I read a recent theory that we're conditioned as children to "love" summer because of the three-month break we get from school; in actuality, it's hot and miserable, so what is there really to love? For one, I enjoy that it's still light after 8pm. But more importantly, summer is dress season. I tend to wear one nearly every day—nothing is easier, more comfortable (and breathable), or cuter in warm weather—and I always scoop up several new ones at the start of the season, because, hey, my name is Cheryl Shops. So on that note, here are my favorite dresses for summer 2021.
I didn't do a trend report this season for multiple reasons. For one, I didn't feel like (or have the need to go) shopping for new things this spring, because I've been staying at home since mid-March. For another, I'm trying to buy less, so following trends kind of seems like a recipe for disaster. That said, I have been shopping a bit, and now that it's finally summer and I am starting to venture out into the world, I've had one thing on my mind, and that's dresses. I will probably never tire of buying summer dresses—they look great, they're comfortable (even more so than sweats, I believe!), and they're just so effortless. There are some trends emerging this year, and basically, the key look is a boho prairie thing, with puffy sleeves, a voluminous tiered shape, and a ditsy floral print here and there. You can often find more than one of those elements in a single dress, if you want to get even more bang for your buck. So without further ado, my top summer dress picks are below, plus I'm trying new widgets that let you shop even more of my favorite styles—let me know what you think!
Smocked
The square-neck, smocked-bust trend has been happening since last year, and this year there are even more great options: with or without sleeves, printed or solid, mini or maxi. I love this style because it flexes for all bust sizes, and empire waists can accommodate a food baby (or a real one).
It's hard to call wrap dresses a trend because they've been around forever, but this season's wraps tend to be longer and more drapey, and pretty much feel like glorified bathrobes, which I'm totally okay with. This is also a great silhouette to combine with puff sleeves and/or ditsy prints.
Sometimes actual puffs, other times more like giant balloons, this season's sleeves are all about the volume, which is awesome if, like me, you have a little arm dingle-dangle that you prefer to keep covered. Plus, lengths can vary from full to short, accommodating a range of summer weather.
Of all the summer trends, this can be one of the trickier ones to wear, because it can look juvenile if the style of the dress is too precious. So stay away from too many ruffles or cutesy details for this one and look for more chic, streamlined shapes—it's all about contrast.
The tiered babydoll kick started last summer—when I was in Scandinavia in July, it's what all the women were wearing—and it's still going strong this year. This can also be a tricky one to wear; I've found that sizing down tends to help tame the volume.
Okay, white dresses aren't exactly a trend either—I tend to buy a new one every year—but they're a great way to incorporate more than one of the above elements. For example, this LPA dress has puffy sleeves, smocking, and tiers.
Based on how things are going in most of the country, I'm assuming that many of you are going back to your office soon, if you haven't already. I am a bit jealous—I'll be working from home until Labor Day, if not longer, and while I don't miss commuting every day, I miss the camaraderie of being in a workplace, plus all of the "let's go grab a coffee" or "let's meet up for a drink after work" normalcy. I also miss the temperature control of an office building; while air conditioning can be a bit much, it does wonders for one's seasonal allergies, as I'm now discovering after months of at-home watery eyes and sneezing. Anyway, for those of you dealing with the 90-degrees-outside-to-68-degrees-inside daily transition, here's my take on how to wear a summer dress to work.
The last week has been a little heavy; as I write this, helicopters are circling my neighborhood, thousands of protesters are likely spending the night in jail, and the world feels even more unsteady than it has the last few months. I will always argue with people who call fashion frivolous, but writing about it does feel a little off right now. That said, life is beautiful and everyone deserves to enjoy it. I was reminded of this today when I ate lunch in a real restaurant (!!!) and looked around to see so many families and friends reconnecting with each other after months in isolation. We have more in common than we realize, and we have to fight for each other. So I'm opening my eyes and ears to the experiences of people of color, opening my heart to their struggles, and opening my mouth to fight institutionalized racism on their behalf. To start, I highly recommend reading this op-ed from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Next, here's a list of things you can do to help the Black Lives Matter cause. And finally, I know you probably didn't come here for Woke Cheryl, but thank you for taking the time to read this. If you can change one mind, you can change the world.
First of all, apologies for the flakiness of my posts lately. I started a new job about a month ago (that I love!) and I don't have as much time to work on the blog as I used to. I was also traveling to a wedding last weekend, and this week was a holiday week. I'm also guessing that not many of you will be reading this post at 5pm on a Friday night, but hopefully you'll see it sooner or later! Since last year's summer dresses under $100 post was so popular, I thought I'd bring it back with a fresh batch of bright, fun, colorful dresses. Here are some of my favorites this season.
We are nearing the end of Dress Month here at Cheryl Shops—how is it almost August already?!—but I've saved one of my favorite posts for last. Here are eight essential dresses every woman should have in her wardrobe. You've seen me wear all of these silhouettes—I hate to make blanket statments like this, but they are truly universally flattering on a range of body types. The best part? All the styles below are all under $100. (You're welcome.)
Every summer, there's a trending dress silhouette that I absolutely must have, and this year it's the button-front dress. It's not a shirtdress—there's no collar involved, and this style is definitely more feminine by design. It can be belted or not, with a defined waist or not, and with sleeves or without. In other words, there's pretty much something for everyone, which is why I find the button-front dress so appealing (and why I decided to feature it here). The best part: all of the dresses below are under $150, with half under $100. That way you can get more than one!
