The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Nature: A Cardinal, in Cool Colors

February 17, 2016  

There are a lot of cardinals in the park very near here - my favorite detour when I'm out and about is to go look for them. They are SO striking, and such a spot of cheerful color on these short, grey winter days!

I'm always taken with the way in which the male and female birds are colored differently. He is very high-contrast, in cool colors:

 

I'm going to visit her color scheme too, but for now, I was in the mood for a small 4 by 4 wardrobe in these colors. Maybe a miniature winter work wardrobe? (for those among us who do miniature winter work?)

Since the red tops won't ever be worn together (I don't know, physically, if you could), they don't have to be dye-lot matched. But ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe Starting with Art: a Buddhist Kesa

January 23, 2016

This was a little bit more challenging than I expected it to be! Finding these colors was surprisingly difficult... 

 

It's just a small exhibit - maybe 28 items? - but if you have a chance to come to Chicago, to the Art Institute, before February 14th, you won't be disappointed. The exhibit displays only a few of their collection of Buddhist kesa, but they're beautiful. And because this is a "minor" exhibit, in the basement area of the museum, it's usually quiet, and uncrowded (bordering on empty). Very restful, very inspiring, very wonderful way to spend an hour!

 

I considered using the burgundy as the first neutral, but I think that this olive/sage green is more readily available through ... View the Post

Packing for Paris! What I’m Doing Differently, This Time…

December 10, 2015  

I'm leaving today! Early this evening, in fact, which is a little bit irritating, because I don't get to Paris until 10 a.m. Sometimes this flight leaves much earlier, getting one to Paris in time for an early breakfast. Some day, I will understand why the airlines change things so often...But no matter! I'm going, and I'm going to have a wonderful time. If you want to keep up with my running around, please follow me on Instagram. (it's that little camera-ish thingy in the right margin area)  I plan to post something there at least hourly when I'm awake, so everybody will know that I'm okay...

Differently? My primary plan originally was that I was going to be pretty informal - jeans and nice athletic ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Charcoal

December 9, 2015   One of my favorite colors - easier to wear than black, and easier to pull together outfits! So long as your grays are in the same general tone, things don't have to match exactly - always a help.  

I used all kinds of schemes for finding pieces this time - I started by looking at men's scarves (always a mystery to me...). The crinkled scarf here is worth taking a look - it's actually a large image of Napoleon. Wearing sunglasses. Designers are an interesting lot, aren't they?  (and PLEASE admire that I found square earrings to echo the gridlike nature of the quilted jackets... these are the things that entertain me no end! and the earrings on the left combine the warmth of gold and the coolness ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Teal or Petrol Blue

December 8, 2015  

First up, I have to confess that the whole question about what, exactly, this color is called is a mystery to me. I found all sort of shades and tones of these color under both Teal and Petrol blue. It seemed, in a general sense, that it was more likely to be called Teal in North America, and Petrol blue in Europe. Further, the things that claimed to be Petrol were generally more expensive than those that were called Teal. You may find different examples...But whatever it's called, it's very pretty!

In the time that I've been looking into the idea of accent colors, I've approached finding ideas a few different ways. Some color I just knew would work well, and some were combinations that I have wanted to ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Taupe

December 3, 2015  

Taupe is SO elusive, and can be interpreted in so many ways! But to me, taupe means a greyish beige, that's sophisticated and subtle.I found all four garments today at L.L.Bean. It's great to be able to find multiple pieces in a difficult color in 1 place - it improves the chances that the garments will match or at least blend nicely.

Some of you have made it very clear that you think Bean is terribly unsophisticated and boring, but I find some of the nicest, best-made, most classically styled clothes there, at prices that don't require missing a mortgage payment! We can't all wear runway designer clothes... You are free to replicate these looks at much higher prices if that's what you prefer.

trail ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Camel

December 2, 2015   Camel - sometimes, nothing looking more elegant.  

There are a lot of neutrals that work here - I could easily have used black and grey, olive and brown etc etc.

 

Camel is also very versatile with bright colors; I chose these mostly because they're rather uncommon, and I like to give you ideas that you might not have otherwise considered!

 

Muted colors are also pretty easy with camel, because it has an inherently soft quality. And I'm still showing how very useful that white vest can be for most of us!

 

As with muted colors, pastels are also well-suited to wear with camel. I still haven't found a pair of mint green shoes that I consider ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Grey

December 1, 2015  

I love grey, and it's rather easy to shop for, but you do want to be aware of the varying shades of grey (some very yellowish, and other quite blue). They don't always blend as well as one might prefer! The answer is generally to carry a key piece with you when shopping, to avoid any sort of "mis-remembering" of the color...

Yes, I've included this really great turtleneck AGAIN. I'm smitten with it, I tell you, but I absolutely CAN'T justify buying another sweater. I will probably survive the lack, I suspect!

It is incredibly easy to pair the grey core outfit with black or navy, so I thought I would wander further afield, into some warmer neutrals. This might be an excellent way to easy yourself into ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Olive Green

November 30, 2015   Oooh, olive is a difficult color to find, and when something turns up that's called olive, it could be anything from a nasty yellowish green pond-scum color, to this lovely deep and dusty green:  

  You will, I'm sure, note that these colors don't match absolutely exactly perfectly. I don't have too much trouble with that, so long as they're lighter and darker versions of the same shade of green. It's a difficult color to find and to match, but well worth the effort. By virtue of being so uncommon, you will never blend into a crowd when you wear it! And it can be madly flattering...

First up, what neutrals look good with olive? I'm quickly learning that marsala/wine/burgundy goes with ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Navy

November 28, 2015   Navy is always so elegant... These four pieces have so much potential!  

The olive accent keeps re-appearing! I really like using it as a secondary neutral with navy - it warms it up and gives it a rich glow. And of course, grey and navy were born to go together...

And I must share something sort of inexplicable that I keep running into: there are MEN'S scarves, and WOMEN'S scarves. Why, in all the worlds, would this be? But please be advised - if you're looking for a scarf in a plaid, paisley, or timeless menswear pattern, look in the men's department. They are usually less expensive too, which REALLY hacks me off.... sigh...

You knew there would, eventually, be a red vest in here ... View the Post

Choosing an Accent Color for Brown

As I mentioned yesterday, I want to look at the possibility of different accent colors for a few neutrals - today let's think about dark chocolate brown!

 

First up, the core four garments upon which we will build these outfits. Having these 4 pieces can make your life so much easier....

Ryder pants – J.Crew; cashmere turtleneck – J. Crew;  jeans – Austin Reed; ribbed crewneck - Michael Kors Collection  

I took the same approach, starting with two neutral colors that could serve as accents in a mainly brown wardrobe. If you were building a wardrobe with more than 1 neutral, you would have lots of options like this:

Olive vest – L.L.Bean; green earrings – GFG Jewellery; scarf – L.L.Bean; ... View the Post