Cheryl Shops

White boots are a trend that I thought would die a swift death, but to my surprise, they show no signs of going away. I resisted, thinking they'd make my size 8.5 feet look huge, but after much hemming and hawing (as my dad would say), I finally decided to give knee-high white boots a try. I bought these on major sale and almost returned them—they do look rather enormous, but I like the heel and the shape. They feel very spring-forward yet I can wear them while the weather is still on the cooler side. So obviously, I kept them. Here's how I'm styling them.




So the first thing you may be thinking is, wow, Cheryl, you are holding a broken-looking umbrella in all of these photos. Sadly, it is not a prop—it's been raining pretty much nonstop here for weeks, and we finally had to suck it up and shoot in the rain (and yes, my umbrella has seen better days). It was not ideal, but hopefully we made lemonade out of these lemons. Speaking of things that have seen better days, this trench is in dire need of a trip to the cleaner's, so please don't zoom in on it too much. I've had this A.P.C. one (last seen with leopard) so long, it has lost most of its waterproofness, but it's so classic, I just had to feature it here. I'm in a size 38 for reference.



In contrast to the white boots, which were a long-thought-out process, this sweater was a total impulse buy. I went into the Everlane store on my birthday thinking I wanted their cashmere wrap sweater, but saw this one, instantly fell in love with it, and bought it instead (the cashmere wrap runs small and is super gapey at the chest anyway). It's hard to see because of the trench, but the fit is kind of cropped and oversized at the same time; I bought a small, which is what I usually take at Everlane, and kind of wish I had gone down to an XS, as the fit is quite generous. Still, no regrets—this is my new favorite sweater, and because it's cotton (instead of wool or cashmere), a great transitional piece for spring.



I've worn a black top with a white skirt before (most recently with a leopard coat) so obviously it's one of my favorite parings, but I went with a white skirt here because it seemed like the least jarring thing to wear with the white boots, and even with the break at my knees, it has an oddly elongating effect. It also feels more springy. I love this skirt so much, I have it in two colors, and I'm wearing a size 8—I almost always go up a size with Topshop.



And now, back to the boots. I had been considering the Hutton (also by Sam Edelman) but found this pair on major sale and, real talk, I'm all about the lower heel nowadays. I was worried that the toe was too pointy and that these had more of a cowboy vibe than what I could pull off, but Sean convinced me to keep them, and I'm so happy I did. The heel is comfy and sturdy, and I love the fact that they don't have a zipper—as someone with bony ankles, I've found that zippers tend to cause boots to bag out too much. The shaft does have a surprisingly slim fit, however, so keep that in mind. I am wearing my usual size, 8.5, and they're just right.



We shot these photos the morning after my birthday party, and full disclosure: I was a little worse for wear, hence the hat (although the rain had something to do with that too). The good news: it's clear and sunny as I write this, and temperatures might actually creep up into the 60s this week. Goodbye, umbrella. Hello, spring!


OUTFIT DETAILS: A.P.C. trench (also here) | Everlane texture cotton cardigan | Topshop white denim skirt | Sam Edelman Rowena boots (also here) | A.P.C. sac demi-lune | Free Press newsboy cap