Cheryl Shops

While the origin of the statement stripe sweater (say that 10 times really fast) is unclear, there are a gazillion takes on the trend this season, and I'm here for all of them. Some are more subtle than others, but if you're like me and find yourself starved for color in the winter, this is a pretty easy solution. From skinny rainbow stripes to a more bold, wide, colorblocking, there's something out there for everyone. (There are also softer, more neutral versions, but meh, this is all about bright color.) Here are my favorite statement stripe sweaters for fall.

This post could also be titled "how to wear a sundress in fall." As I've noted in the last few posts, fall in the Bay Area is one of the most beautiful, temperate times of year, and most visitors are surprised by how warm it is. Wine country—Sonoma and Napa counties especially—tends to be much warmer in the summer, but by fall, it's just right, with highs in the upper 70s. It's the perfect weather for a sundress...but as with weather year-round in the Bay Area, layers are key. I recently went up to Sonoma and Napa for the day, and here's what I wore.

I know what you're thinking: enough with the leopard print. I've worn a skirt, a dress, and a coat here this year (not to mention a belt), and while it's true that leopard is a major trend this season, to me, it's a classic. It's my second-favorite pattern after stripes, my true love, which I also consider to be a classic. And as far as classics go, no apologies are needed. Which is just a very roundabout way of saying that, sorry not sorry, I'm going to keep wearing lots of leopard, because I like it. Here's my latest acquisition.

I wore a lot of corduroy in the '90s. In fact, I wore so much that I probably haven't worn much since. But like everything else from the '90s, it seems to be back in fashion, and while I'm passing on some things this time around—babydoll dresses and Doc Martens, I'm looking at you—corduroy is something that I feel like I can still pull off. The key is wearing pieces that don't feel too juvenile—think tailored rather than cute. Not only are there a ton of ways to wear it, but there are a bunch of bright, unexpected colors too. Here's what I'm loving for fall.

As I mentioned in last week's post, this is the warmest time of year in San Francisco, and while I'm enjoying the balmy 70s temperatures, I totally have fall on the brain. Luckily for me, the other 10 months of the year are totally sweater weather in San Francisco, and I managed to wear one of my newest purchases just a few weeks ago, before things started to heat up. Now, statement sweaters are a big thing for fall—I will be featuring a trend report post on them here shortly—and while I always just say no to a trend that's not right for me, thankfully there are many interpretations of the statement sweater. I said yes to this one, and I already know it's going to be one of my favorites this year.

Now that it's actually fall, we can talk about fall trends, and first up is animal print. I'd argue that as far as animal prints go—especially leopard—they're more of a classic than a trend. That said, there are all sorts of different animal prints out there this season, like zebra, snake, and cheetah, and some of my favorite takes on the trend play with color and scale, as well as pattern. Here are some fresh new ways to wear animal print for fall 2018.

While the rest of the country is breaking out the sweaters, boots, and pumpkin spice lattes, San Franciscans are busting out their sundresses and sandals. Strangely enough, September and October are our warmest months—it's something to do with the land and ocean temperatures evening out, which then keeps the fog away. After a particularly rough Fogust, I'm not complaining about it. At all. There will be enough time to wear cashmere and scarves and vests later in the year. So here's how I'm dressing for Indian summer* in SF.

When asked to describe my style, like many people, I have a hard time putting it into words. I would call it "classic with a twist," but so would 80% of other women, and as a fashion blogger, I'd like to think I'm a little more unique than that. (That could be wishful thinking, however.) How I usually describe it is if Françoise Hardy and Betty Catroux had a child. In case you haven't heard of either of these iconic French women, Françoise Hardy was a folk singer in the '60s (still going strong today!), and Betty Catroux was one of Yves Saint Laurent's muses (and is now Tom Ford's). The former is a little boho-meets-rock-and-roll, the latter is sexier yet tailored. Together, they'd create a look that's edgy but feminine, classic but interesting, fresh but timeless. What better place to find the components of this look than in Paris?

I first traveled to Paris when I was 13 years old—I participated in an exchange program in middle school—and while I've been incredibly lucky to travel all over the world since then, Paris remains my favorite city in the world. I'll take any chance I can get to visit it, even if it's only for a day or two. This was my fourth time visiting the city of lights, and while it was definitely a whirlwind, it was totally worth it. We only had 48 hours there, but we covered a lot of ground. Here's what we did.

I have a go-to pants cut, and that is straight leg. I think it's the most flattering for my body shape, and while I've been known to dabble in skinny or flared from time to time, I pretty much stick to it. But fashion has been stuck in a skinny rut for over 15 years, and the industry is itching for a change. Wide-leg pants are the latest contender, and while I had resisted them for months, I finally tried on a pair after seeing nearly every chic woman in Paris in a wide-leg crop. I still think straight-leg is my go-to silhouette, but I'm happy to have another fit in my repertoire. Adapting to a new cut is always a challenge, so here's how I put it all together.

As you might expect with a name like Cheryl Shops, I shop quite a bit. Probably too much. I had read Ann Patchett's column about her year of no shopping at the end of last year and it definitely stayed with me; a year of not shopping is probably unrealistic for most people (especially me, with the blog), but I figured I could do a month, especially so that I could shop in France and not feel guilty about it. I decided to not do any shopping in the month of August, until I landed in Paris on August 29th (to be fair, I started July 28th, so I had a full month). I was allowed to buy groceries, or to replace anything that ran out (like mascara or sunscreen), but no new clothing, shoes, accessories, etc. It was frequently a challenge to resist, but overall, a very eye-opening experience.

Paris is probably the most stylish city in the world, and it's my favorite for people-watching (it's my favorite for a lot of things, but I'll cover that in another post). I know it's a cliché, but the women—and the men—are just so incredibly chic. This may be because Paris is a global fashion center, but probably more because dressing well is a culturally ingrained behavior. In other words, French women are just innately stylish. There's no way you can compete, but there is a way to blend in, and that's dressing in such a way that feels, as the French say, bien dans son peau—good in your skin. So I wore something that made me feel pulled together, confident, and like myself, and it was a reminder that I should always dress that way. Maybe I should go to Paris more often!

Perhaps you have seen the Realisation Par Naomi skirt on Instagram. It's been sold out for months (although now, of course, it looks like it's back in stock in some sizes) and like many bloggers out there, I've been obsessed with it. I do know, however, that bias cuts do not do my lower half any favors, so instead, I got a leopard-print midi skirt during Zara's sale last month. I wear it all. The. Time. It's great to dress up for work, but it's even better on the weekends with a T-shirt and sneakers. Expect to see it here again, but in the meantime, here's one of my favorite ways to wear it.

Have you ever seen the "Girl, you don't need makeup" sketch from Inside Amy Schumer? (Ok, hopefully you have now.) It's hilarious on many levels, but what resonates the most for me is the male belief that they don't like makeup...but then realize that women need, as the song says, "Just a little makeup, some natural-looking makeup." Which is exactly what I sing whenever my boyfriend tells me I don't need to put any on. I do, believe me. That said, I like to look as natural as possible—I personally feel my best this way, but I hold no judgment against anyone who prefers a more dramatic look—and I also like to use as many clean products as possible. Here's what my current routine looks like.

Some of the outfits I feature here take months of careful planning. Others come together at the very last minute. Today's look falls into the latter group. I had worn the dress during the day and totally intended on changing into something else, but after a pre-shoot drink (a ritual to loosen me up) turned into two and the light started to fade, I realized I had to pull something together ASAP. The result felt very "me," if a little haphazard; there are some things I would have changed, but more on that later. The key takeaway for me is that sometimes a little spontaneity is a good thing.

Usually the most-pinned looks on my Outfit ideas for ageless style Pinterest board are neutral and minimalist, with the occasional leopard print. So I was, ahem, tickled pink to see that the most-repinned look this week was this totally bright, unapologetically feminine all-pink shot of what I'm pretty sure is street style icon (and now author) Giovanna Battaglia Engelbert. The best part? I've recreated her look with pieces that are all under $100.

Happy blogiversary to me! Exactly a year ago today, I had an epiphany that I needed to start blogging again, so after a three-year break, I wrote this post announcing my intentions, and here I am a year later. I am amazed and humbled by what I've achieved so far, and I'm grateful to you for reading and supporting me! To commemorate this occasion, I built an outfit around the dress I wore in my first outfit post back in August of last year. (I am almost embarrassed to link to it—we shot it in broad daylight, so there are shadows all over my face, plus my boyfriend has since upgraded his lenses and become an overall awesome photographer. Needless to say, we have learned and grown a lot in the last year!) And because I was so happy with how this shoot turned out, I'm including lots of extra photos. Ready to start scrolling?

I'm leaving for a brief European vacation in a few weeks, and not only am I incredibly excited about it, I'm already thinking about what to pack. The last time I went on vacation—back in March, when I went to French Polynesia for my birthday—I shared my packing technique on Instagram stories and got several questions about it, so I've decided to do a two-part story here. As my boyfriend will tell you, I am a very efficient and light packer, especially considering I'm a fashion blogger. But then I will tell you that I pack light so I have more room for souvenirs. ;) I have it down to a science. Basically, think of your vacation wardrobe as a capsule wardrobe—you should be able to wear everything together, in different combinations. There are 18 pieces pictured here—mostly black, white, and gray, with pops of bright red—and if you pack tightly, you could fit all of these things in a carry-on. Which brings me to...

Denim-on-denim tends to get a bad rap, because when it's done poorly, it can be pretty hideous (anyone remember the JT and Britney head-to-toe denim debacle?). And perhaps you've heard the term "Canadian tuxedo," which is often used derogatorily, but actually has a noble origin: after Bing Crosby was denied entry by a Canadian hotel whilst wearing a matching denim jacket and pants, Levi's made him an actual tuxedo jacket out of denim, which Crosby proudly wore. I think that's pretty sweet, and also proof that denim-on-denim can look classy—if you do it right.

After a month of so many dresses, it's kind of funny that this week's most-pinned look on my Outfit ideas for ageless style Pinterest board involves jeans, because it's been so cold in San Francisco lately, that's all that I've been wearing! I can see why this one is popular, though: it's a summery spin on one of the most classic outfits out there, a white shirt and jeans. Since the original image came from Instagram, I was able to find most of the exact items this woman was wearing, but since most of them are almost sold out, I decided to recreate the look for even less!

It's the last day of July and the last day of Dress Month here at Cheryl Shops, so I'm wrapping it up with an outfit featuring pieces you've seen before (with one slight exception). It's a little segue into August—side note: how is it August already?!—a month in which I will be on a shopping diet in preparation for my trip to France at the end of the month. So until I go on a major shopping binge in Paris, I'll be finding new life in things I already own and resisting the urge to shop the clearance sales (or the new fall merchandise). So without further ado, here's my last dress outfit of July and my first throwback for August.

This post has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #NatureMadeBiotin #CollectiveBias

A few weeks ago, I told you all about my new hairdryer, and I touched on how it's made my hair healthier. While you can do a lot to take care of your hair from the outside in—going easy on the heat styling, using protective products—I also like to do what I can to keep it healthy from the inside out. I'm talking about diet and vitamins, people, and they're important! I take two very easy steps every morning; here's a little peek inside my routine.

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.