The Vivienne Files - Page 2 of 190 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Analyzing 2 Wardrobes: When Your Color Palette is Challenging

The last two wardrobes! These were the most difficult - no question. And I made a couple of early strategic mistakes that I would re-do...

First up, this excellent scarf!

I should NOT have tried to make white one of the neutral colors. White as a neutral really only works well if you live in a hot place and don't mind laundry...

A smarter move would have been to use brown and navy as "co-neutrals" and then white, red, turquoise and orange as accents. This would still have been a big stack of colors with which to work, but it might have been a better balance. It's always easy to look back and say what I might have done differently, isn't it?

I went off the rails in a big way in February - I had designated navy as an accent ... View the Post

Analyzing 2 Wardrobes: Too Few Colors? Or Too Many?

Update on next year's scarf choices: I ordered an Aspinal of London scarf, to see how the quality is. That will be pretty key! I'm sort of thinking, right now, that I might work with a combination of brands. My goal is, as always, to do a wardrobe in each of 6 neutrals: black, navy, grey, beige/tan/camel, brown, and olive. I will keep you posted!

Next up, 2 wardrobe that are both quite good, but feel like they could benefit from better color choices. Or maybe not; it IS possible to over-analyze things to the point of being too critical, and finding flaws that don't exist. This isn't the most important thing in the world, we must remember!

First up, this color palette that worried me, but that is really quite beautiful!

I'm ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 25: A Warm Mid-Calf Skirt

Yes, it was just about zero degrees Fahrenheit, and I had a job interview. Back in the day when YOU WORE A SKIRT - preferably a suit - to an interview.

Mid-calf wool for the win! The skirt was lined, the tights were wool, the socks were silk, the boots were too dressy to be really warm, but they worked...

So now, for me, it's a staple. On normal winter days, this can be a fun way to be dressy without being "dressy." If you can follow that bit of linguistic gymnastics!

Everybody is going to go about this in their own way, as should always be the case when assembling your wardrobe! But patience is the biggest thing that I can counsel; these skirts aren't easy to find. Unless, of course, you can work with a silk skirt; they're ... View the Post

Analyzing 2 Wardrobes: When Everything Looks Pretty Good…

Let's jump in and see the good, the bad, and the just plain misjudged from this year's wardrobes!

First up - I'm really happy that I chose this scarf. The color palette is delectable, and the clothes were reasonably easy to find. When tied, this scarf would probably look really interesting. All in all, I'm giving myself a pat on the back for this choice!

2 concerns from the first 4 months:

multiple shades of blue aren't the best possible option - for example, the February scarf can't be worn with the January, nor the March sweaters. It's not a huge issue, but if you're really working toward the smallest possible wardrobe, looking for a consistent accent color in the early stages would be helpful. That February handbag is ... View the Post

How to Build a Travel Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Bracelet – December

Yes, I was going to start analyzing our 12-month Hermes scarf-based wardrobes today, but I thought it might be smarter if I got this GORGEOUS bracelet in front of you in time for upcoming gift-giving events. And remember, a nicely printed photograph of this bracelet (right-click on the image below, print it, roll it up and tie it with a piece of re-used ribbon), will be a lovely notice that this bracelet is on the way, if it doesn't arrive it time!

I'm going to tackle analyzing those wardrobes on Fridays. Should be educational - at least for me!

How lovely is THIS?

What great colors - warm and cool, neutral and accent...

She Wrote the Book Years Ago... Literally the first months out of college. It became, as the saying ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 24: A Neutral or Accent 2nd Layer

Great heavens, it seems like it's Monday every 7 days...

This week I feel like looking at the wonderful versatility of a lovely cashmere cardigan. If you keep your eyes peeled, these are often on sale. It is well worth the wait!

How to choose a color? If you don't already have an obvious favorite accent color in mind, you could look at a scarf from which you'd like to get a bit more mileage (or a colored necklace?) and pick something happily compatible.

And no, it's not wrong to hint for a sweater for a gift! Nor to hint for a scarf... (insert big cheesy smile emoji here, in your mind!)

Yes, warm accents look lovely with cool colors. Look to nature, where warm and cool combinations are everywhere...

Are you the ... View the Post

A Couple of Enthusiastic Recommendations, and a Question

First Cool Thing You may have figured out by now that my most beloved mother lives in Florida... which suggests warm weather, pools...

POOLS? You're not gettin' me in some skimpy little string-bottomed, fat-revealing piece of Lycra!

That was me, for quite a long time. But having children in the family changes all rules, so I took a chance, and I AM THRILLED.

I LOOK GOOD IN THIS!

Trust me. Take your measurements, be patient, and TRY THESE. I was so happy... There's a pool in my building! And a HOT TUB! And I can USE THEM BOTH!!!!!

excuse me, I'm shouting because I'm happy; it's a great reason to shout....

Yes, wrestling your upper torso into the top is a project, because of the built-in bra. But it's worth the ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Lion and Peacock Scarf by Aspinal of London, in navy and camel

She Decided to Branch Out...

She's worn navy with pastels for decades... And she's now ready for an update!

She's always felt drawn to camel. The richness, the warmth, and elegance. And she's been told repeatedly that it was a color that she could happily wear. But she starts small... something below the waist!

Success! But the real camel item that has always caught her eye is a lovely cardigan...

Now she's feeling positively emboldened! She looks closely and her scarf and sees a beautiful shade of blue; would a matching sweater and flats be wrong?

But she's not going to rely entirely new purchases - when she look in her closet, she realizes that her aqua sweater would be perfect with her new ... View the Post

December 2019 – 12 Months, 12 Outfits – based on 6 Hermes Scarves

I can't believe that this is the last month of these outfits! It seems like yesterday that I was trying to decide if I would continue to use the Appaloosa des Steppes scarf, because of the concerns about cultural appropriation...

Let me say right upfront - not one of these wardrobes is perfect! So for the next 3 Wednesdays, I'm going to take a look at all of them (2 per week) and see what we can learn from my mistakes, over-enthusiasms, and general lack of a good plan. Thus I'm not going to bury you in analysis today...

That said, any of these wardrobes could take you a long way, for a long time. If this was the core of a wardrobe for someone who wears uniforms during the day, she would need never fear having nothing to wear!

Let's ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 23: A Textured Neutral Top

There are few garments I like more than a good sweater...

The only real guideline is keep it a solid neutral with something interesting going on!

A simple ribbed sweater, with some festive earrings and a fun brooch, can be all you need for a nice outfit!

Note that Talbots now is THE source for holiday/winter themed accessories. They have been a go-to place for these kinds of things for pretty much my entire life! Fun for you, fun for gifts!

If you want a sweater with a "woven-in" texture, search for cables or pointelle. This sweater actually includes BOTH terms in the description!

If you're attending one of those events where the door is constantly open, a cuddly sweater is a good call...

The ... View the Post

I Love IT, but Will I Wear IT? Start with a Scarf: Lion & Peacock by Aspinal of London

I know, I should be showering you with holiday gift ideas and telling you about all of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. I'm NOT that blogger, though... sigh...

However, I firmly believe that those of us who are holiday shopping should treat ourselves to one really LOVELY thing for the upcoming season, and of course for the years to come. We don't buy something just to wear it once or twice, unless we're getting married or standing up in someone else's wedding!

So maybe a scarf has caught your eye, and kicked you in the heart... (I love the phrase coup de coeur...)

It's all the right colors - warm and cool, neutrals and accents...

But can you wear it? How will you wear it? You don't want something this beautiful ... View the Post

Start with Art: A Holiday Rebel Six-Pack with Azalea Garden by Patrick Heron

Their Calendar...

They both work on computers, so when they have something to schedule, they put the event onto a computer calendar that they share...

One of them decided to glance ahead to December, just to see what was planned... And realized that, between them, they had committed to attend FIVE different events in a 3-day period. All of them downtown.

The obvious answer? A hotel room, some late mornings with room service, and a tidy holiday travel capsule wardrobe with NO black velvet (this woman is a heretic, in my world!), nothing red, and nothing green.

Red and green really aren't her colors, and standing out in a crowd of friends makes her happy...

I personally can't fathom living through ... View the Post