The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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August 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #5: Of by Elizabeth Magill

August 7, 2025

I love this painting, and I'm quite smitten with the colors, but I'm starting to see how hard it can be to have a wardrobe this disciplined:

I really love the way this heroine has such a strong signature look. But her shopping can be difficult... Maybe that's not all bad - if everything you see appeals to you AND would look good with your wardrobe, you're living with a ton of temptation. Hmm...

This month, she found another crewneck sweater in a quite different shade of plum from her other crewneck. The shirt is just cool - smocked cuffs? A plum tee shirt and classic grey pants round out her shopping:

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe template is difficult for this heroine - does she really HAVE an accent ... View the Post

August 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #4: The Swan No. 24 by Hilma Af Klint

August 6, 2025

Today, we're going to play fast and loose with our color palette!

No, we're not going to go completely off the rails, but we are going to make a modest modification to this color palette, in order to better serve the needs of our heroine. (OMG, she split the infinitive!)

As tempting as that rusty brown color is, it's two things that don't work for our heroine. First, it's quite difficult to find! And secondly, it's not always lovely with black - at least to this one particular woman. Always remember, it's YOUR color palette, and if you need to modify it, do it!

So we're going to incorporate a more classic, traditional coffee brown into this wardrobe. It's pretty, it looks really chic with black, and many of us ... View the Post

August 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #3: Eiffel Tower by Robert Delaunay

August 5, 2025

I'm so excited - I just booked my annual December trip to Paris! I went crazy - I'm staying at a hotel that used to be a bakery (seriously!) and was decorated by Christian Lacroix. I've reached the point that flying over an ocean is sufficiently exhausting that I want to be pampered when I arrive!

If you go to their website, note that I've also stayed at the Pavillon des Lettres (same management company), and it was amazing...

Speaking of Paris:

Our heroine has a wonderful wardrobe in these colors, and she has the fun of balancing brown and navy - two excellent, very compatible neutrals. This month, she found a wonderful brown sweater in a style that's just a little bit unusual, and she was off to the ... View the Post

August 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #2: Street Lights along Klaralven River by Stefan Johansson

August 4, 2025

For years, my family insisted that I was really an "autumn," and dressed me in shades of brown, green and gold. It didn't really work, but looking at this painting makes me wish that I really could have that kind of warm coloring!

Our heroine for this wardrobe actually started by looking at her Weekly Timeless Wardrobe list, to see what she needed! She realized that she wanted to pick up a couple of print tops...

From there, it was so easy. She stumbled across these Dijon yellow pieces, and made the very smart decision to get all three of them. Having the solid fleece top to wear over her stripes makes getting dressed so easy...

She's looking very organized!

I'm quite certain that next month I will ... View the Post

Want to Extend Your Wardrobe Cluster into Autumn? Start With Art – Book Illustration by Goyo Hashiguchi

July 14, 2025

She's loving her 5 piece of ivory clothing. It's easy, it's elegant (in a casual way!), and she wants to wear these things well into autumn.

Can she?

Let's start with some inspiration:

Her accent colors are clear:

Her ivory core wardrobe is pretty well suited to extend into cooler weather:

As soon as our heroine starts looking at clothes, she realizes that for Autumn, she's going to shop in the very darkest versions of her accent colors. Maybe in the Spring we'll revisit this heroine to see if we can find her some pretty pastels...

But these additions are pretty delicious!

Nine pieces of clothing doesn't feel like a lot...

but it's almost impossible to put a foot wrong in this ... View the Post

Black & Brights? Start With Art: Stained Glass Window by Harry Clarke

July 9, 2025

Yes, this is the image that I had made into a scarf!

There aren't a million colors here; I chose turquoise, purple and red...

Our heroine today travels frequently for work, and doesn't visit the same destinations more than ever six months. This is fortunate for her, and makes packing easy; she starts with a core wardrobe and works around it through the autumn and winter:

Purple is her favorite color, so she really stocks up here. You can get a look at the one-of-a-kind scarf!

Packing just one sweater and a couple of accessories in an accent color can give you all kinds of options; you look different, and you don't get bored with your wardrobe. (although I have to admit that I have never been bored ... View the Post

The Least I Can Pack – Maybe? – For Ireland

March 17, 2025

Happy St. Patrick's Day! I was to have been in Dublin this week, but family emergencies have kept us in Chicago. I figured that I could still share with you what I'd planned to pack, since I took so much time pondering it! So here's the post, as it was originally going to be published:

I'm taking as small a wardrobe as I think I can tolerate; there are a couple of very good laundries near our hotel - one north of us, one south! No matter where we're heading out for the day, we can drop off shirts and anything else that's beyond the pale of wearing again. I'm happy to pay someone to do my laundry a couple of times a year.

Here's what I'm flying in - not showing a short black quilted jacket...

Please note that these ... View the Post

Adding Accessories – Start With Art – Cow’s Skull: Red, White and Blue by Georgia O’Keeffe

February 26, 2025

Of course, our heroine from Monday is going to need some accessories for her work wardrobe - shoes, at a bare minimum! And it's certain that she's going to be carrying a pretty big bag, since she has to carry her laptop, her mouse & mousepad, her power cords, and anything else she needs at her desk each day.

Here's the art which inspires her:

Here's the wardrobe with which we left our friend:

As much as our heroine would have loved to fill this part of her wardrobe with small sharp things, she (for the most part!) has stuck to normal, acceptable choices. If anybody asks about the skull earrings and necklace, she plans to launch into a lengthy Stoic philosophy speech about Memento Mori...

Her ... View the Post

Need a “Back in the Office” Wardrobe? Start With Art – Cow’s Skull by Georgia O’Keeffe

February 24, 2025

It's the most common question I've received since the first of the year - you've got to be back in the office FIVE DAYS A WEEK. And you don't have a clue what to wear, this time...

A specific question was from someone going back into a relatively dressy office, except for the "every two weeks Casual Friday." Our heroine doesn't want a big wardrobe for cool weather, since she only expects another 10 to 12 weeks during which she will need such things, so we're targeting a 4x4 Wardrobe.

She also has all kinds of plans to quit her current job, in favor of a place where she can continue to work from home. Much up in the air for this heroine; let's make her wardrobe simple and foolproof!

This was the color palette ... View the Post

Do You Love Timeless Style? The Neo-Classical Bracelets by Fierce Lynx Designs

February 19, 2025

She likes to wear things for years. Decades, if she can manage it! So she's mostly interested in classic garments - those things that nobody can really date, and that always feel familiar, comfortable and easy to wear.

For an upcoming business trip - short, but demanding - she's starting with her new bracelets:

Although she could use gray as her dark neutral, this trip she's going with black!

Partly because she knows that she's going to be cold in transit, and she wants to wear her flannel suit:

She only needs one additional "business" outfit, after she breaks the ice and meets everyone the first day. So she opts for a skirt and sweater - still warm, still business appropriate:

As ... View the Post

To Buy, Or Not to Buy? Yoke Detail sweater by Celtic & Co.

February 14, 2025

It's always a dilemma - you see something you admire/love, but you're not quite sure WHAT you'd do with it, if you make the decision to purchase...

What about this sweater? If you look lovely in soft shades - especially in beige, tan or taupe, this might call your name:

For no good reason I can identify, I decided that I would look at this sweater through the lens of the Wardrobe Slot Machine - a system in which one chooses nine garments that are foolproof for assembling outfits. This is the blank template:

Thinking about buying a top suggests that your first question would be about what bottoms you would wear with your new sweater. Jeans? Chinos? Cords? And do you have shoes to wear with your new ... View the Post

I Love It, But Will I Wear It? Grey Cashmere Sweatshirt

January 13, 2025

It's something we all need to do - wear what we already own much more frequently, and make certain that anything we buy will be worn a lot, for years and years...

In pursuit of making good decisions, I hear from you. A current dilemma seems to surround the idea of a cashmere sweatshirt - is it a sweatshirt, or a cashmere sweater? Do I wear with casually, or do I dress it up?

To which I respond? YES. Yes to all. Swing every which way with a beautiful sweatshirt, and wear it so often that it's a comfortable "top of mind" starter for any outfit, for most occasions.

I have ideas starting with casual and ranging up to somewhat dressy. I'm going to share these without comment, so I can clearly hear your ... View the Post