Cheryl Shops

Whoa, how is it June already?! This year is flying by, which I guess is a good thing—I feel like every day, week, and month, we get closer to normal life again. Case in point: We stayed in a hotel for the first time in over a year last weekend. We spent the long weekend in Calistoga, which is a town in northern Napa County—I'll share more details about that trip in next week's post—and aside from a few moments of mask-wearing, hand-sanitizing, and wavier-signing, it felt pretty much like a normal getaway. It also finally feels like summer, at least in Napa, so finally the weather is cooperating with my strong desire to wear a sundress. I've been on a dress binge lately, and while I love everything I've bought so far this year (don't worry, they'll all be making an appearance here soon enough), this Ganni dress is my favorite. Here's how I wore it in wine country.

As I mentioned in last week's post, San Francisco is in lockdown 2.0, but Napa County isn't yet, so we headed up there on Saturday to pick up wine and enjoy one last meal in a restaurant before the holidays. Things have only been shut down for a week in the city, but it felt glorious to be outdoors in the sunshine, sipping wine and savoring the finer things. Winter tends to be when we get our only rain of the year here in the Bay Area, but if you play your cards right, you can get a gloriously clear, sunny day. It can definitely be on the chillier side, but with some careful layering, you can enjoy a full day of outdoor wine tasting. Here's what to wear in Napa in winter. 

It's been cold in San Francisco. Really cold. Like, record-breaking, close-to-freezing cold. I know those of you who don't live in California may be playing the world's tiniest violin right now, but considering we're used to pretty consistent temperatures that take a slight dip in the winter, the weather lately has been a bit alarming. Case in point: it's usually about 10 degrees warmer in Napa than in the city (and even more in the summer), so I when I left my house last weekend in a thick, long sweater and scarf, I thought I'd be nice and cozy up in wine country. And while it was rather sunny—the weird thing about California is that the skies are oddly crystal clear when it's this cold—it was windy, and I spent most of the day wrapped in blankets, fighting off the chill. So before I get into my outfit, I should add a disclaimer that if you are going to Napa in the winter, you should add a warm coat to a look like this. But if the weather were totally ideal...

We have now come to that time of year I like to call "elastic waistband time." I got a head start with my vacation a few weeks ago (a week of sitting around on the beach, drinking mai-tais, and eating everything within reach), then stepped up the gluttony last week with a work Thanksgiving celebration, a work off-site, and a dear friend's birthday dinner. This week, I have a road trip to L.A., two Thanskgivings, and part 2 of my boyfriend's birthday celebration. The struggle is real. Now, I'm all for body positivity and acceptance and all of that. You should love yourself, just as you are. But sometimes it's hard to feel good when you feel like a beached whale.  So this week's post is dedicated to an outfit that discretely camouflages holiday weight gain—think of it as FaceTune for your body.



First, you need a full-length duster cardigan. Not only is it a great layering piece for cooler weather, but it's basically like wearing a bathrobe. Most importantly, the length creates a longer line for your body—an optical illusion of sorts. It also skims the hips, bum, and thighs, which is a plus if your poundage tends to gather there. You'll want to look for a lighter-weight knit—a chunky one will just exacerbate the problem.

Next, you'll need a top with a strong vertical line. I think button-down shirts are always a good choice—they're classic and adjustable, and pretty much flattering any way you wear them. This is the shirt I bought on my last Madewell shopping trip (see, I promised I'd feature it in an outfit post!), and a lighter color is key here, because it helps draw the eye up (i.e. look at my face, not at my gut).



Also from Madewell: these high-rise skinny jeans, which sound like something you don't want to wear when you're carrying a little extra poundage, but trust me, these jeans are amazing. The higher rise helps hold you in, and they have magic pockets with extra hidden stretchiness. I know a bunch of women with totally different body types and they look amazing on all of them.


When it comes to shoes, now is not the time to go crazy. Pairing black ankle boots with black ankle-length jeans keeps the elongating effect going. I've had these Acne Pistol boots for ages—and it shows, I know—but they are pretty much perfect in every way. The toe is not too round, the heel is not too high, and you can wear them with so much. They are well worth the investment (I've had these resoled twice), and you can expect to see them a lot more around here.


Have you ever noticed when the stars of your favorite TV shows are pregnant, they tend to hide behind big handbags? Same thing here...except I'm just pregnant with a food baby. And thus this tote (last seen here) is practical on many levels.



Of course, the most important accessory during elastic waistband time is a glass of good wine. I know, that seems contradictory, but a glass of red wine has antioxidants, calms the nerves, and is a mere 80 calories. You've earned it, so enjoy it. And if I may make a recommendation, I suggest ordering the merlot, zinfandel, or sauvignon blanc from Frog's Leap in Napa—it's where these photos were taken, and it's one of my absolute favorite places, especially for Sunday Wine Church. Amen.



OUTFIT DETAILS: Zara duster cardigan (similar here or here) || Madewell chambray Ex-Boyfriend shirt || Madewell high-rise skinny jeans || Acne Pistol boots || Vanessa Bruno tote || Stella & Dot leopard scarf (similar here) || YHF Los Angeles Cashton sunglasses

One of my favorite things about San Francisco is that you can get out of it quickly. After living in New York for years—where trains, buses, and even boats were required to take you mere miles away—I love that you can drive for 30 minutes and be in a completely different climate, which is pretty much necessary in August, when the city is constantly blanketed in fog (we call it Fogust). If you follow me on Instagram (and you should!) you know that I make frequent weekend trips to wine country; in less than an hour, I can be outside in the sun with a glass of rosé in my hand, and that is just perfection.

Over my four (!!!) years living here, I've gotten my wine country outfit down to a science. It involves the following:
1. A cute dress
2. A light jacket or sweater to keep you warm on the drive out of the city
3. A hat and sunglasses (must shield one's pale office-dwelling skin from the sun)
4. Low-heeled sandals for rocky and/or hilly terrain; bonus if they slip off for picnics


I'm wearing several of my favorite pieces of the moment. This sweater (sadly sold out!) is from Modern Citizen—a store so great, keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming post on them—and I've been wearing it nonstop. I love this dress because you can eat (or drink) as much as you want, and it's loose enough that you can't tell; it also has a really flattering hemline that's lower in back and not scandalously short in front.


As for the bag, I impulse-bought it a few weeks ago, and I don't think I've ever received more compliments on a purse, especially from men. It's really lightweight; I got the small size because the large felt a bit too large, like I was carrying a picnic basket.


Nearly every design magazine has covered them recently, but Scribe is the first winery I joined as a member, and I hate to refer anyone else there since it's always a madhouse, but it's one of the most magical places in Sonoma (it's where I conceived #sundaywinechurch) and their wines are delicious. I also recommend Larson Family Winery—it's a completely different experience, but their wines are tasty and reasonable, everyone who works there is incredibly friendly, and it's a great place to hang out for a few hours or all day.


OUTFIT DETAILS: Sole Society Panama Hat || Modern Citizen Ofelia sweater (sold out, sadly!) || Topshop T-shirt dress || Cult Gaia Ark bag || Raen Durante sunglasses || Madewell Greer sandals (sold out; similar here) || Rachel Zoe tassel bracelet (similar here) || Hermes Clic H bracelet || HappyWay Jewelry X-ring



Right down the road from Scribe is Domaine Carneros, which is where I like to go when I want to feel fancy. A wise woman taught me, too, that a proper way to start a day in wine country is with bubbles. Also, I'd like to note that temperatures in Napa reached 107 degrees on the day these photos were taken; I was wearing a denim jacket that I shed by 10 a.m. because it was already that hot (and yes, we like to start drinking that early). And when it's hot, we drink rosé.



This dress, sadly, is from last year. I bought it in Nice, France, from the most typically chic French woman you can imagine. It's incredibly lightweight and comfy, but chic too, and I always feel like I'm on vacation when I wear it.



There are a gazillion amazing restaurants in Napa, but our latest find is The Charter Oak, which had catered the fancy party I was at last weekend. It's by the same team behind The Restaurant at Meadowood, which has three Michelin stars (and like five dollar signs), but it's much more casual and the perfect stopping point for a midday refueling. Also, it has this very Instagram-friendly spiral staircase.


OUTFIT DETAILS: Etoile Isabel Marant dress (similar here)  || Raen Durante sunglasses || Cult Gaia Ark bag || Minnetonka Savona Sandals || Rachel Zoe tassel bracelet (similar here) || Hermes Clic H bracelet || Stella & Dot arc pendant, Signet ring || Chanel scarf (similar here)