The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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An Introduction: 52 Weeks, 52 Garments, or (as I’m calling it) the Weekly Timeless Wardrobe

June 17, 2019

After some mulling about, making lists, thinking and thinking some MORE, I think I'm ready to give this a go!

Starting the first Monday in July, I will, every Monday for a year, propose a garment which for most of us would qualify as a core wardrobe item. A staple. A classic...

Not all of these are going to apply to you; I suspect that many of us aren't going to want or need more than... 40? of these. But you might like all 52 - it will be an interesting process!

My system was to divide the year into 4 quarters of 13 weeks. Each quarter will include 13 garments that echo a 13-week "system" of pieces that looks like this...

These aren't going to be snazzy, eye-catching statement garments - this project is ... View the Post

White Jeans? They’re Quite Versatile…

May 25, 2019

As I continue to minimize my wardrobe (it's going to take forever!), I try to make a point of keeping individual garments that are most versatile. That's not to say that every piece of clothing you own should be wearable 10 ways, but for core pieces it's worth considering.

I bought these a few weeks ago, to replace my old white jeans, which looked as if I'd worn them to clean... something disgusting...

(I don't consider replacing worn-out garments to be shopping, so by my rules, I haven't violated my "no shopping in 2019" plan! If you make your own rules, you NEVER break them, right?)

I have some thoughts about the "best" jeans to get - uncomplicated and easy to wear often without them being too memorable, or ... View the Post

April Travel – Start with Art: Verre et Paquet de Tabac by Juan Gris

April 19, 2019

Remember our heroine who helps non-math types learn to work with data and statistics? She's on the road again!

She likes structure, and clear-cut plans. She was wise enough to realize that she would NEVER find clothes in this "wet cardboard" color, so she substituted her favorite bright yellow/gold for the beige... This is her inspiration:

She likes bright, and cheery, and she's happy to hold the attention of her "students" while she's persuading them that numbers will not hurt them...

Because she works for an advertising agency, she doesn't have to get super dressed up, but she always likes to have something with her to look businesslike. You never know when office managers and assorted executives might ... View the Post

April Travel – Start with Art: Street, Berlin by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner

April 12, 2019

After retirement, they decided that they were going to travel to a new destination every 3 months for the first year! Just for a few days....

In the winter, they went somewhere warmer - I'm not sure, but it might have been Barcelona?

When our heroine and her sweetheart hatched this plot, our heroine chose this very evocative painting as her color inspiration:

Yes, April in Paris She's very excited...

Maybe a striped top is cliche to wear to Paris, but she loves her travel outfit - classic, simple, comfortable...

And since retirement is rekindling the romance in their lives, she's sticking with some pink accents. Something about pink just feels romantic to her. And her true love seems to ... View the Post

Start with a Bracelet – The March monthly bracelet from Fierce Lynx Designs!

March 15, 2019

This is really exciting - one of my genius technical helpers here on The Vivienne Files ALSO makes jewelry. (don't you just hate these creative types?)

And she's going to make a special bracelet, each month, for US, here at The Vivienne Files!

Here's the first one:

How gorgeous is that?

So I'm thinking about warm weather, and lakes, and beaches, and summer homes...

My color scheme is this:

And I'm planning a wardrobe that you can pull together and then leave at the beach house until at least May or June. My plan is to wear super-light colored clothing, so that it feels summery. But I'll also make certain that our heroine has a few warm garments - spring evenings aren't always warm!

First up, ... View the Post

Start with Art: From the Lake by Georgia O’Keeffe

March 9, 2019

Planning a wardrobe with mostly neutrals doesn't mean that your wardrobe will be predictable...

Let's start with this most wonderful painting:

It's pretty simple - we can start with the same neutral clothes that we used a few days ago...

Ah, but the accent pieces are quite different. One of the neat things here is that this heroine could have 5 neutrals... the brown and the grey would both be excellent secondary wardrobe neutrals, don't you think?

This wardrobe feels very different to me than the earlier version with bright accents:

I've kept the silver earrings, and then added in brown and aqua...

Same with the bracelets - her neutrals are still perfect for her wardrobe, but ... View the Post

Can You Have Too Many Neutrals? Start with a Scarf – The Tropical Scarf by Pig, Chicken & Cow

February 27, 2019

I am often asked if it's possible to have a wardrobe that's TOO neutral...

Hmmm. My first thought is that if someone is concerned about feeling this way, maybe their wardrobe is too neutral for them. Conversely, maybe these questioners are perfectly happy with their wardrobe, but they get critical feedback from others. (how often do those of us who love wearing black get criticized for being Goth, as if that made any sense...)

The answer, I think you already know, is NO, no wardrobe is too bright, nor too neutral, nor too pastel, unless it doesn't suit you, and doesn't make you feel beautiful and happy and free to do your important things.

But in the interest of investigating a wardrobe that's 75% neutral, ... View the Post

What if You Want LOTS of Accent Colors in Your Wardrobe?

February 8, 2019

Maybe you don't want to limit your wardrobe to just a few accent colors... It could be that you've received scarves as gifts that you want to keep, and wear. Maybe you just like a range of colors - you really don't have to explain yourself to anyone!

But you also don't have to buy tons of things...

Stick with me here!

Let's start with this most lovely scarf, and the color palette that it suggests. It's not an outrageously odd color scheme, and it lends itself beautifully to a travel capsule wardrobe.

This heroine seems to love the juxtaposition between a skirt and a somewhat rugged jacket...

She's only going for a few days - mostly dressy-ish activities, but she will also want a pair of pants at ... View the Post

Packing for a Spring Cruise, with some Inspiration from Caillebotte

February 4, 2019

Lots of you go on cruises! And right now, my mail box reflects that; anticipation is running wild in at least a few minds right now...

So how about a spring cruise in Italy and the near islands? The temperatures might reach into the 70s Fahrenheit, and evenings will be in the 60s. Right now, that sounds SO appealing!

I picked this painting to inspire us, although it is from a French artist, and has nothing to do with cruises... but it's lovely, and I find this woman getting dressed feels very... hmmm... romantic and evocative to me.

And yes, I suspect that her skirt is indeed black, but this wardrobe is built around navy, so I'm fudging that a bit. You could certainly use black here, or a wide range of shades of ... View the Post

Packing for a Car Trip, with a Gradual Change of Temperatures

January 25, 2019

What if your trip is by car? And what if you're going to take your time, and drive from the single-digit temperature fun of Chicago to the balmy deserts of the Southwestern United States? And what if you're going to take your time - every day in a slightly warmer place?

I'm thinking.... Pack separate, but closely related, outfits for 4 different kinds of weather. That way you're prepared for each warmer day, and at the same time the "relatedness" of the outfits gives you options for interchanging your garments to adapt to unexpected conditions.

A basic application of this idea would look like this:

When you start out, you're going to need to be warm, so a couple of layered jackets, and a warm scarf, will ... View the Post

Wear a Uniform and Simplify your Summer Wardrobe

May 21, 2018

Some people manage to sail through life wearing white and they always look cool and collected. Even white linen! I think that we all need to embrace the inherent wrinkles in linen - wrinkled clothes make your face look smooth! But seriously, a core of cool white pieces for warm weather could make getting dressed every day a breeze...

With this timeless wardrobe core, you could use accessories to add all of the fun and interest... I don't think you would wear ALL of these pieces at the same time, but you certain could if you want to!

How about a couple of accent colors that supposedly clash?

A hot long weekend? Yes, the white is risky, but so cool and comfortable...

Yep - lots of possible ways to ... View the Post

Start with AN OWL! Building a Wardrobe 1 Step at a Time

I haven't done this for AGES, and it always feels like something that I need to think about at the turn of seasons. Now that warm weather seems to have finally arrived in Chicago, this might be what I should do in my own closet so that I have a solid capsule wardrobe ready for the fun to come...

I will never quit believing that every woman (except those who only wear skirts and dresses) needs a good pair of pants. Nothing rarefied, nothing that has to be kept for "special" occasions - just something to wear frequently, in order to dress a notch up from jeans or (heaven forbid) leggings...

If you're really starting from scratch, the 2nd step gives you both a "suit" of sorts, and then a top that gives you a complete outfit. A ... View the Post