The Vivienne Files - Page 21 of 267 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

My Internet Outage is Fixed! and Echo Scarves is Celebrating a Milestone Anniversary!

September 27, 2023

This week, there will be a post tomorrow, and one on Saturday...

But I MUST TELL YOU!!!!

Today is the 100th anniversary of the founding of Echo scarves. In honor of this, they have commissioned ONE HUNDRED scarves, which will be manufactured in lots of only 100.

These scarves will be introduced over the next few days/weeks. And the proceeds are going to charity - up to a million dollars in donations!

If you've worn scarves for more than a few years, you know Echo - their designs, their quality and their value. This is a chance to snap up something amazing, and do some good at the same time...

love,

Janice ... View the Post

A “Two-Neutral” Capsule Wardrobe? Start With Art – Five Women by Max Beckmann

September 25, 2023

I don't generally think of Max Beckmann for wardrobe inspiration - his paintings always feel very cluttered and busy. But this one has a special charm:

Our heroine really wants some variety in how she can dress this fall - as much as she loves black, she wants to be able to wear quite a bit of "beige/tan/oatmeal" too...

She wasn't sure that this was something that one is allowed to do (what folly!) until she saw this painting, and realized that she would LOVE these colors:

She's very organized - the first thing she wants to be certain of is that her black wardrobe core is perfect:

Next, she very carefully selects her oatmeal/camel/buttercream/twig grouping - four garments, four color names! But ... View the Post

Autumn Outfit Ideas: Japanese Season Shūbun – Autumn Equinox

September 22, 2023

Now that the world of retail has managed to synchronize itself with the seasons, and the weather, I feel comfortable returning to the Japanese 24 seasons.

I've tried to imagine 6 different heroines, all preparing for the cool weather and that "back to school" feeling that so many of us get when the days get short and the breeze quickens...

Our first heroine is a traditionalist, which a lot of navy in her wardrobe. She's pretty excited that she can mix in some lovely tan shades with very little effort...

Our next heroine dresses for the office, in mostly traditional colors, with little touches of brightness and whimsey. What's the point of being the coolest person at work if you can't bust out ... View the Post

A Travel Capsule Wardrobe that Starts with a Bracelet: Visionary Lynx Bracelets by Fierce Lynx Designs

September 20, 2023

Itty Bitty Tags, with Itty Bitty GPS Sensors Inside That's what she invented. They go onto saplings to tell the people planting trees that they're in a good spot!

Rather than planting hectares and hectares and HECTARES of the same trees, planters can now mix saplings up, based on how well the area they are in suits a particular species...

The wee tag will glow green when the tree is near the best altitude, exposure, slope, and all sorts of things for that particular species...

So if the conservation staff stumbles upon a glen or hollow that would be suited for a cluster of white birch, the trees will tell them!

Plant the trees, pop off the reusable tags, and move on...

She ... View the Post

A Fall Capsule Wardrobe: Start with a Scarf – Vintage Vision by Simba LDN

September 18, 2023 True-Life Adventures of Wardrobe Planning!

She started here. She's pretty smitten that this scarf is available in FOUR SIZES - if a scarf is truly perfect for your wardrobe, you can easily make the case for owning 2 sizes...

So these are the accents for her navy wardrobe, in her plan:

She knows exactly where she wants to start - she loves her navy cords, and her navy jacket. Her sparkly pink sweater with the ruffled neckline makes her smile...

The obvious first garment to check for - a navy tee! It's not the most riveting outfit in the world, but it's an ideal base for beautiful accessories. She adds her pink scarf to the plan, too...

Next? Green, of course!

This may not have been what ... View the Post

A Cool Weather Capsule Wardrobe – Start with a Fair Isle Cardigan

September 15, 2023 RETIREMENT!!!

One of her first projects is to get EVERY SUIT out of her closet. And all but 1 pair of pumps... And donate them to Dress for Success.

She will, of course, save a nice dress and cardigan/jacket for somber events...

But now, she's buying SWEATERS!!! She could never wear sweaters to work... And a patterned sweater just piles on - she couldn't wear any patterns except the most conservative, menswear-inspired prints. If she never sees a pinstripe again, it will be too soon!

Dangly earrings... swoon...

She fell in love with the cardigan, and determined that her first 13 garments would be based on the colors in it...

If you like this shade of "Green Dune", please note that Nordstrom ... View the Post

A Cool Weather Capsule Wardrobe – Start with Art: Ruffled Autumn Clouds by Emile Nolde

September 13, 2023

She knew that this would be just right for the upcoming cool weather...

So many of the colors were comfortable for her from her existing wardrobe, and the colors that she doesn't have, she's willing to buy. What a palette!

She takes everything out of her closet and start carefully choosing what's going back in! Simplicity is what she's working toward...

Starting with the core navy pieces she knows she will want to wear all the time:

She decides to order some mustard pieces; she's never worn this shade of yellow, but when she daydreams about wearing it, she finds it very appealing!

She loves to wear pink and navy together - this is a chance to include her favorite tee shirt! And at this ... View the Post

Experimenting with Proportions by Starting with Art: Partial Eclipse of the Moon by Étienne Léopold Trouvelot

September 11, 2023

She likes things to be simple, but interesting... Anything for a good experiment!

So when she was told that she would have 2 weeks access to the data regarding the varying distances to the moon, she knew that she packing would be a chance to try out some interesting things!

There will be at least a dozen other scientists at the University, working toward an accurate measurement of the vacillations of the earth's axis. It's fascinating, really!

While she's concentrating on numbers, and distances, and appearances, she decides that she will pack a 3-color wardrobe, and experiment with how she gets dressed each day. She's hopeful that she will arrive at a firm conclusion about what "outfit proportions" ... View the Post

Choose a Travel Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Portrait of Margaretha Trip by Helen Frankenthaler

September 8, 2023

Things I learned from this post:

Shades of grey are A-okay! You might want to think seriously about your preferences for high-contrast outfits vs low-contrast...

Listening

Two weeks at a Buddhist center, participating in a workshop on listening. It's actually an event to which many companies send top executives; that's why she's going...

She won't know anyone else there, and they won't have any know each other's job titles...

Somehow, she suspects that she might be able to tell at least a few things about some of the other participants!

The environment is very casual. The weather will be somewhere between cool and almost winter - it will be interesting to see how other participants ... View the Post

A Capsule Wardrobe Idea – Start with Art: Waldlichtung im Nebel mit Mond by Erich Buchwald Zinnwald

September 7, 2023

Art can be the inspiration for your accent colors; your favorite neutral doesn't actually HAVE to be in the painting!

It translates as "Forest Clearing in Fog with Moon"

"You Know it Could Snow..." Yes, she knows...

But they're going for a couple of weeks, and she has no intention of cancelling, or coming home early, just because of a little bit of cold weather!

So she start her travel capsule wardrobe with a warm jacket, and 2 warm sweaters!

She realistically understands that most of the time, the weather will be cool - possibly even chilly. She is not a child, and she knows how to dress warmly!

Also, she knows how to choose pretty things that make her happy!

She loves ... View the Post

Three Capsule Wardrobes: Second Half of Six Paintings, 12 Months – September 2023

September 4, 2023

I'm so happy with these; sometimes I struggle to find things to add to these wardrobes, but this month I feel like it all just fell out of the skies and into my computer!

This very casual heroine came into September with a wardrobe that's got a lot of soft, gentle colors...

She knows that she wants a pair of casual pants for cooler weather that AREN'T grey, as well as a couple of darker tops, to reflect the changing season; this is what she found:

Her wardrobe retains its distinctive look and feel, but offers her more options if she wants to wear darker colors!

And her accessories are wonderful...

She has plenty of outfits - including warm, darker-hued choices for cold, ... View the Post

Three Capsule Wardrobes: First Half of Six Paintings, 12 Months – September 2023

September 1, 2023

It seems as if ALL of the children in the Northern Hemisphere are back to school! This time of year always makes me want to pull on a sweater and corduroy pants, some short boots and a lovely wool scarf...

Soon enough for cool weather!

Let's get started...

This heroine found herself last month with a 26-piece wardrobe; most of us could manage for quite a long time with that many clothes, if they were for the right weather...

Our heroine clearly understands that she should grab yellow things when she sees something just right. She loves her navy cotton skirt so much that she would like to find another navy skirt to start to dress up for longer evenings ahead... She could certainly get a narrow skirt, ... View the Post