My go-to neutral spring outfit

I'm just back from a trip to Mexico City—yes, my full travel diary will be coming soon—and after five straight days of eating and drinking to my heart's content in a warm, dry climate, it almost feels like forever ago that we shot these photos. I also still have a bit of vacation brain, so apologies in advance if this post kind of meanders. There is no overall theme to this week's post, other than these are the pieces I've been living in lately, many of which I brought on vacation, and most of which you've seen before. Together, they're all neutral pieces (yes, leopard is a neutral!) that just work really well together. Here's how.

Memorial Day sale picks

For some people, the start of summer means barbecues, fireworks, and the beach. To me, it means sales. For some reason, I enjoy shopping summer sales more than winter ones—I feel like winter sales happen around the holidays, when I'm stressed out for various other reasons. Summer is all about fun—bright colors, light fabrics, bare skin. And since the sales are just getting started, here are 16 items from some of my favorite designers, currently in my various online shopping bags. Everything here is under $500, with a handful items under $100 too. Pretty much every boutique and department store is on sale right now, from Barneys and Nordstrom to Shopbop and Net-A-Porter, so shop to your heart's content!

Two ways to wear a tropical-print dress

This week's outfit post is a bit different than my usual format, and it's all the weather's fault. May is usually a gorgeous month in San Francisco, but it's been unseasonably cold—it's even been raining lately, which is unheard of for this time of year. I had planned on wearing the first look featured here, but brought warmer layers so we could go out to dinner afterward. As it turns out, my warmer layers looked cute too, so we just ended up shooting both outfits. One is more dressed up and polished; the other is more casual and cool—and I can't decide which is my favorite, even now. Let me know what you think of this new format in the comments, and if it's a hit, I'll do it again from time to time.



What it's like to try a clothing rental service

I tried Armoire free for a month but was not paid for this post.

In this day and age of Marie Kondo, I think we can all agree that we probably own too many clothes, especially ones we haven't worn in months (or years). It's very liberating to get rid of a lot of them. And while the concept of a super-minimalist, capsule wardrobe appeals to me, I'm only human and need a little variety now and then. Which is why I'm fascinated by clothing rental services. Do we even need to own our clothing anymore? After all, we share cars (Getaround and Turo, not to mention Uber and Lyft), homes (Airbnb), workspaces (WeWork), money (Lending Club, Kickstarter), even knowledge and skills (TaskRabbit, UpWork). My curiosity was piqued when Armoire offered me a free trial—it's billed as an "infinite wardrobe," in that you can borrow up to 8 pieces at a time and swap them out as frequently as you want, all for $149 a month. So, in the name of investigative reporting, I said yes. Here's my honest review.


What to wear with a pink blazer

I've been on both a Marie Kondo-ing tear and a subsequent spring shopping spree lately, and both felt good. The Kon-Mari has cleared out a lot of space in my closet and also made me more conscious of what I'm buying. I am only shopping for things that spark joy, and I am thinking long and hard about whether I'm going to wear something for just a few months or if it's going to be a long-term addition to my closet. Of course, sometimes the best intentions don't always pan out, and it's hard to predict the future, but this pale pink linen blazer is certainly sparking joy for me, and I have a feeling it's going to stick around for awhile. I've already worn it multiple ways, but here's a wear-now, wear-anytime kind of look—and one of my favorites right now.



How I'm ditching bottled water

This post is sponsored by Brita, but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Real talk: plastic water bottles are bad for the environment. Like really bad. Americans consume 2,000 bottles of plastic water per second, and if we keep going at this rate, there will be more plastic bottles than fish in the ocean by 2050. The good news is that there's an easy solution to this problem: filling your own reusable water bottle with filtered water. It's a super easy thing to do that has a huge impact on the environment, plus you'll save money (hey, those plastic water bottles add up!) and filtered water tastes just as good as (or even better than) the stuff that comes from a bottle. Here's how I'm ditching bottled water with the help of Brita.



How to dress down a formal gown

San Francisco is not a very dressy place, especially compared to New York, where I lived for 13 years. True, I have the occasional wedding, holiday party, or charity event to dress up for, but most of my fancy dresses spend a lot of time just hanging in my closet. And that's a bummer. The good news is that with a little strategic styling, you can dress down a fancy dress for more casual, everyday occasions. Here's how I did it.


A day in the life of Zuni

This post is sponsored by Wellness CORE but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.



Woof, I'm Zuni, Cheryl's dog. Perhaps you've seen me on her Instagram—I don't have my own account yet, but maybe I should! Anyway, since this post is all about ME, Cheryl thought I should write it. She promised me my favorite Wellness CORE treats as a reward, but man, she always makes me work for it! Of course, I sleep a lot too. I'm a dog! Here's what I do all day, woof woof!


Get the look: spring minimalist neutrals

I've been on a light-colored minimal kick lately, so it's somewhat serendipitous that this month's most-repinned look from my Outfit ideas for ageless style Pinterest board is just that: a minimalist mix of beige, white, and tan. It's just the right thing to wear right now—the perfect spring transitional outfit. Here's how to get this all-neutral look.