The Vivienne Files

Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

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Shopping: The Danger of the Alluring Assortment

I've seen it a hundred times, at least.  Hapless shopper wanders into store, without anything particular in mind.  And then... they see it.  The shelf of tee shirts in 19 colors.  The round rack of cardigans in 24 colors.  OR the wall of socks in every color of the rainbow (yes, I'm talking to you, Bon Marche!).

When this shopper came into the store, their feelings about buying were "Will I buy?".

But then they see this assortment, and they automatically start to evaluate the various colors, mentally sorting them into piles of "yuck", "nice but I couldn't wear it", "possible", and (this is the fatal one) "my colors".

And of course, when you see something in "my color", it should therefore become "my garment", ... View the Post

Wardrobe based on 2 suits: Was Chanel right?

December 23, 2011   One of my favorite Chanel quotes is "One shouldn't spend all one's time dressing. All one needs are two or three suits, as long as they and everything to go with them, are perfect."   So I thought about how this quote applies to the wardrobes that I build - let's try on Chanel's advice!   First, two suits: one black, one taupe. Now, to me, a suit is a jacket, pants, a skirt AND a dress. (sometimes, nothing looks better than a dress and jacket). Yes, I'm taking the definitions very loosely...  

Next, you need the things that go with the 2 suits.  One twinset that matches a suit, and another twinset in an accent color.  One turtleneck that matches one of the suits, and a ... View the Post

A retail rebellion

I work in retail, and I'm quite grateful to have any job at all, right now.  But many of my fellow workers are being mistreated, and you can change that.

The day after Thanksgiving is, in the US, a big shopping day - one of the biggest of the year.  In a bizarre effort to increase the amount of shopping done on that day, retailers are opening their stores earlier and earlier each year.  Now, the final straw, Target stores are opening AT MIDNIGHT on Thanksgiving evening!

If you're an employee, do the math.  "I have to be in the store at 11 p.m., so I have to leave for work at 10:30 p.m... I'm going to work at least 9 hours, so I'll have to sleep before I go to work, so I realistically need to be in bed by... 2:00 ... View the Post

Maximize your ROI: leather skirt

Brown leather skirt – Ralph Lauren  

Silk blouse – Hante Hippie, cardigan – Golden Goose, sweater – Ralph Lauren, suede pumps – Sergio Rossi, bow pumps – Clarks, gold disc earrings – Kenneth Jay Lane, necklace – Kate Spade, brown clutch – Maison Martin Margiela, gold bracelet – Citrine by the Stones, scarf - Missoni  

Beige sweater – Oasis, gray sweater  - J. Crew, ivory sweater – Isabel Marant, twist scarf – Hortensia, ombre scarf – Bajra, brown/gray scarf – Faiero Sarti, short boots – Madewell, backpack – Bothos, tall boots – SE Boutique  

Turtleneck – Missoni, pearl jewelry– Kate Spade, watch – Debenhams, yellow sweater – Lela Rose, green sweater – Jack Wills, square scarves – Hermès, ... View the Post

Maximize your ROI: brightly colored pants

Pants - Sandro  

Ivory sweater – Carven, teardrop earrings – Kendra Scott, plaid shirt – J. Crew, ankle boots – Common Projects, Beige sweater – Alexander Wang, blue & gold earrings – Amy DiGregorio, black & blue scarf – Diane von Furstenberg,  beige flats – Thierry Rabotin, black turtleneck – Vince, bracelet – Kenneth Jay Lane, black suede loafers – Rebecca Minkoff  

Beige cardigan – Zadig & Voltaire, scarf – Versace, blue silk tank – Kain Classic, lais pendant – Anton Heunis, tasseled necklace – Kenneth Jay Lane, black cardigan – Michael Michael Kors,, white tee – Paul Smith, white cardigan – Ralph Lauren, beige tee shirt – J. Crew, sandals – CO-OP Barneys, cap-toe ballerinas – AK Anne ... View the Post

Prepare to Party: Beaded cardigans

One of the most irksome aspects of this time of year, fashion-wise, is being inundated with glitter, beads, sequins and other shiny baubles that we are supposed to desperately need for our fabulously busy holiday party season.  I'm always either intimidated, or feel inferior, because (a) I don't get invited  to that many parties, and (b) the ones I go to aren't all that splashy!

But it's easy to get sucked into the idea that one should invest in a half-dozen party outfits...

My antidote: I bought a (used) beaded cardigan.  These are readily available, at all price points, and are quite versatile.  See some ideas below.

Cardigan – Steffen Schraut, earrings – Miriam Salat, tee shirt – Donna Karan, jeans – ... View the Post

L’Armoire Idéale: peacoat – seven ways

Coat - L.L.Bean, boots – Old Gringo, skirt – Junya Watanabe,  tights - Fogal  

Hat – Missoni, jeans – Topshop, boots – Aldo, blouse – Suzannah, pencil skirt – Elie Saab, pumps – Giuseppe Zanotti  

Cargos – Flannels Fashion, blouse – Etro, pumps – Ferragamo, tunic – Calypso St. Barth, pants – Reiss, sandals – Miu Miu  

Dress – Lanvin, short boots – Giuseppe Zanotti, jeans – True Religion, slouch boots – Wetseal, poncho - Etro   ... View the Post

L’Armoire Idéale: blazer – seven ways

Blazer – Daks, dress – Ax Paris, belt - Armani  

Jeans – Levi’s, tee shirt – Paul & Joe, leaf bracelets – Topshop, tunic – Debenhams,  linen pants – Jigsaw, sandals - Givenchy  

Skirt – Suno, tee shirt – The Row, cross-body bag – Gorjana, boots – Eileen Fisher, denim skirt – Old Navy, turtleneck – Old Navy  

Faux leather pants – Nicole Miller, black pearl necklace – Debenhams, suede pumps – Ralph Lauren, hoodie – Topshop,  cargo pants – Rag & Bone,  shoes – Converse Chuck Taylor, bag - Novica   ... View the Post

L’Armoire Idéale: little black dress – seven ways

Dress - Miss Selfridge, tee shirt – Proenza Schouler, boots – Ralph Lauren  

Leather jacket – Acne, pumps – Miu Miu, scarf – Diane von Furstenberg, sweatshirt – Topshop, boots – Wetseal, bag - Novica  

Jacket – Moschino, bag – Marc Jacobs, flats – Kelsi Dagger, cardigan – Diane von Furstenberg, boots – Mou, scarf - Burberry  

Belt – Fendi, necklaces – Kenneth Jay Lane, sandals – Max Studio, beige sweater – McQ, espadrilles – H&M, scarf – Pucci   ... View the Post

L’Armoire Idéale: A line skirt- seven ways

Skirt – Preen, denim jacket – Notify, scarf – Etro, tee shirt – American Vintage, pumps - Ecco  

Tee shirt – A.L.C., tights – Falke, necklace – Miriam Salat, flats – Palazzo Bruciato, bolero – Jacques Vert, tee shirt – T by Alexander Wang, belt – Marc by Marc Jacobs, flats - Trotters  

Striped top – Old Navy, sandals – Cole Haan, flower brooch – Debenhams, t-straps – Irregular Choice,  tank tops – Buckle, plum bangle – Vince Camuto, teal bracelet – Kate Spade  

Black blouse – D&G, boots – H by Hudson, bikini top – Diane von Furstenberg, white cardigan – Theory, espadrilles – Mymu   ... View the Post