Cheryl Shops

This post goes out to everyone who's been affected by this month's Mercury retrograde. It was originally supposed to be about my New Year's Eve outfit, but a significant part of the look did not arrive last week as promised (it finally showed up today). Then I had a backup outfit planned, and as we tried to shoot it, nothing was going right: we couldn't find good lighting, we ended up in a location where joggers kept running through our shot every 30 seconds, the wind kicked up and the temperature dropped about 15 degrees, and I realized my outfit looked like Han Solo's in The Empire Strikes Back (which may not be a bad thing, but not really what I was going for). My boyfriend/photographer observed that I looked pissed off in every shot, and that's when we decided to throw in the towel, grab a drink, and try again the next day. I'm happy to say things worked out for the best.


These jeans were a Black Friday buy, and I've been wearing them pretty much nonstop since they've arrived. I have a pair of Re/Done Levi's (seen here), but they're very slim in the leg, and I've been looking for more textbook mom jeans for awhile; after countless pairs that have given me a FUPA and/or long butt, I'm happy to report that the Levi's 505c are a winner from all angles. They're high-waisted, with a straight, cropped leg, and by some feat of engineering, they are really flattering. They are also 100% cotton, which was an adjustment at first, but they're breaking in and getting better day by day. They run true to size, too!


I just featured this leather jacket a few weeks ago in a dressier outfit, but as you can see, it's incredibly versatile, here with a more casual look. The leather helps keep out the chill from the wind, too!


As I mentioned in the first part of this post, it's getting cold in San Francisco—which, okay, is about 15 degrees cooler than it normally is, but trust me, you can feel the difference. And that means it's finally sweater weather, i.e. the three months out of the year I can wear my cashmere sweaters. This one is from Everlane, and it's one of my favorites. (I sized up for more of a boyfriend fit.) The camel color is sold out, sadly, but I've linked an alternative below.


Would I normally carry a sequined clutch on a Sunday morning? No, and I felt somewhat ridiculous with it when I later went to Target and Trader Joe's, but it was part of the previous day's outfit and I was determined to use it! Being sequined, it's clearly the perfect party clutch, but what makes it even more fun is that the sequins flip, so you can make your own pattern on it. It also has handy credit-card slots inside, so you only need to carry the essentials.



Last month, I was invited to a pop-up shop opening for Vionic, which is a comfort-shoe company based in the Bay Area. I have a hard time finding flats with good arch support, but these are so ridiculously comfortable and sturdy, I've been wearing them multiple times a week. Also, they're supercute and look good with everything—dresses, jeans, leggings—and required no break-in period at all.  I am a total convert!


Another important thing I learned on this shoot is that the brighter my lipstick, the less makeup I have to wear overall, which is good when it's a Sunday morning and the last thing you want to do is put on an entire face. I'm wearing Stila Stay All Day in Beso and they're not messing around when they say "stay all day." This stuff survived coffee, lunch, multiple kisses, and dinner, and I still needed to take it off with Bioderma at the end of the day. I think my mom would approve.



OUTFIT DETAILS: Everlane cashmere turtleneck (another camel option here) || Banana Republic moto jacket (very similar here) || Levi's 505c jeans || Miansai screw cuff bracelet || Stella & Dot Margeaux clutch, signet ring, engravable ring || Vionic Hadley oxfords c/o (more sizes here)

At the risk of sounding like Oprah, I've been trying to manifest lately, which basically means making something happen by wanting it really, really badly. While it's somewhat of an inexact science, I've found I can manifest certain things more easily than others. Case in point, I was lamenting a few weeks ago how hard it is to find a good pair of skinny jeans when, like a beacon from the gods, Levi's sent me a new pair of its Revel jeans. (Now if only I could manifest a winning lottery ticket!) I am normally a little skeptical of jeans specifically geared toward one's body type (Revel utilizes Levi's Curve ID technology; I'm a "demi curve," per their online quiz), but Levi's has been making jeans for 150 years, so I generally trust them to do their thing. Which in this case, was make an incredibly awesome pair of skinny jeans.