Cheryl Shops

Of all the pieces of clothing worth investing in, outerwear is definitely at the top. They're what you tend to wear the most, yet they can last the longest. If properly cared for, jackets and coats can be worn upwards of 20 years, and of course even longer—I have several vintage coats from the 1960s that have aged like fine wine. I tend to feature my outerwear over and over again here on this blog because it's what I actually wear in real life, but also to point out how versatile the pieces I love are. Case in point: I've worn my J.Crew quilted downtown field jacket with everything from denim to dresses. It's funny to think I hesitated to buy it because I was worried it was too close to my other favorite J.Crew outerwear, the downtown field jacket; instead, I like to think of it as the downtown's cooler-weather counterpart. It's the perfect jacket for fall (or spring), when you need something warmer than a denim or army jacket, but you're not quite ready for wool or a puffer. It's so good, J.Crew keeps bringing it back year after year. Here are seven of my favorite ways to wear it. 

With wool trousers

Fun fact: this photo was taken in London on March 7, 2020, which reminds me, I have yet to post my London travel diary from that trip. In retrospect, I probably should have brought a slightly warmer coat on that vacation, but I was remarkably comfortable in this one.  This is one of my favorite outfits in this post, hence why it's going first. Between the Anine Bing tiger tee, the slouchy Isabel Marant trousers, and the Vans, it just feels very me in a very prescient way—this is pretty much the type of dressy-casual outfit I wear every day now. 

OUTFIT DETAILS: J.Crew quilted downtown field jacket | Anine Bing tiger tee | Isabel Marant Noah trousers | Vans Sk8-hi sneakers

With a midi skirt

This outfit is an oldie but a goodie—I still own (and frequently wear) everything in this photo. The quilted jacket works here because while I am wearing a skirt, the entire vibe of the outfit is very casual, thanks to the T-shirt, bucket hat, and Birkenstocks. It also feels very Northern California: I'm all layered up yet wearing bare legs and sandals. Story of my life ;)

OUTFIT DETAILS: J.Crew quilted downtown field jacket | Proenza Schouler striped tee | Free People skyline skirt | Ganni hat | Staud Bissett bag (in brown) | Birkenstock Arizona sandals

With white culotte jeans

This post is turning into quite the trip down memory lane; this one was shot in the early days of the pandemic and I remember being paranoid about staying six feet away from other people on the sidewalk. Anyway, this is a pretty casual outfit, especially with the running sneakers (which I have never actually run in), but again, it's comprised of pieces I still wear all the time. My only regret is that I wish I did a better job of tucking in my chambray shirt, as it looks a little too sloppy. 

OUTFIT DETAILS: J.Crew quilted downtown field jacket | Madewell chambray shirt | Paige Nellie culotte jeans | Fount coventry bag (c/o) | Veja condor sneakers

With a midi dress

It's funny to think that we shot this outfit in January, but sometimes it's unseasonably warm, and that's one of the many reasons I love living in California. This is a slightly dressier outfit, involving a dress and all, but the sneakers keep it a little more casual. This is around the time I started observing "Fancy Friday," when I dress up on Fridays to give myself a break from all the pants I normally wear—and, of course, celebrate the arrival of the weekend. If you're still working from home (or even if not), I highly recommend trying it!

OUTFIT DETAILS: J.Crew quilted downtown field jacket | Banana Republic ruched dress (similar here) | Celine phantom cabas tote | Golden Goose superstar sneakers

With faux leather joggers

This an outfit I call "city girl goes to the country," and one that I still wear frequently. The faux leather joggers and Vans feel very urbane and maybe a little glamorous, and even though the jacket is called the Downtown, it still feels a little country to me, in the best possible way. Again, this is the perfect jacket for Northern California; we shot this look in Healdsburg, home to some of my favorite wineries. 

OUTFIT DETAILS: J.Crew quilted downtown field jacket | Everlane air tee | Michael Kors faux leather joggers (similar here) | Vans Sk8-hi sneakers

With a shirtdress

Another outfit from London, I had originally intended to wear this with the navy trench that I also brought on this trip but opted for this jacket instead since it was so chilly there. Even though it's not exactly how I'd planned it, I think this jacket still works here, especially since I'm wearing more casual shoes with my dress. Sadly, I don't think I've worn this dress since we shot these—time to bring it out of retirement!

OUTFIT DETAILS: J.Crew quilted downtown field jacket | Thakoon for Target dress (on eBay) | Stella & Dot bag (similar here) | Vionic Hadley oxfords (similar here)

With black jeans

This outfit is a little cut off, hence why I put it all the way at the end, but it's still a good one. This is a very casual weekend look, but it includes one of the all-time Cheryl Shops bestsellers, the Nakedcashmere Waverly sweater (which sadly, Nakedcashmere no longer makes, but I've linked a very similar style below). Nakedcashmere makes *the best* cashmere around, and if you are feeling a few pounds away from your best, I highly recommend these Madewell jeans. Like the midi skirt look above, we shot this outfit in Carmel, and I can't wait to go back there next week!

OUTFIT DETAILS: J.Crew quilted downtown field jacket | Nakedcashmere Waverly sweater (current version) | Madewell Cali demi-boot jeans | Audette bag (similar here) | Golden Goose superstar sneakers