The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

The Vivienne Files - Page 270 of 285 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

A Field Guide to Winter Sounds

Walking up Michigan Avenue in the winter, the intrepid adventurer encounters many sounds: traffic, car horns, sirens, the occasional argument, some laughter, and every now and then... a shriek!  I've made a study of the various shrieks of the "winter footwear challenged" segment of the human species, and I have created the following field guide to help you interpret these sounds, and perhaps even get a visual confirmation of the creature.

A.  The sound: a muffled, rhythmic gasping sound, with occasional expletives interjected. The creature in question: Post Pedicure Flip-Flopper

Visual confirmation: check the feet - bluish feet, perfect toenails, and cheap, flimsy, salon-giveaway flip flops being worn on freezing cold ... View the Post

When was the last time… ?

December 27, 2011

When was the last time you truly WORE OUT a piece of clothing?  As in absolutely could not mend, darn, nor patch the thing?   This comes to my mind because, since I started the heavy-lifting seasonal job, I've demolished two pair of socks, two bras (don't ask...) and - best of all - I took off a tee shirt after work one evening and it completely fell to pieces in my hands.  It was as if every piece of thread in every seam decided simultaneously to just give up the ghost and quit.  It was almost magical...     But I don't remember this happening all that often in my adult life.  But when I was a child, I clearly remember wearing clothes until they were either passed on to ... View the Post

Wardrobe based on 2 suits: Was Chanel right?

December 23, 2011   One of my favorite Chanel quotes is "One shouldn't spend all one's time dressing. All one needs are two or three suits, as long as they and everything to go with them, are perfect."   So I thought about how this quote applies to the wardrobes that I build - let's try on Chanel's advice!   First, two suits: one black, one taupe. Now, to me, a suit is a jacket, pants, a skirt AND a dress. (sometimes, nothing looks better than a dress and jacket). Yes, I'm taking the definitions very loosely...  

Next, you need the things that go with the 2 suits.  One twinset that matches a suit, and another twinset in an accent color.  One turtleneck that matches one of the suits, and a ... View the Post

99 Objets – the first installment

December 6, 2011 I'm always intrigued by lists - the perfect wardrobe, the necessary objects etc. So when one of my favorite authors tackled this idea, I had the book in hand pronto. (available here from FNAC - ordering books from France is great fun!)

Dominique Loreau is a French woman who has lived in Japan for many years, and has written a handful of books which merge her innate French love of beauty and elegance with her acquired Japanese aesthetic of simplicity and clarity.  The books are written in relatively simple French which I find quite clear - this isn't like tackling Balzac in the original...

So my interpretations of what Dominique lists as HER essentials will follow, over a few day's time.  Please note that these are MY ... View the Post