The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Accents for a Denim and Khaki Wardrobe – Start with Art: L’Ombre by Pablo Picasso

March 29, 2917

Could be a dream, could be a nightmare, could just be a sweetheart - the enigmatic nature of this image is striking:

When I saw L'Ombre in the Picasso Museum last year, I knew that I would want to share it with you all!

Her Work is Complicated Enough, Thank You... She's a psychiatrist. A shrink. She sits, quietly, and listens to people. Takes notes. Tries to formulate the perfect, pithy question to open up the hidden pain in her patient's mind, and help the healing start...

She's always watching people, listening to people, learning from people. So she doesn't really want to spend a ton of time worrying about what she's going to wear - it just plain and simply isn't all that interesting to ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe in 12 Months, 12 Outfits – March 2017

March 1, 2017

 

Always one of my favorite days of the month!

For no good reason I can explain, the earliest glimpses of spring make me want to wear a skirt, but not really get dressy. It's hard to explain, but I'm a firm believer that a skirt in a casual fabric can be a great substitute for shorts or pants; the world will think you're all dressed up, when in reality it's just a simple garment switch...

So - let's see what I found this month:

I really tried to find the perfect brown, black and grey scarf in "current production," but I finally realized that this Missoni scarf was going to be my choice. It's second-hand (but probably never worn, as is so often the case!); I have confidence that Missoni will do this color ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe 1 Piece at a Time: Soir d’Octobre by Maurice Denis

January 5, 2017

You wanted to revisit the Soir d'Octobre, the most beautiful of paintings, and I receive an email which sets the stage perfectly:

One of us bought some leather pants, just before the cold weather really kicked in! And she's only got one way to wear them, so far:

But she's recently retired, and wants to build a casual wardrobe! This is a PERFECT scenario for gradually building a wardrobe, and for adding 1 piece at a time...

First up, the white shirt is a great starting point, but these pants also need something a bit more relaxed. To me, nothing fills that bill better than a classic chambray shirt.

Just to shake things up, early on, let's introduce one of the really pretty accent colors:

As much ... View the Post

Build a Travel Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Winter Scene in Moonlight by Henry Farrer

January 4, 2017

This looks pretty familiar, weather-wise...

"You're Going WHERE for the Weekend?"  

"The farm... you know that I've kept the house cleaned up so it's habitable..."

 

"Yes, but it will be FREEZING cold, and there's absolutely nothing out there to do..."

She hesitates.... these don't sound like big problems! 

  "I'll dress warmly. I know that the tenant has at least a couple of cords of firewood there for me; I talked to him over Christmas..."

 

"Well, if you're sure...."

She's very sure. She wants a fire, and some books, and some peace and quiet, and a chance to see the night sky without a million street lights....

When she returns to work, she's just ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe: Starting From Scratch, Stage 5

November 11, 2016  

It's tempting to say we've reached the home stretch of building this capsule wardrobe, but in reality, you're never finished building your wardrobe. Things wear out, or suddenly shrink, or you just plain can't stand the sight of that tee shirt EVER AGAIN... (after travel, you might need to find something new just to retain your sanity!)But for people who don't put all that much worry and fuss into clothing, this wardrobe is at a pretty good stage for a long time:

 

Here's where I like to stop and lay things out in an orderly fashion, to see where I've gone awry, and what needs to be supplemented, and what needs to be avoided, for the last little bit of shopping:

 

It's important to me to ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe: Starting From Scratch, Stage 4 – I MUST Have a Winter Coat

November 10, 2016  

The capsule wardrobe we finished with yesterday would make a GREAT travel wardrobe; you could wear 3 pieces, and pack the other 12. With our new silk pants (and the silk blouse from the first steps) you could be prepared for a dressy event, and obviously the rest of the wardrobe is ideally suited for... wandering Chicago in November? New York? Montreal? The choices... sigh... 

At this step, I always plan for a complete outfit. This time, I thought that some brightness and a real emphasis on our accent colors would be a good idea!

Flannel shirt – Patagonia; cardigan – L.L.Bean; cords - Patagonia     Even though we haven't (in Chicago) see anything that resembles cold weather, we ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe: Starting From Scratch, Stage 3 – Do I Have to Own a Dress?

November 9, 2016   Ah, this capsule wardrobe is starting to have some personality! Here's where we left off:  

As always, this would be a good point in wardrobe-building to pause, especially if you're purchasing all of these items. Wear all your new goodies in every possible combination (which will take quite a while!) and make ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that you're comfortable with the styles, the colors, and the overall mood. It's not a dreadful thing to stop at this point, if you feel that it's the right thing for you. It WOULD be dreadful if you kept on shopping and consuming and spending money without being certain!As I look at these 9 pieces, I clearly see that we'd better get some teal into this picture soon! And the ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe: Starting From Scratch, Stage 2

November 8, 2016   When we paused at the end of yesterday's capsule wardrobe building, we had five pieces of clothing - not a ton, but still enough for a tidy handful of outfits:  

Clearly, this wardrobe is going to take on some real depth of color with the addition of some accessories. I'm sticking with this gorgeous rich brown leather for as many things as I can manage, including a really nice bracelet!

 

watch - Kapten and Son; bracelet - Colana; scarf – Santorus;  earrings – Lagos; bag – Frye  

Generally speaking, a well-balanced wardrobe should have more "tops" than "bottoms." Jeans and trousers don't need to be laundered as frequently, and because they're worn below the waist, they're ... View the Post

12 Months, 12 Outfits in 6 Capsule Wardrobes: September

September 1, 2016  

It's really starting to sink in with me how big this file is!  31 pages of images, all but 1 of which gets changed each month... But it's such a fun exercise! As always, let's first look at the scarves around which we are building the 6 capsule wardrobes:

  For all six outfits for September, I included a flannel shirt, corduroy pants, shorts boots, gloves, a scarf, and some kind of vest. Within those fairly strict guidelines, I still was able to pull together some wide-ranging looks!  And yes, I would wear a plaid scarf with a plaid shirt. In a heartbeat...

Only 21 pieces of clothing, but it just feels like more, doesn't it?

 

 

The new additions are going ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Approaching Storm by Eugene-Louis Boudin

August 24, 2016   I hope these ladies don't have to sprint too far to escape the storm; they're not dressed for the 100 yard dash...  

But it's a beautiful painting, and it so vividly evokes that feeling when the weather is about to turn. I was particularly drawn to the simple, neutral color scheme:

 

  Other Things on Her Mind She travels with a lot of gear...

shirt – Lands’ End; watch – Marc Jacobs; socks – Topshop; loafers – Munro; earrings – Kate Spade; scarf – Bindya; jeans – L.L.Bean; cardigan – Closed; tote – Bohemia; suitcase – Tumi  

Actually, she's ALWAYS carrying bags and bags of photography equipment, even if she's not traveling. Photography is what she does, ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Mariana by John Everett Millais

August 2, 2016  

 

  Deceptive But not in any damaging way; she doesn't meant to mislead anyone...

But in her heart, she longs for castles, and brocade hangings on stone walls...

  In reality, her life is casual. Relaxed. No need for ANY dress - certainly not a fluid, draped, swinging and swaying swath of velvet in a rich, luscious color... But she keeps these feelings in mind when she's shopping: rich colors, intricate prints, and indulgent details and trims.

  The boldest thing she might do is mix a pair of deep, saturated colors. She does dare to wear a velvet hoodie, as well as one in cashmere. They are small rebellions, but essential for her well-being.

  Her jewelry ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Avenue in the Park by Gustav Klimt

July 26, 2016

Don't you want to walk down this avenue? I'm hoping that there's a lovely person with some iced coffee down there in that intriguing yellow building...

While green is the dominant color in this painting, there's no way to build even the smallest of capsule wardrobes around that shade of green, unless you make the garments yourself. So I've chosen the lovely grey of the tree trunks and branches as our neutral.

  Life List She's taking just a short break, but with a very specific purpose in mind...

She's packing just enough for a few days of walking outdoors, followed by casual dinners and long nights of restful sleep:

When her friends hear her mention her life list, they always assume that ... View the Post