The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Vivienne Files - Page 5 of 230 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Chic Sightings: Dark Tops and Print Skirts

July 25, 2022

Michigan Avenue was packed yesterday! I was out among them, checking out how many women were wearing dark colors...

I was wearing a black dress, which is normal for me on even the hottest days. I migrate to the shady side of the street as often as possible, and I DID notice that a lot of people were doing the same!

And while I didn't see all that many dark dresses, I saw TONS of dark tee shirts and tank tops. Often, they were wearing their simple top with a glorious printed skirt:

I saw all colors of sandals:

A few women had managed to find PERFECT handbags...

Some women were doing beautiful things with traditional color combinations, like navy and turquoise:

One doesn't see a lot of brown ... View the Post

Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Taisho – Large Heat

July 22, 2022

Well, this is timely! I was just out on Michigan Avenue, the temperature is around 90 degree Fahrenheit, and the most comfortable women I saw were wearing loose dresses...

And so was I!

The most important thing to remember on days like this is to stay hydrated! And of course, protection from the sun is critical...

It's possible to wear black, if you've got your route planned so that you can stay on the shady side of the street! If you're not sure about how sunny it may be where you're going, you may want to choose something in a lighter color.

This is how it feels...

Even if you're somewhere surrounded by buildings and pavement, you can wear pretty flowers!

You might find that ... View the Post

Indulging in Jackets and Sweaters

July 20, 2022 I think this might qualify as a "Sometimes Extravagant Wednesday"... Treating Yourself... I know that dressing in a solid column is somewhat controversial, but it's also so popular that I wanted to see what possibilities could be found for both navy and olive...

Getting dressed is easier when you wear a solid column every day, but if you're looking for things like matching loafers, you might find that shopping can be challenging!

For a heroine committed to wearing her column, she might have tiny wardrobe of pants and shirts, and then TONS of sweater and jackets, scarves, and nifty shoes...

There are so many color possibilities - I can't think of any color that she couldn't wear with navy!

Everything from relaxed ... View the Post

Let’s Look at Some Pretty Things…

July 18, 2022

For those of us who really already have enough clothes, this can be a weirdly sad time of year. Lots of people are throwing themselves willy-nilly into pre-season sales (and buying some things that aren't really all that nice...), and we just can't justify buying yet another black skirt, or pair of navy pants...

But we can buy accents and accessories!

Like this deeply, profoundly beautiful scarf:

 

I think this scarf is so beautiful that I gave it it's own page!

But that's just the start - I think that this lace collar is so pretty; I can see it over a crew-neck sweater or dress is any number of colors...

For those of us who really love purple, there are so beautiful scarves available. ... View the Post

How to Build a 13-Piece Travel Capsule Wardrobe

July 15, 2022

I'm long overdue to spend some time looking in detail at how one can choose a 13-piece "Whatever's Clean" wardrobe; you can't just grab a baker's dozen pieces of clothing and stuff them in a suitcase!

If you've been visiting The Vivienne Files for a few years, you certain recognize the idea of 13 garments for a travel capsule wardrobe - 3 to wear and 10 to pack.

But let's think about a specific travel situation that one of us is confronting week after week; packing for the weekend plus the Monday work day...

First - what items of clothing do you need?

You can always "right-click" on this template, and print it out, and then jot down notes about what you're considering...

Secondly, you need to make ... View the Post

Starting with a Black Column (or a Grey Column!)

July 13, 2022 Self-Esteem She's among the many who have to be back in their office - 10 days a month... (who's going to be counting these days, eh?)

She has completely changed clothing sizes during the pandemic, and she's changed her attitude toward work. Since she's been saving her clothing budget since spring of 2020, she's going to be a little bit extravagant (okay, really extravagant!) and make a personal statement of confidence when she gets dressed!

So she's already reserved the best office available (the entire place is now running on a "hotel desk" system...), and she's going to start looking and acting like she should be in charge...

She's starting with 2 simple pieces of black clothing that are VERY comfortable. ... View the Post

Start with Art: The Red Maple at Lake George by Georgia O’Keeffe

July 11, 2022

The Best Laid Plans... She was planning to spend the autumn photographing leaves, and hiking, and enjoying the brisk air...

But instead, she's going to be touring with a political candidate whom she supports. It's a long story!

She doesn't want to pack much; she frankly doesn't want to think about clothing at all once she closes her suitcase. She's going to have quite enough on her mind!

So she's thinking that she will have room to pack 10 garments in her medium suitcase... Maybe a "Whatever's Clean 13" Wardrobe is what she needs, eh?

Realistically, she might be able to stop at home from time to time, but she wants to be as self-sufficient as possible when they're driving from small town to ... View the Post

Start with Art: Passenger by Sean Scully

July 8, 2022

As soon as she saw the painting, so many things became clearer...

It includes all of her favorite colors, but it's the title that really grabs her...

This is what she wants - after two and a half years of staying home and being careful - she wants to be a passenger!

And so she's leaving. As soon as the summer's over, she's going to buy a train pass and just GO...

She will choose destinations based on things like sporting events, or art exhibits, or other museum-type stuff... or maybe weather. Or something else!

She starts to plan her foolproof wardrobe now; anticipation is a big part of the travel fun, for her:

She loves the idea of a wardrobe based in black, and punctuated with bright colors. ... View the Post

Japanese 24 Seasons of the Year – Shōsho, Small Heat

July 6, 2022

It's not the worst of the summer heat, not yet! But it's quite hot enough during the day that shorts and tee shirts are essential...

So she's headed to the lake, alone. She's rented the world's tiniest lake house. She can only be in 1 place at a time, so a 1-room house (let's be frank and call it a cabin, eh?) is perfect for her...

She might run into other people - it's not as if she's renting the entire lake! But she's going to dress for herself - cool shorts and tops for the day, and a sweatshirt for sitting outside after dark, watching fireflies...

There's a certain calmness that comes from being able to lie in bed at night and see EVERY SQUARE INCH of your cabin... She's seriously considering ... View the Post

July 2022: Six Scarves, 12 Months

July 4, 2022

My emails tend to come in waves, topic-wise. Recently, it seems that a great many people are concerned about having to return to "real life," be that an office, or lunch dates that used to be regularly scheduled, or other social gatherings that have been cancelled for the last 2 years.

So this month I think that our heroines are going to all look for a dressy-ish outfit that resembles either a suit or includes a skirt... Good for work, good for social events, good for worship services...

First up, if you have to go to an office, you can pretend that you're wearing a suit, if your pants and shirt-jacket are made of the same fabric!

Our heroine now has a 25-piece wardrobe, which makes getting dressed pretty ... View the Post

Another Way to Think About Closet Cleaning

June 29, 2022 Today's my birthday - I'm 62!!! The only certain treat today is a yellow cake with maple frosting, from Sweet Mandy B's... Sadly, I will NOT be able to have a blog post ready for Friday; between my birthday and other utterly unrelated errands I have to run on Thursday, it's just not possible! I will of course be back on Monday...

But on to more practical things - clearing out a wardrobe that's just plain and simply too full. More clothing than you need is confusing, distracting clutter, and clothing that you can donate could be a wonderful gift to a total stranger...

Here's our starting point:

I'm working (gradually and haltingly!) toward Project 333 for myself, and I'm trying to be sensible, by keeping clothing ... View the Post

June 2022 Start with a Bracelet: The Surprising Lynx Bracelets

June 27, 2022 They Never Know What to Expect...

Some years their more... eccentric aunt can't make it up to the lake for a weekend with them. They understand; she travels a lot and is often busy with work...

So when they got a call asking if there was room for her this coming weekend, they were all pretty excited to see her, for all kinds of reasons!

Her current car is a convertible. Electric. Very sleek... And she looked quite elegant...

They weren't expecting purple socks, but they weren't exactly surprised...

It was the next morning, when she turned up for breakfast wearing a swim-dress, a matching hoodie, and water shoes, that they were gobsmacked...

"Yea, I was stuck in the Maldives for a few days on a ... View the Post