Cheryl Shops

August, otherwise known as Fogust, is a weird time of year in San Francisco. Elsewhere in the world, people are beginning to grow tired of their summer clothes, but we're just getting ready to break them out. Even if it isn't always warm here in the actual summer (hence why I'm wearing a jacket in some of these photos), I do like to wear lighter colors. So I've been gravitating toward lots of white, ivory, and beige lately, often mixing them all together in one outfit. It's hard to match light neutrals, so the key is to embrace multiple shades and wear them all together. Really, there's no wrong way to do it. Here's my go-to outfit of the moment, featuring some of my favorite new (and old) pieces. 

If you subscribe to my newsletter, you got a sneak peek of these shoes last week. Having worn nothing but slippers, sandals, and sneakers for the last year and a half, I'd been seriously contemplating giving up heels for good. However, I am going on vacation next month, and while I'd probably be ok in flats the entire time, I decided it would be nice to dress up a little, so I started looking for a pair of white heeled sandals. Normally I wouldn't go for anything so high anymore, but I saw these on another woman in wine country a few weeks ago and she swore they were were super comfortable—and in spite of having a three-inch heel, all the other 5-star reviews backed her up. These sandals come in a bunch of neutrals but I went for ivory; I love their Bottega Veneta-ish vibe and, yes, they are much more comfortable than they look. (Are they as comfortable as Birkenstocks or sneakers? No. But for heels, they're not bad.) They are vegan leather, which I am generally not a big fan of, but these don't hurt my feet, and that also helps keep the price at a very reasonable $120. Expect to see a lot of these in my upcoming vacation photos. 

Speaking of things that look good on vacation, I love little white summer tops; I buy a new one nearly every year, because eventually they start to get kind of grungy and/or disintegrate. This one is from Old Navy, and while it's sold out in cream, it's still available in a few other colors—I love it so much, I'm tempted to get it in black too. It has really pretty flutter sleeves, the fabric is nice and airy, and it feels much higher in quality than it should be for the price. The fit is pretty roomy, although it's a little on the boxy side, so I tend to wear mine with higher-waisted pants and tuck in the front. I'm wearing my usual size small, which you can see is pretty generous on me. 

I've been on a pants-buying spree lately because I've realized I tend to wear more pants when I work from home—which now looks like it will be happening indefinitely for me—and I was seeking a little more variety in my repertoire. I bought these on sale at Cos in Chicago; they are technically jeans, but they look a little more polished. This is Cos's "barrel" cut, which doesn't sound super flattering, but it has a high waist and a very wide, outward-curving leg shape (yes, like a barrel!). Straight and wide-leg pants seem here to stay, and in spite of the fact that these are 100% cotton, I find them to be pretty comfy (unless I eat a lot for dinner, in which case I have to unbutton the top button). While this exact style is sold out, I've linked to a similar pair; I found it runs true to size. 

Accessory-wise, I've brought back some of my summer go-tos here, including my trusty Isabel Marant belt (last seen with denim shorts) and my Loewe-knockoff straw bag (last seen in June). I kind of wish I had worn a brown belt instead of black, but I love this one so much...maybe I should get it in brown too! I also brought back one of my favorite jackets, the J.Crew field jacket, which you've seen a gazillion times. but probably most recently with lace-up sandals. I'm looking forward to "summer" in San Francisco—which comes in September and October—but in the meantime, I'm still layering up!

OUTFIT DETAILS: Old Navy top | J.Crew field jacket  (current version) | COS jeans (similar here) | Isabel Marant Lecce belt | Mango straw bag | Dolce Vita Paily sandals