Vivienne files

December 18, 2024 Sometimes, you see something that just makes you happy. If you keep thinking about that thing… six hours later?… you might want to listen to your heart! That’s my feeling about this scarf; the minute I saw this, I knew I wanted to share it with you all here: What an interesting […]

June 9, 2020 Watching lots of people wandering about with backpacks, this last weekend, I was wondering what everybody was carrying! I know, water bottles, spare phone batteries etc. but I wondered if they had any clothes with them… And that got me to thinking about what you want to have handy if you’re going […]

Expanding a Travel Capsule Wardrobe: Shopping with the Countess de Martel! - The Vivienne Files

It’s apparent, when you look back through years of The Vivienne Files, that my thinking about some concepts… evolves… the more I work with them. Foremost among the ideas that have gone through some changes is the Four by Four Capsule Wardrobe. But I’m pretty settled on how I think this best comes together, (finally…) […]

April 5, 2023 It’s tempting to think of what one might do with a completely new wardrobe – horrible as that would be in reality. I admit that I would be really tempted to wear all different shades of grey… hmm… So this “every shade of brown to ivory” really appeals to me – using […]

February 19, 2025 She likes to wear things for years. Decades, if she can manage it! So she’s mostly interested in classic garments – those things that nobody can really date, and that always feel familiar, comfortable and easy to wear. For an upcoming business trip – short, but demanding – she’s starting with her new […]

September 5, 2012 I used to work in advertising, and thus I have hung around with some of the most eccentric, exotic and extraordinary people imaginable. Flash back to a large conference room in a major European city (this happened at LEAST three times…). The room is full – a couple of hundred advertising […]

June 28, 2013 White shirts are an absolute classic, right? Everybody should own one. Everybody should pull it out and wear it whenever they’re in doubt about what to wear. Uhhhh – I don’t quite agree. Yes, there are times and places where a white shirt is the most appropriate choice […]

Starting A Capsule Wardrobe from Scratch One of the things I am asked most often on The Vivienne Files is ‘How do I start a capsule wardrobe from scratch?’ Starting a capsule wardrobe from the very beginning is a terrifying thought. But it’s manageable, if you go step by step, and have a clear plan. […]

June 22, 2022 By this time of year, most of us should be easily able to whittle down our warm-weather wardrobe to a tidy 33 pieces. While this is NOT what Courtney Carver suggests for her Project 333, I’m pretty confident that she wouldn’t be too upset with us starting at this point. So long […]

July 23, 2021 I’ve been asked for wardrobes including only skirts for a while now… So when a question was sent to me about packing for a three month visit to Poland, using only skirts, I figured it was time to address this! A long trip can be daunting – about 20 years ago, I […]

March 29, 2917 Could be a dream, could be a nightmare, could just be a sweetheart – the enigmatic nature of this image is striking: When I saw L’Ombre in the Picasso Museum last year, I knew that I would want to share it with you all! Her Work is Complicated Enough, Thank You… She’s […]

September 27, 2024 Perfect for autumn: She can take some time off this fall – what a luxury! A little photography, perhaps? Her packing will have her blending into the forest! It’s not her usual style, but she couldn’t resist the cardigan… Everything else was simple. Her two orange sweaters aren’t as much alike as […]

February 19, 2024 Love at first sight… Her favorite neutral colors, and a wonderful pink accent that she KNEW she could wear forever… It’s THE Current Accent Color this year, but pink never goes out of style! She’s taking an unconventional – but very practical – approach to her packing. She’s going to grab four […]

Wardrobe Cycles, and an Interesting Idea... - The Vivienne Files

January 2, 2023 Well THAT was weird to type… Our six heroines all decided that they wanted to go shopping to augment the TWO garments with which they started our year-long adventure. If you have something specific in mind that you want to buy, this is a difficult time of year to shop; lots of […]

Part 1 August 2022: Six Scarves, 12 Months - The Vivienne Files

This image turns up frequently on Pinterest, and that makes me really happy! This might be the concept of which I am the most proud, of all of the work that I’ve done on The Vivienne Files. The idea of being able to be well-dressed and fully-prepared for most of what life throws at us […]