The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Scarf: Cvetaeva, Version 2

September 24, 2015  

And, as promised, another look at this scarf, with a completely different color scheme!

Doesn't this look completely different when folded and worn this way?

I'm eschewing all accents this time, and going strictly for some interesting neutrals:

 

  She Doesn't Mean to be Difficult... But the prototypes were entirely wrong. Wrong color. Wrong sizes. Wrong details. You have to wonder if the had the specifications upside down...

So she's off to Milan, to have a serious chat with the knitting mill management!

It's not that she doesn't like Milan - she loves it - but this isn't a good time to have to make this trip. She won't have time for more than one really amazing ... View the Post

Whatever’s Clean 13 FOR MEN – cool colors, cool weather

September 14, 2015  

You asked for it, you get it: a Whatever's Clean 13 for men - the first of at least a couple...

Menswear is SO EASY; pick a color scheme and stick to it like glue! I've sold menswear two different times, as well as selling men's shoes, so I can safely admit that I have some experience in this area...

First up, the finished product, designed to carry you through a vacation that will range from rather nice dinners and other events (a concert or opera?) through to a cool weather morning walk in the park.

 

I started with a navy blazer, just as I would start with one for almost any man building a wardrobe from scratch. While a lot of men can get through life without a suit, in this day and age, a ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Nature Morte by Georgette Agutte

August 29, 2015

The wealth of colors in this painting lead me in all sorts of directions, so I thought I'd share with you my thought process as I finalized a color scheme for us to work with here.

My very first instinct was drawn to the fabrics in the background of the painting - the vivid blue was the first thing that I envisioned as a lead neutral for a color scheme, with accents of the white fabric, all of the red flowers, and the oranges.

But where this would make a great scarf, or piece of jewelry, I realized that there wasn't going to be any easy way to find enough garments in that shade of blue to put together even the smallest capsule wardrobe. (this is a BIG advantage to being able to sew - you could make your core ... View the Post

Accent Colors for Fall 2015

August 10, 2015  

You remember these guys, right? They're the colors that Pantone assured us would be the BIG colors for this fall and winter.Well, I've seen a lot of Marsala in the windows at Ferragamo. Other than that, I can't say that, in my hours and hours spent each day looking at clothing and accessories, I have seen any of these in large quantities. And for what it's worth, I had to do some serious hard-core digging to find some of the goodies shown below.

I think we can conclude that Pantone's either not as accurate as they would like to be, or that the market is much less dependent upon their advice than they once were. This is a real annoyance if you fell madly in love with one of the colors that was supposed to be ... View the Post

Building a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with A WALL?? Pulling out all the stops, in Grey, Burgundy and Gold

July 11, 2015   Seriously. I was waiting for a friend at his gym yesterday, and I noticed that the walls in the entrance areas were painted in a mottled (maybe sponged?) pattern of shades of grey and burgundy - mostly dark - accented with metallic gold. Unexpected. Eye-catching. And it got my mind wandering...    

  "I view marriage as a merger of financial statements..."   Two weeks before graduation, he drops this little bombshell on you, and breaks your heart. He's always made it clear that he doesn't think your chosen work is going to be lucrative, but you didn't realize quite how much the money mattered to him. I guess that's a bullet dodged, but it still hurts.   ...   25 years ... View the Post

A Four by Four Whatever’s Clean Capsule Wardrobe in Black, Beige, Marsala and Natural

April 18, 2015   As soon as I launched the newest Pantone Spring and Summer 2015 color scheme file, someone asked me to do some work with the color of the year - Marsala. She had honed in on the black and khaki, and after a bit of discussion we agreed that the best 2nd accent color would be an unbleached linen/natural color.  This is the palette we finally chose for a capsule wardrobe.  

  I started with black, of course! Sleeveless and short-sleeved, cropped pants and "normal" pants, and all from 3.1 Phillip Lim, just for ease of matchy-matchedness.  You can, of course, find your four pieces from a different, less pricey, company, or mix them from a few different places.  

In fact, in order to ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Hermes Maroon Shawl

February 24, 2015   Someone sent me a photograph of this delectable item - a shawl, no longer available, from Hermes - and asked if it would be possible to build a little something beautiful around it. Ooooh, yes, this is DEFINITELY possible...  

First up, a color scheme, as always. Using camel as the neutral, there's a whole range of maroon, dark red, bright red, and hints of yellow here - lots of possibilities!

  My imagination called this transition season dressing - either spring or fall. Maybe for business, or for pleasure. One dress, for a splashy night out, and otherwise dressy but not fussy separates for business or elegant sightseeing.   (Note that the accessories are either angular, or have a ... View the Post

Navy Capsule Wardrobe with Accessories in Rose, Amethyst and Marsala

January 20, 2015   A handful (plus one) of navy garments can give you nine different combinations. Once you toss in three different "accessory families", you have a world of options. With a tee shirt or two thrown in, wouldn't this be a blissfully easy way to pack?  

 

 

  love, Janice ... View the Post

Four Pack Travel Capsule Wardrobe: Camel and Burgundy

December 18, 2014   Many of us are preparing for holiday trips of varying lengths, so today I felt like putting together something that just oozed luxury and subtlety.  These rich, beautiful colors, fabrics and textures make a quietly elegant statement, without gaudy logos or overdone ornamentation.  

love, Janice ... View the Post

Start With Nature: Panicum Shenendoah, aka switchgrass… a Four Pack

October 28, 2014

  So what do you do if your favorite color scheme includes colors that are just plain difficult to wear together?  This beautiful grass (growing in the Lurie Garden, about a 10 minute walk from chez nous) includes some striking colors, but it isn't at all simple to find ANYTHING, clothes or accessories, that include the two colors...  

  But these are really pretty...  

  So you just have to accept that you might wear them separately most of the time, until and unless you find things that bring the colors together.  As long as you stick with your neutral core, these kinds of "color conundrums" aren't really limiting!  

 

  love, Janice ... View the Post

The French 5-Piece Wardrobe + A Common Capsule Wardrobe: Burgundy, Teal, Navy and Grey

October 9, 2014     Very popular colors - I often get requests for capsule wardrobes in these!  And this year, this wine color is quite popular and readily available - if it's a color that you love, this is a good season to pick up a piece or two.   This is an long-term sweater, a blouse that should last you a couple of seasons at least, and a cardigan that you can count on for a few years.  Most scarves hold up well and can be counted on for the long term.  But I think the stand-out item here is the great wool shopping bag - how clever is it to make a wool bag?  I can just imagine how nice this feels...  

In order to give you a fuller view of just how useful these few items can be, ... View the Post