The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Six Paintings, Twelve Months: Vocal Fabric of the Singer Rosa Silver by Paul Klee

October 9, 2023

Let's visit our friend with the very pastel wardrobe!

Her wardrobe at the beginning of this month is 29 garments (as I believe all six wardrobes should be...):

There are no glaring holes in this wardrobe, but our heroine can clearly see that she could justify more yellow, pink or green clothes. And she would like to have an outfit for cooler weather, even though she doesn't live in a relentlessly wintery place...

This is what she finds; she knows that the corduroy pants aren't a perfect match for any of her other garments, but she's content with blending shades of colors. Being flexible is sometimes useful...

Her updated wardrobe doesn't really look changed - just a bit more balanced.

And yes, ... View the Post

A “Two-Neutral” Capsule Wardrobe? Start With Art – Five Women by Max Beckmann

September 25, 2023

I don't generally think of Max Beckmann for wardrobe inspiration - his paintings always feel very cluttered and busy. But this one has a special charm:

Our heroine really wants some variety in how she can dress this fall - as much as she loves black, she wants to be able to wear quite a bit of "beige/tan/oatmeal" too...

She wasn't sure that this was something that one is allowed to do (what folly!) until she saw this painting, and realized that she would LOVE these colors:

She's very organized - the first thing she wants to be certain of is that her black wardrobe core is perfect:

Next, she very carefully selects her oatmeal/camel/buttercream/twig grouping - four garments, four color names! But ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe in Navy & Stone, with Rose & Lavender: Start with Art – Night Music by Chuck Groenink

July 19, 2023

One of a Kind...

After she saw the 3rd corporate "campus" with beehives, she realized that she is qualified for a job that nobody has ever thought of - corporate pollinator consultant!

If companies are going to have big lawns, and ponds, and flower beds, they may as well put some pollinators in there to keep it all regenerating and... real - right?

So now she travels about, visiting corporate campuses (a term she really doesn't love), helping get beehives installed, and advising the gardening company about replacing plants. Strictly ornamental isn't nearly as sensible as something that's both decorative AND good for the environment...

It's not a really outdoorsy job - she is more likely to meet ... View the Post

Three Capsule Wardrobes: First Half of Six Paintings, 12 Months – July 2023

July 5, 2023

Our heroines are filling in gaps and rescuing wardrobe orphans this month!

Let's start with our fair and blond heroine... (at least that's how I imagine her - your may see her differently!)

When we left our heroine last month, this was her 20-piece capsule wardrobe:

Our heroine has been thinking for a while that she is overdue to add some yellow to her wardrobe! It's worth mentioning that you can change your color palette if you find that you've included an accent color that doesn't feel right to you... but our heroine is going to give yellow a try!

And she doesn't have a pair of shorts! She's not one to wear shorts frequently, but a whimsical pair might be useful for her. So she shops, and this is what ... View the Post

Travel Capsule Wardrobe in Black, Beige and Red – Start with Art: Black, Ochre, Red Over Red by Mark Rothko

July 3, 2023

I love Rothko - it's hard to understand unless you've seen one in person... Even then, his paintings may not be your thing!

"Skills Enhancement" A fancy way to say "we're sending you to the main office to take a cram course in new software."

The main office is somewhat dressy... So our heroine is planning...

She's starting here:

She knows that starting with a suit - even if she wears the blazer separate from the pants - is always smart for business travel:

She's pretty sure that she's okay wearing a cardigan, if she wears a skirt with it...

She's hopeful that tales of the formality of the headquarters have been exaggerated, but she's not taking any chances! If your company is willing to spend ... View the Post

Travel Capsule Wardrobe for a Long Weekend: Cavaliers de l’Hiver by André Brasilier

June 28, 2023

She's smitten with this...

So when her sweetheart invited her to a mystery weekend away, she has an idea...

They're calling it a mystery weekend, but she knows that they're traveling by train, so she can narrow down their destination to a couple of dozen cities...

They've agreed that they will DEFINITELY dine out somewhere nice, but not "over the top." And other than that, they will do the things that they always do when they're in a "new to them" city - walk, window-shop, visit museums and historical sites...

Her sweetheart has reminded her a couple of times to bring a sweater, because evenings will be cool. She could use this fact to try to figure out where they're going, but she's just going ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe in Beige with Warm Accents – Start with a Scarf: The Curiosity Cabinet Silk Scarf by Emily Carter

June 16, 2023

The Annual Pollinators Study Conference

It's just a couple of days - mostly scientists who work in VERY specialized fields, talking about bugs! How to count them, how to help them thrive, how to encourage new and different insects to step into the void of dying populations...

She's a bit of a star in this world!

She's spearheading the information campaign about the possibility of ants as pollinators - it's not something that will be a worldwide solution, but in small areas it may work...

Her silk scarf is amazing - this designer does scarves from paintings...

When she decided to attend the conference (as if she serious might miss it!), she chose her favorite scarf as the theme for her wardrobe; ... View the Post

Does a Different Neutral Color Make a Difference? Pantone London Autumn/Winter 2023-24

May 31, 2023

When we left these five accent colors, from the Pantone London Autumn/Winter 2023-24 colors, I think we had determined that many of us like all sorts of different combinations! But the question was posed that different neutrals might make a difference in how we felt about the various accent colors.

Good question!

The London neutrals were the following five colors:

I made the executive decision that I am NOT going to try to find Forest Night at this time of year! I don't know if I could tell it from Lava Smoke, unless the description of the item specifically mentioned that it was green and not grey...

When you look at the colors - especially when you look at the digital description of each of them - ... View the Post

Start With a Bracelet: Fierce Radiance Bracelets from Fierce Lynx Designs

May 22, 2023

Beautiful bracelets!

Another Eccentric Aunt She invited to her nephew's wedding! She's been assured that it's going to be just a little bit dressy, whatever that means...

She is devoted to wearing beige and ivory as her neutral colors, but she also enjoys tossing a wide range of accent colors into her wardrobe to keep things spicy!

For her upcoming long weekend, she's chosen these bracelets to inspire her:

For the trip, she's going to wear a nice calm shade of apricot with her beige, to channel a quiet and relaxing trip. She's also layering a long-sleeved shirt and a cardigan, because it has been her experience that the train is air-conditioned to a terrifying chill...

There is no rehearsal - just ... View the Post

Adding Accessories! Start with Art: Windows by Robert Delaunay

March 31, 2023

Accessories make SO much difference; I think we're going to see that pretty quickly!

Remember this painting?

And this wardrobe?

Let's work our way through a bunch of outfits, to see what accessories our heroine needs...

First up - the all-beige ensemble! Some people make this look wonderful...

For this next outfit, if the weather gets too hot to wear a scarf around your neck, you can always wear it as a belt, or in your hair, or tied to your bag...

One could make a summer-long project of looking for accessories that worked with their summer capsule wardrobe!

Even a very small scarf - literally a pocket square - can add a touch of color when worn as a bracelet, or around your neck, ... View the Post

Build a Warm Weather Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Spring Blossom by Valerius de Saedeleer

March 29, 2023

I love this too!

This heroine is committed to switching to a warmer, lighter wardrobe, although it's a bit difficult; those of us who wear a lot of black might find this change a challenge!

 

She's starting with the same 8 beige garments are her 3 friends...

 

Her accent garments are a great assortment:

She's pretty happy with how her 4 by 4 Wardrobe looks...

And when she gets all of her things in her closet, she loves the way it looks; she can already see all kinds of options, from crisp black and white to warm green or rust with beige...

But as ALL clever heroines will do, she assembles a range of outfits in her mind, just to be certain that she will be able to ... View the Post

Build a Warm Weather Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Drei Häuser By Paul Klee

March 27, 2023

I love this one...

Were I to ever find myself in a situation where I was going to wear a lot of beige (it could happen!), these would be my favorite accent colors:

As is true with all 4 of our "beige" heroines, we are starting with 8 garments...

Our heroine was VERY patient in finding her accents; patience is probably the most important quality to bring to any shopping!

But it was worth it - her selections are varied, and lovely!

She takes a close look at her 4 by 4 Wardrobe Template, just to make sure that she didn't lose her discipline at some stage! 

I suspect all of us have some rogues in their closet, eh?

She then arranges all of her clothes in a more natural way to view ... View the Post