I've been a reader of the Vivienne Files website for years and have learned much from its year-long projects. But I don't think I've actually followed one as personally as I have the Eiffel-Tower-inspired wardrobe, though you might think that this would have been my most unlikely year to think about clothes shopping and colour palettes. In a way, though, a bit of clothes contemplation has been salutary.
I started by following the specific plan as closely as I could; that wasn't too hard, as many of the clothes were similar to things I already had. As the year went on, though, I veered off, not so much from the colour scheme (white, green, brown, and navy), but from the kinds of items being added. Different clothes turned up in real life that fit my own needs better, so I went with them.
Here's Delaunay's 1909 painting of the Eiffel Tower (he painted it many times--this is one of his early versions). I like the muted colour palette, but also the contrast between the structure of the tower and the softer framing of the leaves.
It reminds me a bit of Emily Carr's The Indian Church.
It also has a similar palette to Arthur Lismer's September Gale, Georgian Bay: greens, blues, browns.
So, with all that said, just like one of the VF heroines, I've done a bit of (thrift and consignment store) shopping, trying to fill gaps and also to replace things that have become worn. My Delaunay-esque clothing finds are:
a navy linen shirt dress (with long sleeves, so even though it's linen, it could work through multiple seasons),
an off-white cotton cableknit pullover,
faux-suede trousers in a light brown shade that the store labelled as "mushroom",
a navy fleece jacket with a wrap-and-snap front
and a green hooded, zippered shirt jacket.
Also (although it's not technically in the colour palette), a knee-length cardigan (coatigan? sweater coat?) made of heavy sweatshirt fabric. (Best way I can describe it.)
And there are some accessories! Besides the navy boots that I posted about previously, I found two small purses (same brand, but found at two different shops),
and two necklaces that can be worn alone or layered, or even wrapped and worn as bracelets.(Shown with a third necklace and some previously-thrifted earrings.)
Also, there are socks.
I haven't found or even worn as many scarves lately. Although I've browsed a few racks, I haven't seen anything that has grabbed my attention. Those I already own that probably come closest to the Delaunay painting are these:
And, since it's getting cold, I've retrieved this vintage scarf, which kicked off the Delaunay challenge for me last February.
Final takes (because I don't think I'll be posting about this again): I've been intrigued by the chance to add more brown and teal/aqua/muted green into a basically navy/denim/blue/white wardrobe. (Navy cords. Navy turtleneck sweater. Blue jeans. Denim-blue t-shirts. Navy winter coat.) I was even brave enough one day to wear a brown-based purse on top of a (nine-year-old) grey dress and the grey jacket. That's probably not something I would have tried before.
Do you think Betty Bunny would approve?
It's also given me a better sense of having just-enough clothes but also a better match for what I'm doing. I am not an athleisure sort of person, but I did need some winter clothes that felt a little more relaxed. Also, a bit of cozy is actually practical here, as I'm discovering that this is not one of those apartments where the heat blasts so hard you could grow orange trees in the living room.
So: it's been a learning curve in more ways than one, but I think it was a successful challenge.
Last updated October 31, 2025.
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