The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Articles
    • Starting From Scratch
    • Common Wardrobe
    • Packing
    • Start With Art
    • Project 333
    • 4×4 Wardrobes
    • Weekly Timeless Wardrobes
    • Archives by Date
    • Archives by Categories & Tags
  • Support The Vivienne Files
    • Books, Clothes & more
    • Templates & Color Planners
  • Contact
Home » French Chic

French Chic Archives

Visualizing French Chic: Taupe

Way back when, the original French Chic book listed seven garments, and then a dozen ways to combine them and accessorize them.  I've chosen to visualize this potential in a non-black color (and in some "not quite solid" pieces), and in some younger and less conservative iterations...

And please note that your clothes don't have to all be out of the identical dye lot; a bit of blending is quite alright.

Jacket –Paul & Joe, leopard cardigan – J. Crew, lace knit cardigan – Paul Smith, dress –DKNY,  skirt – Marc Jacobs, capris – 3.1 Phillip Lim, trousers – Marc Jacobs    

Earrings – Alexis Bittar, Tank top – Chinti & Parker, pumps – Unűtzer, sleeveless top – Brunello Cucinelli, bracelet – Debenhams, ... View the Post

07.24.12 14 Comments

Tags: French Chic, taupe

Visualizing French Chic: 7 in black

May 19, 2012   One of the sections of the book French Chic, by Susan Sommers, which I read repeatedly, was one in which she listed seven items of black clothing, and then set out a little grid of how you could combine these items, and how they would be accessorized.   I could never visualize this.   So I decided to put together her suggestions in images.  Some of the accessories ideas just scream "early '80's", and so I didn't stick to all 12 plans exactly as written...   This is an interesting approach to wardrobe-building, or to packing.  The vest is, to me, a difficult garment, and I would probably be tempted to substitute a leather jacket, denim jacket, or second cardigan.  And if you're not ... View the Post

05.19.12 18 Comments

Tags: black, French Chic

French Chic: Expanding on the core wardrobe

So as lovely as the garments above are, this is certainly not going to be enough clothing to even get you through a week.  Most of us would want at least five separate tops and bottoms (or a dress) to get through the week.  Even if you wear black pants repeated each week, it's nice to have more than one pair.

Thus, I decided to take it upon myself to determine what additional garments Vivienne would want in order to consider this a complete wardrobe.  Realistically, I think most of us would do this exercise twice - once for cooler weather, and once for the sweltering misery that passes for summer on much of our planet.  But for starters, let's just round out this core wardrobe with a few of the ... View the Post

07.11.11 2 Comments

Tags: French Chic, grey, rose, work wear, yellow

French Chic: The core of the French Chic wardrobe

  One of the things about the book French Chic (Susan Sommers) which intrigued me was the list of garments which included "The seven essentials no well-dressed Frenchwoman would be without". That list included:

A black straight skirt a V-neck or cardigan sweater a suit a pair of jeans a silk shirt a couple of white tee-shirts an Hermes scarf

The idea of a list of essential clothing fascinates me; in a world that tries to compel me to over-consume, that finite-ness of a list like this, in which I could have some discipline and some structure, seems heaven-sent.  Knowing that I was going to buy a fixed number of garments would give me the freedom to determine how much I wanted to spend, in what areas I ... View the Post

07.08.11 8 Comments

Tags: French Chic, grey, navy, rose, work wear
logo
The Vivienne Files is a unique personal style blog with carefully-selected capsule wardrobes based on color palettes drawn from works of art, nature, and more. It helps women buy less clothing, and to love what they buy. Read more...
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

STAY UP TO DATE

Privacy Policy

Recent Posts

  • Adding Accessories! Start with Art Windows by Robert DelaunayAdding Accessories! Start with Art: Windows by Robert Delaunay
  • Build a Warm Weather Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art Spring Blossom by Valerius de SaedeleerBuild a Warm Weather Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Spring Blossom by Valerius de Saedeleer
  • Build a Warm Weather Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art Drei Häuser By Paul KleeBuild a Warm Weather Capsule Wardrobe by Starting with Art: Drei Häuser By Paul Klee
  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Start Here
  • Contact
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 The Vivienne Files | All Rights Reserved - Built with ♥ by RockFort Media

THE VIVIENNE FILES IS A PARTICIPANT IN THE AMAZON SERVICES LLC ASSOCIATES PROGRAM, AN AFFILIATE ADVERTISING PROGRAM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A MEANS FOR US TO EARN FEES BY LINKING TO AMAZON.COM AND AFFILIATED SITES.