Cheryl Shops

In recent months, I've been gravitating toward the simple things, and it sounds like you have been too, because this month's most-pinned look from my Outfit ideas for ageless style Pinterest board is pretty classic—with a twist. The top is slightly exaggerated, the jeans are basic (but fit well), but the accessories are what make this one really stand out. (Spoiler alert: they don't come cheap.) Here's how to get the look. 

As you may have guessed from the title of this post, I'm in a bit of a wardrobe rut at the moment. I'm kind of tired of everything in my closet, and I haven't been shopping recently because of some economic uncertainty (which, thankfully, is now resolved). I'm not exactly tired of summer—the truly warm weather is just getting started here in San Francisco—but I can't enjoy it much at the moment because the air is super smoky due to the wildfires burning all over the freaking state, so we have to stay inside. Again. Alas, the show must go on, so here I am in an outfit that I actually like, although I feel the need to warn you that it's not my most original look. It is, however, one that I feel comfortable and cute in, so that will have to do for now. 

It is finally summer here in San Francisco, and while everyone else is starting to think about transitioning to fall clothes, I'm breaking out the sundresses and bare legs. It was in the 90s last week, which is super rare; and even though I don't have air-conditioning, I won't complain. Coincidentally, we tried to shoot a version of this outfit twice before and had to scrap it because I was too hot and sweaty both times. I ended up going with a slightly different T-shirt and skirt than I had originally intended, but I like this version even better—so much so that the cargo skirt became the key piece of this look. Here's how it all came together. 

The last few months have made me truly appreciate the simple things in life, and one of those is shopping in a store that's not Target or the grocery store. Yesterday I went to Sephora for the first time since March, and I was so happily overwhelmed that I was there for over an hour and had a conversation with every Beauty Advisor in the store. I didn't even care that I couldn't use any of the testers; being there was exciting enough. Sephora is likewise excited to welcome its clients back, and to sweeten the deal, they're running a sale now through Sunday, August 23rd: $15 off a $75 purchase or $20 off a $100 purchase. You can use code WELCOMEBACK once online, but the best part is that you can use it as many times as you want in stores. The location I went to was super clean, and I was offered hand sanitizer when I entered, plus everyone was wearing masks (which should go without saying at this point, but...); the stores are also running a giveaway game that you play on your phone. I didn't win, but I did buy a lot of stuff. Full disclosure: as I mentioned in my last Sephora post, I work for their corporate office, so I received some of these items gratis. But here are my current recommendations on what to buy during the Sephora sale. 

Today's the day that Insiders are finally allowed to shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and while many of my sale picks from last week are now sold out, the good news is that almost all of my favorites from past years are still in stock. I wear (and love) all of these pieces and highly recommend them—read on for my Anniversary Sale best buys!

 Two truly miraculous things have happened in the last week. One is that I was able to get my hair colored. Our hair salons in San Francisco are technically still closed, but it had been six months since my last appointment and I was starting to feel really depressed—call me vain, but, yes, my physical appearance does affect my mood. I cheated on my regular stylist with a friend of a friend (my color is not 100% right, but it's close enough) and I don't regret it for a second. (Sorry, Richard!) I feel like myself again and I realize the irony in that it involves artificial hair color, but whatever, I contain multitudes. Anyway, the other miraculous thing is that I went into H&M to kill time before my chiropractor appointment, and not only do they have a ton of dresses on sale (plus a bunch that are sold out on their website), but after over a year of searching, I finally found the perfect tiered dress. The best part? It was on sale.

Retailers have been hit rather hard by Covid—layoffs, store closures, bankruptcy filings—and even Nordstrom's famous Anniversary Sale got postponed by nearly a month. Things are definitely different this year; in lieu of the catalog, which always gets me super pumped by showcasing the best items, Nordstrom offered an online preview, which, while less sexy than a beautifully art-directed catalog, is actually more practical. There are fewer designer brands participating this year, but I was able to load up my wish list with a lot of great finds—some of which, due to Nordstrom's staggered access days, are already sold out, thanks to the highest tier of Nordy Club members, who began shopping Monday. (Godspeed to Nordstrom's community managers, who have been responding to a lot of angry comments on their Instagram.) I am crossing my fingers that my favorites are still in stock by the time I'm able to shop next Thursday—here are my clothing, shoes & accessories, and beauty Anniversary Sale picks for 2020. 

Ermigahd, how is it August already! Spring seemed to drag and now we are blitzing through summer, which is actually fine with me, because I can't wait for autumn. September and October are generally the warmest, clearest, most glorious months here in San Francisco, but first we have to make it through Fogust. And in case you were wondering why I'm wearing a coat (albeit a lightweight one) in the middle of summer, that's why. Generally, it's foggy until midday, at which point the sun comes out for a few hours, then by mid-afternoon, the wind picks up and the fog rolls back in. And now that you know way more about San Francisco's weather conditions than you ever wanted to, let's delve into the outfit.