Cheryl Shops

This post is sponsored by Cuddl Duds but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

I get up every morning at 6:45 to walk my dog, Zuni, and while it's never easy, it's particularly challenging this time of year because we're awake before the sun is up. And while I'm frequently tempted to roll out of the house in my nightgown, I do manage to pull on a Cuddl Duds top and leggings, because believe it or not, there are people already out and about at that hour. Here's what I wear when I walk Zuni.

Of all the trends I'm featuring this season, this one seemed a little iffy to me...until I got my hair done a few weeks ago and literally every female stylist at my salon was wearing a square-neck top. Granted, most of them were of the slightly cropped variety, but thankfully there are a lot of square-neck tops that have a slightly more forgiving silhouette. Here are my favorite square-neck tops for fall.

I've been talking up wide-leg pants a lot lately, so I thought it's time to put my money where my mouth is. Or, to put it more succinctly, I decided to buy a pair of wide-leg black trousers. I got inspired to do so after seeing a woman wearing what I'm pretty sure is this Chloé pair on the street—the front wrap detail makes the silhouette extra unique and feminine, not to mention perfect for camouflaging a food baby. And while I do certainly have one of those right now, I don't have $1,250 to spend, but thankfully I found a very similar pair (on major sale, even) at ASOS. And let me tell you, after nearly 15 years of wearing skinny jeans, I had completely forgotten how comfortable wide-leg pants are. I've been wearing them pretty much nonstop since I got them—they look so polished, yet you can totally dress them down too. So with that in mind, here are two ways to wear wide-leg pants.

It's been awhile since I've bought a pair of leather pants, but I'm feeling confident enough that there's a major silhouette shift happening that I'm ready for another pair. This season, it's all about a wide-leg cut, either in a full length or cropped cut. The upside is that this silhouette is super-flattering; the downside is that unless you go with faux leather, it's a bit of an investment. Then again, I've had my current pair of leather pants for years, and I think of them exactly as that—an investment. Here are my favorite wide-leg leather (and faux leather) pants of the season. 

One of my favorite pieces of the last year or so has been this Free People Normani slip skirt; this is its third appearance here (you last saw it with a denim jacket) and I wear it at least once every other week in real life. It's relaxed enough to wear on the weekend and can dress up with a blazer for work, plus it's super comfy and manages to look feminine yet pulled together no matter what the occasion. Lately, my favorite way to wear it has been with an oversized double-breasted blazer (one of my key pieces for fall); here's how it all comes together.

Snakeskin print is the trend that just won't quit—I featured it back in spring, and also last fall. And while it may never replace my first love, leopard print, I think I'm finally ready to add some snake print to my wardrobe. I think the coolest way to wear it this season is in an ankle boot—there are all shapes and colors too, from metallic silver to pink. Just to clarify, these are generally snake-embossed leather, not actual snakeskin boots. Here are some of my favorites for fall.

My wardrobe is mostly neutral by design—it's more interchangeable that way, however I do enjoy an occasional, well-placed pop of color. Red is strong color that takes a bit of boldness to wear, but I love the confidence it inspires. I had a red blazer that I loved, but it was literally unraveling and unsalvageable, so I decided to replace it. The one I ended up with has quite a backstory (keep scrolling) but I love how casual it is in spite of its strong color. True, you can rock a red blazer with black trousers and feel like a total boss, but I love how approachable it feels with jeans and a T-shirt. Here's how I wore my new red blazer on the weekend.

I wear a blazer pretty much every day, to the point that I worry about turning into Suze Orman (although it would be nice to have her financial savvy). But a blazer is the one piece that instantly makes anything I'm wearing feel that much more pulled together. This season, I'm all about the plaid boyfriend blazer, the longer the better (bonus points if it covers your bum, so you can wear it with leggings). It's obviously menswear-inspired, but with details or colors that make it softer and more interesting. Here are my favorite oversized plaid blazers for fall 2019.

I’ve always been a big fan of knits on my upper half—what’s not to love about a good T-shirt or sweater?—but have only recently gotten into them on my lower half. Since knits can be clingy, and since you may or may not want to draw attention to certain parts of your lower half, dressing with them can be quite a challenge. But the guideline is simple: emphasize what you want to, and draw attention away from what you don’t want to. The best part: wearing knits on knits is incredibly comfy and cozy, but can look polished too. Here’s how.