Cheryl Shops

As of Tuesday, it's officially spring, and for once, I feel like the weather is cooperating. This is the time of year when I start to get really tired of my winter clothes, and while that sentiment isn't quite as strong now that I live in California, I still welcome a change of season, especially when that means lighter colors, lighter fabrics, and cuter shoes. I am still working my way through all of the March fashion magazines—yes, I still read them!—but so far, three strong key pieces have emerged for me. And somehow I managed to combine them into one outfit. Here are my must-haves for spring 2024. 

The lady jacket

Chanel-inspired tweed jackets are such a classic, you can hardly call them a trend, however they keep coming around in various shapes and forms. A few years back when we were all still wearing skinny jeans, a kind of oversized version was in style, but for whatever reason, it just didn't work for me—I felt very matronly before my time. Granted, I'm a little older now, but I think what makes the current crop of ladylike jackets work is the cropped fit and more neutral color palette. I first tried this Ba&sh jacket on in NYC (clearly that trip was very influential for me this year!) but since my suitcase space was limited, I decided to order it online and have it shipped. This one has a pretty boxy fit, which feels very modern; gold buttons are another important element, and while Ba&sh makes a similar single-breasted style, I liked the double-breasted cut of this one for a little extra polish and glamour. As for color, I went with white versus black because really the last thing I need is another black jacket. But I think black would be a wise investment too. I'm wearing a medium in this style. 

The denim maxi skirt

This trend has been around for a couple seasons now, and I needed time to sit with it before I committed. I had a Diesel denim maxi skirt in the late '90s–early '00s that I wore quite a bit (I will have to dig it out of storage and see if it still fits! Although probably not!), so this time around, I went with a black wash, which felt a little more grown-up and elevated to me. Again, you could argue that a denim skirt is more of a classic versus a trend; I generally stay away when things I wore in my youth come back around, but the shape and classic styling of this one still work, no matter your age. I managed to score this particular skirt on sale at Mango in NYC back in January (and I was thankfully able to fit it in my suitcase), but they have an almost identical one this season, and it's available in a true blue too. I'm wearing a medium in this one also. 

 

The suede walking shoe

A bunch of influencers I follow on Instagram have recently been losing their minds over The Row's Tyler boots, as they tend to do with most of the stuff The Row puts out. I get it, but also, their MO is to do a super-high-end version of something that already exists, and you can usually just get the original for much less. My first thought was that the Tyler looks exactly like the shoes my grandfather wore religiously, Clarks Wallabees. So that's what I ordered, for a fraction of the price. Mine are actually the low version, which are hard to find in women's sizes, but here's a hack for the big-footed ladies out there: if you're a size 8.5 or above, just order the men's version. Mine are a men's size 7 (I'm almost always a women's 8.5), and they are comfy AF, if a little on the roomy side. I have a feeling these will be my go-to airplane shoes for the foreseeable future. As a bonus, I've worn them with everything from this skirt to wide-leg trousers to jeans, and they look good with all of it. Take that, Olsens!

OUTFIT DETAILS: Ba&sh Joe jacket | Madewell whisper tee | Mango skirt (current version here) | Celine Triomphe belt | Celine Romy bag | Clarks Wallabees