June 23, 2021 As much as I loved these wardrobes, THIS is where the fun starts! Even accessories as simple as earrings and sandals can make SO much difference… Remember this wardrobe? We need accessories for this, but I don’t want to just jump into things willy-nilly! This isn’t a definitive list for […]
April 8, 2020 I’m very infatuated with this scarf; it it were in my colors, it would be in my closet! These colors feel like autumn, but in lovely linen this is a great palette for warmer weather: You may remember back on the last day of March (which seems like it was about a […]
June 3, 2020 Yes, it’s the May bracelet. Time has lost all meaning for those of us between the quarantine and the curfew. And I have to apologize for a slowly diminishing selection of products available to include on The Vivienne Files. More and more stores seem to be running out of things (or at […]
September 3, 2018 No holidays at The Vivienne Files! I would never miss the chance to share one of these “6 outfit” posts… Even though very few of us are seeing cool/cold weather, I firmly believe that it’s smart to get your cold-weather clothes ready in advance. Nobody’s going to give us 3 days warning […]
March 6, 2024 She’s been thinking about this painting a lot… Lots of possibilities – from the most basic black and white, with tan accessories, to immersion in green and blue… If you’re only going to be away for a few days, and you’re not going to see the same people twice, you can put […]
May 31, 2017 Let’s see what happens when we start with navy and beige as our neutrals, and then incorporate two MORE neutrals, in warm hues, to act as accents. This is the color scheme as I see it; I’ve made 1 small alteration in that I’ve given us a range of the accent colors, […]
October 14, 2014 The French 5-Piece Wardrobe is a great way to experiment with new color palettes, but it can also be used as a way to build upon The Common Capsule Wardrobe in your chosen neutrals. Adding in a neutral item or two can really expand the versatility of your core garments, while a […]
January 31, 2018 Remember this heroine? I felt that, with Valentine’s Day on the horizon, it might be fun to see what she’s been doing… Well, she was shopping one day and saw these… She was smitten… She had a casual trip coming up – taking a few students to The Cloisters, outside of New […]
August 7, 2023 Ah, back to seeing the possibilities in olive green! Please note that there were other colors that I wanted to include, but just couldn’t find a cardigan that would do… I had to look for a shockingly long time to find a red cardigan! And there wasn’t nearly as much pink in […]
July 31, 2017 Although most of us in the Northern Hemisphere still have at least 8 weeks of hot weather in front of us, you can’t tell it by what’s in the stores. Cashmere, leather goods, lots of winter coats… Sigh… But the August outfit last year, and again this year, is oriented to the […]
November 28, 2022 It has only been a few days – I’m sure you remember the wardrobe that we looked at last Wednesday! I left that heroine with almost no accessories… My favorite approach to adding accessories to a wardrobe is to choose a range of outfits, and then accessorize each outfit with what they […]
March 20, 2019 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 […]
Her grandmother told her that wearing chalcedony was a sure-fire way to improve your insight into people’s thoughts and feelings. So she became a market research executive. . Jewelry – Alexis Bittar, square scarf – Liberty London, belt – Menichetti, linen scarf – EPICE S.A.R.L., ballet flats – Debenhams, satchel – Hayden Harnett,suede oxfords – […]
July 12, 2019 It Finally Dawned on Her… If she just carried her tote bag onto the plane, she could take the really cheap airline to visit her family. And since she visits them every few weeks, her savings could start to add up quickly! So she asked her mother if she could leave some clothes in […]
December 14, 2018 Remember our friend the soil conservation engineer? The woman who is constantly reminding people that the brown stuff in which plants grow is SOIL and not just DIRT… She’s inspired by the potential inherent in healthy soil, the potential for things like flowers! So when she was choosing a theme and focus […]
April 7, 2020 She’s feeling… exuberant… Now that she’s free to travel again, she’s going to do things differently. She’s had so much time to plan, and she’s going to be so much more organized! This is her color palette: She’s not going to be reckless – she’s still wearing her compression socks, and waterproof […]
October 11, 2019 You won’t probably be surprised to hear that I look for color combinations and wardrobe palettes in just about EVERYTHING I see! So when we were in the hotel in Kilkenny, the carpet in the halls caught my attention; on a ground of shades of grey were scattered bright color squares… I […]
November 28, 2022 It has only been a few days – I’m sure you remember the wardrobe that we looked at last Wednesday! I left that heroine with almost no accessories… My favorite approach to adding accessories to a wardrobe is to choose a range of outfits, and then accessorize each outfit with what they […]
June 18, 2021 Lots of green! I don’t really have a good explanation – I just happened across quite a few pretty things! I feel like our first heroine must be going back to her office; a wardrobe like this might reconcile me just a little bit to such a fate: She has choices galore for […]
March 27, 2019 I love van Gogh… These colors are so perfect for spring and summer: She Hasn’t A Clue… Well, that’s strictly not true – she knows that she has to wear clothing to the wedding, and that it won’t be ballgowns, nor jeans. Other than that, the invitation was maddeningly vague… So… she’s […]
January 11, 2023 Do you think maybe I’m drawn to green because I was sick, and green feels like renewal? Hmm… Not Blending In… She’s going to the conference too. Not presenting, but she will be attentively listening, and taking notes, and learning… She doesn’t know for certain, but she thinks it possible that […]
July 12, 2019 It Finally Dawned on Her… If she just carried her tote bag onto the plane, she could take the really cheap airline to visit her family. And since she visits them every few weeks, her savings could start to add up quickly! So she asked her mother if she could leave some clothes in […]
July 23, 2018 Our friend the soil conservation engineer! She went to a conference of engineers back in January, and then she got to be a guest speaker at a University, in April… Although she works with dirt (soil, PLEASE!!!), she’s inspired by this painting and colors for her personal style: The Phone Woke […]
January 6, 2020 It’s time for some brightness! Especially if you have a scarf that you want to wear more often, this is a good time of year to start looking for tee shirts in a variety of colors; they seem to have arrived in a lot of places the first week of the year! […]
July 24, 2013 Navy and green summer outfits – some for quite warm weather, and others that I saw in the more spring-like transitional coolness a couple of week ago. All of them were fresh, pretty, and stood out in the crowd. I don’t know if anybody noticed, but if you liked […]
March 18, 2020 Calm, subtle, with just a touch of vivid red! She’s Been Brave for Months… And now that she’s free to travel again, she’s just going to sit… She’s going to go to her favorite city, go to an outdoor table at a café, order coffee, and watch the world go back to […]
November 16, 2016 As the days get shorter, and we spend a LOT more time in the dark (in the Northern Hemisphere, of course!), a painting like this is a cheering thing to study: For those who worry that a “warm” wardrobe – one that’s ideal for those with Autumn or Spring coloring […]
April 8, 2019 Remember our friend who designs installations for solar panels? Happy for her, she’s now traveling in warm weather! No more the “leave the snow, get off the plane in sweltering heat!” So she’s packing light – just enough to visit her clients, and the construction sites… This painting is her inspiration: […]
January 9, 2023 Yes, it’s been a lot of green this last few days, but I couldn’t resist this photograph! Perfect for this time of year: Our heroine saw her color palette for an upcoming trip: Bringing Light to the Darkness… Well, the darkness of a room full of navy suits! She is tasked with […]
April 26, 2024 Now that we’ve taken a good hard look at the Pantone New York Fashion Week colors for Autumn/Winter 2024/25, we still have to decide if any of these colors actually look good with the majority of clothing in our wardrobes. No accent is useful if it looks icky with all of your […]
February 12, 2021 We’ve looked back at the original Stress Dressing post, and quite a few of us realized that this might be worth revisiting in our wardrobes for this “dead of winter, middle of pandemic” situation… I didn’t include dresses this time – I think that the probability that one of us is […]
May 2, 2016 Warm weather’s coming! (I type, as I’m sitting in fleece running tights and a sweatshirt…)When I was pondering what we needed to add to these capsule wardrobes for May, I kept coming back to the idea that we need to be prepared ahead of time for the first warm days. Even […]
May 6, 2015 My lovely friend bought the green handbag! But then she was debating about a new scarf to complement her bag; she narrowed her choice down to these three: Each of these scarves would be beautiful with her green handbag, but what struck me was how each of these scarves could […]
January 22, 2020 You’ll notice that this heroine is packing many of the same garments as the heroine from last Wednesday! It’s amazing how much difference changing up some accent colors – and the accessories that bring everything together – can make a wardrobe look completely different… It Calls to Her… She’s been working for […]
January 27, 2023 This is her favorite painting: She wants to tackle Project 333 for February, March and April! So she’s starting with her favorite outfit, and with colors that she’s drawn from her favorite painting. Of course she can’t include ALL of the colors in the painting; that would be overwhelming! These were her […]
June 1, 2018 Always one of the great days of the month! This month, in honor of heat (in the Northern Hemisphere) and the easing-up of many schedules, let’s add a casual dress to these wardrobes! Additionally, I’m going to find a tote bag for each of these heroines, some footwear to wear with their […]
April 8, 2020 I’m very infatuated with this scarf; it it were in my colors, it would be in my closet! These colors feel like autumn, but in lovely linen this is a great palette for warmer weather: You may remember back on the last day of March (which seems like it was about a […]
October 16, 2020 Two notes from your humble author: 1. Please note that when you’re assembling YOUR wardrobe, and your accents, everything doesn’t have to match as closely as I try to match things! I’m trying to squeeze a bunch of garments and accessories into a visual space that’s tiny, and where slight color disparities […]
January 16, 2018 Quiet…. It’s just the way she is… She appreciates peace. Tranquility. Simple pleasures that don’t involve amplification… Which is not to say that she’s boring – just that if you’re going to see the interesting things, you might have to look a little while! Her color palette is mostly muted, with a […]
February 25, 2016 If you want to include 3 accent colors in your wardrobe, this is for you! Please note that, although there are a lot of accent colors here, I’ve tried to keep them all in the same range of intensity and saturation, so that they will all “behave” in the same […]
July 24, 2013 Navy and green summer outfits – some for quite warm weather, and others that I saw in the more spring-like transitional coolness a couple of week ago. All of them were fresh, pretty, and stood out in the crowd. I don’t know if anybody noticed, but if you liked […]
January 27, 2023 This is her favorite painting: She wants to tackle Project 333 for February, March and April! So she’s starting with her favorite outfit, and with colors that she’s drawn from her favorite painting. Of course she can’t include ALL of the colors in the painting; that would be overwhelming! These were her […]
April 2, 2018 It SHOULD be Spring, but it’s iffy, at least here in Chicago…So we’ll go with an outfit for warmish weather – capris that are primed for warmer weather, but (with 1 notable exception!) tops that still cover us up a bit…For those who are new to this adventure, it works like […]
April 7, 2017 Yesterday, I shared with you what I consider to be the “must have” items for warm weather. (although I don’t think I can say it enough – there is NO SUCH THING as a “must have” item; if someone tells you that there is, they are more interested in selling you […]
August 13, 2013 Not a color combination I would have thought of, but I’ve seen it a lot recently, and it’s been beautiful! There’s a LOT of grey on the streets of Chicago these days… love, Janice
March 9, 2018 I haven’t a clue what a lovet is… any ideas? But when I saw this color I knew that we had to look at it a bit – it really calls out to me… So if you’re starting out with this lovely, and very versatile, classic wardrobe for spring… […]
October 1, 2018 It’s the most fun day of the month, here at The Vivienne Files! Because I’m working on a smaller-than-normal computer monitor, I decided that I was going to make some deliberate wardrobe choices for our heroines, this month. I took a critical look at the various wardrobes, to date, and made some […]
April 10, 2018 She’s a soil conservation engineer… a job nobody understands…This is what inspires her – the richness of brown, and the beauty of what the soil can produce: Just after the 1st of the year, she attended a conference of soil professionals. She packed carefully, and within her plan; she was delighted with […]
June 3, 2020 Yes, it’s the May bracelet. Time has lost all meaning for those of us between the quarantine and the curfew. And I have to apologize for a slowly diminishing selection of products available to include on The Vivienne Files. More and more stores seem to be running out of things (or at […]
March 1, 2018 Who couldn’t be happy that it’s finally March? (I swear, I think February might have been the longest month of my life!) Let’s buy some sweaters and skirts, if only in our imaginations… For some reason it’s become a tradition for me to include canvas shoes or espadrilles with the outfits in […]
