Cheryl Shops

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.


The last time I wore this Nordstrom-sale score cardigan (with jeans), I warned that you’d be seeing quite a bit of it. I also know that a bunch of you have already ordered it, so I figured I might as well show you more ways to wear it. There’s definitely something relaxed about the shape of this long cardigan—it kind of evokes a bathrobe—but it can work with a dressier outfit too. Here, it almost serves as a coat; we had some actual fall weather over the weekend, so that’s exactly how I wore it. It’s warm but not oppressively so; and have I mentioned how soft it is? I love this piece so much, I’m tempted to order it in more colors, especially black.



Speaking of black, that’s what I chose to layer underneath; I’m actually wearing a T-shirt and a skirt, although it probably looks like a dress from afar. This is just a basic black tee from Pact, an organic  brand, and obviously it’s a lot thinner than the bulky cardigan and knit skirt. When wearing knits on knits, it’s important to layer different textures and weights to create a little contrast.




If the cardigan is the heaviest and the tee is the lightest, then this midi skirt is in the middle, which is where you want your bottom to be—too thick and it could make you look bulky; too thin and it could reveal a bit too much. In true Goldilocks fashion, this ribbed midi skirt is just right, and the vertical lines of the ribbing create an elongating effect. You last saw this skirt back in June; I’ve been wearing it at least once a week since then. It’s super comfy and true to size (I’m in a small).

To break up the black-on-black a bit, I decided to add a belt bag. Every time I wear this one (last seen in Mexico City), I’m reminded of how much I love it. It is so liberating to go totally hands-free, and a belt bag doesn’t make my back ache in the way that cross-body bags do. (Yes, I know my age is showing.) It makes me wonder why I don’t carry this bag more, especially on the weekends!



You know when you want to wear boots but it’s still kind of too hot for them? These are the perfect shoes for this time of year. They’re kind of like a bootie and a slingback had a baby—they’re higher-cut on the ankle like a boot, but the open back is like built-in air conditioning. I am also obsessed with the faux-tortoise heel detail. These beauties are by Vionic, so you know they’re going to be super-supportive and comfortable too. They also run true to size; I’m in my usual 8.5. And, warning: you’re going to see a lot of these over the next few months.



OUTFIT DETAILS: Halogen cardigan | Pact tee (c/o) | Free People skirt | Madewell belt bag | Vionic Lacey bootie (c/o)