Cheryl Shops

I was tempted to call this post "50 shades of grey," but that's so three years ago, and all things considered, I'm probably only wearing like five shades here. Also, some of them are maybe technically taupe. That said, monochromatic looks can be kind of tricky to pull off when you're wearing anything but black, but gray is actually a fun color to play with, because there are so many shades of it—probably more than 50, so there! There's really no wrong way to do it, from a charcoal and a heather to several similar shades, but an easy way to wear it is to pair pieces in similar shades but different textures. In this case, I wore a heathered, ribbed gray sweater with a satin skirt, and while it's not Seattle, I picked the moodiest background I could find to showcase this look.

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.