The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Start With a Scarf Archives - Page 6 of 23

Want to Focus on Accessories? Start with a Scarf – Betty Soldi scarf by Echo

January 19, 2024

Wow. Just plain wow...

Not many colors, but who NEEDS colors when you have this?

I'm sure your not amazed to learn that matching the sepia tone of the image is impossible to find in clothing! But let's think for a moment... if this was a photograph, you wouldn't try to match the color of the frame to the photo, right? So you don't need to match the main color of a scarf - think of it as your outfit serving as the background or frame for the scarf!

This heroine is a BIG fan of accessories that channel her inner Elizabeth I.... so her clothes are simple and classic:

Wearing dress pants, and then packing a skirt and jeans, gives you a wide range of "dressiness" possibilities:

I'm pretty certain that our heroine ... View the Post

Five Outfit Ideas, based on Echo 100 Limited Edition scarves

January 10, 2024

New scarves from the Echo 100 Limited Edition series, released for their 100th Anniversary!

These scarves - even if they don't suit my very personal tastes - never disappoint. Such a wide range of ideas, styles and points of view. They're a delight...

Let's start with a scarf that I managed to overlook - amazing, since it's black and white, and I love it!

Even though I'm showing this scarf with a black and white outfit (my style to the millionth degree!), consider the possibility that this scarf could be treated in the same way as a necklace in onyx, set in silver, platinum or white gold.

Imagine wearing it with a red dress.

Or a bright blue shirt and black pants.

You get the idea...

This is ... View the Post

Outfit Ideas? Five Limited Edition Echo Scarves for the Inspiration!

December 28, 2023

Struggling to pull together a new outfit from existing garments? Looking for an inspiration for a new accent color in your wardrobe?

I've got ideas - thanks to Echo's 100 Limited Edition Scarves...

First scarf? Black border, bright colors, and an arresting image:

When one distills the scarf down to the colors that are most prominent, this is what you get:

Want to get away for a weekend? This scarf could be where you start!

Our next scarf is also an image of a fascinating woman - it's interesting to me how some of the ideas of these 100 scarves seem to recur...

The colors here give you some interesting possibilities - you can pair the soft blush with black, or the denim blue with red, ... View the Post

Need an Accent Inspiration? Start With a Scarf – Shepard Fairey by Echo

December 1, 2023

OH dear! I'm supposed to be working on the "Six Paintings, Six Wardrobes" posts today! But once I saw that Shepard Fairey had done a scarf for Echo, I was thoroughly distracted... You know his art; remember the Obama posters from way back when...

This nice thing about scarves (well, one of the many nice things about scarves!) is that even if you don't much love the image when the scarf is flat, nobody but you will probably EVER see the scarf spread out and fully visible...

Our heroine today is one of us who mostly loves to wear neutrals - especially black and beige! But she's going to be attending a couple of "medium dressy" events this winter (some including children), and she needs to maybe brighten up ... View the Post

Ready for the Week? Start with a Scarf – 3 “Echo 100” Scarves

November 27, 2023

This is supposed to be the time of year when our schedules are busiest, and when we have the most challenges taking care of everything that we want to do...

I'm not sure; I suspect that some of us run into these kinds of pressure at any time of year!

My suggestion? Every Thursday evening, and Sunday evening (your choices may vary), assemble a Wardrobe Cluster of 4, 5 or 6 garments that all go nicely together. Make sure you've chosen accessories, and that the appropriate shoes are clean and in good repair, too!

This might make weekends, and early days of the work week, a bit easier...

I see this color palette as being perfect if you're not expecting bitter cold weather, or if you just look lovely in ... View the Post

Festive Attire in Untraditional Colors? Start with a Scarf – 3 Limited Edition Echo Scarves

November 24, 2023

Today's heroines are all going to be doing something for the upcoming winter holidays - nothing overwhelmingly dressy, just events for which they wish to look nice...

And they don't want to wear the traditional colors that everyone else will be wearing! Blending in with the crowd just doesn't suit these heroines that well!

So let's start with more lovely scarves:

Our first heroine is particularly smitten with this scarf for lots of reasons, but especially because it includes brown, which is her #1 favorite neutral!

So these are the colors that she isolates from this scarf - she could have chosen at least 3 more that I can see...

This little cluster delights her - she's got Christmas red and ... View the Post

Wardrobe Clusters? Start with a Scarf! Three “Echo 100” Scarves

November 22, 2023

For many of us, this is the time of year when we are often called upon to be away from home for just one night - family meals, downtown activities that include a night in a nice hotel, quick work jaunts...

These kinds of trips only require the smallest little cluster of clothes - I firmly believe that we can wear the same pants two days in a row!

Let's use 3 of the lovely new Echo scarves as our inspiration, eh?

This scarf could SO EASILY be the inspiration for an entire life-long wardrobe; heaven knows that there are plenty of men who live in navy and grey!

While I didn't include any light blue in this wee cluster, I envision that color showing up as nicely faded denim, or a beautiful sweater, and ... View the Post

Long Weekend of Travel? Start with a Scarf – Sonny Ross Scarf by Echo

November 17, 2023

Suddenly, there are a whole bunch of new Echo 100 scarves!

For no good reason I can offer, this one really sparked my imagination - SO pretty, but also a wide range of color possibilities...

This scarf seemed like an obvious candidate for a core of denim, or ivory, or olive... But what if I just worked with the five visible colors in (more or less) equal quantities?

The Library Will be Open For the Holiday Weekend! The library at the gardens are seldom open, and when they are, you have to have reservations, and an assigned desk, and you need to tell the Preservation Society what you're going to be studying. It's a serious thing!

She's going! She loves working with heritage flowering plants in her ... View the Post

Business Travel Packing Made Easy? Start with a Scarf: Tré Seals Scarf By Echo

November 15, 2023

I've been planning to buy one (well, at least one!) of the Echo 100 Scarves, from their amazing anniversary project; I knew that something would have whappage, and be irresistible to me...

You're shocked, I know:

Okay, this might be unnecessary, but it's what we do here on The Vivienne Files!

This heroine isn't me - although it certainly could have been me in my advertising days!

Our intrepid friend today is heading to one of those cities that starts with an N - New York, Newark, Northampton, Nantes? She will only be there 3 nights, and during the day she will be training employees of her company in cool and fascinating research techniques...

The weather will be moderate - not that ... View the Post

Outfit Ideas! Starting with 8 Very Special Echo Scarves

October 30, 2023

Echo has released a total of 14 scarves so far, so let's take a look at the remaining 8 that I didn't visit on Friday...

Let's start with the scarf that I was convinced I didn't like, until I saw it folded. 

Sudden it dawned on me - camel and grey - what's not to love?

Those days when you're just not sure what's appropriate? This kind of outfit - lovely fabrics, subdued colors, and accessories that tie it all together without being gaudy or over the top... Just timeless elegance.

This scarf is the diametric opposite of the first - bold colors and a whimsical image...

I skipped the yellow and deep pink - but you could certainly use them as accent colors...

Those events where ... View the Post

Six Scarves! A Labor of Love from Echo Scarves

October 27, 2023

In case you haven't heard, Echo is producing a series of 100 scarves, designed by 100 different artistic, wonderful people... Only 100 of each scarf is available, and all of the profits are being donated to charity!

fwiw, I don't even get a commission on these scarves, but that's all good - anything for charities AND featuring artists is a mission for me!

I'm going to share them all, and show how I might wear each of them...

When you're considering the purchase of a scarf, thinking about what you're going to wear with your new treasure is only logical; buying a scarf that goes with NOTHING you own might be a lovely gesture, but it's not really practical...

Let's go!

There are - of course - more colors ... View the Post

A Neutral Travel Capsule Wardrobe: Start with a Scarf – Wild Rose Silk Scarf by Echo

September 28, 2023

Incognito She judges gardens. Every weekend, she goes to another city, and tours all kinds of backyards and front yards, and picks the winners...

And NOBODY knows that it's her! Well, the people sponsoring the garden walks always know her name, and they know her email address from which they will receive the big announcement...

She shows up for both days of the walks, dressed inconspicuously, not taking notes, not being a pompous "garden judge" who lords her authority over the poor gardeners...

She always packs the same 10 garments, for the entirety of the autumn (or spring) judging season.

The first things into her bag is her favorite turtleneck - cotton, but hefty enough for a cool ... View the Post