But Will I Wear It? Archives

One Navy Sweater – A Dozen Ideas

November 28, 2025

I love this sweater, you can tell! Cables give a sweater a texture and richness that's appealing, and far from boring...

I was about to start working on this, with hunter green as the second major color, and gold as the jewelry and accessory metallic. But then I saw all of the comments about the red sweater, and made the changes:

Why yes, I'm still following the same overall structure from the first two sweaters...

This skirt is dressier than it looks at first glance - it's metallic! And the pendant is actually a wee magnifying glass. The Met Store has a bunch of pendants that are magnifying glasses - why don't I have one of these? Heaven knows I could use it...

Burgundy is such a lovely ... View the Post

Will She Wear a Camel Sweater? Let’s Give Her Some Ideas…

Please note, I've updated the "Support The Vivienne Files" page that you can find at the top of the page. It's underneath the clothes hanger suspended from the name Vivienne! (yes, the Quince link is there now.)

Any time you click on any of these links, I get some sort of credit. Not money, but some kind of "ooooh, people are clicking on Janice's links!" and I might eventually qualify for some spiffy offer or gift.

If you purchase anything, I receive a tiny commission. It doesn't matter what you buy - click on someone and buy (hmm, what's the LEAST Vivienne Files kind of product possible?) a lawnmower - I get a wee percentage!

If there are any other retailers from whom you wish to order, and you'd like to see if I can receive a ... View the Post

I Love It, But Will I Wear It? White Cotton Shirt

January 15, 2025

For decades, I did everything I could to avoid wearing button-front shirts. If it fit across the... torso, the sleeves were miles too long. If I got the right sleeve length, it wouldn't button!

And why it never occurred to me to try a Petite sized shirt, I do NOT know.

Now, I have a handful of shirts, and I wear the dickens out of them! Maybe it's not too late for you - a simple white shirt really is wicked useful. If you find that they're too "crispy" and neat, get one of these no-iron ones and don't touch-up iron it at all. They're nice and soft that way...

Yes, you see these L.L.Bean pants all the time. I have two pairs of them (heritage stone and black) and wear them weekly. Workhorses.

And ... View the Post