Vivienne Archives

Questions about the raison d’etre of The Vivienne Files

August 28, 2014

A lot of questions recently have revolved around the origins of The Vivienne Files, and what it is that drives me to write it, and what I hope to have accomplished by all of this work. Good questions, and well worthwhile for me to consider from time to time.

I don't have any contact with Vivienne any more, but I will always remember her as the first person that I met who really made it clear to me that looking gorgeous and well-dressed was in no way related to having a big pile of clothes, or to shopping incessantly. She would never have gone into debt to buy clothing. She only bought things for which she had saved the money; she only bought things for which she had planned carefully; she only bought things that ... View the Post

Back to the roots of The Vivienne Files: Transition

Way back when, Vivienne assured me that she was not always going to have a wardrobe of black, white and red garments - she fully intended, as her hair turned gray, and her skin tones softened, to transition to gray, rose, and cream.

This is how I envision than transition...

Her original wardrobe, as we pictured it here, is this:

The first thing I could picture would be a feeling of discomfort with bright red. Not every day, but just a sense that these garments were moving to the back of the closet... so they move out and a beautiful rose pink takes its place.

The strongly contrasted black and white pieces would next make way for more muted items...

Black garments worn near the face would gradually ... View the Post

Vivienne Veto: Struggling Strapless

Strapless garments can be very attractive. What is not attractive is watching you (every FIVE minutes) readjusting the balcony to be appropriately covered.

If the garment does not fit properly, do not buy it. Constant wardrobe readjustment is neither appealing nor elegant.

More wardrobes are on the way - I appreciate your patience. (some of these take a while!) And please, if you have a theme or leitmotif in mind for a wardrobe, leave a comment and let me know! I'm particularly loving the idea of working from a scarf, a work of art, or a particular garment. Leave a link in your comment if I'm going to need a point of reference. And thanks so much for the really cool requests I've ... View the Post

Vivienne Veto: Dragging Dresses

You don't have to be an urban planner to have a pretty good idea that what might be found on the surface on a sidewalk could be... icky. And while the dress above is quite lovely in it's "street sweeper" way, given that the model is almost certainly taller than you, you should definitely consider having your maxi dress hemmed to a less overwhelming length before wearing. Vivienne always freaks out a little bit thinking about the microscopic critters being carried into their hotel. Of course, shoes also carry in the same sorts of fungus, bacteria, and germs, but it just seems WORSE when it's on your skirt.... And the thought that your new dress is going to start fraying the first day you wear it is just sad; fraying clothes ... View the Post

Vivienne Veto: stupid shoes, part two

Unless you've come to Paris to run the marathon, or you have an enduring and severe orthopedic condition, there's NO reason to resort to this type of shoe for sightseeing. Remember that when you go somewhere to enjoy the people watching, you have an obligation to be "watchable" yourself! Admittedly, these have NOTHING for support. But they're certainly a step in the right direction. And if you're young enough (or hip enough) to pull these off, they'd be a great option. Bottom line on Vivienne's ongoing shoe rant: try to strike a balance between beauty and practicality. There are literally hundreds of thousands of shoe designs in the world; there is unquestionably something being manufactured (Cole Haan/Nike, ... View the Post

Vivienne Veto: stupid shoes, part one

It is indeed very warm in Paris during the summer. And when you're out hiking about all day looking at the beauties that Paris has to offer, you want to stay cool. And of course there's always that pressure that goes along with the fact that you're in PARIS; you want to look your very best - up to date and stylish. But SERIOUSLY...

This is the time of year when Vivienne's staff spends quite a bit of time calling doctors to the hotel, or occasionally sending someone off in an ambulance to this hospital, because of shoe-related injuries. No kidding. Once a day, at least, right now, they'll have some absolute BIMBO IDIOT stagger into the lobby with a broken heel or torn straps, as well as broken bones and torn ... View the Post

What my French friend wears to work: The roots of the Vivienne Files

Vivienne and I first got to be friends because of packing - she works in a hotel in Paris and was helping me pull together a training session I was running - and after the first or second day, she said something like "you got dressed in my closet this morning" and then we wound up having drinks, and THEN she came up to my room to eat room service (Gratis, since she works for the hotel) and hanging out with me while I did my ironing.

Bottom line, I know the girl's packing philosophy cold, since she and I have the same approach.

Start with a base of 5 garments, no matter how long or how short the trip: Jacket or cardigan Pants that match Skirt that matches Top that goes with the above Another top that matches

Vivienne would go with a ... View the Post

Back to the roots of the Vivienne Files – part 6

Vivienne's bottom line on wardrobe advice is to buy less, pay more, and focus, focus, focus. While to us her very limited wardrobe seems - well - very limited, she sees it as a clear statement of her personal style. If she walks into a store and something doesn't scream to her across the room, it just plain and simply doesn't go home with her.

She has NEVER been tempted by Victorian, Gothic, Prairie, Grunge, Surfer, Safari, Garden Party or any other style like that - she calls them costumes, and doesn't mean that nicely. For someone for whom one or more of those looks was really compatible with their whole persona and self-image, it might work, but Vivienne is a straight soft ... View the Post

Vivienne Veto: ugly Uggs

Last time I checked, Paris was in the Northern Hemisphere of our planet, which means that June is the beginning of summer, and therefore the weather will usually be reasonably warm. (or miserably hot, or possibly cool and rainy, but I digress)

The French are BIG fans of warm weather; the minute it becomes even vaguely sunny, Parisians flock to the cafes on the sunny side of the street and sit outdoors for as long as they can evade work and other responsibilities. Therefore, the idea that someone would choose to wear what looks VERY MUCH like a winter garment in the month of June is inconceivable to your average French person.

Vivienne is no exception. She's seeing lots of young girls with cut-off denim shorts and ... View the Post

One French woman’s Small, Simple wardrobe: Back to the roots of the Vivienne Files

This is from a posting on a discussion group in which I listed the entirety of Vivienne's work wardrobe. She tells me that it has changed very little in the intervening years... Note that I've assigned "days of the week" to these little vignettes, but I don't think that necessarily corresponds to how and when Vivienne actually wears these.

Here's the inventory... (1) Charcoal gray flannel pants, gray and black striped sweater (1b) red and gray twinset

(2) Black short knit skirt, black merino twinset (2b) black and white striped turtleneck longer (tunic length?) sweater

(3) Black pants and blazer, black and white paisley blouse (3b) black and white mixed cashmere crew (3/4 ... View the Post

Back to the roots of the Vivienne Files – part 3

Just a quick snippet of the original Vivienne today...

"As to the matter of shoes - she usually has 3 pair in "rotation" and has 12 pair total. But these shoes are (just like her clothes) the best things she can get her hands on. $300 for a pair of shoes is reasonable to her. But she has them resoled and re-heeled repeatedly; she estimates that shoes last her at least 10 years. I know she's wearing one pair she has had since college, and she's 34 right now." ... View the Post

Vivienne just rocked my world view – again!

I spent all day yesterday ironing. Well, okay, I took a break and baked some banana/chocolate chip muffins, but I spent most of the day unpacking my summer clothes, checking them over, and ironing them. (also working in reverse, packing away all things winter)

So I emailed Vivienne and told her what I was doing, and she wants to know "why does it take you so long?"

And I explain that I've got X number of garments that I don't wear in the fall and winter, but that I need for warmer weather.

First response from Vivienne - of course - you've got too many clothes. I concede that.

And THEN, the killer question: "Why don't you wear the same suits all year around?".

I explain about the weather here - it gets much ... View the Post