Cheryl Shops

Monday is my birthday, I'm leaving for Europe Friday, the dollar is strong, and I am going to shop. I am only two months into my no-new-clothes resolution and, let me tell you, I have the biggest urge to spend. (I realize it sounds like I have an addiction, and I probably do, but I'm working on it, I promise.) In spite of my urges, I'm not going to go on a shopping bender; I'm going to do it responsibly! Here's what's on my tightly edited birthday wish list.

When I lived in parts of the country that got a proper winter, this is the time of the year that I usually couldn’t bear to look at my winter coat any more. Things aren’t that dire here, but I am starting to look forward to spring. That said, this is an outfit that could be worn any time of year in San Francisco. The coincidence is that it’s inspired by one of my style icons, Kate Moss, which was exactly who inspired this leopard-coat look that I posted around the same time last year. What is it about me, Kate Moss, and February? Let’s find out.

Mid-February is probably not the best time of year to be talking about cashmere sweaters—one, because you’re probably tired of yours by now and two, because whatever is left in stores by now (which might not be anything at all) is on major sale due to spring (hopefully) coming soon. But, after several months of reflection on the cashmere sweaters I bought this year, I thought I’d take this opportunity to review what I got from the three major direct-to-consumer cashmere brands. Here are my thoughts.

I just came back from an amazing weekend with friends in Healdsburg, which is a town in the northern part of Sonoma County. I love the whole vibe of that region—it’s a little more laid back and less touristy than Napa and Sonoma (the town), but it’s home to some of my favorite wineries and some amazing restaurants too. We rented a house just outside of town, along the Russian River, and it was so incredibly peaceful. I walked Zuni down to the river every morning, then we spent the afternoons enjoying the unseasonably warm and sunny weather, often with a glass of wine in hand. It was so relaxing and rejuvenating, I can’t wait to go back. But until then, here’s what I wore over the weekend.

Blazer. White tee. Jeans. Boots. There's just something about the classics, which explains why this pin of Leandra Medine was this month's most-pinned look from my Outfit ideas for ageless style Pinterest board. Granted, her blazer is vintage Chanel and the rest of her outfit is probably pretty fancy too, but thankfully it can be re-created for a song. Here's how to get her look.

This is the time of year when I start to feel really uninspired by my winter wardrobe and begin to yearn for the lightness of spring. It’s also when I’m tempted to buy new things, just because I’m starting to get sick of my sweaters and boots and coats. Of course, I resolved not to buy anything new in 2020 (and to be more conscious about the pre-owned things that I do buy), so I’ve had to challenge myself to wear what I already have in new ways. This outfit is the result of much experimentation. You’ve seen all of these pieces before, but definitely not put together in this way. This is a casual look for sure, but one that I was really happy with, and as much as I hate the term “shopping your closet,” it can yield some unexpectedly interesting combinations.

Earlier this week, I shared a Valentine’s Day look, but why stop there? Here are more Valentine’s Day outfit ideas, with the caveat that you don’t have to wear them in a romantic context. These are outfits I’ve worn in the last year that have made me feel confident and feminine, in an empowered way. They’d be great on date night, but they’d also work for a night out with friends. You do you, dear readers! Some thought starters…

Full disclosure: I’m planning on spending actual Valentine’s Day in a cabin in the mountains with my friends (and with my boyfriend). But I think a lot of you are looking for date-night looks, because my most-viewed post from last year was what to wear on Valentine’s Day. So in the interest of service journalism (not that this blog counts as actual journalism!), I thought I’d share another idea for this year. Plus, I’ve been featuring a lot of pants lately, so I thought a dress might shake things up a bit. Here’s what I’d wear if I were going somewhere fancy.

The last couple of years, I've focused on gifts that you and your significant other can enjoy together. It's a nice sentiment—and one still worth pursuing—but after texting with my girlfriends today, I decided we're all a bit starved for some self-care, and so this Valentine's Day, why not take an opportunity to practice some self-love? I mean of the treat-yourself variety; this is a shopping blog, of course. ;) Here are some of my favorite Valentine's Day gifts to give yourself (sharing always encouraged).

This is the outfit I meant to post last week, however the photos accidentally got deleted from the memory card, so we had to reshoot them. It seemed like a minor catastrophe at the time, but I think these turned out even better than the originals. Anyway, there’s no particular theme to this shoot, other than this has basically been my winter uniform so far: wool coat, cashmere sweater, jeans, and boots. I know I’ve been featuring a lot of jeans recently, but I promise I have some dresses coming up soon. In the meantime, here’s what I’ve been living in.

We were just in New York City in October, but when we got an invite to a dear friend's 40th birthday celebration (that just so happened to coincide with a holiday weekend), of course we couldn't say no to another trip. So we sent Zuni off to Petcamp, hopped on a 6 a.m. flight, and touched down at JFK just in time for the festivities. Here's how we spent three days in New York. 

I've been working on a sustainability campaign for my day job and it has really opened my eyes to all of the impact we, as humans, have on the environment. Coupled with the prediction that the world might more or less come to an end by 2050, I've been low-key freaking out about the future of our planet for the last couple months. Of course, one of the worst offenders is the fashion industry, which I unwittingly contribute to by convincing you to buy stuff. I will never stop using clothing as a means of self-expression, but I am seriously reconsidering my consumption habits and, to come clean, one of my resolutions is to not buy any new clothes in 2020. I am allowing myself to shop secondhand, and to accept gifts, but I am really, really trying not to buy anything new. As you can imagine, 16 days into the year, this is already a challenge for me, but I'm hopeful that it will get easier as the months go on. (And full disclosure: I'm granting myself an exception for my birthday and if I have any significant life changes worth celebrating.) That said, there are a lot of amazing sales happening right now, and if I can't shop them, maybe you can? Here's what I'd be buying if I hadn't made this @#$%! resolution.

There are quite a few things on my holy grail list, and a shearling aviator jacket is one of them. (In case you were wondering, an Hermès Kelly bag, a Max Mara camel coat, and Chanel ballet flats are also on it.) A shearling jacket does not come cheap, however, and so I have yet to buy the real thing, especially because I haven't been sure that I can actually pull one off. Am I too old? Too traditional? Too Californian? I decided to investigate with a faux version, which is less of a financial commitment and an item that can easily be donated to charity if it doesn't work out. Long story short, I love my faux shearling enough to wear it till it's threadbare. Here's how I styled it on its first outing. 

Winter truly brings out the casualness in me, and my go-to look most days consists of a sweater, jeans, and sneakers. So it's fitting that this month's most-pinned look from my Outfit Ideas for Ageless Style Pinterest board is just that. Granted, it's a very stylish take on the basics, but it's a totally easy look to re-create, so let's do it.

Back when I worked for Gap, our first fashion campaign of the year was always a neutral one. I think part of that strategy is that it’s in between seasons, so you don’t really need anything and aren’t looking to make a major statement, plus neutrals are a nice palate cleanser after all the rich colors and sparkle of the holidays. I also find myself gravitating more toward neutrals in general, although I do like a good strategically placed print or statement piece—and that’s what this look is, in a nutshell. You could wear it nearly any time of year (minus the heavier jacket) but the zebra print makes enough of a statement so that the outfit is memorable. Zebra will probably never replace leopard in everyone's hearts, but it's a fresh alternative. Here’s how to put it all together.

I wrote 2020 for the first time today and wow, was that weird—it truly is a new decade! That said, 2019 ended just a few days ago and I’m still in recap mode. So while my year in review post from Tuesday was all about me, this one is all about you: what you browsed, clicked on, and bought. I obviously love data, and analyzing it helps me deliver more content that you’ll (hopefully) enjoy. Plus, it’s fun to see what you got! So without further ado, here’s how you shopped in 2019.


OUTFIT DETAILS: Zara blazer | H&M tee (similar here) | Free People Normani skirt | Staud Bissett bag| Golden Goose Superstar sneakers

You know how all the best-of lists come out in mid-December? Those seemed to appear so quickly this year (I’m still blaming our late Thanksgiving), but I was really thrown by the plethora of end-of-the-decade stories. How did a whole decade just happen? It feels like 2010 was just yesterday, although, to be fair, a lot has happened in my life—and in the world—since then. That said, there’s a lot that I’m proud of having accomplished, especially in the last year. I love the optimism of starting a new year, but before I jump headfirst into 2020, let’s take a look back at 2019.

Did you leave your shopping till the very last minute? No judgment. And, really, the holiday shopping season was super short this year, so cut yourself some slack. Here are five super-last-minute gift ideas—one Amazon Prime-able, and the rest can be sent electronically. So finish that shopping, pour yourself a well-deserved drink, and relax.

I spent a lot of time recently—too much, perhaps—wondering if I could pull off leather jogger pants. I finally bit the bullet and ordered a pair. They were a fantastic deal, but they made my hips look ginormous (I think I ordered a size too big). Then I tried a pair that was too small, although I loved the cut. Finally, I think I found the pair that's just right. While I would have preferred a real leather pair, I settled for vegan leather; there are just more options out there, some of which are surprisingly priced at real-leather levels. I still am not 100% convinced that I can pull these off, but that's not going to stop me from continuing to try. Here's what I wore with my vegan leather jogger pants.

'Tis the season where we all get on a plane and fly home for the holidays, so we might as well look good while we travel, right? Back in the day, my mom got me all dressed up to fly (these were also the days when you could smoke on an airplane, so clearly we're going waaaaay back); nowadays, you see people wearing everything from flip-flops to pajamas on a plane, and while comfort is definitely key, there's a way to look polished without looking like you rolled straight out of bed. As someone who travels pretty frequently, I have my plane outfit down to a formula. Here's what I almost always wear when I travel.