Scraping up the pennies in Zara!

Hey folks,

It's that time of the year again: the summer sales! And although i'm flat broke, i'm never one to turn down a bargain. So I hit the shops determined only to spend the money I had in my purse: a twenty pound note, one pound thirty six in change and, for some reason, an american dollar. With this princely sum I wanted a dress that I could wear again and again. When the sales start i usually go crazy buying "on trend" stuff that looks great for all of a month then dissapears into my wardrobe never to be seen again. Not this year: once, just once I will listen to the advice of my mother (who I hate to admit is never wrong) and buy something durable and versitile.

For no other reason than that it's the first shop you come to when you enter the mall, I started in Zara. Here are my favourite four dresses in the zara sale, each in store for less than £20:

Apologies for the white dress/green bra combo: I really should think things through! I liked this simple linen dress on the hanger but not really on me: I had to size up so it would fit around the bust but that left it loose everywhere else: particularly note the gaping under the arms: not a good look! But I think on someone less curvy this would make a really versitile practical summertime dress you could do so much with and wear again and again.

I loved this dress!! Love love love! The fit was fantastic, the tulip cut especially flattering, I even liked the little belt they cinched the waist in with (I never normally like the belts that come with dresses) The pattern isn't what my mum would call classic but i think it is subtle enough that you could accessorise it into next year. However if I bring home another strapless tulip cut dress that I rarely wear then I think my boyfriend would hurt me (or at least tut and shake his head in disapointment) And I did buy a less superior but nontheless similar checked strapless dress less than a month ago. This one goes back to the shelf for someone else to enjoy. Sigh!

Sorry to ruin the suprise/not build up the suspense, but this is the dress I bought. I was going to look round all the shops before I decided but it fit so well and it was the only one left in my size so I had it: black is always classic, the cut fit really nicely and the cut outs and embroidered oversized flowers around the necline stopped it from looking boring. hurray!!

What would my mum say?! Ok so its not simple or classic, but I loved the pattern and the casual oversized button up thing: kind of like I borrowed a beach cover up from my nan! It looked great but the cotton was too flimsy for me: I like to feel supported by some sturdy fabric: oh dear, maybe i am my nan!

Happy shopping,

Tor x