Cheryl Shops

I don't know about you, but I've never been happier to write a new year—hello, 2021! I know it's only a few days into the new year, and considering we're still in lockdown, nothing has exactly changed overnight. But there's something so hopeful and promising about the idea of a new year, plus how could 2021 possibly be worse than 2020, right? (Actually, let's not answer that one, just in case.) The question is, given that it's winter and we're all still staying at home for the most part, what do we wear now? I'm sure we can't wait to dress up once we're allowed to live our lives and be free once again, but is that the most practical thing to do right now? Then again, do we really want to keep wearing our sweatpants in 2021? Part of me thinks we're all going to dress like amped-up flappers when this is all over, and part of me thinks that the pandemic is going to change fashion forever. What if there's a happy medium? It may be a bit too early to commit to a 2021 uniform, but here's my first contender. 

I'd been eyeing this knit wrap tunic on eShakti for awhile—I instead ordered this zebra-print dress last time they reached out to me for a collaboration, and while I love it and absolutely hope to wear it again, it's sadly been hanging in my closet for the last nine months. Thankfully, this time I went with the tunic and I'm glad I did, because it's the perfect thing to wear right now—it feels dressier than a regular old sweatshirt, but it's still comfy AF. As with nearly everything on eShakti, you can customize certain aspects of the garment—in this case the neckline, sleeves, and length—but I kept everything as is because I think it's perfect just the way it was designed. The cowl neckline looked a little intimidating at first, but it sits nicely once you have it on, which is ideal if you aren't a big fan of constrictive necklines. What's really interesting, though, is the shape and cut of the entire tunic. There's an asymmetrical wrap effect at the bust that slowly tapers to a front slit to show a little leg. The cut is surprisingly flattering and the peek of leg prevents you from looking like a big old blob. No one will mistake it for an actual dress—the slit is way too high—but it's perfect over skinny jeans or leggings. Oh, and are you ready for your mind to be blown? It has pockets! Pockets! Can we agree that every garment made in 2021 should have pockets? (I rarely carry a purse anymore!) As always on eShakti, you can order a garment in standard or custom sizes made to your exact measurements (which is slightly more expensive but worth it if you want it to fit like a glove); I am wearing an off-the-rack size small, which fits me perfectly, but this style in particular is available in up to a 6X—how's that for inclusivity? Even better, this tunic is on sale at the moment, so you can order a matching mask (or three) with the money you're saving. 

I had also ordered a pair of straight-leg pants from eShakti (I'd never tried their pants before) but they didn't look quite right with the clean lines of the tunic, so I leaned into the Neo-Trinity-Matrix vibe and paired it with my Spanx faux leather leggings (last seen in November). As I noted before, I don't think these leggings look like actual leather, but they do feel somewhat futuristic, and the contrast in texture works nicely against the knit cotton of the tunic. (And speaking of The Matrix, when does the new one come out? Hopefully in 2021, because I know what I'll be wearing to go see it, once I'm fully vaccinated and movie theaters reopen, of course.) These leggings run a bit small—I'm in a medium and they are snug, although they're supposed to be, because they're leggings.

I realized I hadn't featured my coatigan since my initial post back in October, which is ironic because I wear it all the time. I may have prematurely declared 2020 the year of the coatigan; I think this wondrous, bathrobe-like piece is here to stay. There's nothing cozier in my opinion, and yet there's something dramatic about the length that makes whatever you're wearing look like A Statement. Also, I thought the tunic would look weird with anything shorter, unless I went extreme with a super-cropped jacket. As I noted last time, I should have sized down in this coatigan—I'm wearing my usual small and it's rather generous, although not too crazy. 

It's also been a minute since you've seen my Jimmy Choo boots (and I paired them with a similarly very black outfit), but I wear them all the time IRL. Because these boots have such a wide opening at the ankle, they look great with skinny jeans and leggings; they also work with the whole future-is-now vibe of my look. As I've said many times before, I'm going to have a hard time going back to heels after this, and I won't be mad if that's one of the permanent wardrobe shifts that I make. With boots like this, who needs heels?

OUTFIT DETAILS: eShakti knit wrap tunic (c/o) | Spanx faux leather leggings (c/o) | J.Crew Ella coat | Jimmy Choo youth biker boots