Alt Style: Alma

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This is Alma Loveland from Ollibird. Alma is an artist and designer; the fabric on her Jean Chatsky Laptop Bag is her design.

When I introduced myself and asked if I could take her photo, Alma said she already kind of knew me. It turns out that I had met Alma’s gorgeous redheaded baby and her husband a few months ago. They were waiting for her in the hallway while she was teaching an Illustrator class in Jordan’s studio space, and that baby was too happy for me to resist. Turns out the baby gets that from mama.

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Alt Style: Victoria

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This is Victoria Smith from sfgirlbybay. I suggested she wear a Tricorne with this fantastic bow shirt, but she demurred.

Alt Style: The Girls

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The shirt print is made up of little smoking mouths. I so hope there’s a Surgeon General’s warning on the tag.

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This lady was one of the Alt sponsors, but she dressed for the occasion. Well done, ma’am.

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How genius is Karen’s not-shirt? Creates the effect of wearing two tees, covers the plumber’s crack, and doesn’t add bulk.

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Heather’s new booties! Though I know her legs are the star here. If you want those, you’ll need to discuss it with Heather’s mom.

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Perfect sleeve by Joslyn from Simple Lovely.

Alt Style: Janel

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This is the very bright, capable Janel Laban of Apartment Therapy and her enviable haircut. (Hi, Janel! You cutie.)

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She says she tells her stylist to aim for “cheap wig.” I couldn’t get my hair to do this if I had a ceramic straight iron and a pact with the Devil, and so it’s all I’ve ever wanted my hair to do.

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Janel’s super functional bag is by Highway, which seems to specialize in that sort of thing.

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Also, this hat! Janel says her dog freaks out whenever she wears it because it looks like a little animal attacking her head.

Mighty Closet: Rachel Brune, Outfit No. 1

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Mighty Closet: Margaret Stewart, Outfit No. 10

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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.

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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…

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

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

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

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Killer ’40s-inspired platforms by Banana Republic.

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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.

Mighty Closet: Margaret Stewart, Outfit No. 9

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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.

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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.

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

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

Mighty Closet: Margaret Stewart Update

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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).

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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!

Mighty Closet: Margaret Stewart, Outfit No. 7

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We took these last summer, so of course there was a romper involved. This one is from H&M. Man, rompers are really representing on Mighty Girl of late.

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The side view on these kills me. Again, I think I need more interesting shoes. I lost my notes on where these came from — Margaret, let us know in comments if you remember.

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This brooch was a birthday gift from me, and it’s becoming my sisterhood pin. Everyone I love gets one whenever there’s cause for celebration. It’s by Elefante è Vida, whose shop I’m always loathe to share, but Margaret has forced my hand. I would shake my fist at her, but I’m too flattered by her sweetness in wearing it. Aww, Stewart.

Mighty Closet: Margaret Stewart, Outfit No. 6

You may remember my friend Margaret from the Mighty Closet I did with her a few months ago. Ms. Stewart is one of my inspirations when I get dressed — she has a great eye and such a sense of fun — so when I took her photos, we did two sets. Here’s round two:

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I covet this skirt. It’s so versatile and swishy.

When Margaret tried on this outfit, she wasn’t sure about the puffy Diane von Furstenberg shirt. She often pairs this skirt with a fitted black T-shirt. I felt like it depended on what she was going for; Margaret said she wasn’t sure she wanted to go for Eva Peron:

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But come on. She rocks this.

The skirt is Marimekko for H&M, and it has me convinced that long skirts and T-shirts are the perfect San Francisco uniform. As User Experience Manager for You Tube, Margaret needs a lot of day to evening looks that don’t seem strange when the tech guys are still wearing sneakers at cocktail hour. Separates are the perfect option if you need to look presentable, but not overly fussy.

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