Remember the post about what I packed on my trip to New York? That was fun. So much fun that I wanted to do more. The problem is, I don’t want to show up places feeling all cute and have people be like, “Yeah. I already saw that dress on your site.” (Sad trombone.) So I thought I’d visit a few of my stylish friends and take photos of their favorite outfits. Aubrey Sabala is my first Mighty Closet guinea pig.
Aubs throws parties for Digg, where she works as the marketing manager. She’ll be in New York shortly, organizing a shindig for 3,000+ people, and she’s also planning a big birthday blowout for herself and a friend while she’s there. Speaking of which, how much do you love friends who just take charge of their own birthdays, instead of pouting that no one ever remembers their special day? You love them a lot, that’s how much.
Anyway, her entire enormous closet is filled with dresses. She never goes anywhere that requires pants, and I’m pretty sure she works out in cocktail attire. So you know, owning no pants is madness in San Francisco. It’s seriously cold here, especially in the evenings, which is Aubrey’s favorite time of day.
I asked her to show me four of her favorite outfits and her no-fail cocktail outfit, which just happens to be a genuine Little Black Dress. Here are the results:
This is what Aubrey wears when she’s taking her scooter out for soda pop with the gang. (To the best of my knowledge Aubrey doesn’t actually own a scooter, but I encouraged her get one.)
This is the forlorn bag I forgot to include in the photo. Sorry, little bag.
Sundresses and cowboy boots is one of Aubrey’s favorite looks. This is because San Francisco hills laugh at you if you try to wear heels.
Also, if you wear heels, the homeless people assume you’re a tourist and they hassle you because they take you for an easy mark. Same story if you wear shorts. No one here wears shorts, because all of us know that the weather could turn on you at any moment (except Aubrey who is clearly a mutant freak with no nerve endings). And then you’re freezing your ass off in Union Square with aggressive panhandlers yelling at you, and you have to go buy a pair of cheap San Francisco! sweatpants, which only exacerbates the problem. But I digress.
This is Aubrey’s favorite dress, and she’s right about that. Flattering, baby. She usually wears this with cowboy boots too, but she agreed to change things up to give the natives a thrill. We were outside for about two minutes taking this photo, and she was hooted and honked at no less than three times. That’s a good dress.
How cool are these earrings? Aubrey said she never wears them, so I put them in my purse before I left. Aubrey, I stole your awesome earrings as punishment for neglecting them. I’m going to take them out and show them the world, show them what it means to be loved.
She loves this green dress, but rarely wears it either because she has to pair it with 15″ heels so it doesn’t drag on the floor. Tailors, ladies! Fifteen bucks and it’s a whole new dress. Because seriously? You’re not gonna hem it. Don’t kid yourself.
Aubrey laughs 99 percent of the time. She was really trying to put on a solemn face for the sake of fashion, but this is the real Aubrey in action.
I’m such a sucker for a lariat necklace. Almost no one wears them, which makes them even better.
Aubrey has that kind of enviable straight hair that will do a spiky chignon with four bobby pins. Speaking of which, please ignore the pins I neglected to tuck.
The aforementioned uncomfortable shoes.
This is Aubrey pretending to chug a bottle of whiskey. She’s wearing her all-purpose Little Black Dress, and holy crap it’s a good one. (J Crew, you do this so right.)
I love this photo. It’s so nightcap.
Closeup of her chunky bracelet, which is actually a twisted necklace.
Adorable, harrassment-attracting patent leather shoes.
I know, that was exhausting. Thanks for being so game, Aubs. Especially considering the aftermath. Hoo-boy.
So! That’s my very first Mighty Closet. Was it good for you? Let me know if you’d like me to do anything differently next time. Do you want brand names, even though a lot of the stuff won’t be available anymore? Links to similar outfits? Stories behind the outfits? Photos of exceptional lingerie drawers? I live to serve, so let me know.
Mighty Girl 
I love this new feature. I also love that Aubrey braves freezing San Francisco in dresses. I do that too, mostly because I forget that it can get so freakin’ cold. I suspect she handles it with much more grace than I. Exceptional lingerie drawers: definitely!!
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MightyCloset is my new favorite thing. I’d love to see a before photo of the closet from whence the clothes came. The aftermath was also fun.
Aubrey is lovely and has excellent taste. I recently embraced the dress as alternative to yoga pants for comfort and boy howdy! was that a good decision.
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links to similar please! loving aubrey’s style!
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Yes, links to similar items! Specifically, for dresses with the flattering cut for girls with boobs – lower cut neckline and with thicker straps so that they can be worn with a bra. Curses to off-the-shoulder and spaghetti strap dresses with your built in “shelf bra.” Ha.
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She’s so classy and pretty- I love her style. If I could wear dresses or skirts every day I totally would.
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Seriously… what Jcrew dress is that black one? It’s the perfect shape and makes her calves look awesome!!
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I love, love, love the green dress. I’ve been on the hunt for a great green dress and offerings are woeful, so links to similar items please!
Also, that LBD is awesome.
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love this new series! and yes, the fuschia and green dresses are amazing. i’d love to have you include some designer credits in the future…even if that exact awesomeness isn’t available, maybe they make something similar! ditto for all of the lovely jewelry in this one! 🙂
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It’s like design*sponge’s sneak peeks into people’s houses, but with clothes!!! I love love love it!
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Cool idea! It’s good to know where things came from. Even if they’re not available, cool new shopping experiences could come from it.
Love the necklace twisted as a bracelet. Accessories are my biggest problem, well one of my biggest problems.
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Love this!
Brands and links to similar would be appreciated.
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Love the new series and demand more of the same!
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Most days, I can be found in yoga pants or jeans, a T-shirt or fleece.
But I appreciate interesting fashion and creative looks and people who have the time – and inclination – to dress fabulously.
So kudos to you and your friends AND the mighty closet series.
I LOVE IT!
And yes, please, include a snapshot peek into your model’s closet.
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I love this series! Links would be a nice addition. Great work, Maggie!
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Love this – it’s great to get inspiration. I don’t mind no links, but I did like knowing where some of the pieces were from originally.
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Loving the Mighty Closet!
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I think I’m in love, and sort of want to be Aubrey’s best friend.
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I love this, almost as much as I loved yours. Keep doing it. It’s good just as it is, because the main thing is inspiration. But I don’t mind knowing the brands/stores/locations, if they happen to come up. yay!
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LOVED this! Please do this again, as often as you can 🙂
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I SO loved this! Thanks, but will you fly down to LA and make ME look that good? Or can I come up there? Your photos are amazing!
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love it! Gives me ideas for my own closet!
I tried to walk – in a dress – from my hotel at union square to a restaurant decidedly no where near union square on valentines day. By the time we got to the restaurant it was threatening to rain and – in an attempt to be romantic – the restaurant was only serving shellfish! My poor, freezing, jewish little self had to go all the way back to my hotel room and order room service. :o( Regardless, I can’t wait to visit SF again. Next time more boots will be involved!
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Awesome new feature. More, more, more!
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Virtual dress-up is so much fun, I love Mighty Closet. I would indeed like links to similar outfits and stories behind outfits. I would also love features similar to your New York trip piece where you tell us how to put together an entire wardrobe with key pieces. Perhaps you could take submissions, we send you photos/links to 2-3 pieces we own and then you tell us how to put them into outfits?
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its wonderful how lovely and natural your model Aubrey is. I really enjoy looking into the closets of normal – but very chic – women. NO toothpicks please! The nite cap photo certainly is fantastic!
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Yes, please give links for similar outfits! And while you are at it, some money to buy them with!
She looks absolutely amazing, I want to be green with envy in that green dress.
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Love Might Closet, love Aubrey’s style. And I’ve got a request, possibly as an offshoot of the exceptional lingerie drawers…Mighty Foundation Garments. As an only child raised by a mother that seriously didn’t know how to dress (sorry Mom, I love you but it was the Seventies) I feel like I’m at a big disadvantage with The Underthings. For example, how the hell does Aubrey wear her rockin’ sweater dress with matte tights and not have the dress bind like hell and result in the dreaded inadvertent frontal wedgie? Where does one find the tiny perfect slip that would fix that problem but never show? Are there special tights that are slippery enough that you don’t need to wear a slip? And how do you keep the boots from rubbing and destroying your tights? How do I keep my skirts from rotating around my hips when I walk? And don’t even get me started on all the bra questions… I need help over here, people. Please advise.
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i have to put my vote in for links to similar and stories of where stuff was found or what happened in those clothes.
aubs would clearly look great in a potato sack!
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Lovely. They only thing I could think to add would be brand names/links to were items could be purchased.
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fab new series! love this. She’s a hottie and I love her look.
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I love it! I don’t mind the lack of links, as I see this more of “what to look for when I’m out thrifting.”
Also (and please don’t take this the wrong way, Aubrey), thank god for a *real* woman with *real* legs. I was out shopping yesterday and got all depressed about my legs in shorts, because, you know, I have legs and not toothpicks. And now I feel better again.
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I’d love to see links/labels/designers for all the items featured, even if no longer available or something’s vintage. Then you at least know where to begin looking so you can copy. Also credits for other stuff, I love that little blue sofa! Can you share the details on that? (FWIW, this is why I adored “Domino” – they showed you great stuff and then basically told you how to do it. Mighty Closet would be awesome if it could do something similar.)
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YES YES YES!!! LOVE the Mighty Closet and want to see more asap. Don’t think I need to know where to buy things but I’d love a “stories behind the outfits” element. This is great.
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Loved it! Loved the looks.
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love love love. great pics. great model. great clothes. my only request would be that there were a few casual poses- so we could see what an outfit looks like just during everyday wear. for example, i was interested in how the sundress looked when she was just walking or doing everyday things. that’s is the true test for an outfit, too. also i am very interested in where the items came from – maybe a general cost?
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That was the most fun I’ve had online in at least three months. Awesome!
Aside from the obvious (kick-ass clothes, pretty photography), I really like how fun this whole thing seems. You did a good job catching the mood, I think. Also, I would KILL SOMEONE DEAD for that green dress, no joke. Siiiiiigh.
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I enjoyed this – thanks! I usually dress a little bit nice for work, but it’s good to be reminded to dress for ME from time to time as well.
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I have to echo the chorus of YES YES LOVE THIS! I just got interested in fashion again after losing thirty pounds, so I’d love to know brands/links to similar items if you can swing it. Great work, Maggie!
PS. This is the THIRD time I’ve read this post today (and I’m sure it won’t be the last…it’s raining here and all the pretty colors are cheering me up!)
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Love this feature! More please! Love the white dress with cowboy boots esp.
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OMG. I have that coat! I have it in GRAY! Excuse me while I go out and strut around like a peacock because I must have a little sense of style if this lovely creature and I selected the same coat.
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How cruel! To show such beautiful clothing and yet no information on said clothes. I need brand and style names… Especially the reddish dress. Gorg.
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Again! Again! That was the best, Maggie. Thanks for making my day.
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The first dress is all sorts of wrong.
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I’d like to see some stories behind the clothes, more than brands or links, although I may be a minority. I really enjoyed the mini-biography at the beginning. thanks maggie, looks like it was fun to shoot!
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I love this! It would be great to know the brands even if they aren’t available.
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Just the other day in route from Anthropology to the muni a lovely female panhandler told my short-wearing sister that she has a flat ass. I love SF. and I love this feature.
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i like might closet very much the way it is. (though i would not frown upon brands/ links to similar things…)
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Aww, y’all are truly the sweetest. And I can only thank Maggie for making me look so lovely – she’s truly the most talented photographer.
So, to answer a few questions about the clothes, here’s some detail (off the top of my head – can get you some of the ones I’ve forgotten when I get home)
– Sweater dress: Purchased from some small boutique in Park City, Utah during Sundance. Had many issues trying to figure out the right color of tights (b/c it’s short) but went with black b/c the boots (purchased at the now-defunct Delirious Shoes in Potrero Hill.) The hat is from a small boutique on Hayes Street – will try & remember the name, but got it a year 1/2 ago. Coat is from Tulle (www.tulle4us.com) but note they run small – I have to buy a large…which I did as I have it in 3 colors. Bag – Gap outlet; Gloves: Target.
– White Dress w/Detailing: Old Navy, bought last summer. Cowboy boots from Cavender’s somewhere between Austin & San Antonio in 2002 (I wear them to death.) Earrings & bracelet: Old Navy (a while ago)
– Salmon Dress: Brooklyn Industries (should have bought this in 3 colors; got it last June in Brooklyn, NY – http://www.brooklynindustries.com); pashmina wrap from J. Crew circa 2003; Sandals: Target. And not very comfy. Earrings (now absconded by Maggie) were trade from when I used to be a fashion writer in Atlanta, circa 2001.
– Green Dress: J. Crew, purchased March 2009 (doesn’t look like they carry it anymore but saw something similar at Saks yesterday for about 3x as much); Lariot Necklace – again, trade from former fashion writing days…; shoes: Nine West outlet, ooolllldddd. And not so comfy.
– Black Dress: J. Crew, purchased 2001. (Their stuff just fits me really well, esp. if you’re hourglassy like I am.) Black shoes: my only splurge EVER – Manolo Blahniks.
Blue Couch – from Therapy on Valencia street – just purchased this a few months back – they have a TON of styles & it’s beyond comfy. HIGHLY recommend.
Hope that helps, and absolutely loved being featured. Super honored.
– aubrey
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What a pretty lady…
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So beautiful.
I’m in love with the green dress. And the cowboy boots. Love.
Great new feature!
Maybe you’d want to feature me next, sporting the latest in the mommy-form. Yoga pants, flip-flops, wifebeater (maybe I should call it a husband-beater)?
Yeah, I need a makeover.
I’ll use Aubrey for inspiration!
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