Anna Beth Chao of Hashai

Erin Loechner of Design for Mankind

Meg Keene of A Practical Wedding

Me of Vegas Cocktail Waitress

Black is easy. Black is mythic. It can make you look 120 pounds when you weigh 250. Black is the new…well, you’ve heard it. But do you own anything that makes you laugh when you put it on? Not even a pair of ducky yellow boots tucked into the back corner of your closet?

If not, you need more happy clothes. Even in big cities where women tend to be more adventurous with their clothing, you can count ten women in muted colors for every one woman wearing a bright blue raincoat or green trousers. This is why designers have such an easy time hooking us with their color du season. We’re starved for something juicy.

And you can be juicy. Oh, yes.

Now in Technicolor

Color gets you noticed, especially when everyone else looks as though they’re in mourning. Think of who gets photographed at the Oscars: Nicole Kidman in her chartreuse Galliano, Gwyneth Paltrow in her glowing pink Ralph Lauren, Kate Winslet in her flowering red Ben de Lisi. Remember Helen Hunt’s black Gucci cloak dress? Or Julianne Moore’s sheer black Chanel? Yeah, neither does anyone else.

Get some glad rags. If your closet lacks color, refuse to buy any more navy, beige, brown, or black until your wardrobe is more vibrant. You may hear the inner voice that your mother so cultivated, shouting, ‘A pink suede skirt? That won’t go with anything!’ Perhaps. But it will make you want to shimmy.

Don’t wear green if green makes you look dead. How can you tell? Stand near a window in the store so you can see the color and your skin tone in a natural light. Now hold the item in question up to your face. Do you glow a little, or do you look hungover? If you are hungover and you still glow a little, snap that baby up. Also pay attention to people’s comments. If they ask whether you’re feeling tired when you wear your green sweater, chuck it. If they ask whether you’ve just had your hair cut, buy some more skirts to go with your fabulous green sweater.

Eschew black for special occasions. Consider your little black dress a standby for events that catch you off guard, not a default. If you know a fete is coming, find an outfit that will own the room, something that snaps. This will make you easy to find in a crowd, which makes it easier for charming strangers to hit on you.

Invest in a bright coat. It looks fantastic with an all-neutral outfit, and can make even a T-shirt and jeans look stylish. A colorful coat also adds some flare to more conservative work outfits.

Wear more red. It’s the only color that’s both bold and classic, and every woman can find a shade that flatters her. If you’re not sure what looks good on you, go to an upscale makeup counter and ask them to help you find a red lipstick that works with your complexion. Once you’ve found something attractive, you can buy red clothing with the same base shades. Nothing beats a red dress for sex appeal. If you don’t believe me, lick your finger, press it to your hip, and make a sizzling sound. Now isn’t that more convincing when you’re wearing red?

Mix and Match

The best way to figure out what colors work well together is to pay attention to fashion spreads and imitate the combinations you like. Hard-and-fast fashion rules on what matches and what doesn’t are somewhat naive. Styles are in constant flux. While neon pink with lime green would have been fine in the ’80s, today it would be a cause for concern. Some basic guidelines:

Stick to two or three colors per outfit. The rainbow effect hasn’t worked since you were six. If you’re pairing solids, choose two colors and work with those, perhaps adding a touch of a third color in your earrings or with a pair of strappy shoes.

Dress in color families. When you’ve collected enough pieces in a single color family, consider wearing them together once in awhile. Of course, they should be shades that match, mint green isn’t so hot with olive drab, and they should also be tones that vary. Wearing exactly the same shade of a bright color from head to toe can be an assault on passersby, but pairing a barely turquoise angora sweater with a robin’s-egg wool skirt looks smashing. Avoid an undesirable schizophrenic effect by offsetting a monochromatic outfit with a swingy little jacket and shoes in neutral shades or accessories in a complementary, but distinctly different, color.

Pay attention to color tones. Pastels work better with other light colors, while saturated colors work well together. Pale pink is beautiful with beige, but dark pinks are nicer with a chocolate color.

Pucci Over Pinstripe

Patterned clothing isn’t nearly as versatile as solids. There are a few exceptions—pinstripes, Burberry plaid—but patterns are often a liability. They hang forlornly in your closet because they don’t go with anything; they’re the reason that your white T-shirt is always in the wash.

Still, patterns are fun, and fun is the point. So if you’re going to buy a few things that don’t match much, buy outrageous things. See that bright green ’60s print with huge blue barracudas swimming all over it? That’s what I’m talking about. See that little tank top with the giant spiky flowers in fuchsia, and red? There are forty others like it on the sale rack, because no one else was brave enough to wear them. You don’t have those kinds of hang-ups. Vintage shops and deeply discounted sales racks are the best places to find striking prints.

Those who feel exposed in a crazy, dramatic pattern can balance it with classic clothing in a conservative cut. If you’re not particularly adept at choosing colors that work together, select a neutral or a shade featured prominently in the pattern. Your new barracuda pants would look great with a slate gray T-shirt. Your floral tank would be sweet with a little red skirt.

Tennis Bracelets Are for Sissies

If you’re not a brave girl, or you don’t have enough extra cash to invest in a fuchsia section of your closet, start with accessories. You can dress as conservatively as you like and still look dashing if you wear bold jewelry. What do I mean by bold? Colorful, and big.

Find two or three bright colors that you love—a lipstick crimson, Tiffany’s blue—and begin to collect scarves, pins, and bracelets in those colors. Bright, dramatic jewelry is especially nice with clothes that take no chances. A beige T-shirt, jeans, and sandals looks ho-hum until you add a chunky orange necklace. Your little black dress stands out if you added aquamarine chandelier earrings or a pink tassel necklace that falls to your waist.

The extra bonus with dramatic jewelry is that you can always remove it and stuff it in your purse if you feel overdressed or silly. This is not as true of thigh-high leather boots that lace up the back.

Bold and Brave

Nothing looks good on a woman who isn’t brave, and it takes a brave woman to wear orange pants. Not everyone will like what you’re wearing, but a few people will love it as much as you do. Those people are the correct ones.

Fashionable women are willing to wear what other women won’t (yet). They have a sense of humor about what they put on their bodies, and they’re often respected less for their artistry than their chutzpah.

What the rest of us need to figure out is how to be daring without being reckless. Playing with color is the most foolproof way to do that. Next time, buy the pink suede skirt. It’s practical.

1960’s Vintage Silk Teal Mini Chiffon Cocktail Dress
One of us should own this. And since it won’t fit me, I think it should be you.

This coat is so Jackie 2010, it probably came with giant sunglasses and a pack of cigarettes in the pockets. Jaime got this at Helen Yi in Chicago, and it has some nice details.

I love necklines like this because you don’t need to bother with a scarf.

It also has nice deep pockets so you can leave your purse home too.

Here’s what’s underneath the coat. This is the kind of thing Jaime wears to a nice dinner or holiday party.

The blouse is Tracy Reese, also from Helen Yi. Ms. Yi knows her audience.

Jaime’s skirt is from Sabine Poupinel in Copenhagen, and it has surprise blue lining in the pockets. Colored or patterned lining just makes me feel more pulled together. Blue pockets are such an incentive to shave your legs.

Her wool tights are Wolford.

The patent wedge heels are from a Zara in Hong Kong. Brown patent is not something you see every day.

A lot of Jaime’s jewelry is sentimental; her grandmother gave her the pearls. Her earrings were a gift from her mother-in-law who received them from her husband shortly after she was married.

This is what Jaime does when you mention that she’s been scowling at your lens for the better part of an hour.

Ah! There she is.

On Monday we’ll be back with leggings. Leggings! Don’t try to resist, they are rad.

I took some photos of the cute outfits while I was at ALT. This is the very charming Shayna Roosevelt of Room Creative. She has one of those smiles that starts with her eyes.

I’ve had lots of requests for a maternity Mighty Closet, but no willing pregnant friends so far. Fortunately Gabrielle Blair, one of the Alt Summit organizers, just posted her five favorite maternity outfits on Design Mom, so she did the work for me. Have a look at Gabby’s closet, and if you’re looking for more inspiration, head over to the Wardrobe Remix maternity pool.

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.)