Cheryl Shops

A few weeks ago, I did a post on button-front midi dresses, and while I'm still searching for the perfect one, I did manage to find a button-front mini dress after seeing it on another blogger (see, bloggers are just like you—we shop on Instagram too!). I've worn it a bunch of times already in actual summer weather, but this was my first time wearing it in the city which, as I mentioned last week, is not really "summer," hence my jacket. But, I'm still keeping things summer-ish with accessories, and the best part? Nearly everything I'm wearing is under $100!

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.)

Perhaps you've heard this famous quote that's often attributed to Mark Twain: "The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco." Mark Twain didn't actually say that, and it's an exaggeration, of course—I can assure you, winter in Chicago is much, much colder than summer in San Francisco—but the fact that it's often cold and foggy in the morning (and in the late afternoon) really throws people off. One minute it's pleasant and sunny; the next minute, you're buying an I ❤️ SF sweatshirt from a street vendor because you literally can't feel your extremities. Such is the challenge of dressing for a San Francisco summer, and it all goes back to my golden rule: always carry a light jacket.

There are many amazing things that happen in July: Independence Day, Bastille Day...and the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, or, as I like to call it, Christmas in July. Most of the bloggers you follow are probably losing their minds over it, and that's because it's one of the only sales in which seasonal product gets marked down at the beginning of the season, rather than at the end. In other words, it's the perfect opportunity to score fall staples like coats, boots, and jeans at sale prices. If you are a Nordstrom cardmember, you get to shop the sale starting Thursday, July 12; otherwise, it opens to the public on the 20th. Here are my top 10 sale picks, and keep scrolling all the way to the end for your chance to win a $500 Nordstrom gift card! Let's do this!

It's high summer—and still Dress Month here at Cheryl Shops—so what better thing to wear than a little white dress? This highly-pinned look from my Outfit Ideas for Ageless Style Pinterest board revolves around a white eyelet dress that looks so fresh and cool to me, I can see why it's been so popular. So without further ado, let's put it together.

And what is a peasant dress, exactly? Good question. They're usually inspired by traditional, folkloric dresses, and have embroidery, tassels, and/or full sleeves. They're very boho in feel, and thus perfect for summer, especially when they're made in more lightweight fabrics like cotton and linen. One of my go-to brands for a boho, summery look is Loveshackfancy—I really love how they modernize these summer staples (they make a good little white dress too). They made this dress, which I bought  many months ago and which has appeared several times on my Instagram, but never here. Seeing as how it's Dress Month here at Cheryl Shops, I thought it was finally time to give it a proper outfit post.

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!

In most of the country, it's hotter than, well, July right now, and while it's a not-so-balmy 59 degrees in San Francisco today, I do remember what it's like to live in a climate that's so hot, all you can think of doing is jumping into a pool of ice water, or a meat locker, or a cryogenic tank. I also know that when it's that hot, the best thing to wear is a dress, preferably something lightweight enough so that if there is actually a breeze, it might circulate to your skin. So in honor of those of you suffering from Actual Summer, I'm officially declaring July Dress Month here at Cheryl Shops. There will be dress outfits, dress shopping guides, and simply so many dresses, you will be begging me for pants by August. But in the meantime, here's a dress!

Lately, the most saved looks on my Outfit Ideas for Ageless Style Pinterest board have been dresses, so I was somewhat surprised to see that this week's most popular look involves pants. That said, it's one of my favorites thus far, and it's totally perfect for summer—it's chic, it's timeless, it's neutral, and it's minimalist. Putting it together was oddly a bit of a challenge, but I'm really happy with how it turned out. Let's break it down.

I don't know what it is about warm weather that possesses me to ditch my usual polished, tailored pieces for a more boho look, but as soon as summer comes around, I'm all about embroidery, tassels, and drawstrings. Much like my vacation alter ego, it's my summer alter ego—she has the same taste in clothing. This alter ego especially loves peasant tops, and considering summer in San Francisco has a very small window, I end up wearing them as much as I can in a very short period of time. Of course, while there's something youthful and carefree about a peasant top, you don't want to look like you're trying too hard to be young and carefree. It's all about a mix of casual and classic.

Remember the scene in Father of the Bride where the fiancé buys Annie a blender and she freaks out? That's not quite what happened with me, but my boyfriend did buy me a Dyson hair dryer for my birthday a few months ago. Once I got over my initial shock (I thought he was getting me a dog, maybe) and overthink (Does he think my hair looks bad? Has our relationship lost all of its romance and now we just buy each other appliances?), I realized what a thoughtful and generous gift it was. I had this dryer on my wish list at Sephora for awhile, and I openly debated buying it last fall during the VIB 20% off period, but ultimately decided that $400 for a hair dryer was too indulgent. Which is why it was the perfect thing to receive as a gift—it was something I truly wanted but couldn't justify buying for myself. After three months of using it, here's how I feel about it.

This post could also be titled What NOT to wear in Pebble Beach, because—full disclosure—it was FREEZING when we took these photos, but such is life in Northern California in June. To back up a bit, I spent an awesome weekend at an AirBnB in Pebble Beach with a bunch of friends, and if you've never been there, it's one of the most beautiful places in California. (I know I say that about every place I go in California, but there's something really magical and special about Pebble Beach.) The trees are draped with this mystical-looking moss, the beaches have blindingly white sand, and the coastline can be rocky and rugged in some places, soft and lush in others. The challenge is that the weather can be all over the place—50 degrees and foggy one day, 75 and sunny the next. So the key to dressing for Pebble Beach weather can be summarized in one word: layers.

It's been a minute since I've done a Get the Look post, and I'm glad I took a little break, because now the most-saved looks from my Outfit Ideas for Ageless Style board on Pinterest are totally summer-focused. It's a lot of pretty summer dresses and strappy sandals, and who doesn't love that stuff? This week's most-repinned look has both of those things, plus a very of-the-moment round bag. It's getting hot outside, so let's get to it!

You probably know how to dress up a little black dress: slip into some heels, grab a clutch, throw on a sparkly necklace, and call it a day (or night, as it were). Dressing one down is a bit more of a challenge—after all, there's something inherently dressy about an LBD. I love to wear one on the weekend though, because I feel somewhat pulled together but also comfy. It's all about the push-pull between fancy and casual, and it's a little unexpected too. But in all honesty, I just wanted to build an outfit around my new shoes (more on those later).

If you don't live in Northern California, chances are you haven't heard of Mendocino. It's tiny—population 894—on the coast, and a three-hour drive from San Francisco. But this adorable little town is also an artists' colony, and has some of the most spectacular views along the west coast. There are also quite a few small inns and B&Bs, so it's a great place for a long-weekend getaway. The whole vibe feels very New England, and my boyfriend and I remarked that we felt like we were in an episode of Murder She Wrote all weekend—turns out, a bunch of episodes were actually filmed there! Thankfully, however, no actual murders took place during our trip.

In my professional career, I've written a lot of "the little white dress is the summer version of the little black dress" copy. It's cliché, but it's true: the LWD is just a classic. Plus, the lighter color keeps you cooler when things start to heat up. So I'm kicking off summer with one of my personal favorite dresses—it's white, it's lacy, and it's the type of thing you want to live in all season long. Because, let's face it, it's too hot to wear pants.

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.

Better late than never, but hello, and welcome back from the long weekend! As you'll see in these photos, I spent Memorial Day weekend in Mendocino, which is this charming seaside town three hours north of San Francisco. I had three joyous days of sunshine, fresh air, good food (and wine, of course), and overall relaxation, and now that the weather has actually gotten the memo that it's spring, I almost feel like a new person. So, ironically, I'm wearing almost all old things in this outfit.

Wrap dresses are one of those classic silhouettes that's always around, but they're definitely having a moment this year. I've spotted lots on my fellow bloggers and in stores lately, but I was most excited to see one of my favorite brands, Everlane, introduce a series of four wrap styles in their Go Weave fabric. I was so excited, I actually entered a contest on their Instagram to shop a private event in their San Francisco store last Friday—and I won! So I dragged my boyfriend (who, to be fair, managed to do some shopping of his own) out to the store, and in the name of journalism, I tried on all of the styles to find just the right one. This was the winner.

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!

What's the first thing you pick out when you're getting dressed in the morning? Sometimes I start with the top, sometimes with the bottom, but most frequently, I start with my shoes. I am a Shoe Person, as you dear readers likely know by now, so much so that I often plan my outfits around my shoes. That was definitely the case with this look. The shoes are so bright and vivid that building an outfit around them was a challenge, but one that I was willing to take.

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.

There are a handful of stores where I will pay full-price for an item, and COS is one of them. I've already shared my appreciation for the Swedish chain in this post, but to reiterate, I love their clothes so much, I often see something and need it immediately. That was the case with the two-tone cardigan I'm wearing in this post—I saw it featured in an email of theirs, I clicked to the site, and purchased it, all in a matter of about 30 seconds. Coincidentally, it's pastel, which is a big trend for spring and, with the exception of pale pink, a category of color that I usually stay away from. Styling it was a bit of a challenge, but one that I was up for. Here's how it all came together.

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.

Some people are denim people, some people are black pants people, and some people are dress people. I'm none of those—I'm a skirt person! I have long legs and a freakishly short torso, so skirts work well for me because I can adjust the proportions to work with my body. And while I love skirts of all lengths, minis are my favorite because they highlight my best asset, my legs. As Diahann Carroll famously said, the legs are the last to go, so I will continue wearing my skirts until, well, they go. Of course, there is an art to wearing a mini when you're a woman of a certain age.

I am a huge fan of maxi dresses (then again, who isn't?), so I was excited to see that this street-style look was the most-pinned last week on my Outfit Ideas for Ageless Style Pinterest board. While the colors are almost autumnal, I've been seeing a lot of small-scale red prints trending lately, so it all makes sense. Plus, a long-sleeved maxi is a great spring transitional piece. Let's break it down. 

You may have noticed that in spite of this post being titled "how to wear all white," I am not, in fact, wearing all white. I had planned my outfit that way, but as we went outside to shoot it, the wind kicked up and the temperature dropped quite a bit.  While I will suffer a little for fashion, I won't suffer a lot, so I added a denim jacket to the look (I did manage to remove it for a few shots, but more on that later). Which brings me to my California rule: always carry a lightweight jacket with you. You never know when you're going to need it—even in Southern California!

It seems like everyone else in the country is going through the same thing: the weather is glorious and warm one day, bone-chillingly cold and dreary the next. I am so tired of my winter clothes, however, that I recently went on a major spring shopping binge and I'm too impatient to wait for the weather to warm up! So I've teamed up with one of my favorite bloggers to show you how we're wearing spring textures now—even if the weather isn't cooperating.

I just spent an entire weekend with my mom, and it's not like I didn't know this before, but the woman is truly amazing. It's hard to give someone so important a gift that shows how much he or she means to you, but hopefully a well-thought-out present at least shows how much you care. And since Mother's Day is May 13th, I wanted to give you ample time to get your mom something she deserves.

It may still be raining (and even snowing) in most of the country, but everyone is clearly thinking spring, because this week's most-pinned image from my Outfit ideas for ageless style Pinterest board is totally transition-friendly. And I am not mad at that. It's a super cute wear-now, wear-later look—so let's re-create it!

Word on the street is that mustard yellow is the new millennial pink. I don't know if I totally agree with that—yellow can be a polarizing color, and it's one that can be tricky to get right, plus it might just be a fleeting trend rather than a generational thing. So in the name of investigative journalism, I decided to give it a try.

I'm a firm believer in always trying new things. You could hate it, and that's ok—you never have to do it again—or you could totally love it and discover something new that you really enjoy. That is my two-part introduction to this week's bonus second outfit post. First, the outfit revolves around this floral-print skirt. I am not a floral person at all, but the second I saw this skirt, I knew I had to try it. I'm glad I did, because it's my new favorite skirt! The second part of this equation is that this is my first-ever linkup with the fabulous Jennie from A Pocketful of Polka Dots, but more on that later. Let's get back to that skirt...

Hi, my name is Cheryl, and I'm a white top addict. Every spring and summer, I buy at least two or three of them. They are all a little different—crocheted, embroidered, eyelet, voile, gauze—and thus all totally necessary in my mind. In my defense, I wear them nonstop in the warmer months; I think they're more interesting than basic tees, and they keep me slightly warmer in the Northern California weather. But to me, they're special summer snowflakes—no two are alike, and so my addiction persists. This year's collection is off to a great start, and since the weather in Napa was delightful last weekend (I stayed in Calistoga for Easter), I was excited to break out my newest purchase.

It's been a minute since I've done a Get the Look post, and I'm happy to report that spring is in full swing—on my Outfits for Ageless Style Pinterest board at least—because this week's most-repinned look is perfect for transitional weather. (And there's no winter coat in sight!) I have a feeling the headless lady in this photo is Sincerely Jules, one of my favorite bloggers, so let's channel her for this casual but classic look.

Real talk: I gained five pounds on my various vacations of the last two months, and I'm having a rather hard time losing it. (Welcome to your 40s, Cheryl!) I know I am not alone in struggling with my weight, especially at this age, so hopefully this post will come in handy. While I would prefer to lose said weight, I refuse to fat-shame myself, and I'm trying to be as patient with myself as possible (and not beat myself up for, say, having more than one glass of wine or more than a few bites of chocolate). In the meantime, I'm wearing some of my more forgiving outfits, because being uncomfortable—and thinking you look like crap—isn't going to help anyone's confidence. Here's my new favorite way to dress in a body-positive way.

After five glorious days in Moorea, we set off for Bora Bora. As I mentioned in the previous post, Bora Bora was the intended destination for this trip, and while I had a blast with my friends in Moorea, I was really looking forward to three days of chill-out time in paradise. Unlike with Moorea, I had done very little research for Bora Bora, which ended up being a good thing. And while I had seen countless photos of this little island, I had no idea how special and beautiful beyond words it would actually be.

Saturday was our anniversary, so we decided to take a trip down memory lane to the site of our first date, a cozy little wine bar in Hayes Valley called Hotel Biron. We'd both had first dates there before, but thankfully none as good as the one we had with each other—neither of us had been back since! But given that this was our anniversary, I wanted to wear something feminine and special, however it's been raining for the last week in San Francisco, so the weather was not on my side. Also, to be honest, I really wanted to wear my new shoes, and they look better with pants, but more on those later. So while my instinctual anniversary outfit would have been a dress that showed a little leg, I decided to take a risk and wear trousers. Offset with a bit of cleavage, of course—this was a major date night, after all. ;)

I don't know exactly when, but several years ago, I decided that I needed to do something big for my 40th birthday, and that something was a trip to Bora Bora, which I'd always wanted to visit. Really, I just wanted to stay in one of those overwater bungalows and wake up every morning and jump right into that warm, aquamarine water. For years, I'd invite everyone who showed even the slightest amount of interst on my trip (which I referred to as #BoraBora2018), so when it came time to actually plan it, I think 20 or 30 people were initially on the invite. Of course, not everyone could make it—we ended up with eight people, which was the perfect number—and after some research, I discovered Bora Bora was rather expensive and I felt uncomfortable asking everybody to spend that much money to celebrate my birthday, so we made some slight modifications to the plan, electing to spend a week all together in Moorea, another island in French Polynesia (my boyfriend and I then went on to Bora Bora, just the two of us, but more on that later). The trip was everything I had hoped for and more. Here's everything we did, saw, ate, and more.

That may have been the most humble-braggy (or just braggy) blog title I've written to date, but I went to Bora Bora last week for my 40th birthday, and I'm just going to own it. The trip was years in the making, and I can't wait to show and tell you all about it in my very first travel diary post, coming later this week. But in the meantime, this very special outfit post is coming to you from the St. Regis Bora Bora, where we spent four way-too-short days in paradise. My daytime uniform was bikinis, sunglasses, and flip-flops, but by night, I was all about a simple sundress and barely-there sandals.

Last month, I was out with friends who I hadn't seen in awhile and one asked me how blogging was going. I said great and that I love creating Cheryl Shops, so I hope you, dear reader, enjoy perusing it. She then asked me if brands are sending me clothes to wear. My answer was not yet—but if you're a brand and you're reading this and would like to work with me, please check out my Contact page! Anyway, since nearly everything I wear here is something I've bought for myself, I wanted to create an outfit post featuring pieces that I've already worn in other posts. I was so happy with the result, I wore it to the San Francisco Ballet a few weeks ago. Here's how it all came together.

Of all the things I've been blessed with in life, thick hair has not been one of them. This includes my eyelashes. I've tried every mascara and lash serum (I have a favorite, but more on that later) and while I've had some success, nothing ever gives me the lashes I want—think Audrey Hepburn, not Kim Kardashian. I've even tried false lashes, both the strip and cluster kind, and I am completely inept that those. So for my upcoming birthday, I decided to treat myself to a set of lash extensions. I was a little apprehensive—I've heard the lashes start falling out right away, and I was slightly worried I'd come out looking like, well, a Kardashian—but I decided to take a chance, and I'm so happy I did.

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...

I've been a fan of her style for years, so I was delighted to see that this week's most-saved look on my Outfit ideas for ageless style Pinterest board was a photo of Sienna Miller strolling down the street and looking chic as always. And thus we have a very special celebrity edition of get the look, this time called get her look! 

When I'm in the city, which is most of the time, I stick to blazers, tees, jeans...most of what you see here on my outfit posts. It's a uniform of sorts, and it works. When I'm on vacation, however, I go full-on boho: embroidery, tassels, fringe...the whole nine yards. I have a bunch of hippie tops and dresses, and they linger in my closet for most of the year, except when I'm vacation, when I break them out like European trust-fund brat on a yacht in Ibiza. I love my vacation alter ego (she also lets her hair go au naturel, i.e. curly) because it's fun to play around with a totally different style of dressing than what I'm used to.

I am a big weirdo, because I don't like to get my nails done. There are a few exceptions—Ten Over Ten in NYC being one of them—but I tend to feel incredibly awkward, I'm not sure if I'm supposed to make conversation, and I am really OCD about the disinfection of tools (here's a story that will scare the crap out of you). Most importantly, I think I do a better job on my own nails—I file them in the exact shape I want, and if I get a chip, I can fix it easily myself. And, to point out the obvious, it saves a lot of money! But because I do my nails myself, I've never had a gel manicure (and also, to be honest, they seem a little scary and potentially toxic to me). I know there are at-home kits you can invest in, but still, that seems like too much work. But one day I decided to buy a bottle of Essie Gel Couture polish and my nails have never been the same since.

As I mentioned back in December, I've been looking for a leopard-print coat for what feels like forever, and this is a problem of my own making, because I'm very, very picky about my leopard prints. I also didn't want a faux-fur coat (I already have one, and it's rarely cold enough in California to warrant it), which really narrows one's options. I'd had my eye on a particular Ganni coat as a contender, and when it went on sale at Net-a-Porter, I jumped on it. And I'm so glad I did, because I've been wearing it pretty much nonstop. For those of you who don't believe leopard is a neutral, I'm going to try my best to convince you.

I know the rest of the country is getting snow dumped on them at the moment, but it's been 70 and sunny for the last week in Northern California, and all of a sudden, spring is here. So it feels a little weird to still be posting winter looks, but then again, this cozy-looking outfit was my most-repinned style of the last few weeks on my outfit ideas for ageless style Pinterest board, so here we are.  And it is a great look—it reminds me of a butterscotch sundae, which is a compliment, because butterscotch is delicious. Let's call this one winter's just desserts.

This is the time of year when my Instagram feed gets flooded with red and pink dresses for Valentine's Day. Now, I am all about red dresses—and so are men, if that's who you're really dressing for—but they just seem a bit obvious to me. And can you imagine walking into a restaurant on Valentine's Day (that is, if you choose not to follow my hygge plan!) and every woman is wearing a red dress? That would be just a bit awkward. So for those of you who wish to move to the beat of your own drummer, here's my take on sexy dressing for Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day gifts have always been a little weird and unnecessary to me, unless you want to get me a Chanel bag, in which case, I prefer the medium lambskin in black with gold hardware. Anyhoo, I like the spirit of Valentine's Day, in that you should spend some quality time with your sweetie, but the "holiday" can also be awkward, especially when you're seated next to a couple that fights or barely talks throughout a three-course dinner. I also hate being forced to have an overpriced three-course meal with bad service, so I tend to stay home for Valentine's Day. Thus, in the spirit of Hygge, here are some gifts that the two of you can enjoy together...at home.