The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Denim Blue Capsule Wardrobe with Floral, Bright and Silver/White Accessories

Denim blue is a great, versatile and flattering color, even when the fabric isn't denim! Imagine these six garments, along with a pair of real jeans, a white shirt, and a couple of tee shirts - the perfect simple travel capsule wardrobe. I'm ready to go on vacation ANY TIME NOW...  ... View the Post

How to Choose an Etro Paisley Scarf

If you're looking for a scarf investment that can rival Hermes, don't overlook the beauty that comes from Etro. I bought an Etro scarf for my honeymoon (in pink and black chiffon...) and I will treasure it forever. Etro pretty much OWNS the idea of paisley, and they make them in as many color combinations as you can imagine... So how do you choose? Maybe take a look at the sweaters or shirts with which you would hope to wear your scarf, and work backward from there.

This scarf is particularly well suited for autumn, and for the winter holidays. You can wear the muted green (or brown, or tan, or black), or you could bust out with a bright red. The earrings just sort of felt like they wanted to be here, so I tossed them in to make things ... View the Post

The French 5-Piece Wardrobe Meets A Common Capsule Wardrobe: navy, grey, electric blue, bright purple

There's a lot of talk in books and on the internet about the "French 5-Piece Wardrobe", which is a misnomer if there ever was one! The wardrobe isn't really five pieces; the concept is that you have a core of basic, neutral garments, and you then add FIVE pieces per season. I'm sure some people define a season as every 3 months, but it would certainly also make sense to just do this every 6 months. Whatever makes you happy, right?

But when I read descriptions about the "core" of neutral garments, I kept thinking that it sounded a lot like The Common Wardrobe...  And that this philosophy might be an option for helping us build our wardrobes of basics, while at the same time introducing accent colors, long-term investment items, or ... View the Post

Choosing a Scarf: A Bright Summer Accent

Some of us aren't going to be wearing white all summer long, nor will pastel accessories work really well for everybody.  So I'm going to revisit the idea of buying a summer scarf, but this time working with a base of navy linen clothes...  The idea of picking up a couple of bright accessories to update my summer wardrobe is very tempting!

These are the scarves:

And the simple navy garments:

Never discount the merits of a cool pair of sunglasses, or a snazzy summer bag...

Looking Back:

2011 - To establish the historic background I take us Back to the Roots of The Vivienne Files, Part 4.

2012 - Bright blue and summery - let's investigate What to Wear with An Hermes Scarf: Reves ... View the Post

Capsule Wardrobe Project 333: Scarves

Who am I kidding - I will wear more than six scarves before the winter is over - there will be WEEKS during which I will wear more scarves than this. But these six scarves represent the critical categories into which my scarves seem to fall.  None of them is still currently available - and I can only remember buying two of them at all clearly.  I DO remember buying my pink scarf the first time I visited Paris (1998?), and being absolutely horrified with myself that I spent so much on a scarf.  Now that I've worn it about 500 times, I no longer remember the price... 

Mostly pink/blush colored scarves:

Mostly grey scarves:

A scarf that is black, white and warm!

A scarf that is black, white, and can be ... View the Post

Chic sighting: Mixing bright colors, with metallic shoes

Yesterday was the first truly spring-like day here in Chicago.  This was the kind of outfits that I saw often on the street - bright colors, floral sleeveless tops, and metallic flats.  Bright and springy, but still very appropriate for most offices!

orange and pink tank - Topshop, orange cardigan - Mango, Pink chinos- Levi's Made & Crafted, gold flats - Rocket Dog, yellow and green tank - Madewell, green cardigan - Paul Smith, yellow capris - Erika Cavallini

blue tank - Uniqlo, blue cardigan - Dorothy Perkins, hot pink capris - Miu Miu, green tank - Uniqlo, mint cardigan - Dorothy Perkins, lavender capris - Mother Denim, silver flats - Louise et Cie ... View the Post

Chic Sightings: Black & White Stripes

Please note: I have NEVER accepted merchandise, nor money, from ... well... anybody, in exchange for my work on this blog.  My meager earnings come from Google, if and when anybody clicks on an ad on this site.  At this stage, my earnings per hour are a few cents...  So when I choose an image to represent in my vignettes, it is chosen because it is the best image I can find to express my ideas and dreams.

That said, if Yohji Yamamoto wants to give me that striped and dotted skirt in the first frame, I'd like the largest size available... ... View the Post