The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Not so crazy eights: the bonus add-ons for Navy and Gray

Now, I'm assuming with some confidence that you've already realized that if you owned the two eight-piece wardrobes from the last 2 days, you would find that there were dozens of ways that just those 16 pieces could be combined, a la the Winter White and Camel from a couple of weeks ago.

So these four pieces are a bonus - these would bring your wardrobe up to the 20 piece "French Chic" wardrobe (minus the 3 pieces of outerwear).  The possibilities multiply geometrically when you put these four pieces in the mix!  enjoy... ... View the Post

Accessories for the French Chic wardrobe

  One of my dear friends asked how I would accessorize the French Chic wardrobe.  While this is far from definitive, I think it's an interesting start.  

I learn more and more every day as I build these vignettes for our shared pleasure: you should be ABSOLUTELY FANATICALLY DEMANDING when you purchase anything.  There is a world of merchandise out there, and the perfect item exists, if you have the patience and the focus to find it.  Settle for NOTHING LESS THAN PERFECTION.  You deserve it. And if you fully intend to own many of your accessories for the rest of your life, you can easily justify buying the very best item being made today - support geniuses and craftspersons, and beautify the ... View the Post

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 could be extravagant, and on ... View the Post