Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature
July 7, 2017
Well, around the colors of a pigeon, yes. I did it a few years ago, and it's still a favorite wardrobe of mine!
It's terribly difficult to find clothes in these subtle shades; if this was my wardrobe, I might have to have a pet pigeon to carry about with me, just to use as a color reference...
love, Janice ... View the Post
June 23, 2017
My great-niece is a big fan of pink and purple, so this flashback is for her... I was delighted to note that a few of these pieces are still available!
Look closely at the scarf - do you see the horses with the riders on them? You might want to do some enlarging...
This was a pretty great wardrobe - chock full of cheerful bright colors and a few really bold prints! It requires a certain woman, but she would certainly stand out in any crowd!
Sorry to spring 2 "flash backs" on you on 2 consecutive days, but when I was reminded of Kiki's birthday, I could NOT avoid pink and purple. It's a little girl imperative!
love, Janice ... View the Post
July 7, 2017 It's a Very... Weird... Beach House... (based on a real beach house I've seen...)
It has a dead-end hallway, with a big window... All of the 10, 11 and 12 year old's sleep there, in their sleeping bags. Well, "sleep..."
And there's 1 room that really must have been meant to be a walk-in closet. It's that small... It's been her room, for years.
She has a twin bed, a rocking chair, and a shelf attached to the wall that serves as a nightstand. There's no closet - just pegs stuck into the shadiest wall...
But her room has its own bathroom! It's tiny, but still... in a house with over 2 dozen people, it's a luxury!
And ... View the Post
March 24, 2017
After you've had a bit of time to process the outfits for the first 4 months of the year, which I shared here yesterday, it's time to dive back in and finish the year, and the capsule wardrobe!
First, let's refresh our memories about what our "inspiration scarf" is, and the color palette that I drew from the scarf:
She Loves Flowers And she has no better explanation for it than that - she loves them. Yes, she grew up helping her parents in their flower beds - that certainly played some role in her affections...
So when she didn't have to go to the office any longer, she decided to remake her wardrobe in the image of her dreams and desires - flowers, and flowery colors!
Sometimes, when the weather ... View the Post
March 23, 2017
A normal blogger would wait until this was finished to share it with you, but nobody's ever accused me of being normal!
I freely admit that I think Ted Baker London makes some of the most beautiful scarves, and that they are an excellent starting point for a well-chosen capsule wardrobe. This just screams spring to me... and if you're a pansy person (or you love someone who is) this would be a beautiful "no reason at all" gift:
This beautiful floral is available in such wide-ranging lovelies as ballet flats, bags, 2 swimsuits, a cover-up, cropped trousers and a matching sleeveless top, a blouse, a tee shirt, a couple of skirts, a couple of dresses and of course other shapes and sizes of scarves. I have to admit ... View the Post
March 20, 2017
So far, we've been relatively subtle in our accent colors... THAT'S going to change!
I see many things in this image, but I do NOT see a pot of tea!
What might be the thing that really threw this painting into the "must address" bucket for The Vivienne Files is the surprising presence of that beautiful purple. (and yes, a wee touch of green!) Normally, I think most of us, if we were painting this, might be tempted to use blue alongside the red and yellow. But that's why he's Leger, and we're not...
I also really appreciate the degree to which these colors are strong, but not jarring or neon. That takes a bit of skill...
I know we're getting a bit weary of seeing these, but I have to always remember that ... View the Post
February 6, 2017
It's a question that comes up surprisingly often - I'm an adult woman, and I sometimes feel like I'm too old to wear my birthstone...
Well, if you don't tell anybody that you were born in February, or that amethysts are your birthstone, they won't know the difference; they'll just think that you like amethysts, or the color purple.
And if they do know that it's your birthstone, and for some reason they think that it's odd that you wear them... ignore them. Well, ignore this particular judgment, for a judgment is what it is. And not a kind one...
I was born in June. I wear pearls a LOT. Clearly, I don't care if someone thinks I'm channeling my inner 3rd grader!
But frankly, it's nobody's business but ... View the Post
January 11, 2017
Monday, we pulled together a wonderful business capsule wardrobe with a navy suit for the reader with a new job, but let's get her some accessories too!
Obviously, she had shoes on when she interviewed, but let's add a beautiful pair of black pumps, with comfortably low heels, to her wardrobe first:
And I always want earrings, sooner than later. I know women who never wear them and who look just fine, but I always feel more... complete? finished? when I get my earrings on...
While it's entirely possible to carry everything you need in your pockets when you're just banging around town, for work, a nice bag is essential. I didn't try to get navy leather goods for this ... View the Post
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
December 30, 2016
One last time:
Mr. Randall has a great eye, doesn't he?
When we left our wardrobe at the end of the day yesterday, this is where we were - 25 pieces, lots and lots of ways to wear them, a good balance of colors EXCEPT those 2 beige/brown pieces. I'm still not feeling comfortable with them...
If you need to catch up to where we are, check Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and yesterday's posts.
In order to evaluate this wardrobe, there are lots of options (see the various ways that I reviewed the "12 Months, 12 Outfits" wardrobes for some ideas), but I like to just sort by color and see what seems obvious.
The grey items look great - a little heavy on outerwear and sweaters, which ... View the Post
December 29, 2016
We're up to a 15-piece capsule wardrobe, all based on this truly amazing photograph:
I'm still not tired of the photograph...
You can see how we got this far by looking back to Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Here's another... color scheme hurdle? I'm not sure what to call it... but I'm still struggling with the inclusion of the warm tan/camel/brown color family in this wardrobe, and I'm not quite sure why...
But one of the easiest ways to incorporate these colors into a wardrobe is through camel - specifically, a camel sweater. And just in case you were wondering, these sweaters from Uniqlo (like the turtleneck shown here) are very nice quality, and very affordable. They're not life-investments, ... View the Post
December 28, 2016
When we left this wardrobe yesterday, we had nine pieces of clothing - a small assortment, but sufficient for two dozen outfits. And the wardrobe has a nice coherent look that's beginning to take shape:
Time to bring some more color into this wardrobe! The photograph from which we're working gives us options for a wide range of shades of purple, from the lightest pastel to the deepest violet blue. The differences between these 2 colors means that you will have outfits that "feel" two very different ways.And a bit more gold metal jewelry, as suggested by the clouds in the upper left corner of the photograph. The grey stones still anchor this necklace well within a grey-based wardrobe. (I hope!) Botkier has ... View the Post
