Cheryl Shops

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.