Start With a Scarf Archives

June 2019 -12 Months, 12 Outfits – based on 6 Hermes Scarves

I'm sitting in a kitchen in Washington DC right now, where it is HOT!!! Putting together outfits with summer dresses felt just right...

This just feels cool to look at, doesn't it?

I'm still smitten with this - maybe it's all the stripes?

While dresses aren't as versatile as separates, there are still at least a few options with any dress...

Still loving this color scheme...

Technically, they call this a kaftan, but let's not haggle over terminology...

All looking good...

One might wear this dress often in hot weather!

I still find this palette intriguing. It's not common, but it seems to work well!

Such a classic dress...

Even though this is an unusual palette, it hangs ... View the Post

Start with a Scarf: Hermès Les Nouveaux Amoureux de Paris

Yes, this is the scarf that I received for our anniversary.... Let's Be Slightly Reckless! When her sweetheart came home with a big bonus, they really wanted to celebrate...

Would it truly be insane to go to Paris for just a long weekend? (yes... it's madness!)

She's already inspired:

They agreed on a couple of key things:

1 suitcase - a big one - that they will share, and check. If it is lost, they will BOTH have to go shopping! Not even going to TRY to get over jet lag - sleep 'til noon, dine 'til midnight... SERIOUS dining... They will dress up (not black tie, but nice) every day, do a modest amount of sight-seeing, and focus on evening meals!

She's going to keep things very simple, and quite comfortable - no ... View the Post

Start with Art: View from Bodacke, Liden by Helmer Osslund

This reminded her immediately of the site of their cabin:

So much so that she decided to make this her wardrobe inspiration for their upcoming weekends away!

This summer, she's going to plan out a simple, small, but versatile wardrobe, take it up to the cabin, and LEAVE IT THERE until they close up for cold weather! She knows that she might need to take something else with her at some point, but she's determined to avoid the "every Thursday night" packing that inevitably results in something being forgotten...

So she's planning a 4 by 4 Wardrobe, starting with "hedge green."

Next, she wants some beige. She's lucky that it looks pretty good on her - if it didn't, she would either swap the 2 tops for more green, or an ... View the Post

March 2019 – 12 Months, 12 Outfits – Based on 6 Hermes Scarves

Possibly my favorite blog post every month!

You can see the January post here, and the February post here...

First up is this quite abstract scarf, in my favorite black and white with 2 shades of blue:

Normally I would look for a solid skirt for this outfit, but I couldn't resist the stripes here! And the juxtaposition of more stripes appeals to my fondness for pattern mixing:

Next is this lovely scarf with all of those shades of purple, lavender and pink. I'm not sure how it's all going to look when this is finished, but I love the colors together!

I'm on a one-woman mission to convince everyone that skirts don't have to be dressy...

The balance here between warm and cool colors is going to be tricky, but ... View the Post

Can You Have Too Many Neutrals? Start with a Scarf – The Tropical Scarf by Pig, Chicken & Cow

I am often asked if it's possible to have a wardrobe that's TOO neutral...

Hmmm. My first thought is that if someone is concerned about feeling this way, maybe their wardrobe is too neutral for them. Conversely, maybe these questioners are perfectly happy with their wardrobe, but they get critical feedback from others. (how often do those of us who love wearing black get criticized for being Goth, as if that made any sense...)

The answer, I think you already know, is NO, no wardrobe is too bright, nor too neutral, nor too pastel, unless it doesn't suit you, and doesn't make you feel beautiful and happy and free to do your important things.

But in the interest of investigating a wardrobe that's 75% neutral, let's ... View the Post

Build a Capsule Wardrobe in 12 Months, 12 Outfits – May 2018

Always my favorite day of the month, for The Vivienne Files! And since today (April 30th) is actually somewhat warm in Chicago, this doesn't feel like an insane outfit to bring into our capsule wardrobes!

If you haven't seen these before, the general idea is that I start the year with 6 Hermes scarves, and for each of the 12 months of the year, I choose an outfit to add to a growing capsule wardrobe. Some of them turn out really well, and others... need some year-end adjusting! But it's a fascinating process...

Let's get started; one of the things that I liked most about this scarf was the juxtaposition of the surprising yellow, green and blue against the black. Not your usual accent colors!

This wardrobe is starting to come ... View the Post

Sage and Blush! A French 5-Piece Wardrobe, with Camel

I don't think I've ever pointed this out specifically - your French 5-Piece Wardrobe doesn't have to be all one color! It probably should all go together, if only to make wearing it easier, but 2 colors that are beautiful together could be a great idea...

Imagine that you've already pulled together your camel and ivory Common Wardrobe for spring...

Yes, this is the same wardrobe from Monday the 5th - and the shirt is NOT (at this very moment) sold out...

You would already have a good many ways to get dressed in the morning without really even thinking - that's handy when you're in a rush, and distracted!

When you add just the 5 new items you purchased for spring, your options expand a LOT, and you still don't have to do a ... View the Post

A Ted Baker Scarf-Based French 5-Piece Wardrobe

You don't have to follow the Pantone colors - make your own very personal "French 5-Piece Wardrobe" by starting with something that has some real "whappage" in your life!

For me, that might often be a lovely Ted Baker London scarf. (No, I have absolutely no business relationship with them... sigh...)

You go shopping - see the scarf - and the path is clear! A couple of simple, timeless garments, classic earrings, and a summery tote, and your spring is ready to start.

Imagine if you were devoted to wearing black and white - you had this lovely 10-piece Common Wardrobe available for spring. (Yes, you've seen this wardrobe before...)

You would already have a wealth of lovely outfits:

But then you bring your new blush-hued pieces ... View the Post

Revisiting the Red Tulip Scarf, and some Unpredictable Navy

You might remember a travel capsule wardrobe for a brave (some might say daring) heroine a couple of months ago...

This was her inspirational scarf, her style guidelines, and her color palette:

A Conference, Alone....

After the lecture that she attended before the holidays, she joined a group that did a lot of research in the subject that she found so fascinating. So now, they're getting together for a weekend conference to discuss their finding and their next steps. She's VERY excited...

It's just a couple of days, so she won't need a lot of things. Mostly they'll be sitting around a conference table talking, taking notes and sharing ideas... There's 1 nice dinner planned, and as usual she's going to take advantage of breakfast ... View the Post

My 6th Most Popular Post – All Time – Start with a Scarf: Hermes Arbre de Vie

You might remember that I'm in Paris until next Monday afternoon... And I was thinking that while I'm away, I would revisit the 6 most popular posts I've ever written for The Vivienne Files. I'm, frankly, pretty surprised by what they turned out to be!

Number 6 - What to Wear With an Hermes Scarf Arbre de Vie (tree of life)

It starts with this scarf, and includes outfits in this color scheme:

When I wrote these posts I tried to show a wide variety of possible outfits for which the scarf would be a fitting accent - I think it's stood the test of time pretty well!

love, Janice ... View the Post

Brown with Blue – Start with a Scarf! Hermes Electrique

Recently, someone asked me to re-visit a post that I did over 5 years ago, in blue and brown...

After 5 years, absolutely NOTHING shown in the original post was still available - I know that's not a surprise. So I have recreated the original outfit, and what was packed, as best I could - it's a rough approximation...

The hardest thing was that I could NOT find a trench coat in the same turquoise blue that was used originally, so I've migrated the entire capsule wardrobe into a more "brown and blue" color scheme, starting with a wonderful scarf!

I isolated the colors with which the wardrobe will be built; I didn't really define the style because I'm somewhat duplicating an existing wardrobe...

You've Earned a Few Days in a Warmer ... View the Post

Evaluating a Wardrobe – How do the “12 Months, 12 Outfits” Wardrobes Do?

What makes a wardrobe work? And how can you tell if a wardrobe is going to be functional and versatile? Not the headiest questions in life, but still important, if you like to get dressed and enjoy the process (as well as the results!).

Ultimately, your wardrobe works if you can get dressed every day with ease and pleasure. It doesn't matter what's in there, how tidy or messy it is, or how many different colors and/or styles of things you own. It's the most subjective thing in the world...

That said, if you're struggling, I have a few ideas that you might want to consider!

First up, let's start with the black, white, grey and rust wardrobe that I finished up on December 1st:

Since I built more or less identical outfits each month for ... View the Post