I try to match things! I'm trying to squeeze a bunch of garments and accessories into a visual space that's tiny, and where slight color disparities will be exaggerated. You do NOT have to be quite so rigorous when your socks are going to be mostly under your pants, and a good few feet from your sweater!

2. Speaking of socks - when you're shopping for socks, read ALL of the fine print. There's a world of socks right now that aren't meant to be worn with shoes! That's a rude shock if you were not aware...

It was in the science news - new research has led to ... View the Post

Start with a Bracelet – Shine On by Fierce Lynx Designs

October 14, 2020 We Want to Record Your Acceptance Speech...

Well... it's one thing entirely to win an award in the middle of a pandemic, but quite another to be invited into the city for the weekend...

But they offered a hotel room for Friday, Saturday AND Sunday night, if she could come into the recording studio for an hour or so and record a video that they could use when they announced all of the winners. So into the city they go!

Her original plan was to use 2 accent colors, but she struggled and STRUGGLED to find a good "bridge" garment or scarf, so she finally just threw her hands up in the air and decided on a full-tilt pink and black weekend!

Sometimes you have to know when you aren't going to find the right ... View the Post

Start with Art: Revisiting Church Tower in Zeeland by Piet Mondrian

October 12, 2020 It Didn't Take Long...

When she was initially invited to the cathedral for a long weekend of leading tours, she carefully chose her color palette...

and she packed a very pretty travel capsule wardrobe. She has a bit of a crush on the Choir Director, and is happy for a chance to spend a few days hanging about...

Well... it was wonderful. The tours were among the best that she's ever given - the participants were all VERY interested in what she was teaching them, and there weren't an excessive number of "know-it-all" guests...

And dinner with the Choir Director was... magical. Amazing. Better than she could have hoped...

So when the members of the Congregational Committee asked ... View the Post

Start with Art – Revisiting Poem by Bunya no Asayasu by Hokusai

October 8, 2020 It Was the Kids' Idea... Remember this heroine, and her gang of friends that were going to the lake house?

The children asked for a "Meeting of the Commune" after dinner. Nobody quite knew when they became a commune, but if it entertains the kids, right?

The bottom line? Let's stay here until at least the end of 2020.

The adults can all take turns going into town for essentials, and to mail their ballots; The internet service is more than adequate for all of the kids to do their school work here; Everybody will be able to spend a LOT of time outdoors, which they can't do in town; The kids have volunteered to help cover the windows in their rooms with the clear plastic stuff that helps keep cold ... View the Post

Start with Art: Revisiting Foxes by Becky Kelley

October 7, 2020 The Sculpture Bienniale is OUTDOORS... And it's expected to rain the entire week. So guess who gets to go?

Yep, the heroine that we've seen before, visiting a small museum before a client's show, and then at a multi-artist show, looking for new clients...

She's a fan of a bright, bright color palette!

She knows, without doubt, that someone is going to be wading through the mud in 7 inch heels (probably some animal print!) and will SNAP them off, about 15 seconds after they arrive. And they will make a BIG spectacle of the whole process...

Not for her; she understands that you can stand out in a crowd, be your own person etc etc without dressing inappropriately for the weather and the resulting ... View the Post