Bubblegum Nails and Summer Dresses

Poor little me, I can't go to work on Fridays on the new project I'm staffed on... What does a girl do with a 3-day weekend? Roam around and do what girls love best, of course! With the sun shining down and a whole extra day to spare, my friend, Maria, and I treated ourselves to spa mani/pedis before heading out to Old Town Pasadena to see what we could find. I love shopping on weekdays when everyone else is at work... No lines and clean, well-stocked stores! With all the stores rolling out their summer must-haves, it was definitely a fun day to explore. Excuse the awkward, cut-off pictures, but hopefully I will get the hang of taking better fitting-room pictures in the future.

First stop of the day was my favorite: Zara. I have already raved about their spring collection, but was still excited to see what new items they've added since I was last there in DC. When Maria stumbled upon something I've been desperately on the search for, my love for the new collection was solidified! Being a measly 5'1 means I never really thought I could pull off the maxi dress look. However, after seeing plenty of petite girls successfully sporting them, I've always wanted to try one on. The bust area of an XS fit perfectly and although I still need to have it hemmed a few inches to get rid of that stumpy look, this is the best fitting maxi I've found. The entire top of the back is ruched, so it fits snuggly and allows for some stretch for a more customized fit. I also tried on the TRF nautical dress and fell in love with the cut and stripes! I don't own very many things with sleeves, so this was a fun change! The gold buttons even have cute little anchors on them. The light cotton material is also thin enough that I wore it as a swim cover-up this past weekend.

I have always, always loved Urban Outfitters' casual, but chic looks. Since UO puts all its items on sale within a few weeks of releasing them, I usually only window-shop and wait to order everything online. The byCORPUS Polkadot Dress fit so nice, though... I couldn't resist! This was my favorite purchase of the day! Love that the silk material makes it so easy to dress up. Plus, did I mention that it has pockets?! The adjustable tie-straps also make it possible to adjust the neckline for a more or less conservative look (more cleavage for dates?). I heart versatility. I grabbed the Silence & Noise Cardigan to see how the dress would look for work, but I ended up really loving it and bought it as well. Yes, I have no self-restraint whatsoever, but look how cute it looks on the model paired with shorts! Next on my list to try is the Lucca Couture Strapless Floral Lace Dress, so hopefully I can find it (on sale) soon. UO practically releases a new set of dresses everyday, so I'm also going to keep checking for more potentials.

It can be a daunting task to dig through the racks at F21 (especially at the larger stores), but the Pasadena store is really well organized! Unlike the craziness of the SF Union Square monstrosity, the Old Town two-story location has neat little niches for each of its sub-lines. I got my cheap, summer dress fix with the two airy floral pieces above. I've been hunting for the one on the left for quite some time now, but it sold out online pretty quickly. I wasn't too sure if the ruffly hemming would be too much, but the over the knee length makes it work somehow. Love the fit and that I can wear it with my new cardi! The one on the right didn't fit as nicely above the waist, so I might have it taken in so that it won't look as bulky on top. The v-shaped ruffled neckline, bright print, and cheap price still made it a good buy though. I found that throwing a cardi over this gives it a quick shape fix, so no biggie! I can't find either of these dresses online, but for a similar look, check out the Garden Spaghetti Strap Dress. Also, in case you saw PetiteAsianGirl's post about her fabulous lace dress she found at H&M, F21 also has their own version of the dress, minus the bubble skirt.

All in all, I would say it was quite a successful shopping day. Thankfully it stays warm enough during the months of May-September to make for some good wear and tear time for all these dresses! I love that even though Old Town doesn't have too many stores, it's got just the right selection to choose from. In addition to UO, F21, and Zara, you can also find a Kate Spade, J.Crew, H&M, and Banana Republic on Colorado Avenue. The domestic nerd in me also loves browsing Crate and Barrel, Z.Gallerie, and Pottery Barn in between shopping for clothes. Please add a Club Monaco, Old Town, and I might never have to go shopping anywhere else.