Cheryl Shops

I had meant to publish this last week, but life (and Halloween) got in the way, and even though it's November, it's definitely still fall. Plus, this trend is kind of seasonless, so it almost doesn't matter when you buy it—although now is always a good time. When it comes to bags, I'm definitely more of a minimalist—I usually don't go for a lot of bells and whistles in terms of hardware, but lately I've been gravitating toward something with a nice big buckle. It's a step above minimalist, but by no means maximalist. Here are my favorite buckle bags for fall.

Of all the trends I'm featuring this season, this one seemed a little iffy to me...until I got my hair done a few weeks ago and literally every female stylist at my salon was wearing a square-neck top. Granted, most of them were of the slightly cropped variety, but thankfully there are a lot of square-neck tops that have a slightly more forgiving silhouette. Here are my favorite square-neck tops for fall.

It's been awhile since I've bought a pair of leather pants, but I'm feeling confident enough that there's a major silhouette shift happening that I'm ready for another pair. This season, it's all about a wide-leg cut, either in a full length or cropped cut. The upside is that this silhouette is super-flattering; the downside is that unless you go with faux leather, it's a bit of an investment. Then again, I've had my current pair of leather pants for years, and I think of them exactly as that—an investment. Here are my favorite wide-leg leather (and faux leather) pants of the season. 

Snakeskin print is the trend that just won't quit—I featured it back in spring, and also last fall. And while it may never replace my first love, leopard print, I think I'm finally ready to add some snake print to my wardrobe. I think the coolest way to wear it this season is in an ankle boot—there are all shapes and colors too, from metallic silver to pink. Just to clarify, these are generally snake-embossed leather, not actual snakeskin boots. Here are some of my favorites for fall.

Since Monday was officially the first day of fall, now we can talk about fall fashion, which is my favorite season for it. I mean, what’s not to love about cozy sweaters, comfy boots, and an overall feeling of hygge? I am really excited to share my favorite fall 2019 trends—so excited, in fact, that I’m going to try something new and kick off my fall shopping guide with a preview of everything I’ll be featuring. The best part is that all of the items can be worn together to create one amazing (and age-appropriate) fall look. Here are my must-have trends for fall 2019.

Now that it's actually fall, we can talk about fall trends, and first up is animal print. I'd argue that as far as animal prints go—especially leopard—they're more of a classic than a trend. That said, there are all sorts of different animal prints out there this season, like zebra, snake, and cheetah, and some of my favorite takes on the trend play with color and scale, as well as pattern. Here are some fresh new ways to wear animal print for fall 2018.

Confession: A few years ago, I saw a photo of some French woman wearing a black boyfriend blazer with gray sweatpants and pointy-toe lace-up boots on a street-fashion blog, and she looked so cool, I had to replicate the outfit. At least, I tried. The end result was that I looked like I had a one-night stand and borrowed a blazer and a pair of sweatpants for the walk home. Sweatpants were back on the runway for fall, and unlike my earlier American Apparel foray, these styles were much more elevated and luxurious looking. Fancy pants, if you will. (SG, that one's for you.) Maybe now that I'm a Californian, my style is literally going soft, but I'm willing to give luxe sweatpants a try.

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What immediately makes sweatpants seem more luxe than actual sweatpants? Leather! In theory, leather sweatpants seem like a hard sell--in pant form, leather is, more often than not, tight. But in practice, these Alice + Olivia sweatpants are perfectly logical. Think about it: Those snug leather pants you usually buy tend to stretch out after a couple wearings, so why not try an already relaxed style? (These are nearly sold out, but here's a similar style by Elizabeth and James, on sale too.)



Fancy in a more girly way, these 3.1 Phillip Lim crystal-encrusted sweatpants are for women who live in neighborhoods with "Upper" or "Heights" in the name. They are lovely, but I would worry about spilling on them, and those crystals are certainly not machine washable.



Rick Owens has been making luxe sweatpants for years, so one can assume he knows what he's doing when it comes to this slouchy merino wool pair. The shape is certainly a man repeller, but it's not like you were planning on picking anyone up in sweatpants anyway, were you?



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These Haute Hippie embellished sweatpants have an intricate beaded and chain design, which reminds me of those little belts you wear when you take a belly-dancing class. (Um, ok, am I the only one who's ever taken a belly-dancing class?) Of all the styles featured here, I think these would look not totally out of place in, say, a bar.



BCBG's Neta Sweatpants are so intricately designed, they almost don't qualify as sweatpants, but lo and behold, there's an elastic waistband and banded ankle cuffs. Still, their look is so haute, you can probably get away with wearing them to work--even if your office is like a fashion show.



I don't know why these Rag & Bone sweatpants are $350, other than the fact that they're made by Rag & Bone, which makes me immediately want them anyway. I'm going to assume that, like everything else R&B makes, the fit is immaculate, and that's reason enough for me.



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What's even better than Current/Elliott's leopard-print skinny jeans? Current/Elliott's leopard-print sweatpants! Think about it: Same supercool print, but in a much more forgiving silhouette. I am going to buy a pair, put them on Saturday morning, and not take them off all weekend.



I tend to be a bit wary of faux leather because, like all synthetic fabrics, it makes me sweat like a mother effer. So I would approach these BlankNYC faux leather sweatpants with caution, however I really like the just-slouchy-enough silhouette and nicely tapered leg. BYO baby powder.



These Zara velour sweatpants are a tenth of the price of the Rag & Bone style above and look a lot like them, so do you even need to think twice? (I don't; I already ordered a pair.)

For the first time ever, I don't think I'll be buying a new winter coat this year. In a way, I'm very excited about this--I've always hated winter, particularly those long, long months in the first of the year. But it's also a little bittersweet, because I love coats. I feel like your coat really sets the tone for the season, and you almost have to love it, because you wear the hell out of it for four or five months. I also love seeing coats on the runway, and for fall, it was all about a menswear-inspired look with a double-breasted, somewhat boxy silhouette. I may not actually be investing in one of these beauties, but please buy one and allow me to live vicariously through you.

When Hedi Slimane took over at Yves Saint Laurent, he ruffled a few feathers and continued to do so back in February when he showed a very grungy fall collection. Perhaps it was not the most original choice (nor the truest to the house's legacy), but as we all know, fashion moves in 20-year cycles, thus making the time ripe for a full-on grunge revival--and making Saint Laurent right on top of the trend. Now, the rule with cyclical trends is that if you wore it the first time around, you shouldn't wear it the second. Back in 1993, I layered my slip dresses over baby tees (remember those?!) and paired them with Doc Martens; wearing that look now might as well be a Halloween costume called Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis. The good news is that Grunge Part Deux is much more refined and luxe; the styles here are more suited to stilettos than combat boots. Grown-up grunge? It's like having your cake and eating it too.

From what I hear, it's fall in most parts of the country; here in San Francisco, it was in the mid-seventies today, glorious and sunny. Everyone keeps telling me it's Indian summer, that sooner or later it's going to be foggy and cold, but for now, I love the weather just the way it is. That said, it's still San Francisco and thus unpredictable; we had a slight cold spell last week in which I had to break out my trench coat for the first time, and which also served as a reminder to me that I had to start working on the Fall Shopping Guide! So here we are.

One of the many fashion quirks of this city is that, perhaps because the weather is more or less constantly on the cool side, people wear boots year round. Like, I got here Labor Day Weekend (which was uncharacteristically hot) and women were wearing knee-high boots. As longtime Cheryl Shops readers know, I love me some boots (especially black ones) so this was welcome news to me, and perhaps an excuse to buy more! Something I've found my closet to be lacking is wedges; they're kind of perfect for SF in that they're more stable than stilettos but they still give you some height. Maybe they're not so practical for navigating the hills, but thankfully it's pretty flat where I live, so yay Lower Pac Heights!

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Like many fashion-industry folk, I worship at the altar of Isabel Marant, and if someone handed me $1500, I would gladly buy her Scarlet wedge boots. A more sophisticated evolution of her ripped-off-by-everyone wedge sneakers, the Scarlet combines leather, suede and haircalf in a sleek shape; they're still edgy but look a lot more expensive. (And they are.)


Slightly more palatable in price yet punkier in style are these Tabitha Simmons Harley boots, And while in the past I'd hesitate to wear wedge boots with skirts--they tend to have the unfortunate effect of making your legs look like Gumby's--these are unexpectedly streamlined and sculpted to flatter.


If you're more of an uptown girl (or, in my case, an Upper Pac Heights girl), Derek Lam's Marta boots may be the answer: The leather is more polished, the hardware is gold, and the double buckles are a bit more understated.


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These Josie Buckle Boots seem a bit more casual and edgy, with a hidden wedge that hearkens back to Marant's sneakers. (See how it all comes full circle?) Strategically placed buckles help shape the boot and avoid the dreaded blocky effect.


Along similar lines, these Jeffrey Campbell Willis Boots look like biker boots but have a hidden wedge for a stealth leg-lengthening effect. So these are perfect for vain people like me who refuse to wear flats ever. The toe is rounder and the buckles more basic than the rest of the styles here, but now that I'm a Californian, I feel like I need to represent the casual girls out there.


Back to chic, Alice & Olivia's Owen Wedge Boots take an even simpler approach to the buckled effect; I like the combination of skinny and thicker straps as well as the super-pointy toe. I saw these at Alice & Olivia's presentation last February, and believe me, they made quite the lasting impression.


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For the super minimalist, Steve Madden's Jossie boots have no buckles whatsoever, but the pointy toe and streamlined wedge shape remain. And considering the challenge of finding actual leather boots for under $150, I think these are a pretty solid find (with a very comfortable 2-3/4" heel).


For those totally on a budget, there are these Riawna boots from ShoeDazzle, currently available for the introductory price of $24.98 ($49.98 regularly). Yes, they are synthetic, and the hardware is a bit on the flashy side, but the shape is right and they do somehow still have a Marant-esque vibe.


But for the closest Marant experience--without the Marant sticker shock--I recommend Aldo's Jacelyn wedge boots, a point-for-point homage from the mix of materials to the adjustable buckles. Actually leather and a mere $140, they are the most obvious thing since beautiful, sunny weather in the mid-70s. The weather might not last that much longer, but I have a feeling I'll be wearing these boots for months, if not years, to come.

Well, kids, it's time for my last Fall Shopping Guide post of the season, and while it might not be the best, it's my favorite this season. Perhaps you've noticed that I haven't been showing many dresses this time; after so many years of dress domination, there were strong rumblings of this season being a Return of Pants. As a pants lover, I am excited about this. This post is actually about foulard prints—think silk pocket squares—and while they can be found on everything from coats to, yes, dresses, I think they look really cool on pants. But printed pants are not for everyone, so here are many ways to wear it.

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I remember the days when Miu Miu used to be the "affordable" younger sister to Prada (meaning I could afford it on double markdown at Saks). Now, of course, it's just as expensive. That said, I find it more accessible and approachable—it does still seem like a quirky-feminine sidekick to Prada's intellectual older sister. This jacquard coat, for example, is just fun.

This Barbara Bui jacket is a little more rock and roll—like if your grandpa's pocket square took acid and hung out on Carnaby Street. It's also not technically a scarf print (it's a jacquard, like the Miu Miu coat above), but close enough.

Also cheating the trend somewhat is this L'Agence scarf-print blouse—it's more Hermès scarf than Hermès tie, but I think the print is so pretty, I had to include it here. Plus, it's a great way to update your work wardrobe, whether you wear it under a suit or with jeans.

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Ok, onto the pants! These Joie Olaya silk pants are relaxed, which is necessary when wearing printed bottoms, but they're still thin enough so as not to look like pajama pants. The contrasting print along the outseam adds a nice elongating effect.

Even slimmer (and more luxe) are J.Crew's café capri pants, featuring an archive pattern from Italy's Ratti house (meaning they're authentic!). I like how the contrast print is around the ankle—combined with the cropped inseam, the better to draw attention to whatever fabulous pair of shoes you're wearing.

Okay, if you're still not convinced about pants, here's a great dress: the Sulgi from Dolce Vita. (Pants may be on the rise, but don't worry, dress lovers—they'll still be around.) It seems like something Alexa Chung would wear, doesn't it?

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Speaking of dresses, this foulard-print shirtdress from The Limited is on sale for $21, and if that's not a no-brainer, I don't know what is. It's a classic, work-friendly shape, but the contrast-print hem and slight  sheen keep things interesting.

At Zara, always an excellent source for trends, I saw a bunch of scarf prints last weekend. I'll spare you another pair of pants, however, and talk about this blouse instead, which is a great layering piece. The shape and the sheerness are a nice feminine contrast to the traditional pattern.

Ok, I lied: Here's another pair of pants, this time in a palazzo silhouette. And they're obviously a hit, as there's only one size left. The contrasting side print helps tame the shape a bit, but I'd also recommend wearing with something very tailored on top. Still, they're kind of irresistible, aren't they? I knew you'd come around...