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October 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #1: Eiffel Tower by Robert Delaunay

October 1, 2025

I can't believe it's October - we're still wearing summer clothes in Chicago! But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't prepare for the weather changes...

Let's pause for just a moment and admire this painting. I'm concerned that in our pursuit of lovely wardrobes, we might lose sight of the beauty of art.

This month, our heroine had two goals. Well, her primary and probably ONLY goal here is to purchase things that are both lovely and useful for her wardrobe! But she also wanted to pay attention to her Weekly Timeless Wardrobe table to try to purchase things that were "expected" to be in her wardrobe. Secondly, she wanted to try to even up the color balance in her wardrobe between the browns and the blues! Sounds ... View the Post

Like Unusual Accent Colors with Classic Neutrals? Start With Art – In Vaudeville by Charles Demuth

September 26, 2025

If things go REALLY well, I'm flying back from London to Chicago today. I'm writing this on the 17th, so if things are sold out or if something is haywire here, I apologize! I will fix it next week... xoxo, J

We looked at this painting a long time ago, and I still think of it often. The colors are like nothing else!

This could be quite a complete wardrobe in ivory, taupe and black, of course. But adding yellow and rosy coral is a real departure from what one might expect...

Our heroine's going to a dance competition - having talented children occasionally requires hitting the road for a few days! They're going by train; the dancer in question has a LOT of gear to bring, so packing small is in our ... View the Post

A Complete Cool-Weather Wardrobe? Start With Art – The Dark Lady by A.K.Zinkeisen

September 15, 2025

Let's take one last, lingering and appreciative look at our painting inspiration:

This is the color palette with which we've been working, taken from this painting. You can always add faded denim - there's a glimpse of the sky in the top left corner...

Let's remember too, that we have four possible color palettes using only three colors...

For our first Six-Pack travel capsule wardrobe, our heroine decided to forego wearing black for a few days!

For her second travel capsule wardrobe, our heroine chose to not pack anything ivory - we can all picture this kind of trip!

At the approach of the winter holidays, our heroine focused more on burgundy, and omitted camel for this capsule ... View the Post

Want to Stick to Neutrals? Start With Art – The Dark Lady by Anna Katrina Zinkeisen

September 12, 2025

The last of the four "three-color" wardrobes based on this gorgeous painting:

Our heroine is on her last of four palettes - a perfect calm, neutral color scheme for after the holidays, when one needs to be disciplined and focused for the adventures ahead! Our heroine isn't even quite sure where she will be traveling, but she's pretty confident she will be able to pack without stress...

Warmly bundled up - she could easily wear a camelhair coat, or a black parka, over this outfit...

Of course, if she's packing her long plaid coat/cardigan, then her long coat would make more sense. Unless she won't NEED a coat over her "coatigan". It depends on where she's going, what time of year it is, what she's ... View the Post

Avoid A Warm Neutral? Start With Art – The Dark Lady by Anna Katrina Zinkeisen

September 10, 2025

Back to exploring the possibilities offered to us in this most beautiful painting:

If you have four neutrals colors in your plan, you (by definition!) should have four three-color color schemes that you can use for smaller wardrobes, like a single season, or for travel:

Our heroine is planning ahead to pack for the winter holidays. She wants to stick with lots of red, and some black and white because that feels festive to her! That's really all that matters - pack what you want to pack! (I'm planning my packing for London right now, and I have to keep reminding myself of this...)

As far as she can tell, she's going to have a church service to attend the evening she arrives at her sister's ... View the Post

September 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #6: Pines by the Sea by Bertha Lum

September 8, 2025

The last of the six paintings for September, and it's always lovely:

Our heroine was very practical this month, adding items from her Weekly Timeless Wardrobe list, and then treating herself to beautiful earrings and the matching pendant! A scarf at the very darkest end of her spectrum finishes her shopping...

Her shopping sticks with her plan!

Her wardrobe is pretty evenly balanced, with 21 garments in the blue/white/light green family:

And 19 garments that are teal or shades of camel and brown. I suspect that another month of shopping for autumn and winter clothing will bring this more closely into balance, but you never know...

This heroine has the best scarves and ... View the Post

September 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #5: Sun, Water Maine by Georgia O’Keeffe

September 5, 2025

I think if I had to use just one artist on The Vivienne Files, it might be Georgia O'Keeffe...

Our heroine made very disciplined clothing choices this month, and then treated herself to a necklace and earrings! That's a reasonable balance of shopping - a mix of basics and pretty adornments:

Her plan for her Weekly Timeless Wardrobe is going well. It might be difficult to find sleeveless tops between now and the end of the year, but these plans just don't usually go perfectly.

When I divide this wardrobe by colors, it shows a lack of balance that at first seems alarming. But upon reflection, there's no compelling reason that she MUST have an equal number of beige and blue/green clothes. The fashion ... View the Post

September 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #4: Of by Elizabeth Magill

September 4, 2025

Let's continue our adventure with our heroine who is trying to see how far she can take a wardrobe that's essential two colors, with white added in. Her inspiration is this wonderful painting:

It's finally the time of year - and the right year - to find some burgundy clothes! And our heroine very wisely picked up a charcoal cotton turtleneck while it's available. It's amazing how frequently something that you would expect to be available throughout a season just vanishes before the season even properly starts!

Our heroine managed to stay in her "winter" column when shopping this month! She may never be quite as on time as this again... But we did fudge things a bit - this isn't really a "warm" skirt, ... View the Post

September 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #3: The Swan No. 24 by Hilma Af Klint

September 3, 2025

Something that's never happened before, in the history of The Vivienne Files...

Let's start by enjoying another look at this painting - enigmatic, a bit mystic, with gorgeous colors.

I've decided - after reading all of your comments - to switch the dark brown that I was using in August for a more rust brown. You were right that it would be interesting, and possibly very lovely!

Her Weekly Timeless Wardrobe plan is proceeding okay, but as with so many heroines, we're going to have issues trying to find all of the warm-weather clothes on her list.

Human error will play a role in anybody's wardrobe, right?

Dividing our heroine's wardrobe into dark and light gives us the following; please ... View the Post

September 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #2: Eiffel Tower by Robert Delaunay

September 2, 2025

I love the way this painting feels like autumn, although the leaves in the painting are green! Is it the browns? I think so...

Our heroine's shopping was... eclectic, this month. She realized from looking at her Weekly Timeless Wardrobe template that she "should" be looking for dresses (while knowing full well that there is no "should" in planning a wardrobe!). And she stumbled across the two turtlenecks in perfect colors, and decided to buy them before they were out of stock.

The jewelry was impossible to resist, as was the scarf. This heroine might find herself in some shoe trouble later, but she will address that when it happens!

She's making good progress with her Weekly Timeless Wardrobe - although ... View the Post

September 2025 Six Paintings – 12 Months #1: Street Lights by Stefan Johansson

September 1, 2025

I don't know why, but I feel better now that it's September. It makes no sense.

Maybe because more travel is on the near horizon - London later this month! And - of course - I'm going to Paris in December. It's a tradition, isn't it?

Let's start with this most quintessential of autumn-hued paintings:

Our heroine has kept her color palette unchanged, although she hasn't yet been able to find anything in that avocado/peridot/lime green. Until now! This is how it happens sometimes - all of the sudden a color is everywhere.

And - if you've been planning to include this color in your wardrobe, you've got to be ready to strike while the iron is hot. Or, maybe, you'll reconsider, once you see the color in ... View the Post

Avoiding Wearing Light Colors? Start with Art – The Dark Lady by Anna Katrine Zinkeisen

August 30, 2025

Back to visit our heroine from Wednesday, and her most alluring and engaging favorite painting:

When our heroine knew that she was going to help out at her high school's Homecoming weekend, she knew that she was going to need a darker-hued travel capsule wardrobe! Setting things up (and tearing them down) for the entertainment of teenagers is NOT for the faint of heart...

She looked over her options, and chose the palette that omitted ivory. Smart lady!

I have a hunch that almost all of us look at least passably good in burgundy. What say thee, my friends?

And yes, these palazzo pants might look like pants here, but in person, they're more like a longish split skirt. Talk about useful!

She knows ... View the Post