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.



I bought this sweater earlier this year (you saw it here) and didn't wear it quite as much as I wanted to before the weather warmed up, so I was excited to break it out again. I love how it crisscrosses—I think the cut is incredibly flattering on a bunch of body types, and the proportion works really well for this skirt, which is very high waisted—more on that later. It's also really soft, and the ribbed texture provides a nice contrast to the smooth satin of the skirt. The one issue with this sweater is that it can get really gapey depending on what bra you're wearing, so in this case, I safety-pinned it because I didn't want any wardrobe malfunctions. The sweater I'm wearing is by Topshop, but I've linked an almost exact style below.


I've been in the market for a bias-cut skirt for awhile—it took me awhile to find a good one, and while this Free People skirt isn't perfect, the price is right and the color is really pretty—it looks almost purple in these photos, but it's a shimmery gray in real life. I have narrow hips, so bias-cut skirts often hang lumpily on me; if you have fuller hips, this should not be an issue for you at all, and if I were you, I'd run out and buy all the bias-cut skirts out there. I thankfully read the reviews on this one first; it runs really small—I'm in an 8, and it's so high-waisted and fitted, I probably could have gone up to a 10. That said, I love the length and the matte quality of the satin, and at $78, it was a pretty good deal to me.



Full disclosure: this is my "dog-walking purse," i.e. the bag that I leave by the front door and load up with poop bags and doggie treats so I can grab it really quickly when I need to take Zuni out. It's also not really gray—it's more of a taupe color. That said, I love the mix of suede and leather, and considering it picks up the warm tones of my skirt, it was the perfect purse to tie this look together! It's also just a good size for the weekend (or nighttime), and did I mention it's on major sale?



I last wore these Zara shoes in this post and if you follow me on Instagram, you probably know that I've been wearing them nonstop in real life. While they're cheating a little on the monochromatic thing—they're technically a black, white, and pink plaid—they have the overall effect of looking gray and add a nice layer of texture to the look. They're also incredibly comfortable, thanks to the adjustable slingback and low kitten heel.



We shot these photos in the Panhandle, which is a long, thin strip of park that juts out of Golden Gate Park. It's an area of the city that tends to get a little foggy at dusk, which is exactly what happened here. Again, it wasn't Seattle, but I think the moodiness ended up suiting the all-gray look. And, in a funny blogging vs. real-life twist, we went out for Mexican food afterward at Green Chile Kitchen and I got sour cream and taco juice all over my skirt. I can happily attest, however, that it all came out in the laundry! You gotta love a machine-washable outfit!


OUTFIT DETAILS: Topshop sweater (very similar here) | Free People Normani bias skirt | Stella & Dot Sloane bag | Zara slingback kitten heels