Cheryl Shops

Last week, the New York Times did a profile on the "Christian girl autumn" woman, and I found her to be equally fascinating and relatable. Then again, I am one of those people who unapologetically loves fall. It has the best weather, the best food, and the best clothes. I like to be covered up—we can unpack the psychology behind that another day—and fall means you can layer turtlenecks and sweaters and blazers  and all those other cozy pieces all on top of each other. (Note: I know you can do that in winter too, but I feel like winter adds an element of needing more protective gear, which I'm not into.) This fall feels extra important to me because the last two have been marred by pandemic uncertainty, but this year feels like we're all ready to embrace capital-F Fashion once again. I've stopped doing trend reports—trends are something I don't exactly follow anymore—but there are a few things I'm particularly excited for this season. Here are my top three must-haves for fall 2022. 

Corduroy blazer

I wore A LOT of corduroy back in the '90s, my favorite being a pair of forest green wide-wale corduroy trousers that I found at Goodwill. I think I had a pair of corduroy skinny jeans in the early '00s, but other than that, this magnificently textured fabric has been largely absent from my wardrobe. There are many '90s things that I'd prefer stay in the past—low-rise jeans, midriff tops, chonky platform shoes—but I am eagerly welcoming corduroy back with open arms. First up is this Rivoli corduroy blazer from Banana Republic, which has a matching trouser if you want to go all in. (BTW, Banana Republic has been looking really good lately—my cart is currently loaded with a dress, a sweater, another blazer, and two pairs of pants.) I think a blazer is one of the easier ways to wear corduroy; pants can be a little tricky, especially with a wider wale. This one has slight New England professor vibes, but the subtly oversized cut feels very modern. The shoulders and sleeves are really well tailored, which prevents you from drowning in volume, and as a bonus, there are a ton of pockets in the lining. I am really impressed with the quality here—dare I say Banana is back? This blazer is true to size; I'm in my usual size 6, and unless you have birdlike arms, I would not recommend sizing down. 

'90s loose jeans

I feel like when we all came out of lockdown, all the young people were wearing high-waisted, loose-fitting '90s jeans. At the time, there was the millennial-skinny vs. gen-z-straight thing going on, and I chose to ignore it...until earlier this year when I went to NYC and literally everyone was wearing loose-fitting (not even slim straight-leg!) jeans. I tried several different fits from my current favorite brand, Agolde, before I landed on the '90s loose fit. First, let me say that I know these jeans are not "flattering" (e.g. they do not make me look thin). That is not the point. We are in the middle of a major silhouette shift at the moment, and the last time this happened was about 20 years ago when skinny jeans entered the chat, and remember how we were all disgusted by them at first? (Or was that just me?) This is a new concept and there might be some growing pains. They also might not be for everyone, and that's ok. Why am I wearing them when I know they don't make me look my best? They are COMFY AF. They are 100% cotton with zero stretch and yet the first time I put them on, I kept telling Sean how I felt like I was wearing pajama pants. Ladies, why have we been torturing ourselves with skintight spandex pants for the last two decades? Free your legs! That said, I need to experiment with what I wear with them—a new silhouette on the bottom usually requires a change up top too—and I feel like the very '90s combination of a bodysuit and Chanel-inspired jacket may be just the thing. BTW, these jeans run HUGE; in spite of the fact that I'm carrying around a few extra pounds at the moment,  I went down a size and am slightly nervous that they're going to stretch out. But you know what? That just makes them that much comfier. Win-win!

Birkenstock clogs

I came back from vacation and discovered that Birkenstock Boston clogs were trending on TikTok, and instead of wondering what relic from my youth Gen Z would uncover next, I thought, "Damn, these kids know a good thing when they see it!" As my longtime followers know, I am an unapologetic Birkenstock lover, and that means I've got both "summer Birkenstocks" (e.g. sandals) and "winter Birkenstocks," e.g. clogs. I do enjoy my Boston clogs—they permanently sit in my hallway, where I can slip them on to run to the bodega or take out the garbage—but last year I discovered the Buckley and honestly, I think they're even better. The shape reminds me a little of Clarks (which, as I discovered at the Museum of Pop Culture a few weeks ago, were favorites of '80s and '90s rappers) and you can get them lined with shearling, which makes them extra cozy. They're so iconic, Hermès has a similar version (that, to be honest, I think is kind of amazing albeit ridiculously expensive). If the Boston is my slip-on-and-run-outside Birkenstock, the Buckley is my casual-dinner-with-friends or night-at-the-movies shoe—too low-key for date night or a party, but just right for most of my daily activities. They run true to size and feel like walking on clouds. Highly recommend.

OUTFIT DETAILS: Banana Republic corduroy blazer | Farysays top | Agolde '90s loose jeans | Clare V bag (old) | Birkenstock Buckley clogs