The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Vivienne Files - Page 9 of 260 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Find Your Dream Accent Color for Spring? Start with Art – Grey and White on Purple by Mark Rothko

February 9, 2024

First things first - this is not really grey, and the background is DEFINITELY not purple... Does anybody know what's going on here? Are the reproductions that I'm finding completely corrupted, or was Rothko color blind? It's an interesting question...

She's always loved this painting - she wears a lot of navy, charcoal grey and white, but she has never found that background pretty pinkish coral in garments that appealed to her...

But then two things happened - first, she had lunch with her friend Lily, who shared with her the plans that she had made for her Spring wardrobe.

And then, she found a TON of this color at Lands' End... So she tried to channel her "inner Lily" and plan a similar, but slightly ... View the Post

Are You REALLY Committed to an Accent Color? Start with Art – White Herons and Willow by Ohara Koson

February 7, 2024

Her name is Lily...

And aptly enough, she's always really loved green, and beautiful paintings that feature lots of green.

So when it came time to really update her spring wardrobe, she had an inspiration:

Why NOT really invest in some green things, and wear them often? It's not an approach that suits everyone, but when she thinks of it (and factors in her soft, muted green eyes), it seems a good idea!

So she starts with a lovely neutral ivory. Or ecru. Or bone. Of off-white. She has to be flexible when looking for these colors...

Oh what fun!

She quickly realizes that it might be too early in the season to find a lot of bright, leafy green... but then she stumbles onto the absolute ... View the Post

February 2024 “Six Paintings, Twelve Months” – Part 2

February 5, 2024

Three more heroines, working on three VERY different wardrobes! It's worth considering - these people wear relatively similar styles of garments - classic jeans and pants, traditional tee shirts, shirts and sweaters. But because of their choices of color, their wardrobes end up looking so different that the similar styles aren't a "thing."

Timeless, but individual. A reasonable goal...

The most notable thing (to me!) about this wardrobe is the presence of both bright and muted pastel accent colors. Therefore, this heroine could dress in uninterrupted shades of beige, or shades of beige with a pastel accent, OR beige with a bright accent. That covers a pretty wide range of moods and occasions!

Coming into ... View the Post

February 2024 “Six Paintings, Twelve Months” – Part 1

February 2, 2024

I'm always so excited to look at these wardrobes again!

This month, I'm going to clearly establish what has been my method so far - four garments and three accessories. With adding 4 garments each month, coupled with the 4 garments that each heroine started with, we're going to finish the year with 52 garments - sort of like the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe!

It's interesting how these numbers recur...

I understand that a lot of us aren't going to want a 52-piece wardrobe; for many of us, that seems too few, and for some it's going to be too many! But it's nice to have a target in mind, if situations change and we have to reconfigure everything.

Let's go!

In January, our heroine found herself with eight ... View the Post

Love to Wear Black & White? Start with a Scarf – Helen Nonini Scarf by Echo

January 31, 2024

We're almost through January! Did you notice that there were THIRTY-ONE Mondays in January? Sheesh....

But we have loveliness to brighten this last day:

The colors here are glorious - bright, strong, and just slightly off of the usual or expected red and blue...

I realized within seconds that there was virtually NO way I was going to be able to match those colors to any dress, sweater, or much of anything. Furthermore, I decided that I wasn't going to try!

Many of you know that I wear a lot of black and white; the best way to show this scarf in its full beauty would be to pair it with subtle, classic clothes, and some special accessories.

This first ensemble is a simple but perfect way to dress ... View the Post

Preparing for Spring: Start with a Bracelet – Voyage to Santorini by Fierce Lynx Designs

January 29, 2024

It's certainly not Spring yet (in the Northern Hemisphere!), but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't start planning...

Our heroine is going to travel at least once this spring, for long weekends to destinations that might be warm, and that might be cool-ish... That's sort of the charm of spring, isn't it?

So while you could certainly plan a glorious summer travel wardrobe around these color (turquoise and white for DAYS...), you can also enjoy the feel of the colors in clothes that aren't all linen, cut for 30 degrees Celsius...

So our heroine is sensible - a fun striped top, but with sleeves, and a snappy striped sweater...

A dress (that comes in a stack of colors!) that just screams "sunny day," ... View the Post

Do You Love a Colorful Wardrobe? Start with a Scarf – Echo 100 Scarf by Nuno Da Costa

January 26, 2024

If you love love, and bright colors, here you go!

So many possibilities, but I'm going to start with simple black and white pieces, and then add a wee rainbow of accents!

Nope, you do NOT look like a bumblebee...

Maybe you're not up to wearing ALL the green accessories, but maybe you are!

What could be cheerier on a cool day than some beautiful blue, and some bright hearts?

Ah, purple...

Red is classic for Valentine's Day, but it's also flatters many of us every day...

Romantic and pretty in pink, but with a relaxed and cool silhouette:

It would be hard to go wrong giving this scarf as a gift, or treating yourself! It's classic, but with a bright charge of colors ... View the Post

Do You Love Blue? Adding Accessories to a Start with Art Wardrobe – Blue on White, White on Blue by Paolo Quaresima

January 24, 2024

You thought that I forgot! Yes, I can get pretty immersed in those Echo 100 scarves, but there's no way I was going to miss revisiting this painting:

This heroine is going to look at each of her "wardrobe clusters" one at a time, and make certain that she has the accessories that she wants for each cluster... 

She's already got her shoes chosen - that's a lot of the thinking out of the way already!

First up, her warmest cluster. There are at least four outfits possible here, if she layers her navy shirt under her navy sweater... If you're summering in a place where evenings can turn cool, this could happen!

And for what it's worth, we have cool summer days in Chicago! The sellers of souvenir ... View the Post

Is Your Wardrobe Mostly Neutrals? Start with a Scarf – Echo Scarf by Amy & John Wickersham

January 22, 2024

The first thing I thought when I saw this scarf (after just plain thinking that it was cool and clever and very pretty!) is that it would be perfect for someone who wears a lot of neutrals, but who wants the occasional bright and colorful accent!

So when I was choosing colors, I was all over the place! But I finally settled on the three most prominent neutrals that I saw, and tossed in one accent color. I could have easily included 5 or 6 accents....

My heroine has to take a trip - relatively casual - in cold weather. She might be the poor person who is the only one corporate-wide who knows how to rewire a particular server connection, which means that she will also be WORKING in a cool ... View the Post

Want to Focus on Accessories? Start with a Scarf – Betty Soldi scarf by Echo

January 19, 2024

Wow. Just plain wow...

Not many colors, but who NEEDS colors when you have this?

I'm sure your not amazed to learn that matching the sepia tone of the image is impossible to find in clothing! But let's think for a moment... if this was a photograph, you wouldn't try to match the color of the frame to the photo, right? So you don't need to match the main color of a scarf - think of it as your outfit serving as the background or frame for the scarf!

This heroine is a BIG fan of accessories that channel her inner Elizabeth I.... so her clothes are simple and classic:

Wearing dress pants, and then packing a skirt and jeans, gives you a wide range of "dressiness" possibilities:

I'm pretty certain that our heroine ... View the Post

Need a Wardrobe Plan for Summer? Start with Art – Blue on White, White on Blue by Paolo Quaresima

January 17, 2024

Since the temperature here is a whopping THREE DEGREES Fahrenheit, let's help a heroine who is planning her summer wardrobe!

We're going to try something kind of new - assembling a 4 by 4 Wardrobe by choosing four 4-piece clusters! Each cluster will give her at least 2 outfits, and all of the clusters will be able to work together. This is a good approach if she wants to shop (or closet-shop!) gradually, and if she's finding that clothes in her favorite colors are proving hard to find...

She wants navy, she wants white, and she wants accents of bright blue - maybe this painting is a good starting place:

One thing I've been assured - our heroine doesn't like white leather goods! I can understand that; ... View the Post

What to Wear When It Is FREEZING? Japanese 24 Seasons: Shōkan – Small Cold

January 15, 2024

If the weather forecast turns out to be true, (as it WASN'T when we were promised piles of snow!) it should be bitterly cold in Chicago as you read this...

Even if you don't leave your home, you might feel the cold. There's truly a limit to how warm you can get your home when the temperatures are in Fahrenheit single digits. Add in our big walls of windows, facing Lake Michigan, and we have the choice of dressing warmly, or making the electric company rich beyond imagining!

So let's bundle up!

If you're staying inside, or maybe just dashing out to the mailbox, you can wear warm wool slippers. And don't discount the merits of wearing a warm headband - you can pull it down over your ears if you need to go to ... View the Post