The Vivienne Files - Page 95 of 286 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Start with Art: Build a Travel Capsule Wardrobe based on Arara Azul by Victoria Ragna

March 26, 2020

This is a LOT like yesterday's post, I admit. Not because I'm inherently lazy (although I could be, given the right circumstances...) but more because someone asked yesterday about wearing accents of teal, aqua and soft blue with navy. I HAD to show how well many of these garments work just as well with a slightly different neutral.

(yes, grey would be lovely...)

This is very much the same color palette as yesterday, except the shift away from black...

After a LONG summer... They're free to travel again! She's been planning for months for this trip...

What kept her sane through the summer was the ability to go outdoors and watch the birds. It had never been a hobby before; they had had a bird feeder ... View the Post

Start with Art: Building a Travel Capsule Wardrobe based on Sea Change by Helen Frankenthaler

May 20, 2020

Such calming colors....

It's not a complicated color palette, but it's certainly beautiful!

She's Ready to Dress Up... Now that she's free to travel again, she does NOT want to pack jeans, nor sweatpants, nor a sweatshirt. Frankly, if she doesn't see her casual clothes for a LONG time, she won't mind!

They're going to take the train into the city, and stay in a hotel near the harbor. She wants to be able to see the sea from their room; it's been too long.

They've had months to plan this trip, and dream about it. Leisurely walks, holding hands. Lovely, lingering dinners. Sitting in a café by the sea, watching the waves and sipping a cocktail.

Nothing strenuous - they don't have a ... View the Post

Start with Art: Building a Travel Capsule Wardrobe based on Mountains and Sea by Helen Frankenthaler

March 24, 2020

I think we're going to have an art week; art transcends all things...

It's Truly Summer... Now that she's free to travel again, she's going to get on the train and go someplace she's never been. She randomly chose a train stop, and now she's spending a long weekend in a small city she's never visited!

She's decided that she wants to feel summery, and light, and free...

Everything won't go together perfectly. Things will get dirty. She doesn't really mind; laundry can be done, outfits can be repeated, and she's okay with this. She knows what's important...

She packs her favorite things, and she's going to be perfectly delighted with her travel wardrobe:

Once she checks her plans for the ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 38: A Twill or Denim Skirt

March 23, 2020

Let's all take advantage of having a lot of time indoors to really clean out our closets and be ready for those warm days ahead...

Keep in mind: we're allowed (encouraged?) to go outdoors and exercise, or just sit under a tree with a book. We're not forced to stay in our homes! So being ready for warmer weather and long walks might be a good focus right now.

I'm suggesting a skirt, but you know that if you absolutely HATE skirts, there are lots of other possibilities. I personally will probably substitute a simple sleeveless black dress...

Although it feels a little bit like a "spill magnet," a white skirt always looks so good in warm weather. And EVERYBODY looks at least a little bit tan wearing white, ... View the Post

Start with Art: Building a Travel Capsule Wardrobe based on Icebound by John Henry Twachtman

March 20, 2020

The first day of Spring! And our anniversary...

Quite Enough Solitude, Thank You... Now that they're free to travel again, they're making plans...

Their favorite apartment in their favorite city is available for a few days, and they are OFF!

No more wearing sensible sweatpants and warm shirts while working from home. No more being sensible PERIOD, for a while....

They've walked miles every evening in their neighborhood; they've exhausted pretty much any avenue of exploration left to them! Now, in their favorite city, they're going to go down every alley, every turn that seems uninteresting, any corner that appears to lead to a dead end...

This will eat out - of COURSE they will! But they will ... View the Post

How to Build a Travel Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Bracelet – March 2020

March 18, 2020

Calm, subtle, with just a touch of vivid red!

She's Been Brave for Months... And now that she's free to travel again, she's just going to sit... She's going to go to her favorite city, go to an outdoor table at a café, order coffee, and watch the world go back to work...

I'm not usually a fan of logo scarves, but this one is so subtle that I'm including it...

She's going to travel during the week so that she can see the city come back to life; she's going to dine out, and pour her modest travel budget back into the economy!

She doesn't want to be terribly conspicuous, and she's not concerned about getting wildly dressed up...

Oh bother, I forgot to include 1 of the scarves!

She's been a ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 37: A Lightweight 2nd Layer

I think our current need to spend a great deal of time at home is a great opportunity to really sort out and clean out things that have been neglected for a while; I have a plan with my closet that is probably going to drive Belovedest COMPLETELY over the edge...

But right now, let's look at some cool cardigans, shall we?

You might feel that you don't really need another cardigan for warmer weather - you know your requirements best! But I find that I have to have at least an over-shirt or some kind of 2nd layer with me most of the time, if I'm going indoors at all...

Of course there are wonderful sweaters that look beautiful with our six favorite (current favorite!) scarves:

I love the feel of a long, "duster" style ... View the Post

Start with Art: Mountain Forms by Lawren Harris

March 14, 2020

Let's do our utmost to keep The Vivienne Files an oasis of cheerful optimism and plans for the future, okay?

The Balance has Shifted... Now that she's free to travel again, she realizes that a certain... caution? has vanished from her personality...

Where she once would have shied away from a blue pedicure, and opted for the much more safe soft pink or nude, she now chooses the blue without hesitation!

She realized that her old suitcase was about to fall to pieces - one good THUMP of those hinges against the Baggage Claim carrousel and her dainty underthings are all over the airport! So she buys the best suitcase she can find... She's not spending down her retirement account, but she's treating ... View the Post

Start with Art: Revisiting Tribute to Franz Marc – Foxes by Becky Kelley

March 12, 2020

I thought we could all use something bright and cheerful today...

I love this color palette - using navy rather than black as the neutral here makes it feel very... different?

We've met this heroine before, last summer...

Another Art Fair... Oh, this is not her usual style AT ALL! She represents emerging artists, and is normally dressed... eccentrically, I think might be the best way to describe it. But she has to travel, from time to time, in order to meet new artists and see what's going on the art world. And she feels that she can be more effective if she's not quite as conspicuous as usual...

So for travel she's wearing a pretty traditional outfit, with some pretty UN-traditional ... View the Post

I’m SO SORRY, but a Change of Schedule…

Yesterday, I had a colonoscopy. Everything was fine, EXCEPT I had an atrociously bad reaction to the sedative. I won't share the gruesome details....

But normal service on The Vivienne Files will be restored tomorrow, and the Friday post will very possibly not be finished until Saturday.

I didn't expect this; I should have planned for a worst-case scenario! I always assume that I'm bulletproof...

love,

Janice

p.s. The painting of lilacs? My favorite flowers! I'm just trying really HARD to be cheerful... ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 36: Textured, printed or patterned short-sleeved top

March 9, 2020

It's starting to feel (some days!) as if spring is on the way; I'm trying to have my wardrobe primed to go from the first hint of warmth...

A sweater with a bit of sparkle might be a fun little wardrobe update, eh?

As with last week, the only real goal here is to provide an additional "top" that gives you some variety. It's much harder to really find something with texture in warmer weather, but there are always interesting options like stripes, prints or maybe a touch of shine...

Even if it starts to become too warm to wear your silk scarf, you can always continue to build your wardrobe around the colors! (and don't discount the idea of tying your scarf to your handbag...)

Yes, the mint green ... View the Post

Accent a Tan and Brown wardrobe with Sandstone and Amberglow

March 6, 2020

These are the last of those crazy accent colors from Pantone New York Fashion Week 2020/21, along with some restful, timeless warm neutrals... It's the Only Color Palette She's Ever Known...

She has hair the color of the last hot coals in the fireplace... Freckles of a warm caramel brown that look good enough to eat... And dark brown eyes...

Nobody else in her family had coloring ANYTHING like hers, when she was a child. So her mother very wisely just dressed her in the ivory of her skin, the rosy tan of her freckles, the subdued fire of her hair and the grounding darkness of her eyes...

As she grew older, it never occurred to her that there were other colors she might want to wear; she was busy playing, ... View the Post