Cheryl Shops

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!