The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art Part 2: Portrait of Pablo Picasso by Juan Gris

September 20, 2016   Mmmm, Cubism... it forces us to look at things in a different way, and that's bound to be a good idea...  

 

Remember the author/art dealer from the class reunion?

When she left the reunion, she had only a few days left to pack before she had to prepare for a big art show in Milan...

She's devoted to beige and brown, and her blue eyes insist on blue accents. The show will be casual, dressy, classic, avant-garde, and everything in between. So she's just going to dress like herself, and let everyone else do the posturing...

The brocade shroud, the military uniform, the obsessive caressing of a VERY inappropriate pet are NOT for her...

 

Let them be all artsy and fey ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Portrait of a Young Woman by Henri Regnault Part 2

September 19, 2016  

Remember her? Of course you do - we first saw her as the inspiration for this six-pack capsule wardrobe in black and blue.

The CEO Travels

When she left her reunion, this was her travel capsule wardrobe:

black and white tee – Rag & Bone; bracelet – Nest;brooch – One Kings Lane;  watch – Movado; necklace – Natasha Accessories; cardigan – L.L.Bean;  clutch – Urban Expressions; earrings – Irene Neuwirth; square scarf – Talbots;  rectangle scarf – Fraas; turquoise tee – Lands’ End; turtleneck – Armani;  dress – Lands’ End; jeans – L.L.Bean; pants – L.L.Bean; skirt – Lands’ End; pumps – Cole Haan; boots – Munro; flats – Vaneli; briefcase - Eddie   

She ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Pinch of Plum, with Six Neutrals

September 16, 2016     Depending upon whom you consult, this is NOT plum. However, I like it, and so for now we're going to roll with it... There are going to be more colors in this series, so some other interpretations of plum in a capsule wardrobe are entirely possible!    

Purple is an interesting color in shops; a great deal of what's available looks very... goth? Sort of like you're living on the fringes of normal society? Just plain strange? It's such a pity, because purple is a lovely color, and goes so well with all of our neutrals.(I've had a deep fondness for the "stitchworks" L.L.Bean cardigan for years. I'm really happy that I've finally found a good place to show it to you!)

I was REALLY ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Touch of Teal, with Six Neutral Colors

September 15, 2016

Sigh... there are NO teal foods. If a food is teal, it's a genetic mutation, or a scary misuse of food coloring!So we've abandoned my very fun food theme for post titles, but the general concept of accenting neutral outfits holds true. And teal is SO pretty in the capsule wardrobe...

The teal tee shirt has a slightly different neckline than usual, and it's tunic-length. We like to keep some options available!

I wasn't at all sure how olive and teal would be together, but I could cheerfully wear either of these outfits (and olive isn't a good color for me...) Remember, when looking for scarves, to check out the men's departments. Why some scarves are only for men is a mystery to me...

I don't know ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Dash of Cinnamon, with 6 Neutral Colors

September 14, 2016   I found some lovely things in that russet color that was so elusive... And it occurred to me, again, that garments that aren't in the same fabrics don't have to be the precise same color! This tee shirt and cardigan would look gorgeous together in a capsule wardrobe:  

This is a great combination:

 

I wasn't at ALL sure how this would work, but keeping silver metal in the jewelry made all the difference...

 

These colors worked wonderfully together; I particularly like this scarf. It's more of a blend of close colors than any exact matching.

 

Here's a case of 2 colors that are opposites on the color wheel, and which are therefore MADE for ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Dab of Mustard, with 6 Neutral Colors

September 13, 2016  

I'm still looking for nice pieces in rust (russet? warm red?), so I decided to skip that color for now and head directly into deep gold!What to call this color? When you're searching for things like this online, try gold, yellow, mustard, and saffron, for a start; I'm sure that there are lots of outlandish color names that I missed. Why do companies believe that calling something "burnished autumn" is going to help potential buyers find their stuff?

This isn't an easy color to wear, but it's present in so many school colors that you see it fairly often in the US in the autumn. (if you're from outside the US, please note that many people here take high school and college football - American football - very ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Color Palette – A Drop of Wine, with 6 Neutral Colors

September 12, 2016  

Many of you have asked me how to integrate an accent color into a neutral wardrobe; this is my attempt to give you some suggestions, and a gentle bit of guidance.Let's assume, for the sake of conversation, that you have your core ensemble for cooler weather, in your favorite neutral:

Tee – J. Crew; pants – L.L.Bean;  cardigan – H&M; boots – Sarto  

Some of these are easier to assemble than others; if olive green is your favorite neutral, you're not going to see yourself coming and going on the streets...

 

Sweater – J. Crew; pants – J. Crew; cardigan – J. Crew; boots – Corso Como  

I've put together a few ensembles in more "business-y" looks, and others that ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Spirit of Autumn by Albert Pinkham Ryder

September 8, 2016  

Thanks for suggesting this painting to me! I love the art ideas I receive from you... 

Class Reunion/Homecoming

"She was always so GLAMOROUS - I was afraid to even speak to her..."

 

Sweater – Jardin des Orangers; necklace – Bauble Bar; ring – Pomellato; ivory tee – Jaeger; metallic tee – MM6 Maison Margiela;  scarf – Santorus; belt – Levi’s; clutch – Elliott Lucca; cords – Mother;   corduroy skirt – Dorothy Perkins; ballet flats – Bernardo; jeans – Closed; loafers – L’Amour des Pieds  

"Well, I know that she got a veterinary degree; she probably takes care of little teacup designer dogs for movie stars..."

 

"She's about the size ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Portrait of Pablo Picasso by Juan Gris

September 6, 2016   I see this painting frequently, and am always riveted by the impact that two colors can provide:  

Class Reunion/Homecoming Weekend

Earrings – Black; dress – Eleventy; boots – Madden-Girl; cardigan – Lands’ End; scarf – Ralph Lauren; watch – Emporio Armani; nail polish – Dior in “Junon”; tote – Under One Sky     "I don't know if she'll make it - knowing her, she's probably living in an ashram somewhere..."

Blouse – Peter Cohen; earrings – Ippolita; ring – Geraldine Valluet; necklace – Wild Lilies; marled sweater – M.I.h Jeans; blue sweater –  Roberto Collina; pants – Fabiana Filippi; scarf – Nordstrom;  skirt – Lands’ End; clutch – Edie Parker; ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Wing of a European Roller by Albrecht Durer

August 29, 10`6   Durer was, unquestionably, a genius:  

There are only about a TON of colors here (yes, ton is not a number, but you know what I mean...). I actually went back to the Internet to look at photographs of the actual bird in order to get a sense of what they really look like!

Uncompromising She knew that she had some... difficult... preferences.

shirt – Lands’ End; earrings – Aurélie Bidermann; boots – Frye; scarf – Etro; jeans – L.L.Bean; cardigan – J.Crew; watch – Nixon; tote – Allsaints; suitcase – Bric’s  

Even though her wardrobe is largely black and white, she prefers brown leather. She doesn't care if anyone else thinks it's a good idea...

Shirt – Lands’ End; loafers ... View the Post

Building a Wardrobe of Bags – Accessories for the Capsule Wardrobe

August 19, 2016  

A couple of weeks ago, Belovedest and I were wandering around Chicago when we happened upon a store called The Shudio. Yes, it's a "hybrid of a retail shop full of eco conscious goods... combined with a metalsmith jewelry studio."  And yes, this is some fun...I could have purchased a lot of things, but I'm trying very hard to avoid that kind of reckless madness (especially with THREE big vacations coming up in the next year!), but I did buy a lovely little black leather wristlet, from a company called CHC. They donate 10% of their revenue to a local organization for homeless women, and all of their materials are local. Pretty nice; I was happy.

But when I got home and dug out my bag for our upcoming trip ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe in Brown, Khaki and Pink – Additions for Fall and Winter

July 27, 2016   You asked; you get!  What does the woman with the "chocolate box" wardrobe buy for cooler weather in fall and winter? First off, let's remember that we left her (here) with this capsule wardrobe:

 

By the time August rolls around, even if you don't NEED warmer clothing, you're certainly thinking about it! A long-sleeved shirt can layer under anything, warm socks in pink are just plain fun, and a sweater that combines all of the chocolate, caramel and cream colors can be worn A TON...

For illustrative purposes, here are a few new outfits that result from the modest shopping excursion show above; There are certainly more combinations than these:

 

Next up, the weather takes a ... View the Post