The last week has been a little heavy; as I write this, helicopters are circling my neighborhood, thousands of protesters are likely spending the night in jail, and the world feels even more unsteady than it has the last few months. I will always argue with people who call fashion frivolous, but writing about it does feel a little off right now. That said, life is beautiful and everyone deserves to enjoy it. I was reminded of this today when I ate lunch in a real restaurant (!!!) and looked around to see so many families and friends reconnecting with each other after months in isolation. We have more in common than we realize, and we have to fight for each other. So I’m opening my eyes and ears to the experiences of people of color, opening my heart to their struggles, and opening my mouth to fight institutionalized racism on their behalf. To start, I highly recommend reading this op-ed from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Next, here’s a list of things you can do to help the Black Lives Matter cause. And finally, I know you probably didn’t come here for Woke Cheryl, but thank you for taking the time to read this. If you can change one mind, you can change the world. It’s a new month, so I thought I’d do something different and focus on a single topic: dresses. It’s finally warm outside, and while it is comfy to sit around your house in sweatpants, I find dresses just as comfortable, if not more so. I almost always go for shift dresses, which are cut straight and don’t have a waistband; I am ridiculously short-waisted, so I’ve found these to be the best silhouette for my particular shape and just easy on my body. I wear this Everlane dress year round—it’s such a classic and can work with bare legs in summer and tights in winter, the ultimate dress up, dress down dress. Don’t be afraid of the horizontal stripes; I think they make a T-shirt dress like this one look more polished and unexpectedly flattering. This one is several years old, unfortunately, but I’ve linked a similar style below. I know I’m wearing this J.Crew jacket for the second week in a row, but as I’ve said multiple times, this is one of my favorite jackets for a reason: it’s so freaking versatile and it lasts nearly forever. I almost wore a denim jacket with this look but felt like I needed a more neutral neutral to unite the two patterns I’m wearing (more on that later). Once again, this jacket runs true to size (I’m in my usual small) and if you want to support an American company trying to avoid bankruptcy, now’s a good time to buy one. 🙂 So yes, I am wearing a hat here, and full disclosure, it’s because my roots are a hot mess. I was supposed to get my hair done on March 23rd, a week after San Francisco went into shutdown, and we finally found out that hair salons will be reopening here in July, so by the time I finally get my hair colored, it will be over six months since my last appointment. Hence the hat, which I bought last summer in Copenhagen. If you are wary about mixing prints, accessories are a great way to test the waters. Leopard print and stripes work because of their similar color schemes—you want at least one color to unify the two, although two colors is even better. And I chose to grab my trusty Staud Bissett bag because I thought the ivory color would pop better against the dress than a black bag would. I love that this has both a top handle and a crossbody strap, plus the size is perfect for these times (e.g. it holds the essentials and not much else). I am excited it’s warm enough for sandals now, because, to be honest, it’s nice to have an alternative to sneakers (although I’m still wearing those too). Like all of Jambu’s sandals, the Modena is super comfy; the subtle wedge and asymmetrical strap make them look very chic and not at all like “comfort shoes”. These would be perfect for traveling, but since no one is doing any of that for the time being, they’re also great for walking the dog, running errands, or whatever limited activities you’re up to this season. They run true to size (I’m in my usual 8.5). This style is sold out on Jambu’s website, but here are more sandals and more wedges to check out (I love the Capri too). OUTFIT DETAILS: J.Crew field jacket | Everlane dress (similar here) | Ganni hat (similar here) | Staud Bissett bag | Jambu Modena sandals (c/o)