The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Start with a Scarf: Lion and Peacock Scarf by Aspinal of London, in navy and camel

She Decided to Branch Out...

She's worn navy with pastels for decades... And she's now ready for an update!

She's always felt drawn to camel. The richness, the warmth, and elegance. And she's been told repeatedly that it was a color that she could happily wear. But she starts small... something below the waist!

Success! But the real camel item that has always caught her eye is a lovely cardigan...

Now she's feeling positively emboldened! She looks closely and her scarf and sees a beautiful shade of blue; would a matching sweater and flats be wrong?

But she's not going to rely entirely new purchases - when she look in her closet, she realizes that her aqua sweater would be perfect with her new ... View the Post

December 2019 – 12 Months, 12 Outfits – based on 6 Hermes Scarves

I can't believe that this is the last month of these outfits! It seems like yesterday that I was trying to decide if I would continue to use the Appaloosa des Steppes scarf, because of the concerns about cultural appropriation...

Let me say right upfront - not one of these wardrobes is perfect! So for the next 3 Wednesdays, I'm going to take a look at all of them (2 per week) and see what we can learn from my mistakes, over-enthusiasms, and general lack of a good plan. Thus I'm not going to bury you in analysis today...

That said, any of these wardrobes could take you a long way, for a long time. If this was the core of a wardrobe for someone who wears uniforms during the day, she would need never fear having nothing to wear!

Let's ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 23: A Textured Neutral Top

There are few garments I like more than a good sweater...

The only real guideline is keep it a solid neutral with something interesting going on!

A simple ribbed sweater, with some festive earrings and a fun brooch, can be all you need for a nice outfit!

Note that Talbots now is THE source for holiday/winter themed accessories. They have been a go-to place for these kinds of things for pretty much my entire life!  Fun for you, fun for gifts!

If you want a sweater with a "woven-in" texture, search for cables or pointelle. This sweater actually includes BOTH terms in the description!

If you're attending one of those events where the door is constantly open, a cuddly sweater is a good call...

The ... View the Post

I Love IT, but Will I Wear IT? Start with a Scarf: Lion & Peacock by Aspinal of London

I know, I should be showering you with holiday gift ideas and telling you about all of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. I'm NOT that blogger, though... sigh...

However, I firmly believe that those of us who are holiday shopping should treat ourselves to one really LOVELY thing for the upcoming season, and of course for the years to come. We don't buy something just to wear it once or twice, unless we're getting married or standing up in someone else's wedding!

So maybe a scarf has caught your eye, and kicked you in the heart... (I love the phrase coup de coeur...)

It's all the right colors - warm and cool, neutrals and accents...

But can you wear it? How will you wear it? You don't want something this beautiful ... View the Post

Start with Art: A Holiday Rebel Six-Pack with Azalea Garden by Patrick Heron

Their Calendar...

They both work on computers, so when they have something to schedule, they put the event onto a computer calendar that they share...

One of them decided to glance ahead to December, just to see what was planned... And realized that, between them, they had committed to attend FIVE different events in a 3-day period. All of them downtown.

The obvious answer? A hotel room, some late mornings with room service, and a tidy holiday travel capsule wardrobe with NO black velvet (this woman is a heretic, in my world!), nothing red, and nothing green.

Red and green really aren't her colors, and standing out in a crowd of friends makes her happy...

I personally can't fathom living through ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 22: A Neutral Print or Patterned Top

We've been accumulating a lot of solid-colored garments - which is the best way to build a functional wardrobe. But now, let's mix up all of these and find something with a bit of pattern interest!

If you have a favorite motif (like I am with stars...) this is the time to find it!

With all of the upcoming festivities, a pretty blouse that can stand alone with pants and some jewelry could be a good choice...

Or if you always wear a cardigan (or jacket) this time of year, a classic stripe underneath will work perfectly!

A print that's mostly your neutral, but that includes a fun accent color can give you a direction for some jewelry, or a pretty new bag!

If your style is casual, your new top can be something ... View the Post

Start with Art: Landline Blue by Sean Scully

 

Can You Get Out of Work on Monday? Because Friday is the anniversary of our first date...

"And I would like to take you into the city for a long weekend... We could dine out, and go to a concert, and just have a lovely time together..."

"There's an exhibit at the museum of paintings by one of our favorite artists - we could go there too!"

Of COURSE she'll get out of work on Monday. She had no idea when their first date was, until she was reminded. And her true love was indeed exactly right!

Who's going to turn down a long weekend with a sweetheart so thoughtful, and with that kind of sentimental heart?

love,

Janice

p.s.

2 years ago we looked at another teal wardrobe, with an ... View the Post

How to Build a Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with a Bracelet – November

Always one of the best days of the month!

THAT Phone Call...

She knew when the phone rang that it wasn't great. But a couple of weeks taking care of a loved one isn't a curse either - it's a privilege, and she's going to treat it as such...

It's not a dressy thing, but she still wants to look nice; she isn't going to have to do any really difficult manual labor. A bit of cooking, a bit of laundry, a bit of keeping her dearest one entertained and comfortable...

As soon as she looked down at her watch, and her bracelet, she knew roughly what she was going to pack. Grey because it's easy and neutral, and lovely, pretty accent colors to brighten up the days.

She knows that if she starts with a good core of neutrals, ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 21: A Warm Shirt

As much as I love a good sweater, nothing says winter to me like a flannel shirt!

But get a good one - as classic as possible. A well-made flannel shirt will last for years...

These shirts do NOT have to be plaid; finding a solid color that you love might take a while, but if it's what you want, it's worth the effort...

For the upcoming winter holidays, a shirt that includes a festive color might be all you need for those casual activities like cookie swaps, caroling, or walking about looking at decorations!

Speaking of patience, if you look long enough you can probably find a plaid flannel shirt in any color combination you can imagine. They're out there...

Yes, 4 earrings. Some of us wear more than ... View the Post

Dressing for the Winter Holidays – Festive but not Foolish

It's an indelible memory: a corporate holiday party, back in the 80's. Most of the women were wearing those silk jacquard dresses that were so easy to find back then. (mine was red, with a dropped waist, and a big bow on my left hip, at the dropped waist; the skirt was a bit flaired below the dropped waist, so that it moved when I danced. And THE SHOULDER PADS were a thing of wonder...)

One women showed up in strapless sequins. Oh my. I felt bad for her...

Since then, dressing for holiday events has been stressful for me; I've always been frightened that I would make that kind of "career limiting move," or otherwise just not fit in.

So let's be sensible, and intelligent in this planning, eh? Since many of us are going to have ... View the Post

La Valise de la Garçonne, or How I Packed for Paris

By the time you read this, I should be back from a long weekend in Paris. Yes, 4 days... (in fact, literally the moment I was getting ready to walk out the door to the airport, I was SMACKED to the floor with back spasms, and have spent the entire time since then sacked out in bed, or sitting in the jacuzzi in my building, trying to recover... sigh...)

It was somewhat impromptu - friends were going there, and we talked so much about what we might do if I was going to be there too... I'm weak!

This painting sings to me. It feels like black, white and denim, which is my entire wardrobe right now! (I've lost interest in accent colors for myself - I can't explain why!)

My original plan was to pack all dresses, but then I realized ... View the Post

The Weekly Timeless Wardrobe, Week 20: Dark Neutral Warm Cardigan

Ah, now that some of us have been snowed upon, it's time to swap out a warm-weather cardigan for something a bit more cozy...

Since this cardigan is a pivotal part of your wardrobe, you want to choose carefully!

I've kept quite a few garments from last week, to illustrate how all of these pieces might go together in your wardrobe...

Sometimes, all you need for an accent color is a tee shirt and some socks! (maybe earrings...)

You might stumble on a new accent color that you really like!

Twinsets don't have to be purchased together; you can find garments that look perfect together...

The simplest outfit can come together perfectly with a scarf, or the right necklace...

Those accent socks can ... View the Post