This is my extraordinarily efficient friend Liz Stanley of Say Yes to Hoboken. In addition to being a total party animal, Liz is one of those people who can complete a cross stitch sampler, repaint the living room, and start a successful small business before she meets you for brunch.

She also has my favorite smile ever.

See?

Liz and I share a penchant for cruise director chic. Her khakis are American Eagle, and the gold striped tank is J.Crew from eBay. As you can see here, her house is just as well curated as her closet.

Liz’s pink ribbon necklace is also J.Crew and her blue blazer is from a thrift store. She says, “Shrunken blazers look hot with almost any outfit, but check the little boys section of your local thrift store for a cheap/vintage alternative to that $150 one you’ve been eying from J.Crew. I always find some great ones to add to my closet there.”

Her pink/gold heels were consignment, and they’re such a flattering neutral. The shine gives them a little more depth than a straightforward nude, and the pink is warmer too. Plus I love how a T-strap shoe always reduces blisters. I wonder if these were originally tango shoes.

Liz has baby-fine hair, so messy updos are a quick option for her. Everyday Princess Leia.

I told Liz I would crop the firewood out of the shot, but then the photo looked less awesome without it. Sorry, Liz. Now everyone will know you use your fireplace. Probably for something illicit.

Liz says, “Once you slip into a pair of high-waisted stretchy jeans like these, you’ll curse whoever came up with the idea of a low rise. There’s a reason our moms wore them in the ’70s, they’re incredibly comfortable. Plus, thanks to J. Lo’s butt, we can all embrace the full size of our behinds in high-waisted jeans.”

The scarf is from Target. If you always wonder how people make cool headbands from scarves, Liz recently posted a tutorial on her favorite turban ties. Go read it.

Her long-chain necklace is the Color Study Locket by Verabel on Etsy.

Bag by Fabric and Handle, excellent for toting your macrame project. Her sandals are Bernardo.

Here’s Liz with a pillow she probably whipped up in the ten minutes before she had a dozen guests over for dinner. Liz, I will pay you to be my wife. Tights by American Apparel, brown boots are Diesel from a consignment store, and the gray dress is H&M.

Liz and I were talking about what makes someone’s style stand out, and her theory is layering. She says, “With a kind of boring dress like this gray one I like to add unexpected pieces like an oxford shirt underneath and bright tights. I’m a big fan of oxfords as an under layer. Just be sure to roll up the sleeves and unbutton the top to prevent looking too stiff and formal.” Shirt is H&M, belt is from a thrift store

This sweet J Crew headband would get lost in my hair, but I love it paired with a chignon or a casual ponytail. Well played, Stanley.

Liz got this ombre silk skirt from a consignment store. She says, ““Elastic waist skirts aren’t always the most flattering on their own. Add a belt to cinch your waist and hide the extra bulk around the hip they’re giving you with a shrunken blazer.”

I’ve noticed over the years that a lot of Liz’s neutral-colored layering pieces feature an understated print like this tiny polka dot blouse from Urban Outfitters. It adds interest, but the overall effect is still classic. The blazer and brown belt are thrifted.

These boots are made for typin’ (by Zara).

Gah! I so covet this dress. She found it at a thrift store in Utah, and orignially it was sleeveless, backless, and nearly floor length, “I’m not a great sewer but I worked my fingers to the bone to refashion this outdated dress into something more my style.” You can see the whole process right here.

Here she’s styled the dress for day and evening.

Liz throws on a cardigan from Express, a the thin belt is H&M for a creative business look.

Also, there’s a removable back panel so Liz can still wear the dress to church.

For evening, she dresses up her shoes. Liz made these sequin shoe clips herself, but you can buy them readymade from Ban.do.

Here’s what the heels look like naked. (My Google search traffic on this post just skyrocketed.)

Add a vintage clutch, and you’re all set for some serious partying. That donkey tail isn’t gonna pin itself.

Show us your cute outfits! Tweet a photo of yourself or a friend and use the hashtag #mightycloset. I’ll round up my favorites and post them here. Do it!

OK, pretend a foreign dignitary is sitting on the stove and Rachel is listening raptly. Doesn’t this cocktail dress highlight her intellect and sophistication? Also, her bum? Agreed.

The outfit is actually two pieces. One is an incredible vintage dress I gave Rae a while ago, after carrying it around for years hoping to meet someone small enough to wear it. (I was reselling vintage clothes when I acquired it. I’ve since stopped buying thrift-store dresses for friends I don’t know yet. For the most part.)

Unfortunately, the dress is tailored to fit a ’50s-era bullet bra. That means there are two unnatural points where one’s (presumably enormous) nipples would be. Rae planned to have it tailored, but she recently bought this little jacket, so now she may not have to bother.

The feather earrings are from Forever21. Rae is smart about mixing more current accessories with vintage pieces so her outfits don’t read as costumes.

Speaking of which, her blue pumps are by Nine West.

Here’s a closer shot of the little black jacket, purchased at Backspace. It’s by a local San Francisco designer, but Rachel cut the tag out because the jacket is transparent. If you know the designer, tell us in comments and I’ll update.

And that’s it! I loved this one. Rae, thanks so much for letting us peek at your wardrobe. Let’s celebrate.

You, Ms. Brune, are a sucker for fun.

As I said, cute. Cute! You see that full skirt, so you know where this is heading:

Twirling is mandatory when you’re wearing a skirt this good. Rachel’s skirt is, of course, vintage. (I know, I know, I can practically see all of you shaking your fists at the sky.)

Her T-shirt is Old Navy, and the Pop-Out pendant is by Melissa Borrell Design. It’s from Rare Device.

I’m so covetous of these vintage shoes. She found them while we were out shopping together, and never have I been so envious of Rachel’s teeny feet. Also, they have a cool fastening mechanism where they snap closed so there’s no wear on the leather at the buckle:

Neat.

Monday we’ll check out Rachel’s cocktail attire. It’s Audrey-tastic.

Take us out, Rachel.

Have a happy weekend everyone.

This is another client-facing work outfit for Rae (who has a suspicious amount of pink in her wardrobe for someone who doesn’t consider herself girly.) Vintage dress by Junior Wiz.

Shoulder buttons! Who doesn’t love shoulder buttons? Especially in the event of an emergency.

I didn’t take notes on the ring and bracelet. Rae, will you enlighten us in the comments? The scarf is American Apparel.

This is a soft-sided purse with an acorn coin purse attached to the zipper. If I owned the coin purse, I would fill it with jujubees. Take note, Rachel Brune! Jujubees in 2010.

Comfy, versatile boots by Miz Mooz.

See what I mean about the strong, unfussy impression? Tomorrow it gets even cuter. Brace yourselves.

This is Rachel pretending to wait for a bus in her own apartment. She’s sporting her Very Responsible Outfit for days when clients visit the office. Her grass green wool cardigan is from the Alameda Flea Market, which Rachel says is a great place to shop for sweaters worn by tiny elderly ladies. Her shoes are “Anitas” by ReMix, a company that does vintage reproductions, and also the new place I will be acquiring all my shoes.

The reversible necklace from the SF MoMA Museum Store was a gift from Rae’s boyfriend. He has pretty good taste himself, and also happens to be a former national yo-yo champion. Rae knows how to pick a winner.

The wristlet purse was a gift from me. (Rachel is clearly using this as an opportunity to suck up to loved ones. Well played, Brune.) It’s hand painted by an Argentine artist who reworks vintage leather purses.

It fastens with a snap, but the big outside button is a decoy.

The pretty ruffled yellow shirt is from Banana Republic. Rae used to get an amazing discount when she worked for Gap corporate, and I still mourn the annual Friends and Family sale flyers.

This belt is from Goodwill too. Good one.

As you can see, Rachel is already looking ahead to tomorrow’s work outfit. We’ll meet her there.

*Update– Her pants are Gap, her hair is asymmetrical, her shoes do have heels. (You can click through on the shoe link to see them in all their splendor.)

This is our very dear and seriously adorable friend Rachel. Rae and I were roomies for just before Bryan and I got engaged, and fortunately for me, she’s not the sort to leave passive aggressive notes on the fridge. She’s more the subtly witty friend who never seems all that funny until you’re spraying red wine out your nose for the third time in a night. Ow.

Bryan strong-armed Rachel into becoming one of Adaptive Path’s first employees years ago, and she’s still there. I have no idea how to describe her job. She’s sort of their resident empath — advisor, bellwether, able to predict whether new policies will make everyone feel vengeful and quitty, etcetera. Rachel is the sort of person in whom it is wise to confide. She’s also a sharp dresser, and that’s really why we’re all here.

The office is casual, and Rae never looks like she’s trying too hard, which fascinates me. It’s easy to look good when you’re dressed up, harder to feel cute when you’re just going about your day, you know? This is the type of thing she’d wear to work if she had plans to head out afterward. (Like I said, the office is casual.) Her jacket is by Plus Four.

For me, good casual dressing requires a lot more effort, or more money than I want to spend on the perfect T-shirt, but Rae always seems to have pulled something over her head and tumbled out into the world looking stylish. Her dress is American Apparel.

Rae is naturally a wee tiny person, and she’s also a vegetarian who bikes everywhere — hence the ability to wear anything made by American Apparel. Her petite frame can be a big challenge when she’s looking for clothes, because she either has to shop at Gymboree or have everything tailored. Her red belt is a Goodwill score.

Her shoes are by Me Too. Rachel refuses to wear uncomfortable shoes, and more than once I’ve had to pep talk her through buying a pair of pumps for a wedding or whatnot. She’s become more open to heels over the years, but she’d like you to note that these are comfortable flats with nice, bouncy rubber soles. Noted.

She got the necklace second hand at Buffalo Exchange and the bangles were a gift from a friend who got them in Vietnam. Rae has very little jewelry, so what she does have is in heavy rotation.

Tomorrow, we’ll have a look at a work outfit for when clients are in the office.

This is Margaret’s cocktail dress by Trina Turk. I think it might be a metallic peacock feather print. This is Margaret pulling that off.

We thought it might be funny to take glam cocktail dress photos out back with the kids’ toys, but instead she just looks hot.

Then again…

Some of them were pretty funny too. Though they do look a little like someone took them for a highly specific fetish site.

But back to the dress, which is so understated sexy. I think it’s the exposed clavicle. Clavicle beats cleavage any day.

The bracelet is a sentimental favorite because it belonged to her husband’s mother. Her clutch is by Felix Ray.

Killer ’40s-inspired platforms by Banana Republic.

And thus concludes our closet tour with Ms. Stewart. Margaret, you have approximately a year to purchase a whole bunch of new stuff so we can ogle your good taste anew.

This summer dress is Marimekko for Anthropologie, and are you seeing those pockets? I would totally make her hold my lipstick. The tank top is by Ogle.

I should mention that Margaret and I are like minded in that neither of us ever pays full price for anything. She’s one of those shoppers who checks in to her favorite shops a few dozen times so she can snag a favorite piece right when it goes on sale. Purse is Angela Adams.

Wood and shell necklace is from a boutique in Ashville, North Carolina.

These shoes are Aerosoles. Surprisingly cute, right? Plus I think she could technically bowl in them.

Sorry for the relative silence over the last few days, I’ve been Christmas-ing. A bunch of you had questions about Margaret’s hat and necklace, so I went digging and found some better photos I had misplaced. Margaret’s killer fedora is from Target (there are a lot of similar ones under that link, so head over if you want one).

And here’s a close-up of Margaret’s handmade necklace. A bunch of you had questions about how it was made. It’s a bib of fabric with stacked circles of fabric sewn on top. Each concentric circle has a stitch or two in the middle to attach. The material is floppy, probably poly or a poly-cotton blend, so it lays more like a collar than a felted necklace would. If you make one, send me your how-tos and photos and I’ll post a tutorial or a link to yours.

Look for Margaret’s last two outfits later today. Hooray!