Cheryl Shops

I know I've made quite a production in my last several outfit posts about how I'm trying to move beyond the whole Dress Like a French Woman™ thing, so I don't want to seem totally hypocritical in sharing an outfit that's completely designed around the pair of Chanel ballet flats I bought myself for my birthday. But it is, and I'm happy with how it came out, so sit back and enjoy as I attempt to rationalize my irrational choices. For one, this is actually a very lizard-brain outfit because it has 1) leopard print, 2) camel, 3) the cashmere maxi cardigan I pretty much live in, and, most importantly, 4) the shoes I've been obsessed with since I was a child. I finally, at the ripe old age of 43, decided to buy a pair, and I love them so much, they may be dictating how I dress for the rest of the season (or at least the entire month of April). Here's how it all came together. 

In case you were wondering, the editor is me! Hi, dear readers. I feel compelled to warn you that this is going to be a somewhat introspective and very personal post, but hopefully one that you'll appreciate. I know what you're probably thinking and no, I am not going to stop writing this blog, at least not anytime remotely soon. I feel just as inspired as ever, and restarting Cheryl Shops nearly five (!!!) years ago has given me a wonderful creative outlet that I wouldn't give up for the world. Not to mention, I've met a bunch of friends both IRL and on the Internet, and I love the support I receive from my fellow bloggers, Pinners, and Instagrammers (sorry not sorry, I'm not going to use the I-word). The past year has been the strangest one of my life thus far, and I don't think I would have made it through without you. It has also given me a lot of time to think about where it—and my life—is going, and to become very conscious of how I'm spending my time and energy. So I'm going to make a few changes around here. 

As I've mentioned recently, I've been in what feels like a year-long wardrobe rut but maybe that's just been a year-long global pandemic. Either way, I decided I needed some new Instagram inspiration and on the recommendation of an IG friend, I started following @frisky-gatos. She's a thirtysomething nurse in Minneapolis, and she dresses with a quirky yet very strong sense of personal style. Her theory is that you should listen to your most primal "lizard brain" and buy the things you absolutely WANT to wear. It seems very simple and even obvious, but I've found over the years that I've always been chasing some ideal of how I should be dressing—in my very specific case, like a "French woman." Faced with a very black-white-and-gray closet that all of a sudden feels very sad to me, I've come to the conclusion that "dressing like a French woman" is boring, and that such stark neutrals are not actually very flattering against my fortysomething skin. So this post marks a turning point for me. I'm going to start dressing for me—for real this time.

As I wrote the title of this post, I thought, "Hopefully it will be the last birthday I'll ever have so spend in quarantine." Granted, as far as quarantine goes, it was a pretty glamorous one. In case you missed it, we spent a weekend in Santa Barbara to celebrate my birthday, and it was so nice to get out of our apartment and have a change of scenery. The weather was pretty much perfect, Santa Barbara is a gorgeous place, and I felt very grateful to be able to take a road trip there, safely. We also did a bit of celebrating (e.g. wine tasting) before we took these photos, so let me preface this post by saying that I look a little more, er, relaxed than usual. Then again, maybe it's just because I love my outfit so much ;) 

My birthday is in early March, and exactly a year ago, we spent it in Paris and London. Since that trip—which now feels like a million lifetimes ago—we took a road trip to Big Sur and Yosemite last summer but haven't traveled at all since then. So not only were we both going stir-crazy in our apartment, we were really just wanting a change of scenery for a few days. Luckily, restrictions in California are starting to loosen, so Sean surprised me with a weekend trip to Santa Barbara. It's a town I'd visited a few times for a day trip, but I'd never spent a lot of quality time there. After two full days and three nights, I now understand why Harry and Meghan landed in nearby Montecito. Here's what we did on our long weekend trip to Santa Barbara.

I know everyone has been wearing hoodies for the last year, and while I've resisted them for the most part, I had a revelation a few weeks ago. I was out walking Zuni when it started to lightly rain, and I happened to have been wearing my Cuddl Duds hooded tee; I didn't have a hat, but I pulled the hood over my head and saved my freshly washed hair from frizzing out. Considering I've lived for more than 7 years in a city that's frequently cloaked in drippy fog, it's kind of amazing that it took me this long to realize the practical applications of a hoodie. But now that I have, I've gone a little hoodie-happy. This is the first of several new hoodies I've purchased, so apologies in advance for the barrage of hoodie-themed posts coming up. Up first is this Isabel Marant hoodie, which I am completely obsessed with right now. Here's how I've been wearing it. 

There's been a lot of Gen Z. vs. Millennial beef lately, especially concerning skinny jeans. I'm not sure where or how it all started (maybe TikTok?) but I must say, I found it kind of amusing. I'm a Gen Xer who's always preferred slim or straight-leg jeans (I do own one true skinny pair in black), as well as a firm believer that you should wear whatever you feel good in, so if you're a millennial who loves skinny jeans, then by all means, you should continue to wear them and not listen to a generation that eats Tide Pods and wants to be Internet-famous for a living. Ahem. So, my skinny-jeans-wearing readers, this post is for you. It features none other than international style icon and accomplished lawyer Amal Clooney (otherwise known as Mrs. George Clooney) and it's this month's most-pinned look from my Outfit ideas for ageless style Pinterest board. Let's do it. 

My birthday is next Tuesday, and it is kind of comically tragic to think that exactly a year ago, I left for a trip to London and Paris. This year, we are spending the upcoming weekend in Santa Barbara, which is about as glamorous as things get nowadays, but I'm very thankful nonetheless. Pandemic aside, the other big difference with my birthday this year is that while I always treat myself to something extra nice, I don't have anything specific in mind this year—yet. Maybe it's because last year's present has not exactly been put to good use (although I'm bringing it this weekend!), or maybe it's because the pandemic has made me realize that I already have everything I need. Kidding! I think it's more that I've been so busy with my new job, I haven't had a lot of time to think about it. But here are a few ideas I've been kicking around—let me know in the comments which one(s) you think I should get!

My honest review of Spanx perfect black pants continues to be one of the most popular posts here on Cheryl Shops, and since Spanx just sent me several pairs of their best-selling pants in navy, I thought it would be helpful to do a side-by-side comparison of their top four fits, especially since you can see the details even better. So think of this as a companion piece to my previous Spanx reviews, but please note that while I received these pants for free, the following reviews are my 100% honest opinion, with absolutely no feedback or editing from Spanx. So without further ado, here's my honest review the four most popular Spanx pants. 

For the last year, I've been spending a small fortune on candles. For whatever reason, burning them—and being enveloped in a gorgeous scent—has brought me comfort. But I've also realized that I'm quite literally burning through money, and also that having an open flame in my apartment for 16 hours a day is probably not the best for one's lungs. We had received a diffuser as a gift (thanks, Christine!) a few years ago, but I've found that most essential oils are either too basic and/or not strong enough for my taste—until I discovered Santal oil from Doratelier on a tip from another blogger (thanks, Katwalk!). This tiny vial of delight has brought me so much joy that I couldn't wait to share all the ways I'm using it to scent my home. 

I recently came to the conclusion that I really miss making an effort to get dressed. My outfits have devolved into this sadly repetitive basic place, which is partly because it's winter but probably more because the days blur together and I feel like I'm in a much more mundane version of Groundhog Day. I miss getting creative with my outfits, and I miss wearing things that bring me joy rather than just comfort. So last Sunday, I decided not only to make an effort, but to wear a carefully planned outfit that made me feel good because I looked good. Yes, it was Valentine's Day, and we went to a fancy restaurant, and yes, I wanted to look good for Sean. But more importantly, I wanted to look good for me, because as big of a cliché as this is, truly you can't pour from an empty cup. So here's how I filled mine.

That's a rather long title for a post, I know, but it's what this one is all about. Now, I love Sephora (and worked there for several years), so this is not a dig at them. But Amazon does carry a lot of great beauty products from harder-to-find lines, many of them international, and when you throw in free two-day Prime shipping, that makes them pretty much irresistible. Here are my favorite beauty products from Amazon that I love and use regularly. 

It's only the second week of February, but it's the time in the season when I start to get bored with my winter clothes. I also tend to get into a big sweaters-and-jeans rut this time of year, and while that's what I'm wearing in these photos, I decided to lighten up my palette with some springier colors. The result was something fresher and more mood-lifting than anything I've worn in weeks. So just a reminder, especially to myself: just because it's dark and dreary outside doesn't mean your outfit has to be too. 

One of my favorite coworkers used to say "prints are personal," and they are—I love stripes, plaids, and the occasional tie-dye but have a hard time with florals, paisley, and anything abstract. But when it comes to animal prints, leopard is always a yes in my book. I joke that leopard is a neutral (it's made up of neutral colors, after all), but in my opinion, it's one of the most versatile prints around. Here are my favorite ways to wear it. 

OUTFIT DETAILS: Ganni coat | Everlane cashmere turtleneck dress | Cuddl Duds leggings (c/o) | Mango bag | Jimmy Choo youth boots 

Happy February! After what felt like a years-long January, I'm happy for many reasons: I've started a new job, my birthday is now 28 days away, and restaurants and salons are once again open in San Francisco, which means unless something catastrophic happens in the next two weeks, we'll actually be able to go out to celebrate Valentines's Day. Now, normally I'm a cook-a--romantic-meal-at-home kind of person on Valentine's Day—when you go to a restaurant, the meal is usually overpriced, the service horrible, and I always end up seated next to a couple who's either fighting or not speaking the entire time—however, cooking at home is nearly all I've been doing for the last year, so bring on the prix fixe menu and the annoyed waitstaff. At this point, I'll eat a hot dog wrapped in paper as long as I don't have to cook it or clean up after myself. (And, yes, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge that I am fortunate to be able to afford enough food to eat, much less be able to order it from a restaurant, and as much as I'm complaining right now, I am very thankful for everything.) Luckily we have fancy outdoor brunch reservations for Valentine's Day, so in a return to semi-normal, here's what I'll be wearing. 

You don't have to be in a relationship to celebrate Valentine's Day. In fact, the day has rather dark origins—in Roman times, it was a pagan matchmaking festival that followed a ritual animal slaughter, and also the day on which several men named Valentine were executed.  Now, who's in the mood for chocolates and romance? That said, I fully embrace the concept of love, whether that's the kind you share with someone else or just self-love. And while gifts are my least-favored love language, maybe that's because I rarely hesitate to treat myself. Here are some of my favorite options this year for you, for your significant other, or for both of you. 

I featured sweater vests in my fall trend report last year, and while I had meant to do an outfit post with one soon thereafter, it's better late than never, right? The other issue is that I was going to feature a sweater vest from. H&M—the cut of which I really love—but it started to pill like crazy after wearing it a couple times, and I didn't feel comfortable recommending something that was, to be frank, a piece of crap. The good news is that I found an even better option, and here's how I've been wearing it. 

As I mentioned in my inaugural Things I've bought on Amazon that I love post, I try to shop small and local when I can, but I'm only human and sometimes convenience wins out. Cheryl Shops is a judgment-free zone, so I feel safe sharing with you that I not only buy things on Amazon, but I thoroughly enjoy them as well. I've been making a bunch of upgrades to my apartment over the last several months, and here are some of my recent best buys. 

I tend to get into a winter rut of sweaters and jeans (and hoodies and leggings), and while we'll get back to that next week, I took advantage of the unexpected heatwave we've been having and wore a dress—with bare legs, no less! I should probably be alarmed that we're having 70-degree weather in January, but I decided to enjoy it now and go back to fighting global warming tomorrow. Anyway, this outfit is a little random, but so is life nowadays, and thus let's embrace it. 

It's been awhile since I've featured a Get the look post, but you all have definitely been busy pinning! The most-pinned look of the last few months from my Outfit ideas for ageless style Pinterest board is none other than America's Sweetheart, Jennifer Aniston, wearing a very seasonally appropriate look. Aniston has been accused of playing it safe on the red carpet, but clearly she knows what works for her and sticks to it. This is a casual yet classic look that could be several years old—and its timelessness makes it so good. Here's how to re-create it. 

As I was going through a bunch of 10-year-old bills that I found in my storage space this weekend (don't ask why I kept them), it occurred to me how so much of our lives are digital now. I can't even remember the last time I got a paper bill; do you remember the last time you took a non-digital photo? This is a long way of leading up to the fact that we accidentally deleted the original photos of this outfit, which, when you're a blogger, is a devastating loss of several hours' worth of work that makes you curse everything digital and threaten to go analog. Thankfully we re-created the outfit with (hopefully) even better results, and this time I backed them up. 

You, dear readers, seem to love my honest reviews, so I'm pledging to do more of them in 2021—at least one a month. You appear to be particularly curious about luxury items, so first up is my biggest splurge of 2020, my Celine Cabas Phantom tote. As I noted when I first featured it here, I'm generally not a bag person (I'm more of a shoe person), but I'd been in need of a new work tote and was eyeing this one for quite a while. And by quite a while, I mean dragging Sean to every Celine boutique we came across so I could try it on and debate getting the medium size or the small. (I got the medium, obviously, but more on that later.) I finally decided to take the plunge last year in Paris; while that's out of the question for the moment, I wanted to share my experience anyway with the hope that, god willing, we can travel again soon. So here's how I bought my Celine Phantom tote in Paris, why I went with the medium, and how I really feel about it. 

I don't know about you, but I've never been happier to write a new year—hello, 2021! I know it's only a few days into the new year, and considering we're still in lockdown, nothing has exactly changed overnight. But there's something so hopeful and promising about the idea of a new year, plus how could 2021 possibly be worse than 2020, right? (Actually, let's not answer that one, just in case.) The question is, given that it's winter and we're all still staying at home for the most part, what do we wear now? I'm sure we can't wait to dress up once we're allowed to live our lives and be free once again, but is that the most practical thing to do right now? Then again, do we really want to keep wearing our sweatpants in 2021? Part of me thinks we're all going to dress like amped-up flappers when this is all over, and part of me thinks that the pandemic is going to change fashion forever. What if there's a happy medium? It may be a bit too early to commit to a 2021 uniform, but here's my first contender. 

Enough about me—let's talk about you. This blog is called Cheryl Shops, and while shopping is what I do, it's what you do too. Plus, I love getting feedback on what you liked (or didn't like)—it helps me create better content for you. So without further ado, here's a look at what you browsed, clicked, bought, and loved in 2020. 

I know, it's kind of weird to think of 2020 in terms of "the best" or anything great happening, for that matter, but it wasn't all bad. I actually started the year on a good note, with a trip to NYC for my dear friend's 40th birthday, a long weekend in Healdsburg, and I even spent my birthday in Paris and London. Of course, I've pretty much been stuck at home ever since, but hey, at least I created a lot of content (and based on my traffic, y'all have been reading it). Here's a look back at some of my most viewed, most commented-on, and most loved posts of 2020. 

I'm writing this post literally as the sun is setting on the shortest day of the year, and spiritually, I hope today is a turning point. I've seen a lot of people sharing this post on social media, implying that when all of this COVID stuff is over, we're going to have another dressed-up, partied-out, roaring twenties, which I am 100% on board with, so long as it's not followed by a huge stock market crash. I advocated for dressing up a few weeks ago—and I fully plan to do so for Christmas and New Year's Eve—but the reality is that all Californians are in lockdown at least until the 4th of January (and, TBH, probably for several weeks after that as we deal with the fallout from holiday gatherings), not to mention my friends in London, who are on stay-at-home orders that are just as strict as ours. Long story short, I think it's ok to cut yourself some slack and be comforted with some soft, cozy clothes. It's what I'll be wearing for the next few weeks (and possibly beyond), and that's fine, because like all of this, it's only temporary. As soon as I am vaccinated and able to be out in the world again safely, it's going to be all sparkles and heels and freedom. But for now, it's my last outfit post of the year, so I thought I'd sign off with the most 2020 outfit of them all. 

When it comes to last-minute gifts, I have nothing against a carefully selected gift card from a place the recipient actually likes to shop, but let's face it, nothing says "I almost forgot to get you something" like an Amazon gift card that you bought at the grocery-store checkout line. (And in fact, I'm not one to stop you from shopping there either—here are some of my favorite products on Amazon, most of which can be ordered with express Prime shipping.) But even if you're going to show up with or send an e-gift at the 11th hour, you can at least put a little thought into it. So here are some of my favorite last-minute gifts that aren't gift cards—all can be delivered electronically, too, which should come in handy since we're all staying at home this year, right?

As I mentioned in last week's post, San Francisco is in lockdown 2.0, but Napa County isn't yet, so we headed up there on Saturday to pick up wine and enjoy one last meal in a restaurant before the holidays. Things have only been shut down for a week in the city, but it felt glorious to be outdoors in the sunshine, sipping wine and savoring the finer things. Winter tends to be when we get our only rain of the year here in the Bay Area, but if you play your cards right, you can get a gloriously clear, sunny day. It can definitely be on the chillier side, but with some careful layering, you can enjoy a full day of outdoor wine tasting. Here's what to wear in Napa in winter. 

I knew several months ago that, for the first time in my 42 years, I wouldn't be spending Christmas in Chicago with my mom. We had instead made plans to drive down to L.A., rent a house in Venice Beach, and have an outdoor, socially distant Christmas with Sean's family. But earlier this week, after realizing that restaurants are closed for outdoor dining, parks and beaches may be next, hospital ICUs are at capacity, and the governor's orders basically prevent interacting with anyone outside of your immediate household, we decided to postpone our trip to February or March. I had been looking forward to our trip for many reasons—a change of scenery, seeing friends and family, traveling somewheres, anywhere—and I'm surprised I'm not more upset about having to cancel it, but I know that it's the right thing to do, and that this is hopefully a one-time-only concession. This year has definitely had its share of disappointments, but I'm trying to look on the bright side. For one, we don't have to deal with jacked up travel expenses, crowded airports, novice travelers, awkward conversations with relatives who have opposing political viewpoints, and so on. For another, it's an opportunity to create our own new traditions. I'm thinking we'll order extravagant takeout from a local restaurant for Christmas Eve dinner, then open a nice bottle of wine and open presents. And as for what I'll be wearing, it will probably be much more low-key than my usual, but (hopefully) still somewhat festive. Here are some ideas, from dressiest to most casualest. 

Well, friends, we are back in lockdown in San Francisco, which means no outdoor (or indoor) dining, no hair or nail salons, no gathering with people outside of your household, and a bunch of other no-nos. It is, to say the least, a really depressing development in this a dumpster fire of a year, although one that I recognize as necessary to help flatten the spread of COVID and address the ICU capacity issues in hospitals all over the state. My heart really goes out to all of the small businesses who have to lay off workers again (and especially to the workers themselves), right before the holidays; I'm going to take this as an excuse to not cook for the rest of the year and instead order takeout so all of my favorite restaurants don't go out of business. But unlike the first lockdown, I'm not going to retreat into my cozy cocoon of sweatpants. It's the holiday season, goddamnit, and I'm going to dress like it! Here's what I'll be wearing.

Now that you've shopped all of the Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and even Giving Tuesday sales, time to tackle gifts for other people. While I focused on major retailers offering ridiculously good discounts in my sale post last week, for my annual holiday gift guide, I really wanted to highlight small, local, sustainable, woman- and/or POC-owned businesses, because they're the ones who really need (and deserve!) our dollars at the moment. And speaking of money, I know it's been a rough year for a lot of people, and not everyone is in a position to spend a ton on gifts. And that's ok—for me, the most important thing is knowing that my family and friends are happy, healthy, and safe. But if you are in a gifting mood, read on, be thankful, and spend mindfully. (And if you're Sean, feel free to scroll straight to the splurge section. Kidding! Sort of.)

If you are of a certain age like I am, khaki pants (or chinos—they're pretty much the same thing) probably played a prominent role in your adolescent wardrobe, thanks to the Gap. I haven't owned a pair since their peak in the late '90s, but I've started to see them pop up on some of my favorite bloggers over the last several months and thus was influenced to buy a pair (see, it happens to me too). Silhouettes have changed a bit in the last 25 years—we've gone from bootcut to skinny to wide leg to straight—but the pair I went for is pretty timeless: high-waisted, wide-legged, and pretty darn flattering if I do say so myself. Here's how I'm wearing my wide-leg khaki pants. 

I've been giving thanks and practicing gratitude all week and one of the things I'm most grateful for is you, dear readers. Your pageviews and comments keep me going, and I'd like to thank you for your support this year and throughout the years—it means a lot to me! One of the most important ways you help support me is by clicking on and making a purchase from my affiliate links; since I receive a small commission from many of them—at no cost to you—that money helps me provide content to you for free. That said, we're going into the biggest shopping season of the year, and if you're in a position to spend money right now, there are a lot of retailers out there who would appreciate it. I will be featuring small, local, and/or POC-owned businesses in my upcoming gift guide, but for now, I'm focusing on the ah-MAY-zing deals to be found at the larger retailers. These items are things I will likely buy for myself, plus I've listed even more sales below. Read on, click through, and pat yourself on the back for supporting content creators like me and the retail industry as a whole. We appreciate it!

Well, friends, we've (almost) made it to Thanksgiving, which means we have slightly over a month left of this godforsaken year, and for that, I'm thankful. I am also thankful that in spite of the global Covid pandemic, Sean and I are getting out of town (alone!) for a few days; while I am thankful for my beautiful apartment, I really need a break from it. And while our Thanksgiving celebration will look much, much different than normal, I am nonetheless thankful that we are healthy and safe, and that we can afford to put food on the table. Speaking of food, I am wrapping up a three-week detox as we speak, so I am going to go to town on Thanksgiving dinner. Coupled with the fact that this year's event will be a little more casual than in years past, I am planning on dressing down for the occasion. This year, the holidays are about leggings (stretchy!), sweater tunics (camouflage!), and boots (what are heels?). So here's what I'll be wearing. 

I went to Ireland for the first time three years ago, and if you've never been, I highly recommend it. It's a gorgeous country, the food was surprisingly good, the beer was even better, and the people were the kindest I've ever met on vacation. But of all the things that pleasantly surprised me on that trip, I was perhaps most blown away by the sweaters. Which makes sense, because there are sheep literally everywhere in Ireland—you've got to do something with all that wool, so why knot knit a sweater or several thousand? Ireland introduced Aran sweaters to the world—the cable-knit patterns are meant to evoke fishermen's ropes, hence why they're also known as fisherman sweaters—and Grace Kelly really put them on the map by famously wearing one on the cover of Vogue. Like most things associated with Princess Grace, a fisherman sweater is a classic that never goes out of style, but they seem to be especially trending this season, possibly because of their extra coziness and comfort in these up-and-down times. And while I've featured an Aran knit here before (way back in 2018), this time it's the real deal, straight from Ireland. Here's how I'm styling my fisherman sweater. 

Remember when you were a kid and got one of those countdown-to-Christmas advent calendars where you got to open a new door every day and inside there was a piece of chocolate? (Mmm, chocolate.) I used to beg my mom to open more than one per day because clearly I was a sugar addict, but I think the true joy was enjoying a small daily treat leading up to the biggest treat-fest of them all, Christmas. Of course, you don't have to be a Christian to enjoy an advent calendar, and apparently you don't have to be a kid either, because a bunch of beauty brands have started creating their own, after the success of the original Liberty of London advent calendar. (Note: this year's version has sold out twice already, but I am praying it comes back in stock, because it's goooood.)  Speaking of selling out, I had intended to post this next month as part of my gift guide, but since so many beauty advent calendars have sold out already, I thought I'd better jump on it. So while you can spend $200-$300 on a luxury brand's version, there are a bunch of amazing advent calendars out there for under $100. Here are my eight favorites. 

As I noted in Tuesday's post, Spanx sent me two pairs of their famous pants to try, the first being the Perfect Black Pant, 4-Pocket Ankle version. Up next: the Faux Leather Leggings, which nearly every influencer on earth owns. I may be late to the party, but better late than never, right? Keep reading for my honest and unfiltered opinion. 

Like many women, I have worn Spanx undergarments under various clingy dresses and/or when I've needed a little squeeze to feel my best for a special event. And while they're probably best known for their shapewear, Spanx has ventured into clothing, particularly pants, in the last few years, and by all accounts, everyone pretty much loves them. I am generally not a big leggings person—I think I look better in a more tailored silhouette—but when Spanx reached out to me to try their knit pants and leggings, I agreed in the name of service journalism. After all, I'm not dressing up as much as I used to, but while comfort is key, I still want to look good. And who says we can't have it all? Enter the Spanx Perfect Black Pant, 4-Pocket Ankle edition. 

Thanksgiving is three weeks from today, and while my celebration will be more intimate than normal, it will still be a celebration. I'm thankful for all of the lessons I've learned this year, for my and my family's health and safety, and for many other things in my life. And in case you need to take your mind off of what's going on in our country right now, there's nothing wrong in starting to plan your meal—and what you're going to wear to it. So without further ado, here are 7 Thanksgiving outfit ideas, from dressy to more on the casual side. 

Here we are in November, the second to last month in a year that has seemingly dragged on forever and yet flew by at the same time. I don't know about you, but I'm pretty much ready to skip straight to New Year's Eve and wrap this thing up. Of course, there's a certain matter to attend here in the United States today, November 3rd. I voted weeks ago by mail—we've been doing it for years here in California, so all of the controversy seemed a bit unnecessary to me—but will pretty much be glued to the TV tonight (and possibly for days afterward) until we have a president. I am a weeee bit anxious about all of this, not to mention Covid anxiety, job/financial anxiety, family-member's-upcoming-surgery anxiety, and anxiety about my anxiety. I am trying to hold it together the best that I can, so for me that means exercise and meditation every morning, eating as many vegetables as I can (easier said than done), CBD every night, and doing things that bring me joy. And right now, the thing that's bringing the most joy is wearing this pair of red suede Calla loafers with everything in my freaking closet. 

Mark your calendars, beauty-holics: Sephora's holiday sale is coming! Rouge members get 20% off staring 10/30, VIBs get 15% off starting 11/3, and Insiders get 10% off starting 11/5, all with code HOLIDAYFUN through 11/9. As I've noted before, I work at Sephora's corporate headquarters and am thus an expert on everything we sell. Kidding, I'm not an expert, but I do get the inside scoop, and I am constantly being plied with free stuff, and don't you hate me right now? That said, I do form strong opinions on this stuff, so here are 7 of my favorite products right now—take advantage of the sale and get them at a discount!

Trends come and go, but one of the benefits of being a woman of a certain age is that I now have the confidence and the wisdom to know which trends to try and which ones to skip. I featured chunky Chelsea boots in my fall trend report, and was super eager to try a pair; yes, I wore combat boots back when they were last popular in the '90s, and normally my rule is that if you wore a trend the first time around, you should pass on it the second (or third, or fourth...) time. I decided to give these Chelsea boots a go, because they're a bit more streamlined than lace-up combat boots, plus they seem very practical for the upcoming winter months, and I wanted to style them in a way that was true to my own sense of style—feminine and sophisticated (I hope) versus the more streetwear-influenced, casual way that Gen Z would wear them. To be totally honest, after seeing these photos, I'm not sure that the boots are "me." But they may be "you," so I thought this was a post worth writing anyway. Here's how I styled my chunky Chelsea boots. 

 It is finally looking like leather jacket season in San Francisco (not to be confused with the rest of the year except for September and October, which is also leather jacket season), so in honor of my favorite time of year, I thought I'd bring you another Cheryl's Greatest Hits featuring seven ways to wear one of my favorite wardrobe workhorses, the leather moto jacket. As longtime Cheryl Shops readers know, I bought this Banana Republic moto jacket several years ago when I worked at Gap headquarters, and while I can't always advocate for Banana's clothes, this jacket is one of the best items they make, which explains why they keep bringing it back season after season. They have miraculously not raised the price since I bought mine—it's still $499, although you can usually get it on sale (never pay full price for anything at Banana!)—the leather is buttery soft, and the thing fits like a glove. A good leather jacket is totally worth the investment and you'll have it for years, so without further ado, here are seven ways to wear it. 

Back in my late 20s and early 30s, when I had 7 or 8 weddings per year to attend, I used an Excel spreadsheet to track which dresses I wore to which events. This began in the days before social media, but I basically wanted to make sure I wasn't turning up in the same dress at every event with the each group of people. The alternative, of course, was to buy a new dress for each event, which is cost-prohibitive (and wasteful) and is what drove Jenn Hyman to found Rent the Runway. I thought RTR was an amazing idea and I know a lot of people who love it, but to this day, I've never actually used it, because the items I'd actually want to rent are way too expensive. In other words, I'd rent a designer dress for $50 or $60 (or maybe even a bit more), but not $200. There are other clothing rental companies out there (I reviewed one last year), but so far none that really piqued my interest—until now. Wardrobe is like Airbnb for clothes, shoes, and accessories: you rent items from a user's closet for 4, 10, or 20 days at a time; everything is dry-cleaned and stored in a central warehouse (and if you open a closet with Wardrobe, you can make a little extra money renting out your own clothes); and it all comes clearly labeled and nicely packaged. Most importantly, Wardrobe has everything from Alice and Olivia to Hermès, and the prices are incredibly reasonable. They were kind enough to offer me a credit to try the service for free; here's what I borrowed and my unbiased, honest review of the entire experience.

Whew, it's been a week! Mercury is in retrograde, temperatures here have been in the 80s, and I have work coming out of my ears (which I know I shouldn't complain about). Anyway, happy Friday! Let's ease into the weekend with this month's most-pinned look from my Outfit ideas for ageless style Pinterest board—it's casual, it's timeless, it's seasonless, it's perfect. You probably own all the pieces to re-create this look already, but if not, read on. 

At the end of last year and the beginning of this year—which feels more like 10 years ago at this point—I was working on a sustainability campaign for my day job. Throughout my research, I kept coming across similar statistics about how horrible fast fashion is for the environment; it was enough for me to make sustainability my main 2020 resolution. That resolution had several parts, one of which was "no new stuff." I was doing a pretty good job until COVID came along, and with it some promo codes and sales that I was too weak to resist. I'm not beating myself up about it; I do feel like I'm being much more conscious about what I'm buying—only things I love, of the best quality I can afford. That said, I have been doing quite a bit of secondhand shopping this year, and while 2020 is almost over (THANK GOD), it's a habit I'm going to stick with. Not only is buying secondhand better for the planet, it's way more affordable than buying something new, and it's not hard to find barely (if at all) used items. So while this post is long overdue, I wanted to celebrate my progress with a totally secondhand outfit. Here's how it all came together.

Amazon has finally announced that Prime Day is October 13–14 (technically two days) and while I know it's popular to boycott it, I think Prime Day is kind of fun. I love refreshing the page to see what the hourly deals are, and let's be real, the deals can be pretty amazing. I do realize that Amazon undercuts small businesses, has a rather large monopoly, and probably has more data on me that I care to think about—plus there are some tax implications that need to be addressed on a federal level—but we can also thank Amazon for making user reviews, personalization, and search capabilities so widespread. Online retail wouldn't be what it is today without Amazon. I do try to buy things locally from small businesses as much as possible, but that said, I have found some amazing things on Amazon over the years. So in honor of Prime Day, here are six things that I've bought on Amazon that I love, and that I'd highly recommend. 

A what? A coatigan is a cross between a coat and a cardigan; it's longer than a swacket, or sweater jacket, and has more of a ring to it than "sweater coat." As I noted in my fall trend report, a coatigan is a must-have for fall 2020, so I wanted to show you what I'm wearing with mine ASAP, seeing as how we're already in October. (Seriously, how is it October already?!) I know this won't be the last time you'll see this one, but it's definitely the first, so let's get to it. 

It feels a little weird writing about trends on several levels. For one, I didn't really do my annual spring trend report, because we were newly in lockdown and all anyone could think about was comfort clothing: sweatpants, sweatshirts, slippers, and so on. On a deeper level, I'm realizing there's something about fashion that almost requires you to be seen out in the world; to paraphrase that old philosophical question, if a person wears an outfit and no one sees it, is it still fashion? The good news is that things here in San Francisco are slooooowly starting to reopen: hair salons, gyms, restaurants, and even movie theaters. I'll still be working from home for the rest of the year, if not longer—and if I'm being honest, dressing for the office has a certain agenda—but I at least feel like I'm venturing out into the world again, and thus I can get out of my jeans-and-sweatshirt rut. I've been really inspired by the street-fashion photos from Copenhagen Fashion Week, and while there's definitely a hygge element to fall fashion, I'm really excited about the micro-trends I'm featuring here and to shopping again. Who knows, I might even be compelled to shop in an actual store! Here's what's on my shopping list for fall.