Shopping at the Bravern

Last night my mom and I went to check out the new Bravern shopping center in Bellevue. It's so nice the Pacific Northwest has a Neiman Marcus with a Chanel and Prada boutique. Although I can't afford anything they have to offer it was nice to drool over the fabulous quilted bags. We checked out the Louis Vuitton store and I am convinced my next bag is going to be the Damier Canvas. An expensive classic that will last for ever. We also checked out Jimmy Choo and Anthropologie. They set up a few different outdoor fireplaces and seating areas. I think it's going to be a great hang out spot when the weather is warm.

For dinner I had a pizza at the Artisional Table. It's a great date restaurant where you can split a salad and pizza. I also brought home some cupcakes from Trophy cupcakes which I love!!

I'm dying to try the Artisional Brasserie and Winebar with my girlfriends. It looks yummy and super fun!

Buy These

When summer roles around I will usually head out to J. Crew to purchase my favorite summer shorts. They used to carry the "perfect fit" not too short, lowrise shorts. They come in a bunch of fun colors and I like to stock up and wear them as basics all summer. I was bummed to find that J. Crew is no longer carrying their signature "perfect fit" shorts and I was even more bummed when the sales associate encouraged me to try on their bermuda length chinos which are super unflattering on any girl with hips and thighs. After not loving the image the ill fitting shorts emblazoned in my brain I went on a mission. I hit up Banana Republic, the Gap, H&M, and Nordstrom on a quest for my new perfect fit summer basics shorts. I struck out at every location and could not find cute shorts in basic colors.

Sometimes I have a tough time shopping for basics when I know exactly what I want because I'll tend to find the trendy version and become frustrated. For instance J. Crew did have some cute shorts but I didn't want nautical stripes and anchors, or cargo pockets, string belts, and funky folds. I wanted classic shorts with clean lines in solid colors.

I was surprised and excited to find exactly what I was looking for at Old Navy. They had basic low rise shorts in solid colors like, white, black, navy, and gray. The quality is comparable to what I was purchasing at J. Crew. I even think the fit is a little better and the best part is I only paid $19.95! I was spending around $45-$50 a pair at J. Crew. I am very excited and happy with my find and will proudly be rocking my Old Navy shorts all summer!

Image: OldNavy.com