The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Vivienne Files - Page 3 of 237 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Start with a Scarf: Leshy by Ilona Tambor

December 14, 2022

There are six different "Leshy" scarves...

It Happens Every Year, at This Time... Everybody who celebrates one of the "Winter Solstice" traditional holidays starts complaining that we should celebrate on the 21st... or that we should only decorate our trees with things that birds can eat...

And every year, at this time, there's a major academic conference somewhere that is centered around all of the forest deities and Druid-like ceremonies that are in season...

She's one of the world's authorities on Leshy, the legendary forest creature. Sometimes cruel, sometimes kind - he's pretty complicated! And he's NOT a brown bear; she's still going to wear the scarf.

For some reason, these conferences ... View the Post

Analysis: 1 Dress, 100 Days

December 12, 2022

Friday, I wore this:

 

This was interesting, because it was the FIRST time I wore my blue sweater, and also the snowflake scarf. So the first thing that I learned - over and over - was that I have clothes in my closet that I... not exactly forget, but recurringly overlook. Is there a difference?

But let me stop for a moment and think about the most important things that came from this project. First and foremost, if you buy a really great dress and take good care of it, it will indeed withstand 3+ months of constant wear. There's no reason to believe that clothing will only last a short while. If your clothes start falling apart after a dozen wears, you're very hard on clothes, or you're buying things ... View the Post

1 Dress, 100 Days – the Finish

December 10, 2022

It's over; I am no longer wearing my wool terry dress EVERY DAY FOR 100 DAYS.

I miss it. Not horribly, but sometimes I look down at my tan jeans, white shirt and black vest and wonder WHERE DID MY DRESS GO?

That will change soon enough, I'm sure!

Here's how I finished off the project, as well as my first Outfit of the Day for the rest of my life; I think I'm going to OOTD for a while. I find creating the outfit images interesting...

love,

Janice ... View the Post

Pantone: Colors they Love, Colors that Endure

December 9, 2022

I was browsing the Pantone website a few days ago, after their announcement of the 2023 color of the year. Viva Magenta!

Of course, that doesn't mean that we will EVER walk into any store and see a decent assortment of magenta clothes and accessories. Pantone doesn't seem to have the influence over retailers that they once did...

But I DID run across an article about "Colors We Love, Colors That Endure."

I'm not sure what they mean by endure - all colors endure, don't they?

Still - I had to see what these colors might look like, if we were considering a new wardrobe accent!

White Asparagus is a color that I would consider adding as a wardrobe neutral; to me it's really just a variation of beige or ... View the Post

Part 3 December 2022: Six Scarves, 12 Months

December 7, 2022

Our last 2 heroines! I grow attached to these projects...

First, let's visit our heroine with the Chrysanthemum scarf:

This heroine isn't planning to dress up much this season - she's more interested in warm and casual!

Her wardrobe of 40 garments looks coherent and very versatile:

And her accessories are wonderful - accessories make so much difference...

Her new garments can be worn more than 2 different ways (each), but she makes certain that she has at LEAST those options...

And now to my favorite heroine - the one who figured out that wearing brown and black together is magical!

THE BLAZER. Oh great shiny chocolate-coated Buddha on a bagel, THE BLAZER...

If I could wear ... View the Post

Part 2 December 2022: Six Scarves, 12 Months

December 5, 2022

Sometimes, heroines don't need sequins or beaded trim to dress up!

I think that it makes sense for most of us to have a beautiful blouse or top in our favorite accent color, though!

If you want to look luxurious and elegant, but NOT frou-frou, these tops might be just right for you!

Although relatively few of her garments are frilly or lacy, this wardrobe still has a pretty feel to it...

And her accessories are lovely... I'm always smitten with accessories!

Such a fun range of outfits are possible from this wardrobe:

This next wardrobe is finally starting to look coherent, to my eye. Sometimes it takes a while!

Our heroine stumbled onto a few pieces in her favorite shade of ... View the Post

Part 1 December 2022: Six Scarves, 12 Months

December 2, 2022

I always think of "finishing" these wardrobes for the December posts - but I'm realizing (after a TON of these posts!) that there is never a finished wardrobe. You might well be at a point that you have everything you need for the foreseeable future, but things will wear out. You will change your tastes. Your body will change. Oh, how things wear out...

So for this last post, I'm adding jeans to EVERYBODY'S wardrobes, as well as a couple of tops...

This wardrobe has been a lovely study in a couple of things:

How you can bring an accent color into your wardrobe without matching every piece (both the green and the pink here have garments that don't match!) How many pairs of pants you can have in your ... View the Post

Start with Art: A Peasant Woman by Edgar Degas

November 30, 2022

 

Why yes, it suits her to a T...

The Confectionary Rep...

She goes to all of those gigantic food conferences - she's responsible for over a dozen of the booths that showcase small chocolate and caramel makers...

She doesn't have to actually be IN the booths - she hires lovely staff for that! But she does get to wander around, offering samples to people, and chatting with customers who seem to be legitimately interested...

She loves dressing in "chocolate and caramel" colors, with a touch of ivory whipped cream!

One company has mentioned that they might started making chocolate-covered cherries!

She sees a beautiful red sweater in her future...

love,

Janice

p.s. ... View the Post

Accessorizing! Adding to a Navy, Green & Yellow Wardrobe

November 28, 2022

It has only been a few days - I'm sure you remember the wardrobe that we looked at last Wednesday!

I left that heroine with almost no accessories...

My favorite approach to adding accessories to a wardrobe is to choose a range of outfits, and then accessorize each outfit with what they need. After the 2nd outfit, I find that I can start re-using shoes, at least!

If you can find a lovely pair of shoes in your accent color, consider grabbing them! Some of us don't feel comfortable with accent shoes, but other people look amazing in them:

A seasonal brooch and a dressy bag will make it possible to wear an otherwise "not really dressy" outfit to all kinds of events:

Accent socks! And a scarf ... View the Post