The Vivienne Files - Page 196 of 268 - Capsule wardrobes inspired by art and nature

Paris vs Chicago, and a Great Quote

April 3, 2014 What does Paris have that Chicago doesn't?

Bookstores - dozens and dozens of bookstores. It used to be a joke between Belovedest and me - "Oh look - a bookstore!" when we would walk past one, but it's sort of lost it's humor, because bookstores are so common in Paris, and so very uncommon in Chicago. You might say that it's because we stayed, this last trip, near the Universities. But that's a weak explanation - from my apartment window in Chicago, I can see buildings belonging to at least 3 universities - and there are very few bookstores in the entire downtown area... And what's interesting is that the French don't spend THAT much more time reading than American ... View the Post

Crazy Eights as a Base for Extravagant Purchases

April 2, 2014 Often, I am asked if it's possible to justify purchasing something wildly beautiful and deeply extravagant, if one already owns a core wardrobe of simple, neutral basics. Well, if you can afford the splurge, and you deeply adore the item, and you feel with some strong conviction that the item in question won't date terribly, then go for it... Here's a very simple example- a core of black garments for warm weather, and then a big splash-out on a cardigan and a handbag...

Your basic garments:

This already gives you a wide range of simple core outfits upon which you can build - from the most casual to ensembles that are almost dressy!

It is on ... View the Post

Three Garments – Four Seasons

April 1, 2014 The clothes I bought in Paris are going to have to do a lot of heavy lifting, so I've been giving some thought to how many different ways I can wear them. Here are my ideas, so far... First up, the dress that I bought at French Trotters. It's not available, but it's rather similar to this dress (mine has a bit more clearly defined pattern). I know that I can wear this with a turtleneck layered underneath, warm tights, boots and a scarf - I did that in Paris! But I can also scale it back to just leggings and flats, or sandals and bare legs...

Next, I want to make sure that I get maximum utilization from my new striped tee shirt. ... View the Post

Food, Shelter, Clothing and Optimal Wardrobe Size

March 29, 2014

Okay, you're fixing dinner for the four people in your family. So you roast 5 turkeys, and a side of beef, and 2 or 3 bushels of potatoes, and bake at least a dozen pies, right? Of course not - food is perishable, and you don't want to waste it.

You're out driving around and see a house that's really attractive, so you buy it. Yea, you already own 8 or 10 other houses - you've really lost track - but this one is pretty, and it's a great price. Right?

Of course not - houses are wicked expensive, and you simply can't afford to be this wasteful.

You can see where I'm going with this - almost all of us own more clothes than we need, and we keep shopping even though we have enough...

Debbie Roes, over ... View the Post

Warm Weather Travel in Navy and Coral – Step by Step

March 28, 2014

Everybody's eager to start packing for warm weather destinations, and I'm often asked for specific color combinations - especially those with navy. One of my most loyal readers asked me for navy, white and coral a while back, and I'm delighted to be able to finally fill her request.

The travel outfit is, as always, very uncomplicated. Long pants, shoes with closed toes and heels, a cardigan, and a scarf are all essentials that I include.

If you're only going away for a long weekend, a six-pack will do. Working with your three colors, you can choose six garments, a scarf and some accessories...

And you have all of these options to ... View the Post

Paris: Where We Stayed, What We Heard

Almost 20 years ago, when Belovedest and I first went to Paris, we stayed at the Hotel des Grands Hommes (the hotel of the great men, NOT the hotel of the big guys). I don't even remember how the hotel was chosen, but we really enjoyed it, and have been back a few times since then, but not recently. But when we were planning for our anniversary, it seemed an obvious choice, and it was a BRILLIANT selection. They continue to enhance the rooms and the common areas, and literally every corner of every section of the hotel is beautiful and holds delights. Our room was small, of course, but beautifully appointed, with a bathroom that was both spacious and utterly immaculate.

Hotel des ... View the Post

Paris: Where We Ate

March 26, 2014

It doesn't surprise you, I'm sure, to hear that Paris is a pretty excellent place to dine. I can't honestly remember ever having a truly bad meal there; most of the time I feel pretty confident walking into any restaurant or cafe that's at all busy, knowing that I'll eat pretty well, and occasionally have an astonishingly fun experience. So in alphabetical order, these are the places that I can remember dining last week:

Benoit, 20 rue Saint Martin, 75004

This is where we went for our anniversary dinner, and it was a great choice. The service was that perfect balance of warmth and respect that marks the very nicest places to dine. This Alain Ducasse charmer is rather tiny, and is the ... View the Post

Paris: What I Wore, What I Bought, What They Wore

March 25, 2014 Every time I travel, I realize that I could pack less. We realistically could have been able to get through most days with jeans, a sweater, and something to dress up a bit for dinner. The items that were out of my bag continually look like this:

Our weather was changeable - most days we started with jackets and ended up carrying them my late afternoon. I found that I really enjoyed my fingerless gloves - they're sort of whimsical compromise that proved to be just warm enough. And my ballet flats were great - they have enough support to be comfortable and excellent for walking. Despite all of the stereotypes, you could wear jeans every day in Paris and blend in ... View the Post

Paris: Politics and Pollution

The first thing we noticed when we got to Paris last Saturday was that there was an election soon! The Paris government very wisely puts up temporary "walls" upon which the political posters are affixed - a brilliant solution that minimizes the amount of paper glued to walls, and gives all candidates equal opportunity to expose their ideas to the public, without having to be concerned about raising huge amounts of money.

The single most amazing thing to me when I saw these posters was that more than half of the candidates that I saw on posters were women. I know, I know, we're supposed to be used to this sort of thing by now, but after watching the interchangeable contesting the Republican gubernatorial ... View the Post

How to Pack for Springtime in Paris: Sunshine and Clouds

March 22 2014 This post was originally on A Femme d'un Certain Age on March 28, 2012. If you've never browsed through her ginormous archives, there' a world of loveliness there... And if you're one of the lucky ones that wear yellow well, then GET TO IT! The rest of us swoon with desire when we see it, and envy you your ability to look so fabulous in it...

Grey blouse – Diane von Furstenberg, stud earrings – J.C. Penney, Scarf – Anne Selby, Blazer – Preen, grey pants – Reiss, silver loafers – J. Crew, grey sequined tote – Deux Lux

Yellow sweater – Burberry Brit, grey tee – American Vintage, grey pearl earrings – Lord & Taylor, flower earrings & bracelet – ... View the Post

How to Pack for Springtime in Paris: Black, White and Clouds

March 21, 2014 From the April 2, 2012 A Femme d'un Certain Age - visit there to see all of the possible combinations.

Cloud-print tee – Stella McCartney, grey pants – Veronique Branquinho, cable-knit cardigan – Stella McCartney, pave earrings – Marc by Marc Jacobs, silver flats – Bloch, grey metallic scarf – Dorothy Perkins, grey tote – Laema

Dotted scarf – Aspinal of London, pearl & jet earrings – JCPenney, star-print georgette scarf – Helene Berman, Cap-sleeved black silk blouse – Marc by Marc Jacobs, Black & white diamond flower ring – Lord & Taylor, white cardigan – Yves Saint Laurent, pearl drop earrings – Kate Spade, diamond and rhodium earrings – Lord & Taylor, bangle bracelet – 2028, ... View the Post

How to Pack for Springtime in Paris: Navy and Violets!

Ahhh, by the time you're reading this post, I'm in Paris celebrating our 10th anniversary with my most Belovedest. I frankly wasn't convinced that marriage was right for me (yes, I had tried it before, and I was not very good at it....). This, however, has been the most uniformly delightful 10 years of my life, and pretty much more than any woman could hope to deserve. This ensemble seemed perfect to revive for today, because I was married in a soft violet outfit (wisteria, to quote Eileen Fisher on the color). This would be delightful for a second honeymoon...The original post can be found on A Femme d'un Certain Age, where various combinations are shown.

Navy cotton cardigan ... View the Post