Cheryl Shops

In case you haven't been following me on Instagram (shameless plug, sorry), I spent an extended Memorial Day weekend in Mexico City. I had wanted to go there for awhile—I feel like nearly everyone I know has been there in recent years—and without spoiling my upcoming trip diary, it completely lived up to the hype. The food was amazing (and cheap), the city very urbane, the people incredibly kind, and I had a fantastic time overall. We were incredibly lucky weather-wise—it rained briefly a few times at night (it's the beginning of the rainy season) but was sunny and in the low 80s during the day. The city is at a very high elevation (7,000 feet!) and the air is quite dry, so the weather was actually quite temperate (and my hair remained blissfully frizz free). I stuck to a light-neutral color palette for this trip, which made both packing and getting dressed quite easy. Plus, the city is gorgeous and brightly colored in lots of spots, so it totally popped in photos against my outfits. Speaking of which, here's one of my favorite looks from the trip.




I'd been searching for a white peasant dress for awhile, and while I had envisioned something a bit more lacy or eyelet, I fell in love with the simplicity of this Paige dress. It has a few bells and whistles like the ties at the neckline and the lace trim at the tiers of the skirt, but otherwise it's pretty minimal as far as peasant dresses go. It's long-sleeved, but the fabric is a really lightweight, breathable cotton voile, and the sleeves are actually unlined (the body and skirt are fully lined and not at all see-through). I was perfectly comfortable and never felt hot or sweaty, and it was casual enough for sightseeing yet dressy enough for dinner afterward. As far as little white dresses go, it's a solid investment for summer. I'm in a size medium, for reference, which fit me loosely yet ideally.



So, I had been considering getting a belt bag (or as we used to call them, "fanny pack") for awhile but I think I was a little scarred from the neon crinkled nylon versions from my youth. I finally bought this one from Madewell on sale, and I love it so much, I wish I had gotten one even earlier. I felt so liberated from having to carry a purse on my shoulder; it's almost like being a man and having everything you need in your pockets. I didn't have to think about where to put my purse when I sat down at meals, and I didn't feel unsafe about rifling around for my phone or wallet. My one criticism of this bag is that it's a bit on the small side—it fits my wallet, phone, hand sanitizer, and lip gloss, and not much more. But if it were much bigger, I'd be tempted to load it with a bunch of stuff, and all of a sudden it's backache o'clock. Speaking of small, that's the size I ordered in this one, and I kind of wish I had gone up to a medium, only because I wore it a little lower on my hips most of the time and was on the last or second to last hole. But that's minor—overall, I'm super happy with this belt bag and enthusiastically recommend getting one.



I did bring one pair of heels on this trip that I wore for approximately three hours one night. I did so much walking on this trip that my feet swelled a bit and, if I'm being honest, I don't wear heels IRL quite as much as I used to. I had planned on featuring a pair of heels (in red) with this outfit, but since I was out being a tourist, my Vionic thongs (last seen in Long Beach) made more sense. Full disclosure: these shoes don't have the best ankle support, but the sole is like walking on clouds. I did about 20,000 steps on the day we shot these photos, and my feet were comfy all day (and night).



Speaking of these photos, they were kind of an impromptu photo shoot at the Frida Kahlo museum, which was one of my favorite outings on this trip. I'd highly recommend going—and buying tickets in advance to avoid waiting in a very long line. It was heartbreaking to learn of all the hardship Frida Kahlo faced in her life, but inspiring to see her home and studio, and to gain insight into her process of turning her pain into incredibly moving art. Plus, the house itself is incredibly serene (and, yes, photogenic). I can't praise it enough!



OUTFIT DETAILS: Paige Jaslene dress (also here) | Madewell belt bag | Vionic Kirra sandals (c/o) | MVMT Maverick sunglasses (c/o)