Cheryl Shops

I remember my first pair of denim shorts. I had just seen Dirty Dancing and was obsessed with the pair that Jennifer Grey wore as Baby. Like hers, mine were long and fitted almost to the knee with a rolled cuff. I wore them religiously until they didn't fit anymore, and while I have owned many denim shorts since then, I haven't loved any of them as much as that first pair. While I was very into them at first, I don't find myself reaching for the Madewell shorts I bought a few years back and as the years pass, I'm feeling more wary of shorter shorts. That said, I do enjoy shorts as an option when the weather is warm, and as a denim lover, I'm always up for an alternative to longer jeans. I was influenced to buy a pair of uncharacteristically (for me) baggy denim shorts from Old Navy—I sadly can't remember which Substack newsletter had recommended them—and when I first tried them on, I thought these are not for me. But then on a warm Saturday afternoon when I just wanted to be cool and comfortable, I decided to give them another try. This time I was wearing a slim-fitting tank top and all of a sudden it came together: You can wear baggy denim shorts without looking sloppy. It's just a matter of getting the proportions right. 

By most accounts, 2025 has been the summer of the flip-flop. The Row's $750 rubber-and-grosgrain flip-flops were perhaps the most egregious example; while I wore Havianas back in the day, I need a little more refinement (and arch support) at this point in my life. Toteme's heeled flip-flops, on the other hand, were something I could get behind, especially in this year's red suede, which I saw in person on my trip to New York and have been pretty much lusting after ever since. I am a big fan of Toteme—I own a bunch of tops from the brand, including the monogram shirt I wore in this post, as well as the T-lock bag—but, I'm sorry, $450 for a pair of flip-flops is a bit much, even if they are leather. Due to the simplicity of the design, I figured this would be a pretty easy item to knock off, and I was right. I found a great dupe of the Toteme heeled flip-flops at Madewell. 

Lace-trim slip skirts are everywhere this summer; we most likely have The Row to thank for that, but also Dôen, who's had a slip skirt in their lineup for awhile now. I owned several slip skirts in the late '90s, including one from Dolce & Gabbana that I luckily dug out of storage recently, and while the most logical thing to do would be to wear something vintage, what makes The Row's and Doen's version so modern is that they have a wider band of lace around the hem and they come in more substantial fabrics—The Row's is silk charmeuse; Doen's current version is cotton poplin although their Giuletta skirt, which is sadly sold out, is also 100% silk. I combed vintage fairs and resale sites (as well as my own closet) for awhile in search of something similar, thinking that secondhand was the ideal place to find a good dupe, but ran into a little Goldilocks syndrome: everything was either too long, too sheer, and/or didn't have the right amount of lace at the hem. I'm sure I could have kept looking, but when I popped into J.Crew recently with my mom and saw the Gwen skirt, I knew she was The One. 

We're slightly more than halfway through 2025, and what a year it's been so far. In all honesty, 2025 started out as a complete dumpster fire for me, but thankfully things have been on the upswing the last few months and I'm hopeful the second half of the year will continue to be even better. One weird thing, however, is that the weather in San Francisco has been abysmal this summer—it's only hit 70 degrees once, and most days are foggy and cold (like under 60 degrees cold—so Sean and I haven't been shooting as much as we'd like. Fingers crossed things will get better, because I have a few cute things I'd like to show you. But in the meantime, I thought I'd take a look back at the year so far and see what both you and I have been loving in terms of content. Here's the best of 2025 so far. 

Confession: in the last five years or so, I have bought and eventually sold or given away at least five pairs of wide-leg white pants or jeans. I don’t know why this cut is so tricky to get right, but I have a feeling it has something to do with the color white—which can be a challenge especially on the lower half of one’s body—coupled with the fact that for a wide-leg silhouette, the fabric either has to be very fluid or very stiff, and anything in the middle can be a disaster. Like many women, I struggle to see my lower half with compassion, so I tend to be incredibly picky with what I wear on it. Because the color white reflects lights and often makes things seem bigger than they are, this can be especially problematic in regard to white pants. That said, when it comes to pants, there is one brand I trust more than most, and that is Spanx. When they offered to send me a pair of their upgraded stretch twill wide leg pants, I of course jumped at the chance. While I received these pants for free, the following are my honest and unfiltered opinions. 

The first thought I had while starting to write this post was, "Wait, how is it already time for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale?!" Is it me or is this year flying by? The second thought I had was that this year's selection was a bit...underwhelming. People have been complaining about the decline in offerings for years now—most commonly that there's not enough quality merch, and the good stuff tends to sell out in the first day or two, when only high-spending cardholders are allowed to shop—and I was honestly a bit worried, given that Nordstrom has a new owner. It's true, the sale has changed over the years: It used to be where I'd jump on statement pieces like coats, boots, and sweaters for the upcoming season, but it's evolved into more of a way to replenish your basics at good prices. That has definitely become my strategy—more on that below—but after a thorough examination of literally everything that's on sale this year, I got pretty excited for the 2025 event. First, here are my top picks for this year's Nordstrom Anniversary Sale.

Do you remember your first sundress? Mine was a white and yellow daisy print, and I must have lived in it for an entire summer when I was 4 or 5 years old. Ever since then, I've always invested in a sundress or two every summer. The main qualifications are that they need to be sleeveless and lightweight, ideally in a bright, happy color, but the length can be anywhere from midi to maxi and the details—ruffles, pleats, buttons, sashes—are up to you. Most importantly, sundresses should be comfortable, ideally floating away from your body a bit to help mitigate the heat and humidity. Since it's now officially summer—and heat waves are already striking across the globe—I thought I'd share two of my favorite sundresses for this year. They're from a new-to-me brand called The Good Journey, and you can find them on the Maggy London website—plus you can use code CHERYL15 for 15% off. While Maggy London gifted these dresses to me, the following are my honest and unfiltered opinions. 

When I went to Italy last year, I somehow managed to pack for 12 days in a carry-on. It was quite a bit warmer on that trip, so I suppose my wardrobe was more on the skimpier side, but honestly, I don't know how I did it. For this two-week trip, we planned to hit a few cities in northern Italy before meeting up with friends in Puglia (yes, again!). And while the weather in Italy tends to be absolutely lovely in May, it had been unseasonably cold with some light rain, which made packing a challenge. I also knew I wanted to do some shopping this time, so I acquiesced and checked a bag. I'm glad I did—more details on where I shopped coming next week, but in the meantime, here's (almost) everything I wore on my 14-day trip to Italy last month. 

I tend to harp on The Row a bit; I don't think what they're doing is super original—which is taking classic items and making the best possible version of them, at obscene prices—however you can't deny how influential they are on fashion at the moment. (Yeah, I'll admit I'm eyeing those flip-flops too, but I'll be ordering the Amazon dupe instead.) We can thank their Gala pant for the proliferation of pajama pants on the market the last few years; I was resistant to this silhouette at first because thin elastic waistbands usually don't sit right on me (I am a little thicker through the middle and also in my 40s) and call me old-fashioned, but to me an elastic waistband plus wide-leg pant equals pajamas. And while the teenagers who attend the high school on my block are not shy about wearing pajama pants in public, again, I am in my 40s, which means I'm either trying too hard or not trying hard enough. Then again, the upside of being in your 40s is that you don't care as much what people think about you, so I decided to give the pajama pant silhouette a try. Of course, I don't have $1,090 in my budget, so I set out to find a good dupe of the Row's Gala pant. 

I just got back from a weeklong trip to NYC, which felt like such a luxury. While it's been almost 12 years (!!!) since I've moved away, we tend to go back to visit at least once a year, however those trips are usually much shorter—I'd say three or four days on average, usually for a long weekend or a quick work trip. The pace of this stay felt much less intense, as I didn't feel the need to rush around and see everything on my list, although New York was its energetic, vibrant self as always. According to friends, it was also the first stretch of good weather they've had so far this season, and while it rained several days when we were there, it was so nice to be out walking around in the sunshine—walking is always one of my favorite things to do while I'm in NYC, and I averaged 18,000 steps a day(!). That said, packing for this trip was somewhat of a challenge due to the changing weather, so I broke one of my travel rules and decided to check a bag (it was a direct flight so I wasn't worried). I ended up overpacking a bit, but it was good to have options, and even better to have room in my suitcase for all the shopping I did. Here's what I wore on my trip to New York. 

As I've said many times before, I'm not a mother, but I have one (as we all do) and many friends who are. This year's gift guide contains products I actually own and think any woman—your wife, your sister, your mother-in-law, your dog mom, your mom figure, or you yourself—would like to receive. Some of these products you've seen before (whoops to the L'Occitane gift set below, which I featured last year), some are totally new, but all are highly recommended Mother's Day gifts. Read on for why. 

1. I own quite a few belts, but this is by far the one I've been wearing the most lately—it anchors your look, emphasizes your waist, and makes whatever else you're wearing look more elevated, thanks to its shiny gold details. It is a Khaite dupe, which is a bonus if Mom is into le fashion. 

Madewell Triple Metal Keeper Belt $78

2. As I was writing this post, I realized I featured an almost-identical gift set last year, but hear me out: the shower oil is one of my all-time favorite products, the hand lotion and body cream are really good, and there's a bonus soap. I gave my mom a set of L'Occitane hand creams last year for Christmas that she absolutely loved, so anything from this brand is a home run if you ask me. 

L'Occitane Almond Luxury Set $89 (c/o)

3. A friend came over recently and said how nice our apartment spells and to divulge my secrets, it's because of this very expensive candle. I try to burn it only on special occasions or when I really need a pick-me-up, but I will say the ceramic vessel is so gorgeous, I save mine and use them to store various trinkets—so it's really like two gifts in one. 

Fornasetti Scented Candle $255 (on sale from $340 through 5/4)

4. This book is incredibly analog—for one, it's a book, and instead of photographs of storefronts, it has very charming illustrations of them. Flipping through it will make you want to go to Paris like yesterday; I suggest saving your favorites to your Google Map for next time, as a nice digital counterpart. 

Paris Shopfronts book $23.67 (c/o)

5. Like everyone else on the planet, I am trying to drink less alcohol, but sometimes I really need to take the edge off. When I know I'm going to be spending an evening unwinding at home, I will open a Cann instead of a glass of wine; it has a similar relaxing effect, minus the ensuing night sweats and hangover. It has 2 mg of THC and 4 mg of CBD and does not make me at all paranoid. 

Cann 12-pack $66

6. I vowed not to buy any cheap jewelry in 2025, so I was nervous when I received this paperclip-link necklace for a collaboration. Turns out whatever kind of alchemy they used to make it was solid, because I almost never take it off and it's still bright and shiny, no flaking or greening to be seen. Highly recommend. 

Ana Luisa James paperclip necklace $63.75 (on sale from $75) (c/o)

7. Every influencer over the age of 40 has been raving about Sarah Creal's (rather expensive) makeup line; I couldn't stomach $50 for a lipstick, but this primer has been a godsend in preventing my lipstick from sliding around my face and disappearing into the ether. Even better: it still works during a midday re-application. 

Sarah Creal Lip Grip Peptide Priming Treatment $36

8. Ok, I don't own this product (yet), but if it's anything like the Illuminator Drops, I'm guessing it will be a non-negotiable part of my summertime makeup routine. The Illuminator gives you a your-skin-but-glowier finish, so I'm assuming this will have a similarly bronzy effect. And how gorgeous is the bright turquoise bottle?!

Westman Atelier Sun Tone Bronzing Drops $46.40 (on sale from $58 through 5/4) 

9. I was going to feature this in my holiday gift guide, but it sold out; it's back but on backorder until July. Alas, I think it's a gift worth waiting for. The dish is a lot more substantial than you'd expect for the price (it's quite heavy) and all of the little sections are handy for storing earrings, rings, bracelets, etc. Plus, it looks super cute on your dresser. 

Anthropologie Bumblebee Trinket Dish $24 (c/o) 

10. Is it weird to get Mom shoes as a present? I don't think so, especially when they're so comfy. I've been wearing this pair so much lately—they're like a slightly more refined Birkenstock with a sturdier sole. 

Frankie4 Hunter sandals $188 (use code LTK_CHERYL15 for 15% off)  (c/o)

11. I own a longer version of this nightgown and it's the only one that doesn't give me the night sweats (hello, perimenopause). This one comes in a bunch of really unique prints (all of the leopard variations are amazing) but I'm partial to the champagne bottles.  

Printfresh Cami Nightgown $98

12. Having professional laser hair removal is great and all, but schlepping to the 6–8 in-office treatments is not easy for a busy Mom, nor is it cheap. I've been using this at-home device and am amazed at how effective (and not at all painful) it's been already. I'll be doing a full review on this once my treatment is complete. 

Nood The Flasher 2.0 + Serum $199 (use code cherylshops for $50 off)  (c/o)

13. Whenever anyone describes something as "Botox in a bottle" that makes me think they've never had Botox. These patches aren't that, but they're close—I've found they help lessen the appearance of crow's feet (which I don't Botox) and my elevenses in between treatments (which I do). Because doesn't every Mom want to look well-rested? 

Karuna Age Rewind XL Microneedle Patches $15 (c/o)

Use code Cheryl15 for 15% off your purchase at Inez. 

There've been a lot of think-pieces lately about how women don't wear heels anymore as well as some heel-shaming from Gen Z. We definitely have the pandemic to blame—we all dress more casually now, with an emphasis on comfort, and the many of us who used to suffer through foot pain in the name of fashion have since breathed a huge sigh of relief. I wore heels nearly every day for years, and while I wouldn't have called them comfortable per se, I think there was a lot of muscle memory involved; now that I spend most of my day in slippers as I work from home, my feet have pretty much atrophied and any heel over an inch is not doable for more than an hour or so. And yet on the rare occasion when I do wear heels, I feel more confident, more intentional in my movement, and more elegant. Please, feel free to take away my feminist card, but I don't think there's anything wrong in wanting to feel more feminine, whatever that looks like to you. So the question is, can we as women have it all, e.g. the boost that comes from wearing heels with the comfort that we're used to from flats and sneakers? Inez is a brand that's trying to bridge that gap. While they sent me a pair of high-heel sandals to try, the following are my honest and unfiltered opinions. 

In Allison Bornstein's Wear it Well book (highly recommend btw), she describes a category of clothes as "love to buy, hate to wear," e.g. things you think you should like but actually don't suit you. For me, that's a classic white button-down shirt—I've bought many over the years, but they never look right on me, they rarely fit me well, and they just feel a little...boring. That said, I like the idea of a classic white shirt, but I finally figured out that for me, that looks a little different. Instead, I love a lacy white blouse. It's like a classic white shirt with a little more personality. It's softer, more feminine, more interesting. It has a free-spirited, '70s vibe with a little bit of French girl thrown in. (For the record, my Three Words are Classic, French, Rock-and-Roll). I own quite a few lacy white tops and tend to buy at least one new one every spring; at this point, they can hardly be considered a trend, but this is my trend guide and I'll call it what I want! Read on for deets on my latest purchase. 

There are certain details that I tend to gravitate toward, and one of them is fringe. Whether it's long, hair-like strands or a lightly frayed hem, I truly can't get enough fringe. With all of the clean lines and minimalism that we've been experiencing recently in fashion, fringe has been somewhat hard to come by, but with the resurgence of boho, it's suddenly back and I'm very happy about it. I know certain trends can be feast or famine, so I'm trying really hard not to go overboard with so many great options, but I've already bought several fringed pieces this year and have my eye on a few more. But first, the sweatshirt that followed me around the Internet.

I don't know how this happened, but I feel like my social media feeds have been taken over by a sea of sameness. Everyone is wearing the same tastefully neutral, '90s minimalist–inspired looks—which is a great aesthetic, but I'm getting tired of seeing it on everyone, everywhere. I, myself, am guilty of dressing this way recently; to be fair, a lot of what's in the market lately has adhered to this vibe. But I am so over it. As I noted in my newsletter a few weeks ago, quiet luxury is dead and while I'm not really feeling the Boom Boom look that Gen Z is leaning into at the moment, I am going boho for spring. That means lots of ornamentation (ruffles, lace, embroidery, fringe), pattern, texture, and softness. I'm embracing messiness versus minimalism. I want to love everything I'm wearing, versus adapting a specific way of dressing to fit in with the aesthetic of my (now former) employer. I just want to dress like me. Thankfully, I jolted myself out of my Scandi street style rut a month ago on my birthday, and here's what happened.

Yes, this is the same outfit from last week, with a jacket added

Now that it's officially spring, we can start officially talking about spring trends. As I noted last fall when I decided to resurrect trend reports, this is not meant as a directive, e.g. we all need to start wearing this thing right now. In my 20s and even into my 30s, I felt the need to participate in every trend, with mixed results. One of the many great things about getting older, however, is that you have the wisdom to see a trend and think that's not for me. You can also choose not to participate in any trend at all—it's your life and your style, after all—but I always like to stay open to new things. Sometimes you never know how much you'll love something if you don't try it, which is how I feel about the butter yellow color that's all of a sudden everywhere this season. Did it start with Timothée Chalamet's Oscar suit? Or on the runways last fall? Either way, butter yellow is shaping up to be THE color for spring, and I was wary at first, but then I tried it on.

 It's officially spring, so yay to that! I, for one, am staring to get very tired of wearing the same sweaters and pants day after day, to the point that I've stopped shooting daily mirror selfies because I'm boring myself. But the good news is that the days are brighter and longer (I love that the sun sets after 7pm now!), everything is starting to bloom, and new spring things are hitting the stores. The problem with shopping for spring now is that it may be a month or two before you have the opportunity to wear your new things. The weather can go from one extreme to another this time of year—ask my mom about the time it snowed on Mother's Day—but the best thing you can do is check the forecast, get creative with layering, and go with the flow. Here are a few ways I'm starting to transition to spring outfits. 

I first started using the term "going-out tops" in college, when I had a collection of crappy, mostly polyester tops that I'd wear out to the bars or frat parties. I say crappy because they were not the highest quality—most of them probably came from Contempo Casuals, where I worked—but that was intentional, because they'd inevitably end up smelling like smoke and beer at the end of the night (remember when you could smoke indoors in the '90s?!), so I didn't mind if they got somewhat ruined. I paired my going-out tops with jeans or, if I was really getting dressed up, with black pants, all of which were low rise and bootcut. Once I started working and could afford something slightly nicer, I started collecting more grown-up going-out tops from Intermix (R.I.P.), Scoop, (same), or various sample sales in NYC. But then I settled down and while I still went out—more to restaurants than to clubs—I gravitated toward more subdued, serious clothes. After all, I didn't need to catch anyone's eye anymore! Fast-forward 15 years, and I'm in a different (and happy!) relationship now, but I am much more social, especially post-pandemic. Whether I'm meeting my girlfriends for drinks or going out to dinner with another couple, I've found myself struggling in recent years with what to wear. San Francisco is definitely a low-key town when it comes to fashion, but especially since I'm dressed pretty casually for most of the day, I really want to make an effort in the evening. And that's when it hit me: I didn't have any going-out tops! 

We're not quite two months into 2025 and, well, what a year it's been so far. If you're into numerology, 2025 is a 9 year (e.g. its individual digits add up to the number 9), which apparently is a time of transformation, letting go, self-love, creativity, and emotional healing. It represents the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one, which sounds good enough to me—hopefully the messiness of the first few months of the year is part of the process. (And we should trust the process!) My birthday is on Sunday, and while I've already got a whole list of things I want to manifest in 2025, here's what's on my birthday wish list. 

Like millions of Americans, I watched the Super Bowl a few weeks ago, mostly for Kendrick Lamar's halftime performance, which was incredibly powerful and layered. Also, like millions of Americans, I was transfixed by Kendrick's flare jeans, which, according to various sources, were the $1,200 Celine Marco jeans. When it comes to men's jeans, slim has been the dominant silhouette for close to 20 years now (even in the slouchy-slim variation that a lot of people in the hip-hop community tend to prefer), so when someone in the spotlight flips the denim script in such a dramatic fashion—particularly in jeans that fit as well as Kendrick's did—I pay attention. Did we just experience a major style zeitgeist moment or a flash in the pan? Are flare jeans in style again? Let's dive in.