Cheryl Shops

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.

I saved the best spring trend for last: shoes! More specifically, slingbacks, which I wouldn't normally qualify as a trend, but there are so many amazing ones out there right now, I had to feature them. The good news for my over-40 feet is that the best ones have low heels, many in that 1-1/2–2" sweet spot. The even better news is that there are slingbacks with all manner of fun colors and details. The best news? You can wear them right now.

This next trend is a bit kooky, but it's fun, and I think it transcends style—you can wear feathers in an edgy way or a feminine way, or in many ways in between. It's also a bit easier to find on the higher end (Net-a-Porter has a wealth of feather-trimmed stuff), but there are lots of affordable options out there too. Here are my favorite feather-trimmed pieces for spring 2019.

Now that it's officially spring, let's talk spring 2019 trends. Animal print was a big trend for fall, and it shows no signs of slowing down, but for spring, snakeskin prints are the most appealing for me, especially in lighter, more pale shades of blush, gray, and beige. It's a subtler, softer way to wear it, especially in warmer weather. Here are some of my faves.

Congratulations, you've made it to my last spring trend post of the season! I'm ending with bags, because while I love a good handbag, it's probably the last thing I think about when I'm getting dressed. But that's not to say it's the least important. In many cases, a bag is the first thing I notice on a person (particularly if the rest of their outfit is rather lackluster), and while I gravitate toward more minimal styles, this season's round bags tend to be both simple and striking at the same time. I already own two round bags but have my eye on all of these too.

I used to think that I hated pastels—I thought they were too juvenile and girly—and then millennial pink, my gateway drug to pastels, came along. I realized sky blue was pretty great too, and flattering at that. I tried a little mint green, and now even lavender is looking good to me. Long story short, these pale colors are soft, pretty, and great for warmer weather. I'm sorry I judged you so harshly, pastels!

As I'm writing this, I'm back home in Chicago visiting my parents, and it is hot and humid (and we don't have the air-conditioning on, but that's another story for another day). It's a stark contrast to the last time I was here, when it snowed (!), and everything is beautiful and blooming and oh my god, the pollen. Long story short, it's spring, and so onto our next trend, which is gingham. I feel like gingham had a brief moment in the early '90s when I was in high school; it's tricky to wear without feeling like you're in Green Acres, but the key is balancing the print with a more refined silhouette. Here are some of my favorite ways to wear it.

The sun is shining, the flowers are blooming, my allergies are going nuts, and thus I'm officially declaring May spring trend month here at Cheryl Shops. I'll be sharing what's on my shopping list for the season over the next few weeks, and first up is mustard yellow, which some people are calling the new millennial pink. That may be a bit of a stretch, as yellow tends to be a polarizing color, but I took this shade for a spin a few weeks ago and found it unexpectedly flattering. Here are some of my favorite takes on the trend.