The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Vivienne Files - Page 6 of 269 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

When Your Color-Scheme Doesn’t Happen – Start With Art – Abstraction Blue by Georgia O’Keeffe

January 8, 2025

"I've got tickets for the ballet matinee on Saturday!

We can go downtown Friday night, have dinner, go to the ballet on Saturday and then have dinner AGAIN, and then come home after brunch on Sunday..."

She can manage this - it won't take much for clothing... Something for Saturday that's dressy but comfortable, and something Sunday for brunch and the ride home...

And she's dreaming of packing a soft, water-colored, shades of blue and green travel capsule wardrobe!

The ride downtown is easy - a navy "suit" with her "glacial teal" tee shirt, and her stunning scarf...

Her navy skirt is perfect for this kind of adventure - it's soft and comfortable. And she has a lovely pink sweater that will be ... View the Post

A Project For Our New Year

January 6, 2025

Sorry I'm not more creative right now - I had wrist surgery on Thursday, and the pain medicine has been SO WONDERFUL... it's like not having insomnia!

I've been sleeping about 12 hours a night, and dreaming insane, complicated dreams. Bliss...

But I have been thinking about you, and I thought it was about time that we all check our emergency evacuation bags to make certain that everything's current. 

Do you have your most up-to-date prescriptions? Are the over-the-counter medicines that you've included fresh? Do you have good walking shoes, warm socks, and whatever clothes might be appropriate for this time of year? Is your telephone back-up batter charged? Do you have a reasonable amount of ... View the Post

Six Paintings – Twelve Months January 2025 Part 2

January 3, 2025

Here are ALL of the "cool" toned wardrobes - in the randomness of life, the warms and the cools got split down the middle. No wonder Wednesday's post left some of you out in the cold... or rather I guess I should say the warm!

I have to warn you before next month - I suspect that we're going to start moving right into spring clothes. It's absurdly difficult to find winter clothes right now that don't cost the moon, are decent looking, in the colors we like, that are available in the full range of sizes. I will NOT include something for which there are only 7 size XXXS available...

Let's start with a warm/cool wardrobe, and a wonderful favorite painting:

Such lovely, classic colors...

Back on Christmas ... View the Post

Six Paintings – Twelve Months January 2025 Part 1

January 1, 2025

Happy New Year! We've got new paintings, new heroines, and new wardrobes to build - what fun!

This year, I'm going to try to start all of our heroines with basics, and so I've dredged out the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe list for reference. I'm not sure that I'm going to keep using it for the entire year, but as a guide in the early days of a wardrobe, it may be helpful.

Let's jump in and start with some Georgia O'Keeffe. I think I've used one of her paintings almost every year - she's just THAT good...

I could have broken out a number of shades of blue and green for this color wheel, but I wanted to think of these colors as all being closely related, on a spectrum. We shall see how that works!

Our heroine ... View the Post

Thinking About Accent Colors? Pantone London Fashion Week, Spring/Summer 2025

December 30, 2024

I always love these, even though they are difficult - just because Pantone says that a color is going to be popular does NOT mean that anybody actually sells something in that color. Maybe I'm just ahead of the curve...

But this is interesting - no pink, no dark or medium blue, and an offensively named (at least to me) shade of brown.

And I must share - on the Pantone website, there's a recurring typographical error that calls this first color Windsor Wind, rather than Windsor Wine! Maybe it will be fixed by the time you read this, but still - someone should be proofreading these things.

Does anyone still proofread?

Let's go!

Why yes, I'm quite smitten with this next color!

I was surprised how ... View the Post

Last-Minute Packing? Start With Art – The Annunciation by Jay DeFeo

December 27, 2024

When the phone rang, she knew...

"We need you to come in for the weekend - Friday, Saturday and Sunday night. We need coverage for the full twelve hours each night..."

At least she doesn't need to wear a uniform, but that almost makes it harder, at the very last minute!

Deep breath, remember what's important...

And then figure out what's clean!

She channels one of her favorite paintings, and decides that she's going to just wear neutrals. Keep it simple, low-key, and focus on her support role...

She won't really have to go outside - they've got a spare room for her in the facility. Although she will almost certainly take a few minutes to walk outside, every now and then...

She packs a ... View the Post

Merry Christmas! Six New Painting for Us to Enjoy in 2025

December 25, 2024

Happy Christmas to all who observe today, and a happy and joyful day to everybody! 

So after wrangling, pondering, occasional hair-pulling, and a lot of general angst, I chose the six paintings for next year. This is - no question - the hardest thing I EVER do for The Vivienne Files, so if your favorite painting wasn't chosen, don't doubt that it was considered, and re-considered, and finally eliminated with great pain.

If there's anything you particularly miss, let me know and I will do a post about it! That's the least I can do, eh?

With no further ado - let's go!

This is the second year in a row that I've included Elizabeth Magill - I think she's got magical talent...

This heroine is going to ... View the Post

More From Paris – What They Wore, What Was in the Store Windows, Some Random Street Art!

December 23, 2024

Good morning my friends! I'm feel much more myself, after I slept 12 hours on Thursday night...

What else did I see in Paris? (do you have A MONTH?) It was subdued, more than I can ever remember seeing in December - and remember, before the pandemic, I used to go do Paris every December, so I have some frame of reference.

Maybe the most strikingly uniform thing I noticed was that probably 2/3 of the store windows were featuring party attire that was black with silver - and occasionally - gold accents. Lots of sequins or metallic threads woven in... Things like this:

It's difficult to see in my photographs, but you'd fit right into the Paris party environment if you had a silver sequined jacket, or dress, or ... View the Post

Report from Paris – Mutedly Festive, but Still Delightful…

December 20, 2024

I got home last night (I'm writing this on Thursday...) after 8 p.m., and it was an exhausting day. I forgot just how far one has to walk in airports - especially Charles de Gaulle in Paris!

And stand in line. Oh. My. Heavens. Could someone with some planning and logical skills get in touch with these people and sort out how they get you from the curb to your airplane?

But I have warm and happy memories of my trip, and that's what matters! You're not going to travel without some effort, right? Unless you're shamelessly wealthy, which I will never be!

My favorite moment? I went to a rugby match - yes, by myself - at the Stade Jean-Bouin, a lovely stadium in the far south-west corner of the city. I walked the 10K ... View the Post

Want Something Pretty? Start With a Scarf – The Artiquel Scarf by Artifact.

December 18, 2024

Sometimes, you see something that just makes you happy. If you keep thinking about that thing... six hours later?... you might want to listen to your heart!

That's my feeling about this scarf; the minute I saw this, I knew I wanted to share it with you all here:

What an interesting image - dill? Some sparse hydrangeas? And artichokes? What do you think?

Of course, these colors are difficult to find...

Our heroine knows that she's going to struggle to find the soft accent colors - the green and purple are QUITE elusive. But she also knows that she can wear this scarf with her neutral grey, or she could look for a different green like soft olive. Or use beige as her neutral. There are always ... View the Post

Feeling Bright and Casually Festive? Start With a Scarf – The Trina Turk scarf by Echo

December 16, 2024

These are NOT traditional holiday colors, but they're certainly bright and cheery enough to be appealing this time of year:

Of course, this scarf has more colors than our heroine has chosen for her palette—she's pretty happy that in warmer weather, she can choose beige, olive green, or off-white.

Just a Bunch of Friends It's a tradition for all her friends who can't get away to be with family this time of year; they get together at someone's home for a few days, attend a couple of parties, go out to dinner, and go to a movie one evening...

It's not dressy, but it IS festive. She dresses warmly to drive there, although the weather has been pretty moderate. She can't leave until late—she can't leave until ... View the Post

Need a Warm Break? Start with Bracelets – Winter Sky Bracelets by Fierce Lynx Designs

December 13, 2024

They spend Boxing Day cleaning up. And on the 27th, they're in the car early in the morning, heading SOUTH!

She's dreaming of the Winter Sky, but the sunny winter sky where they go every year for a while - just to avoid the worst of the cold and snow...

This year, she's inspired by these:

 

She has some clothes down there already - no reason to bring them back north! But she has new colors in mind to expand her existing wardrobe of navy, beige, white and bright green:

It's not bitterly cold where they are right now, so she doesn't have to bundle up all that much the first morning... But she loves feeling cozy for the first day of the drive...

She packs some warm-ish things, and some ... View the Post