The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Can Chinos be Pretty? Starting with Flat-Front Cotton Pants

August 31, 2026

So Friday's version of "what to wear with chinos?" focused on a pair of pleated, warm-hued pants, worn with neutrals. Today, I've found a pair of more grey-ish, taupe-ish pants - (they call it stone), and I'm pairing them with pastels and soft accents!

I love dressing like this - I can wear a sweater or top that's distinctly pretty, but I don't look twee, or over-dressed, because the chinos take the mood in a more relaxed direction:

The first thing I tried was putting these pants into the very LAST outfit from Friday - the one with the labradorite jewelry, and the perfect scarf and boots:

After that, I just looked around for pretty scarves or sweaters! I love this mixing of shades of pink:

This ... View the Post

Chinos? Khakis? Whatever You Call Them, They’re the Surprise Star of My Wardrobe

August 28, 2026

I keep track of what I wear - I actually have an Excel spreadsheet that I've been keep for years...

But I don't often actually USE this data for analysis... Until just a few days ago, I decided to see what I could learn about myself and my wardrobe from this diligent record-keeping.

Most frequently worn garment? Blue jeans

Second most frequently worn garment? Black jeans (I sense a theme...)

THIRD most frequently worn garment? Khakis! Or chinos! Or whatever they're called in your neck of the woods... We call 'em khakis around here....

These aren't exactly like mine, but these are really nice! All-cotton too...

I resisted buying chinos for decades. Literally decades. But I found a pair - used - very ... View the Post

Where I’m Going, What I’m Packing – Paris June 2026

June 17, 2026

Next Friday, the 26th, I'm going to Paris! Unless the weather is going to be unbearable hot, in which case I'm just going to CANCEL. My hotel expense might be a sunk cost, but I'm pretty sure I can do some kind of exchange things with my plane tickets.

But this is a good time for everybody to fully grasp the meaning of "sunk cost." Going to Paris and being miserable, or just being unable to do much of anything, isn't fun. On top of the expenses that I've already incurred, I would have transportation back and forth to the airport, and lots of meals, and any other incidental goodies I buy. 

I literally do not have to decide until I'm about to hand over my suitcase to be checked. I don't carry a suitcase onto an ... View the Post

The Simplest Packing I Can Devise! England March 2026

March 16, 2026

Cross your fingers that I'm in London while you're reading this! We're flying into London, hanging around for a couple of days, then driving around Suffolk for a few days, then returning to London for a last night, and coming home. It's going to be pretty whirlwind - four hotels in 8 days. So I'm not going to be seeing people over and over again, not that this really matters!

One of the towns we're visiting:

Changing subjects: what was your closest friend wearing the last time you saw them? Do you remember? What will you think if they're wearing the same thing the next time you see them?

See? Repeating outfits isn't going to make you a pariah. If you know people for whom this is a "thing," don't cater to their ... View the Post

I’m Using a 28-piece Wardrobe Template to Refine My Wardrobe…

January 16, 2026

My wardrobe feels pretty stable, but I'm always looking for things in it that I'm no longer wearing on a regular basis. We don't have mountains of room (although compared to my sisters in Europe, I'm wallowing in space!), and I don't like to keep things that might be of use to someone else...

So I initially thought I would use a 30-piece, six cluster template to organize myself:

But then I made a critical aesthetic adjustment to the 28-piece, seven cluster template (yes, they do indeed get confusing!):

Having the bottoms longer than the tops just makes good sense, doesn't it?

I'm hopeful that you can "right click" on these and copy them, or print them. They're useful if you're just writing on them, or ... View the Post

Dublin: What I REALLY Packed, Emergency Shopping, and Chic Sightings

July 23, 2025

Will someone clarify for me WHERE July has gone? 

When I was in Dublin, there were a couple of days when the temperatures were up around 80 degree Fahrenheit, which is quite warm by Dublin standards. I learned to my chagrin that it's also quite warm by MY standards!

First lesson - when a country's weather service issues weather warnings of any sort, heed them. They probably haven't had their budgets cut the pieces so their work is still thorough and accurate, and they certainly know something about local weather that you don't...

The resident of Dublin were smart - they flocked by the hundreds to parks:

Let's flash back to how I packed for Ireland; I changed things up after I posted my travel capsule ... View the Post

Foolproof Packing? Start With The Common Wardrobe

November 18, 2024

Come rummage through my closet with me!

Yes, I'm going to Paris after all. You may recall that Belovedest and I had to cancel a trip to London and Paris last month after my wee pratfall in the hotel bathroom; there was no way that I could face an international flight that soon after I broke seven ribs!

But I'm finding now that I can sleep on my side (which is a game-changer, for me!), walk on a treadmill for over a half hour, and be outdoors for 3 or 4 hours at a stretch. I'm not leaving until December 11, so I'm working with the assumption that I will feel at least somewhat better than I do now, and be quite a bit stronger.

All that said, Belovedest insists that I check my suitcase, even though it easily fits ... View the Post

What Do YOU Need in Stressful Times?

July 10, 2024

I think about the role of clothing in our lives A LOT. And I'm currently reading the best book I've read - maybe ever - about a woman and her wardrobe. 

Yes, it's not cheap, but it's a big, long book, and it talks at great length about O'Keeffe's wardrobe, and the deliberate choices that she made to define her personal style. It also shows what a brilliant seamstress she was!

I particularly like that when the author talks about a photograph, or a garment, the image is either RIGHT THERE on the page, or very close, and clearly labeled. I hate having to stop and Google a painting while I'm reading...

Anyway! This book got me thinking about the things that have been essential to me this last few months - ... View the Post

Do You Have a “Signature” Painting? I Finally Found Mine…

April 17, 2024

My Mother's 90th birthday!

It's something that fascinates me - people who know themself so well that everything about them seems to be made for them. You can't imagine them dressed differently. You know that their home is perfect for them, as is their car, and the books that the read, and the music that they love.

"Know thyself." Is there harder advice? When we're buffeted by advertising and entertainment that encourages us to try new and different EVERYTHING all the time (got to keep the economy churning, you know), being loyal to your personal style is far from simple...

Enter Emilio Pettoruti, and this wonderful painting:

Yes, I used this here on The Vivienne Files back in October, but it took me a while ... View the Post

Wardrobe of the Week: June 11 – 17, 2023

June 18, 2023

This was a challenging week - I'm still wearing a brace on my right wrist 24/7, on my left wrist at night, AND I got a cortisone shot in my left foot! I was left unable to put on any sort of shoe over the top of my foot for the entire week; it was cool enough that I would have preferred sneakers or loafers...

Also, I'm sharing a snippet of the fabric of my 2 pairs of pants - they're both black and white, but quite different. Note that my black and white dress is made of the same tic-weave fabric as one pair of pants. In that fabric, I also have the tunic, and the sleeveless top, and a dress... When something is just exactly what you love, you stock up, right?

Maybe the most interesting thing about looking at what I ... View the Post

Wardrobe of the Week: May 21 – 27, 2023

May 28, 2023

It's STILL not particularly warm in Chicago - it may get up into the 70s by Monday!

Thus, I am still wearing long-sleeved shirts (in linen, though!) and sweaters or sweatshirts.

Note - I bought my linen shirts from J.Jill at LEAST 10 years ago, and they're still going strong. Linen is tough...

Happily, our apartment is like a wee greenhouse, and warms up tremendously in the morning, when the sun streams in over the lake and into our huge windows! A great view, AND heat...

love,

Janice ... View the Post