Crisp White Summer

The sun finally decided to come out in LA and temps reached 95+ degrees! After the sad, sad slew of dreary days, I was happy to wake up to some sunshine this week. The fun part about summer is that even running errands means you can dress up a little more these days. My favorite look of choice: a crisp, white linen dress!

Dress: Forever21 Heritage 1981

Necklace: J.Crew

Shoes: Miss Trish for Target Seahorse Flat

I found this Forever21 dress while roaming around the Fox Hills Culver City mall last weekend and didn't even think to try it on since I couldn't see how I could go wrong with such a cute dress! Lucky for me, it fits perfectly. I can't find the dress online for some reason, but I wanted to point out that I've had some pretty good luck with the H81 line. The pieces are a little more casual and after finding a few great pieces, I always make sure to look through this section now.

Aside from this dress being super comfortable and lightweight, I love the eyelet accents across the bosom and along the hemline. I was concerned at how sheer the dress would be, but even with my blue GapBody bra (a favorite, favorite!), there was barely a hint of it underneath. No embarrassing slip-ups to be feared. White dresses are an easy choice for looking fresh and clean and this was such a great find for less than $25. The only thing I'm debating changing is cutting off the fabric ties on the dress so that I can add a belt instead. 

White dresses also mean you have a ton of freedom when deciding what to accessorize with, but I chose to keep it simple for the day. Adding a J.Crew necklace I found at the Cabazon outlets (for less than $30!) was an easy choice with the gold and pearls. The Miss Trish sandals are becoming a quick summer favorite since they can be paired with almost anything and come in size 5.5. They weren't super comfortable the first few times I wore them, but now that they're completely broken in, I can wear them all day long. Although I took the easy route and accessorized with some more white, I could just as easily see this dress worn with some bright flats and a bun with a flower.

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.

Zara Spring Collection Goodies

I've always been a *huge* fan of Zara because of its sophisticated, yet girly style. The brand keeps things simple with a pretty neutral palette and classic pieces. The San Francisco Westfield location is one of my favorite Zara stores, but I'd have to say that the Washington, D.C. Metro Center Zara (1025 F St. NW) definitely gives SF a run for its money! After a day of roaming around the D.C. monuments, my friend, Kim, and I were surprised to find the store unassumingly nestled down the street from the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Since it was getting chilly, we figured we could pick up some jackets and scarves to get us through the rest of the night... Instead, we stumbled upon a WHOLE bunch more, thanks to Zara's spring collection.

Although I wasn't really looking to buy that much, I managed to find some super adorable pieces that I've always wanted--a ruffled skirt and simple, crisp white dress! The clutch and tee were just bonus, random goodies. I've been looking for a pretty skirt to wear in the spring with either a long cardigan or blazer, depending on the occasion. I *love* the pretty silk print and can't wait to wear it. The tee was a random item I picked up to try with the skirt, but it ended up fitting well enough for me to buy it. I've seen a few girls wearing these shoulder-ruffle tees, but would've never thought I could pull it off. It's definitely different from anything I own, despite being so simple. The clutch is made of real leather and is perfectly tiny for nights out. I didn't take a picture of the inside, but it's very well constructed with a zippered pouch for coins, pockets for credit cards and IDs. Plus, it fits my iPhone and camera!

My favorite piece has to be the dress, however. The cut is slim and hits about an inch above my knee so that it's flirty enough on its own for daytime lunch dates, or conservative enough for summertime family outings. What's fun is that the ruffled neckline can be worn in the front or in the back. I tried pairing the dress with my gold J.Crew high-waisted belt for a more fitted look. Love that I could even substitute the belt with a bright colored satin ribbon for an even girlier look (the endless color combos are what's so great about white dresses!). The large eyelet texture also gives it a breezy, playful feel. Love, love, love the low-back since it will be perfect to pair with a large side-braid when my hair grows out again. I can't wait to wear this!! 

I also fell in love with this super cute dress while I was there, but they were out of XS. This is more of a fun dress and although I've been trying to dress more sophisticated, being in business casual for the majority of the week makes me appreciate pieces like this even more. Can't you see this being a great choice for a day in the park or at the beach? So many dresses, so many possibilities! I am loving all the blues and whites that the brand's decided to use for their collection and am excited to see more of what they have to offer. Another Zara trip is definitely in order in the coming weeks...

More Delia's...

Spring Blossoms

The rain's really been coming down in LA and all I can think about is how quickly I wish spring and summer would be back already! The dreariness of cold, wet rain combined with long work days makes a girl quite sad. With a closet full of colorful dresses (and tons more on my to-buy list), I can't wait for this to be over! My sister was visiting the other day and had on a cute new floral dress that she picked up from UCLA neighborhood store, Kaitlyn. It reminded me that I can't think of anything I love more than spring blossoms.

Ruffle Tiered Dress ($29.90): This is the dress my sister had on and it's totally cute and girly! I'm going to pair this (when I steal it from her) with my favorite grey boyfriend cardigan for a weekend brunch date.

Collective Concepts B&W Dress ($59.00): This is one of my favorite floral dresses. I love the bold contrast of the black and white flowers and the structured fit makes this quite work-friendly (always a plus for us working girls). Adding sky high heels will easily transition this into a Friday after-work ensemble.

AE Floral Tube Dress ($44.50): I have a dress like this from the summer collection and it's one of my favorites! It hugs in all the right places giving me a smaller waist, bigger hips, and a good amount of bustiness (because that's what us petite gals could all use a little more of).
 

Why stop at dresses? This Kate Spade beauty is a MUST. There's something about red flowers that makes every girl a little weak in the knees.

And just for fun, aren't these the cutest earrings ever?!

Rain, rain, please go away so my dresses and shoes can come out to play!