Mighty Closet: Rachel Brune, Outfit No. 5

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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

Mighty Closet: Rachel Brune, Outfit No. 4

Apologies for the silence, I’ve been at CES, and I’ve had hinky traveling issues with Internet. So without further ado, let’s talk about Rachel’s next outfit:

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

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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.)

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

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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:

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Neat.

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

Take us out, Rachel.

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Have a happy weekend everyone.

Mighty Closet: Rachel Brune, Outfit No. 3

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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.

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

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

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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.

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Comfy, versatile boots by Miz Mooz.

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

Mighty Closet: Rachel Brune, Outfit No. 2

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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This belt is from Goodwill too. Good one.

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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.)

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.