Cheryl Shops

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.




I am really OCD about certain items in my closet, and I searched for years until I found the perfect white crocheted lace dress. This one is by Isabel Marant, who's hands-down one of my favorite designers, and it ticks off several of my requirements: sleeves, straight shape, modest length. I sometimes wear it without a belt, but I added my favorite low-slung one for a little extra definition. A lace dress is just so good in summer, because all the holes mean it's like built-in air-conditioning, but word to the wise: make sure you get a natural fabric, as a synthetic like polyester will negate any open-air benefits (and probably make you sweat even more).



I have rule about living in San Francisco, which is that even if it's 80 degrees outside (and, yes, that does occasionally happen here), never go anywhere without a light jacket. I learned that lesson the hard way my first weekend here. Anyway, this is one of my favorites (you've recently seen it here), and I like wearing it with more feminine things because it counteracts any girliness with its kind of rugged, outdoorsy vibe.



You've seen most of these accessories before, but since this post is kind of turning into a Cheryl's favorite things, it seems fitting. I am still on a gold-and-delicate kick, and I probably will be for awhile, because summer is too hot for statement necklaces. And while you might be sick of my Zara circle bag (last seen here), I'm not! It's just so perfect for summer, and round bags are definitely trending. As for my shoes, I've been going low-heeled on the weekend lately, and this is one of my favorite pairs of sandals (last seen waaaay back here), so I was excited to break them out for this post. They're the perfect summer shoe.



We shot these photos kind of on the fly at the botanical gardens in Mendocino, which was really beautiful and rather expansive; more about it—and the rest of the area—will be coming soon in my Mendocino travel guide!



OUTFIT DETAILS: Isabel Marant dress (similar here, budget version here) || J.Crew jacket (current season here; similar here) || Zara bag || Sam Edelman Trina sandals || H&M belt (similar here) || Stella & Dot Abundance necklace, engravable pendant, bangle, delicate bracelet, pavé cuff (on sale!), and pavé duo ring