The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Vivienne Files - Page 242 of 288 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

How to wear a navy v-neck sweater

March 21, 2013   As before, you will see some familiar garments and accessories.  To me, it is a delightful surprise to start preparing a post with a new color of sweater, readjust my aesthetic brain to that color, and then find that there a lot of flattering "common ground" with previous posts that I've done...  Today I was particularly delighted to see how well yesterday's coral tee shirt and flats flattered the navy sweater and white jeans.  Although I think green and navy might be a new favorite for me!    

Sweater – Burberry Brit, tee shirt – Dorothy Perkins, white jeans – J. Crew, shoes - SWIMS, peach tee shirt – Weekend by MaxMara, peach flats – Nude    

Sweater – Burberry Brit, ... View the Post

How to wear a camel v-neck sweater

March 20, 2013

I never wear camel, because it's wicked unflattering on me, but I love the look of it...At it's simplest, the sweater with jeans or twill pants. A scarf, and some pretty earrings, and you're good to go. Note that the shades of camel don't have to match exactly.

Sweater – Uniqlo, rose quartz earrings – Glacier Jewellery, scarf – Scotch & Soda, jeans – Ralph Lauren, boots – Stuart Weitzman, earrings – Gabrielle Vallarino, scarf – futabaya, khakis – Vince, ballet flats - Repetto     A long line of camel and brown, with a simple white or cream shirt, is the easiest outfit in the world.  Simple gold jewelry is all you need; a watch might be enough!  

Sweater – Uniqlo,  necklace – 10 ... View the Post

How to wear a black v-neck sweater

March 18, 2013  

When I was ironing yesterday, I realized, again, that my black v-neck sweater is perhaps the most frequently worn item in my closet in the cold weather.  While mine is cashmere, if I had to replace it, I'd probably opt for a very "flat" merino wool, or maybe Eileen Fisher's cotton/silk blend...Mine is big enough to layer, but not so huge that it looks sloppy on it's own.  The v is low enough that a tee shirt peeks out when it's underneath, but if I wear the sweater alone I'm not risking a career-limiting move.

At it's most simple, the sweater, alone with a pair of simple jeans or khakis, is perfect:

Sweater – J. Crew, scarf – Tory Burch, jeans – Ralph Lauren, loafers – Stuart Weitzman, scarf – ... View the Post

How to wear Paisley Jeans: Version Neutral

Paisley jeans - Etro,  sweater – Jardin des Orangers, necklace – BaubleBar, loafers – Naturalizer,  sweater – Max Mara, watch – Debenhams, loafers - Lanvin  

Paisley jeans – Etro, silk blouse – Stella McCartney, earrings – Dorothy Perkins, pumps – Brooks Brothers, tee – Brunello Cuccinelli, bracelet – Brooks Brothers, loafers – La Botte Gardiane      

Paisley jeans - Etro, sweater – Patagonia, earrings – BaubleBar, flats – Stuart Weitzman, blouse – Armani Collezioni, earrings – Georg Jensen, flats – Vera Wang    

Paisley jeans – Etro, striped sweater - Vince, earrings – Folli Follie, oxfords - Hdson, leather cardigan – Avi?, bracelets – Accessorize, boots – ... View the Post

How to wear Floral Jeans – Version Pastel

March 14, 2013  

I'm going to look at two or three different floral jeans in the next few days - these are pastel, but I'm going to try to find some brighter ones, and some in warmer tones too...My first thought was to choose a soft, flattering color from within the print, and pick a top in that color:

Floral jeans – J. Crew, silk blouse – Balmain, earrings – Rena Luxx, pumps – Brooks Brothers, tee – Brunello Cuccinelli, bracelet – Brooks Brothers, loafers – La Botte Gardiane     Neutrals are an obvious possibilities. Accessories can echo the whole flower theme:  

Floral jeans – J. Crew, sweater – Dorothy Perkins, earrings – BaubleBar, flats – Stuart Weitzman, blouse – L’Agence, bracelet – Dorothy ... View the Post

Simple Clothes, Navy & Yellow, with accessories

Hat – Patagonia, starry sneakers – Keds, scarf – J. Crew, bracelet – BaubleBar, sandals - Guess    

Scarf - Escada, bag – Belstaff, pumps – Bettye Muller, hat – Bernstock Spiers, bracelet – Dalita, dotted shoes – Keds    

Sunglasses – The Row, espadrilles – Castaner, bag – Anya Hindmarch, espadrilles – Poetic License    

Belt – Sofie D’Hoore, sandals – Stuart Weitzman, bracelet – Balenciaga, sandals - Alfani      

Cap-toe ballet flat – Manolo Blahnik, chandelier earrings -Blue Bijoux, tote – Accessorize, square earrings – Kate Spade, scarf – Brooks Brothers, flats – Reek Krakoff  

  ... View the Post

Hermès Feux d’Artifice and me, or how collections get started

Seven or eight years ago, apropo of nothing I can remember, someone I knew only through the internet sent me this:

You could have knocked me over with a silk scarf - it was a stunningly generous and kind gesture.

A few months later, someone else gave me THIS:

The poster commemorating the 150th anniversary fireworks display that Hermes held in central Paris.  I frankly haven't seen another one of these posters anywhere - ebay, Hermes collectors groups etc.  And mine has been signed (well, probably robo-signed) by the chairman of Hermes.  

And thus, just that easily, I decided I was going to start snapping up these Hermes Feux d'Artifice scarves if I saw them at a decent price.  It's an ideal collection, ... View the Post

Getting Dressed with the 33 Piece Capsule Wardrobe: week 10 experiment

March 11, 2013  

Why yes, I did miss week 9!  and I don't have any clear recollection what I wore that week, which is as it should be... Oddly enough, my life does NOT revolve around what I wear...I've long been convinced that, so long as you are appropriate and attractive, nobody really pays too much attention to what you're wearing, day in and day out. So I thought I'd test that theory by wearing head-to-toe black clothes for a week, paired with a scarf in the same design, but different colors, each day for a week.

I didn't expect ANYBODY to notice that the scarves were the same design, but I did sort of think that 5 solid days with a scarf would elicit comment. And I sort of wondered if anybody would think I'd fallen ... View the Post

Packing: Purple, Navy, and scarves

Silk scarf - Hermes, pashmina – Pashmina Art  

Tee shirt - Hugo, cardigan – Paul Smith, earrings- Cathy Watermann, watch – Daniel Wellington, pants – Lucza London, loafers – Brooks Brothers, bag – Solomon Appollo, suitcase - Rimowa  

Necklace – Brooks Brothers, dress – Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti, drop earrings – George Jensen, bracelet – Valerie Egee, pumps – Jimmy Choo, sweater – Alice & Olivia, skirt – Toast, cardigan – DKNY,  cotton blouse – Etro,  sleeveless top - Newlook, ballet flats – Bloch  

  ... View the Post