August 3, 2020
Grab your beverage of choice and make yourself comfortable; this is a BIG post! From here on, every “first of the month” post will have 42 images… My computer whimpers at the very sight of this file…
Normally, August has been a month in which we started preparing to get back to work, and savor the beauty of fall clothing. Many years, this has meant a blouse, cardigan and skirt, with appropriate accessories.
But this year, I’m going to be realistic, and address the life that most of us are living, and will be living probably until next Spring. This, to me, means jeans, a sweatshirt, and something to wear under the sweatshirt! And a mask…
If you question your ability to wear a sweatshirt with a scarf, or with a skirt, I call this most elegant gentleman to our attention. He’s an inspiration!
photograph – The Sartorialist
I believe, as intelligent, mature women, it’s our responsibility to call into question all sorts of “rules” that don’t have a real grounding in honesty, goodness or kindness. Arbitrary fashion rules are always subject to reexamination…
/soapbox
Let’s get started!
I love this striped sweatshirt! Maybe they could do one in black with pink and white stripes?
scarf – Aspinal of London; mask – Profound; waffle tee shirt – L.L.Bean; snap Henley sweatshirt – L.L.Bean; shoes – Keds; jeans – L.L.Bean
We’re at that point with these wardrobes that requires 2 pages – one for garments, 1 for accessories:
As always, it’s important to be certain that our new garments can be worn in at least a couple MORE ways, in addition to the outfit that we’re adding to each wardrobe.
I’ve deliberately shown each new sweatshirt with a skirt, just to jolt us all out of our “normal” habits of getting dressed…
If you’re interested in jeans that aren’t blue, I found GLORIA VANDERBILT jeans available in SIXTEEN colors. I remember my first jeans from GV – I felt like a movie star…
scarf – Aspinal of London
Speaking of LOTS of colors, this unisex hooded sweatshirt comes in a stack of colors…
And why NOT wear a lace mask with a sweatshirt?
Why yes, there ARE the same jeans as above; don’t they look different with mint green?
Scarf – Aspinal of London; mask – Cosabella; beach glass cotton turtleneck – L.L.Bean; camel hoodie – Alternative Apparel; sneakers – Converse; jeans – L.L.Bean
I’m personally kind of thrilled to find a camel sweatshirt…
I keep forgetting to change the color palette here – I mean to add pink, since it’s been so successful…
scarf – Aspinal of London
Why yes, it will have to be pretty cold to wear both a turtleneck and a funnel neck sweatshirt. But that little glimpse of pink sticking out of the grey top will be lovely…
scarf – Aspinal of London; mask – Cotton Citizen; funnel-neck sweatshirt – L.L.Bean; azalea cotton turtleneck – L.L.Bean; sneakers – Geox; jeans – Universal Thread
This might be the most unusual combination of colors I’ve ever seen in a Vivienne Files wardrobe!
I struggle to remember that I don’t have to wear something over a cotton turtleneck – if I’m wearing a jacket, and just going to a store or someplace where I’ll have my coat on the whole time, wearing the turtleneck alone is just fine. This, of course, depends on how substantial your turtleneck is; some of them are pretty thin/sheer, designed for layering, and look flimsy worn on their own…
Green can be hard to find in clothing – but jeans and a sweatshirt were pretty easy!
scarf – GISY; mask – Universal Thread; sweatshirt – Alternative Apparel; tee shirt – L.L.Bean; sneakers – Geox; jeans – Lands’ End (similar here)
This wardrobe is nicely balanced…
It’s good to remember that you don’t have to wear anything under a sweatshirt… Sometimes I feel like EVERYTHING has to be layered, and that’s just silly!
I still love this scarf; I think it’s a long-term relationship now!
Happily, I already HAVE a pink sweatshirt! Of COURSE I do!
scarf – Aspinal of London; mask – Love Changes; sweatshirt – Lands’ End (sold out!); turtleneck – Lands’ End; sneakers – Vans; jeans – Lands’ End (similar here)
Give me this suitcase; I will be back in a year or two…
I would absolutely wear the pink sweatshirt with the floral skirt! Think of it as a really relaxed sweater, and think of the skirt as a kilt….
This scarf, and the wardrobe it inspires have the most interesting mix of light and dark neutrals…
I’m not going to lie to you – I’m really smitten with these sneakers. If we’re not going to get really dressy for a few more months, having some great casual shoes is NOT a bad idea.
scarf – Aspinal of London; mask – Madewell; hooded sweatshirt – Uniqlo; turtleneck – Lands’ End; sneakers – Puma; jeans – Lands’ End
These aren’t colors that would look amazingly good on me, but I could still enjoy this wardrobe:
And yes, anytime I wore those awesome sneakers, I would also wear the gold and black earrings! Maybe nobody notices, but I would be happy…
Whew! I think it’s nap time!
love,
Janice
p.s. Yes, a few things sold out OVERNIGHT FRIDAY NIGHT! I put together all of these images on Friday, and then put the post “up” on Saturday morning… I think the lesson is that if we have “whappage” for something, it might be wise to grab it…
p.p.s. Four years ago, our heroine was the iron fist in the velvet glove…
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Awesome! And timely. My new favorite is Lion and Peacock. I have my mind on fall and those colors just fit so well.
Wow…what a great post. Love that you have masks included here. My only disappointment…no links to the beautiful accessories. I’ve found lots of websites for jewelry and handbags through your posts. Would it be possible to list where you found most of this jewelry, bags, and shoes, without going to the trouble of providing direct links to the items? Thanks!
OH my… that’s such a fun question! If I’m looking for accessories, I start with Wolf and Badger because they represent a ton of tiny independent designers. The Met Store, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is a great place to see things that nobody else has. (of course, any art gallery shop is going to have cool stuff…)
I often drop into Talbots because they tend to really work on getting nice things that are classic and affordable. And certainly I have to mention Nordstrom, without which I would never find shoes!
It’s clear that I need to update my “Shop” page!
hugs,
Janice
Love the sweatshirt/skirt/keds combos. In winter (which is either very cold and icy, or quite cold and slushy where I am), I like to wear fleece-lined tights and a skirt with rubberized boots. Keeps me warm and avoids the nuisance of tucking pants into boots!
Janice,
WOW, congrats on this file, Holy Schmoley ! My faves are still the Lion and Peacock — love that new sweatshirt, and surprisingly to me, the mint scarf selections ! I am surprised at how well the mint marries with the warm other pieces !
I am also a layering person, but that’s because I have gone through my life feeling cold . Wearing a sweatshirt by itself would have to be done indoors for me , but with a tank or cami underneath . I also have stopped wearing a pullover sweater by itself — just doesn’t feel right somehow. Plus there’s the itch factor, which I remember that we have covered in past posts .
As I am happily retired, the ultra casual outfits continue , until travel can safely resume , and then I wear “ smart casual” , which I am still trying to define . For me that’s a step above jeans and a tee and a sweatshirt . More like nice tops or shirts with pants and cardigans . Khakis fit in somewhere in between and can swing ultra casual or smart casual , depending upon what us worn with them .
Hubby treated me to a “ vacation day” on Saturday. We dined out for breakfast outside under an umbrella at a restaurant with waitress service. Boy, did that feel good ! Then we drove to a local farm market and gazed at the beautiful colors of the bins of fresh produce, taking some home with us to enjoy, and finally, went through a country drive through restaurant for Italian hoagies on a roll for our lunch ! It felt so good to be out and about in the scenic countryside of PA , enjoying the local offerings, while still maintaining safety precautions !
As we drove along with tall fields of green corn stalks on each side of the road, and a beautiful blue sky up above with a few puffy white clouds, I kept thinking about a clothing cluster of denim blue with off white and green added. You have gotten into my head, Janice , and that is a good thing !
That sounds like a lovely day you both had. We’re going on similar jaunts within an hour’s drive from home to explore valleys, hills and byways that we’ve not visited for a lo-ong time. We take a picnic, go for a walk and hopefully find a pub or tea-room for refreshments, though these days you often have to book in advance. It is nice to get out and about.
Dang! I never even checked on Saturday as it’s not usually one your days – and I’m always miss you on the weekends!.. I can’t decide on favorite – maybe the Robins – as it’s closest to what I have. I just bought purple converse sneakers to wear w/the purple I’ve picked up for fall….and I managed some sleeveless items I can wear now and layer to wear later. yay me! Love your posts. Have a great day.
I was wandering through the clothes section of a large supermarket today just to see what was new. The theme is definitely cosy-casual! My eye was caught by a pink hoodie/sweatshirt but I’m not supposed to be buying new clothes, so I didnt look to see whether it was in my size. It was a lovely shade of proper pink…..
Lo and behold, I open your post and there are pink tops galore – subliminal messaging or what?
Perhaps my gym stuff could do with a pep-up to give me some motivation, as it is currently just a rag-bag of assorted items. Pink and grey would go very well with my pink trainers….
I’ve loved seeing these wardrobes develop. They all look great but the Robin scarf wardrobe is my favourite – pass me a suitcase….I hope you are pleased with how these have developed.
Today is the FIRST day we get back into the gym in our building! We have to register for a time, and they’re only allowing 5 people into a gym that could accommodate 25 people. But I SO need to just put on a podcast and hit a treadmill for a while – it’s NOT the same as walking outdoors. I’m very fond of these breaks in my day, and I’m thrilled that they’re back.
I’ve been wearing the same skorts and tee shirts from L.L.Bean for…. holy sweatbeads of Buddha…. 10 years? The skorts will NEVER wear out, and the tee shirts are still in pretty good nick. But I could certainly justify a couple of new tee shirts….
hugs,
Janice
Janice,
Yaaaaaa for you and a feeling of some freedom once again ! That’s how I felt on my Saturday jaunt ! Enjoy !
Later this afternoon, I did buy a pale pink sports tee in the sale in another supermarket.
My rationale is new start, new tee, new me…
I hope my gym reopens soon.
LOL, I hate sweatshirts! Each to her own, eh! I’ll stick with my cashmere sweaters. I do like all the pink, and the pink and gray wardrobe is my favorite.
Good for you for knowing what you want and for saying it loud and proud! That actually makes me happy, even though I spent 8 hours assembling a “sweatshirt-centric” post. I know when I write things that they don’t work for everyone…
big hugs,
Janice
I’m not keen on sweatshirts for everyday wear as I favour knitwear too, but they have a place in my gym wardrobe.
I think it’s the cosy lining which is soothing to tired muscles. For winter loungewear,I have a grey velour top and trousers. I’m very tempted by a pink one I’ve seen but do I need more than one?
OK, I have always really liked the Lion wardrobe but now I am in love. THAT SWEATSHIRT. It has MAJOR whappage. It’s such a fun, practical garment that I could easily wear it once a week from fall through spring. I have a “not my color palette” brown and black zebra print one almost identical to this (purchased about 7 years ago, before I started reading this blog and thinking about a color palette) that I wear constantly on fall and winter weekends and wear on every cool weather trip because a printed sweatshirt is just so handy. To replace (or downgrade the wear of to lounge/PJ status) that brown/black one with a navy and vibrant pastel striped one that coordinates with three of my accent colors would be so terrific! So I am very disappointed that this sweatshirt doesn’t come in plus sizes because even I wouldn’t bat an eye at paying full price for it. (What is wrong with you, LL Bean? I can *almost* understand how designer/aspirational brands don’t want to “taint” themselves by letting unfashionably chubby people wear their clothing, though it’s idiotic, but you guys? And it’s not like making a sweatshirt bigger is some arcane art known only to a select few. Also, yep, I’m fat but I very happily wear horizontal stripes! A lot of us do! Amazingly, some chubby chicks care more about looking awesome than looking thinner!) Oh well, I will enjoy seeing it in our lioness’s wardrobe for the rest of the year. And now I know that indeed, I want to find a similar sweatshirt in my size. I have added it to Excel my wish list and saved a copy of this image to my “Drool Worthy Items” folder where I keep images of desired items for future purchase consideration or inspiration (pricey scarves from TVF, for example).
This week the pink Robins wardrobe has rushed up to second place for me. The addition of the grey jeans and pink sweatshirt was a huge boost. As soon as I saw the sweatshirt, I imagined how cute it would be with the floral skirt and pink Keds…that’s such a great outfit formula, and having one of the pieces be printed is joyful to me. Add a couple more white tops and soften some of the black down to grey, put me in a covid-19 free world, and I’d happily take this wardrobe on vacation. I love thinking how happy my black tote bag with the white/pink rabbit detailing would be in this wardrobe! (I carry this bag every day to work because obviously rabbit print is a neutral, haha, but it’s been benchwarming now that I’m working from home.)
https://american-eagle.spotask.com/503127/kate-spade-black-leather-rabbit-little-len-tote?campaign=10262735880&content=440759590496&keyword=&product=503127&adgroupid=101320967646&gclid=EAIaIQobChMInNufga3_6gIVh7zACh0URgrwEAQYBCABEgK5__D_BwE
I also wanted to chime in on the Gloria Vanderbilt Amanda jeans. My mom and I have are completely different sizes and shapes, and yet we both own and frequently wear Amanda jeans. It’s totally bizarre to me how one cut of jeans can work for both of us (without alterations!); it has NEVER happened with any other pair of pants or jeans in our lives. Even when we wore the same size of clothing (size 10), and shopped together all the time, at least one of us would look ridiculous in any given pair of pants/jeans.
That’s just a ridiculously cute bag! And it’s absurd that I fondly remember a pair of jeans from… 40 years ago? Is that possible?
Of course. And I think that any garment that we remember for a long time has a lesson to teach us. It might be something that we did while wearing said garment, or it might be that the item itself was “right” for us in a way that we should try to understand. I might have to think about this…
hugs,
Janice
The robin scarf is at the top for me also. Black + white + gray + pink = a winning formula for me – nancyo
Hi Janice and everyone! I may be in the minority but that Aspinal Shield has fall written all over it for me. Over the fall/winter of last year Lands End had some ‘serious sweats’ crewneck and turtleneck fleece-I bought a camel one solely for the purposes of having a really warm 2d (3d ? 4th?) layer for having friends over (again, someday….). It would look lovely with said Aspinal Shield scarf.
I have made piece with the fact that the number on my scale is not a value of me as a person. I started dressing for the shape I have and have felt better about myself since. Even –if– I hear an errant comment about how I look, I just look at the person like they can’t possibly be talking about me.
Your weight means nothing about your value as a human being, a woman, a friend, a lover – NOTHING. We are all beautiful; the most beautiful child in my world is severely handicapped and somewhat deformed. To me, she is the loveliest little girl that ever lived…
Appearance is, by definition, superficial, and thus only worth a certain amount of attention. We want to look good, dress well and be appealing and attractive, but we must first and foremost be happy. That’s what really matters to anybody who loves you.
/soapbox
lots of love,
Janice
Near the top it looks like an easy navy shirt paired with the striped sweatshirt, do you know where the skirt is from? thanks!
Do you mean the navy long-sleeved tee shirt from L.L.Bean in the first photograph? I just woke up, so I’m not sure I’m looking at the right image….
hugs,
Janice
If you are interested in the pleated navy skirt shown with the new striped sweatshirt in the Lion and Peacock set, that skirt was from J. Crew.
https://www.theviviennefiles.com/2020/03/march-2020-six-scarves-twelve-months-twelve-outfits.html/
It’s showing as sold out on Nordstrom’s site (from the link) but might be available from J. Crew’s website.
I think that exact one is gone, but here’s where you can find one from Uniqlo. I have really good luck with their clothes; they’re not going to last for 20 years (maybe) but they’re very good value and I have some things that are 4 or 5 years old from them that look new:
https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/women-chiffon-pleated-long-skirt-online-exclusive-425371.html?dwvar_425371_color=COL69
hugs,
Janice
I liked be the sweatshirt and skirt outfits. Very timely.