The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Vivienne Files - Page 184 of 269 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

What They’re Wearing in Paris – Autumn 2014

October 4, 2014  

Well, the weather was so nice in Paris when we were there, at least part of the time the women were still wearing summer clothes! There's absolutely nothing more evocative than a pair of espadrilles that are about to fall apart, on the last warm days of the season... But this is what I saw:

Hosiery. Yes, it's back. Sheer black, sheer nude, opaque black of COURSE, and some interesting black on black stripes and checks. For those of us with less than perfect legs, this is good news. That dark red color that is named for every kind of wine imaginable. I'm NOT going to get into the semantics of what color is which, but I saw a lot of leather goods in shades from a very purple-ish burgundy to a much more ... View the Post

Where we Stayed, What we Ate: Paris

October 3, 2014   I'm having a tired day today, but since I had the photographs all queued up, I thought I'd at least share them...  

  After Amsterdam, B and I came BACK to Paris...  

   We walked, and ate...  

   Every time I go to Paris, I have at least one meal at Brasserie Balzar!  

  ... View the Post

Where we Stayed, What we Ate: Amsterdam

October 2, 2014

Go to the shop on the corner. Walk to the back of the tiny shop floor, and climb the very steep and narrow stairs...

 

  When you get to the top, you find a delightful little slice of Amsterdam paradise - this was our room at Maison Rika.   Rika is a designer, and she has two shops on the same street in Amsterdam. Upstairs from one of the shops, she has two guests rooms. Just two. This is not the place to get room service at 2 a.m. This is much, MUCH nicer.   When you check in, they give you keys to the store on the ground floor. You can come and go as you please, and you immediately feel like a member of the Rika family. If you can navigate these stairs, I can warmly recommend ... View the Post

Shopping in Amsterdam and Paris, September 2014

October 1, 2014

I did not shop the first four days I was in Europe, because I was escorting my two photographer friends, and we were BUSY finding great locations and walking, walking, walking!  (there will soon be a new header for The Vivienne Files!)   But once B and I got to Amsterdam, I began to look about.  I didn't throw myself madly into the process; I waited until I saw things that had whappage; if I hadn't found anything at all that really had appeal, then I wouldn't have wasted my very hard-earned money.  It's important to remember how long it takes to earn money when you go to spend it - is object "X" worth 3, 5, or 14 hours of your effort?  Sometimes, you just have to conclude that the answer ... View the Post

Packing: A 5-Pack Would Have Worked…

September 30, 2014  

Or, in my world, 8 = 42...You might remember my excellent travel outfit:

 

I had this outfit on for an eternity of time, and I don't regret a thing!  It was ideal, and I will almost certainly wear something very similar for future trips.  But my suitcase was TOO MUCH STUFF...  I'd have been well-served to have just packed this:

  I understand that this seems like amazingly little, but I need to remember something really critical about my trips to Europe - especially my trips to Paris:

I SHOP!!!

I shop a lot.  I start shopping the second or third day, and I tend to wear my purchases almost immediately.  Thus, I leave things in my suitcase unworn, and I ... View the Post

Lessons Learned: Amsterdam and Paris

What an adventure THAT was!  Belovedest and I had a wonderful time - of course we did - we were together.  And we learned some things that I think are worth sharing...  

If you're connecting from a plane to a train, buy your train tickets in advance, even if you can't guarantee that you'll be on time. (and of course, you can't guarantee, because you're flying in, and planes are delayed)  It's MUCH less expensive to purchase train tickets in advance, and you'll be assured of a seat.  B and I had been promised by a couple of different people that it was ALWAYS easy to get train tickets from Paris to Amsterdam - au contraire, my friends!

When buying train tickets, even if you don't know your return time ... View the Post

A 4 by 4 Capsule Wardrobe in Coral, Turquoise, Black and Grey

September 25, 2014  

Please bear in mind that I prepared this post before I left for my vacation, so some of the links might be dated...This is a great, unique, way to accent black and grey; coral and turquoise are often found together, and there's some AMAZING jewelry available (usually in warmer weather) that combines these two colors.  But of course we don't wear real coral anymore - it's pretty endangered...

  In both of these Cores of Four, I chose high-necked tee shirts to go with v-neck sweaters.  This way, if you want to layer the grey tee under the black sweater, (or vice versa) it will show nicely.  These little details can make a lot of difference in how versatile your clothes can ... View the Post

A 4 by 4 Capsule Wardrobe in Bright Plum, Smoky Blue, Navy and Grey

September 22, 2014   I don't want everybody to feel like I've beaten the "navy and grey" horse to death, but I had a lot of requests for variations of those colors, and they all take on their own feel...  Please remember that I prepared these posts back in August, so you'd have pretty things to read while I'm on vacation; if the hyperlinks don't work, or an item is sold out, I sincerely apologize!   This is the color scheme - three of the colors we've worked with before, but this bright plum color changes everything.  What once was a soft and muted palette takes on a brightness and life that can be included in an outfit on a day that feels right, or you can always stick with the softer colors when that's what you ... View the Post