The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Combining 2 Color Schemes from the Capri Scarf

May 9, 2015  

SOMEONE had a brilliant insight, in yesterday's comments - why not combine these two wardrobes from the last 2 days? This is a perfect Project 333 - it actually comes in well below 33 items...

And a long summer travel wardrobe? Perfect. The two neutrals give you plenty of "non-white" core pieces for travel days, and the neutrals play quite nicely together, too.

Here's our expanded color scheme:

And you recognize all of the clothes and accessories from earlier posts:

  But here's where the fun really starts - LOOK at this wardrobe!!! You might need to toss in a pair of shorts (grey sweats, or white linen?), but otherwise, I can't think of much for which you ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Capri, again, with a different color palette

May 8, 2015   You ask, I deliver! This very beautiful scarf, from the company Radical Chic, with a color scheme that emphasizes the rosy tones, and the grey base:  

Today's core of neutral is quite a bit dressier than the light brown from yesterday; maybe you have more work on your agenda, or the tone of the vacation is dressier. I would think that the Orient Express could justify a skirt...

 

  I kept yesterday's white linen separates - most because I'm smitten with the dress! And while white trousers can never be true workhorses of your trip, they do bring a summery beauty to a travel wardrobe.  

Of course, here's where the fun is! But I think we can all agree that finding subtle ... View the Post

A Clothing Diary Week 10

April 29, 2015   Why yes, it IS April, but we aren't seeing any weather that feels warm! I wore gloves, without exception, every time I was out - most of our highest temperatures were just around 50 degrees Fahrenheit. While I love cold weather more than most people, I have to admit to being ready to move into something just a tad warmer...   My week was filled with preparations for moving (down the hall, but it involved two different landlords for each of the apartments, a renovation about to start in the new apartment, and plans for renovations the second we're out of our current digs), visits to my doctor, and accompanying a friend to her appointments too! If there's ever a market for guided tours of Northwestern Hospital ... View the Post

Choosing the Right Scarf Color – One Approach

April 24, 2015   Here's a decision scenario: you know you like the scarf - the silk and wool blend, the pattern drawn from foliate motifs and calligraphy of the Sultan's courts of India, the knowledge that your purchase supports the Metropolitan Museum of Art - but WHICH COLOR TO CHOOSE????  

I'm of the opinion that your wardrobe should have a certain DNA - a "fingerprint" that is as unique as your own. If this is true, then anything that you add to your wardrobe should look like it's related to the things you already own.   So maybe this decision can be made easier if we look at some options that might currently be in your closet, and see if any of them look like they're in your style family...   Do you ... View the Post

A Clothing Diary Week 9

April 21, 2015   Some clarification is needed about how often I wear gym clothes, and where. Yes, I probably have gym clothes on EVERY day of the week - 6 days a week maybe at a minimum. BUT!!! I don't wear them outside of my building unless I'm running outdoors. The gym where I workout is in my basement; residents of my building see me in all of my athletic glory (ahem...), and I might stop at the grocery store in the basement of my building after I've worked out (yes, my building has a grocery store. And a dry-cleaner...) but that's as far as it goes.   Wearing gym clothes frequently is NOT an excuse to be wandering the streets in tons of too tight, too thin, or too brief clothing. Frankly, on any given day on the ... View the Post

Start with Art: Version 2 Steamboat leaving Boulogne by Edouard Manet

April 1, 2015 I really love the combination of blue and grey! (I often consider including blue as an accent color in my wardrobe...) So I decided to look again at this painting, with an eye to warm weather. I brightened up the blue a little bit - Manet gives you a whole range of blue possibilities - and I equalized the proportions of the four colors:

 

  I haven't built a Four by Four wardrobe for a while, so I thought this would be an interesting project. First up, the core dark neutral charcoal, in linen:  

One of the reasons I wanted to do a summer leisure wardrobe - I found this gorgeous blue at L.L.Bean. A perfect secondary color!

The Expansion Four is usually four tops of some sort, since tops ... View the Post

Start with Art: Steamboat leaving Boulogne by Edouard Manet

March 30, 2015   To whomever requested this painting as the basis for a wardrobe - a big thank you!  

 

  From time to time, I hear from women who need only the smallest of work wardrobes, because they work as temps - employees who go into an office for a very brief period of time. A wardrobe for this kind of work needs to be very conservative and very neutral; you don't really want to make any kind of a "mark" on the organization except for the excellence of your work!   I temped at a few times in the past - sometimes only for a day, and sometimes for as long as 2 or 3 weeks. This is the kind of work that allows you to have an extremely small work wardrobe, and to thus dedicate your income to ... View the Post

A Clothing Diary Week 6

March 16, 2015   Even though I worked every day on The Vivienne Files, I also spent quite a bit of time last week doing things with my relatives and my neighbors. I find my wardrobe to be so helpful to me when I've got so many other demands on my time; it's easy to just reach into my closet and find something appropriate and comfortable without a lot of angst!  

  love, Janice ... View the Post

What I’m Packing in a Travel Capsule Wardrobe for New York

March 14, 2015   Belovedest and I are leaving Wednesday for New York for what is either a very long weekend, or a rather short vacation - six days. B lived in New York a few different times (he had one of those jobs that required frequent transfers), and so we know the city very well. Our anniversary is next Friday, so we have an excuse for some festivities. Overall, it will be a nice opportunity to spend some time together and reacquaint ourselves with a favorite city.   My biggest packing constraint for this trip is the desire to take gym clothes with me. Normally, for European vacations, I just throw my workout routine into the shredder and assume that my walking will stand in for exercise. (uh, it really doesn't work that ... View the Post

Start with Art: BLUSH, with Rose by Ansel Adams

March 9, 2015  

The all-grey wardrobe based on the photograph Rose, by Ansel Adams (see it here) prompted lots of excellent questions about using that wardrobe as a base for accent colors. Oh yes, I could think of at LEAST 10 accent colors that would work beautifully with these grey items...   I chose this vaguely named blush, peach, apricot, whatever color to show the possibilities. I kept the core grey jacket, trousers, skirts, dresses, shoes, and even a couple of tops, but I swapped out the jewelry for the warm "rose gold", and tossed in a few lovely scarves.   An accent color changes everything, doesn't it?  

  love, Janice ... View the Post