The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Start With Art: Trumpet Creeper by Abby Williams Hill

November 13, 2014   Isn't this beautiful? One of you sent it to me, and it captivated me immediately. The vertical layout, the soft background, the muted shades of green and blue, the accents of warm rust, gold and orange - what a wonderful painting.   There are so many things about this that could serve as inspiration and focus: the colors, the organic nature of the image, the soft blending of the background colors, the use of about a billion shades of bluish green - there's just no end to the ideas that can come from this one work of art. (but that's probably true, for the right person, of any work of art, right?)  

  This was my chosen color scheme - a base in very dark navy, accents of all those ... View the Post

A 4 by 4 Capsule Wardrobe in Saffron, Ivory, Navy and Brown

September 2, 2014  

We've spent a lot of time considering the many charms of navy, but nothing quite compares to the new look that we get when we introduce a bright orangish-gold color into the mix! The beauty of these bright accents is that you still have the option to dress is a neutral, monochromatic way, when you wish to, but you also have the ability to break out some statement accents when you want to stand out in a crowd. I was amazed at how beautiful this is...   I think what we can all learn from this capsule wardrobe is that you should be faithful to your accent color of choice, no matter how rarely it appears in the garment world. If you truly (TRULY!) are drawn to a particular color, be loyal to your instincts ... View the Post

What I Packed for Florida

May 30, 2014 I completely missed the backpacking around Europe experience - I never took a year off of school, and I never even WENT to Europe until I was 35... But I'm still fascinated by the whole experience of being THAT light on your feet - that self-contained.  So when a really nice Patagonia backpack made it into our home, I decided that I was going to give it a try.  At least once, just to know what it's like, I'm going to be a backpacker...

I loved it.  The incredible lightness of putting all of your luggage under the seat in front of you, and being able to walk for miles without wheels, was memorable.  I don't know that I'll ever do it again, but it was wonderful.

There were a few factors that made this ... View the Post

Choosing a Scarf: Hermes in Orange

May 24, 2014  

 About a year go, I wrote a pretty popular post about how to isolate the perfect scarf from among a range of similar items. My thesis is that your new purchase should feel as if it's coming home to be among it's relatives...

Someone sent me a question - they love this particular scarf design, and they've got a few orange garments. But how do you make the final choice?

You've got garments kind of like this to wear with the scarf that you finally choose.

 

  Are you fond of the high contrast between the orange and cooler tones of greens and blues?

Or is the base of your wardrobe mostly subtle beige and ivory tones?

  Maybe you love orange because you love ... View the Post

Start with Art: The Libyan Sibyl by Michelangelo

May 6, 2014

I am often asked to consider basing a wardrobe or a travel capsule on this most lovely of Michelangelo's works, and I have to admit that I find her sort of intimidating! The unusual color combinations, as well as the overall strength and power of her image are so striking that my brain goes a bit blank after studying her for a while.

Let me quote, at length, the excellent www.moodbook.com site's description of her:

"The Libica, or Libyan Sibyl brings pre-Christian prophecy to a close. With a graceful movement, displaying her lovely shoulders, her foreshortened arms, and the lowered profile of her fine head with its gold tresses, she lays aside the open book as if about to close it. It is a large and cumbersome ... View the Post

Start With Art: Jackpine by Tom Thomson

February 18, 2014   This painting has such gorgeous colors, and for a summer travel wardrobe the options are wonderful...   I'm starting with a core of four - I'm a really strong believer in the usefulness of having a core of neutral garments around which everything else can revolve.  The colors don't have to be dye-lot matched, but they should be chosen with an eye to being wearable together.  And getting your shoes taken care of frees you up to go just a bit wild later on in your second and third waves of shopping!    

   For summer, shorts and capris.  Then when you branch out into tee shirts, this painting gives you a wide variety of colors from which to ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting With a “Difficult” Scarf: Sepia and Light Grey

January 24, 2014   One of my friends asked me specifically to suggest some ways to wear this scarf - Musique des Spheres, from Hermes. The scarf came out... at least 10 years ago? And thus is only available on the secondary market, but as you can clearly see, it's a stunner. There is NOT a pink patch in the upper left corner... I struggled to find the best image of this scarf I could, and this was what I found.   Identifying the adjectives that convey the aesthetic of this scarf is difficult - I had to think and study for quite a while. But I found that I kept coming back to the ideas of contrast (the clarity of the lines against the background), balanced with an overall sense of muted coloring (the scarf is not pure white, ... View the Post

Start With a “Difficult” Scarf: Black and White

January 22, 2014   This scarf, currently available from Hermes, is incredibly beautiful - much more interesting in person than any photograph can do justice...  

  But it's easy to see how you could fall into the routine of wearing this scarf pretty much exclusively with black and white garments - it just seems reasonable.  So I'm proposing a mental "reframing" of the scarf that might expand your comfort zone with it...   First off, think of the adjectives that characterize the unique beauty and appeal of this scarf.  To me, this scarf is clear, graphic, and linear.  This gives you a basis upon which to think about the sort of outfits that might benefit from the addition of this ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Woman in Hat with Pompoms and a Printed Blouse – Picasso

January 7, 2014   Many readers asked me to work with a Picasso painting, and I happily oblige.  These outfits are based on beige, just as the painting is literally on a beige background.  Accents of red, orange, yellow, a touch of green, and you're set for almost anything!   My guiding adjectives for this project were warm, saturated, and clear, with unexpected bursts of bright against the toasty neutral.  

     

  This is a wardrobe that could see someone through much of the summer!  

love,

Janice ... View the Post

Casual Packing: The “Triple Top” Secret

October 29, 2013   Here are a couple of examples of how my Triple Top Secret selection of tops can work for a really casual trip (or just a day to day wardrobe).  First, I started with a cool flowered shirt, got really gutsy and tossed in a striped tee shirt, and worked from there.  Yes, I would wear the stripes and the flowers together...  

I realized after working with this idea for a while that there are, in fact, two "triples" inherent in this idea:

 

  Yes, the button-front shirt is critical!  A shirt that can both be worn as a jacket or 2nd layer, but also layered under a sweater or sweatshirt, is key.  

    Here's an example of how this can work with some ... View the Post