The Budget Babe's Windy City correspondent, Chantal Baros, previews the latest spring fashions from Zara at their exclusive press event. —BB




by Chantal Baros
Last Wednesday I attended a press event at the Zara flagship store on 700 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago for a preview of the Spring/Summer 2011 collection; and it was fantastic! The new collections for spring were marked by interesting details, beautiful fabrics and pops of colors to herald in that warm weather we're all craving. And best of all, Zara brings us runway-inspired fashions at great prices with most pieces under $100. Needless to say, I wanted to buy everything.

What's hot at Zara? Everything. Fresh, bright colors are the best way to start working spring into your wardrobe. Bright colorblocking seems to be the focus and the electric blues, emerald greens, fresh oranges and hot fuchsias look fantastic on tailored clean pieces. I was impressed by how each collection seemed very cohesive and wearable with lots of options for dressing pieces up or down. Also look out for awesome tiered shirts and dresses, and kimono style tops seem to be a big trend this spring too.

Stuart Weitzman's "Alex" espadrille wedge is $365 at Nordstrom.



Love the look but can't drop hundreds on a sandal? Try Steve Madden's "Fantasik" wedge as an alternative, available in khaki or black for $69. Click either image for details.

If you were to visit H&M right now, you'd see all the fresh spring fashions, and let me tell you, they are a breath of fresh air after this long harsh winter many of us have endured. My store had a ton of wearable pieces in two main color stories: First, there were the soft neutral shades ranging from tans and whites to blush tones, muted coral and nude hues. I scooped up a washed-out coral blazer for $34.95 that I think will look sharp with a striped tee and jeans or over a printed dress. The other main trend was a slightly preppy, nautical vibe defined by stripes, khakis, navy, red and green. Love! Accessories included adorable crossbody bags, bracelets you could layer and casual shoes like espadrille wedges and bright flats. Keep reading for more photos, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised!

After my trip to Payless, I paid a visit to Forever 21 to see what was new for spring. The clothes were organized to highlight some of spring's key trends, including tribal, florals, and nautical. You couldn't miss the eye-catching colors and bold prints, from geometric to animal print, in the tribal section; silhouettes included ponchos, linen shorts and daring crop-tops. Next to that, ditsy print dresses and bohemian blouses in pretty pastels created a feminine, garden party oasis. The nautical/Americana section was marked by stripes in navy, white and red, plus plaid, gingham and lightwash denim. I bought a navy and red sweater (which you'll see after the jump) and I'll probably go back for more. Other highlights included a day-to-night Chanel inspired jacket, lightweight chunky knits in spring colors like nude and pink, and lots of maxi-skirts, which honestly aren't my style but I can see lots of fashion bloggers scooping them up! I purchased a tan trench (see me wearing it on Facebook) to test-drive this classic look which has been called a wardrobe essential by just about every style expert on the planet. All I can say is, what took me so long?

Click through for more photos.

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have caught my tweets earlier this week about my love of the designer series shoes at Payless. Christian Siriano's snakeskin wedge sandals and fierce cage heels looked amazing for the price, and Isabel Toledo's eccentric styles were funky and sure to please urban artsy types. But what really made my heart skip a beat were the colorful, preppy-global wedges by Lela Rose. I couldn't decide which pair I loved more, the "Bolivar," a green fabric wedge with woven wedge heel or the "Loreto," a navy fabric wedge with faux leather and wood striped heel. At $49.99 a pair, I decided to wait and think about it before making a purchase.

Have you bought anything from Payless lately?