Finally Someone Pays Me to Shop! (Plus a Quick Trip to Target)

I got a call from a market research firm the other day. They ask me lots of question about buying hair care products and where I like to shop and whatnot and said they'd call me back in five minutes to tell me if I qualified for any upcoming studies. I figured it would be one of those sit-around-a-table deals where you get free bad dinner and have to spend three hours talking about what you like in plastic shampoo bottles.

Instead they asked if I could meet them at Sephora and talk about my shopping experience there. I was all over that. I took the day off work, got to sleep a little later than usual, and met two market researchers at The Mall. I picked up a few items I was out of as I chatted with the ladies. Then we cruised The Mall, talked about what catches my eye in a window and why I like the Aveda store and hate the Mac store. Then we drove to a nearby CVS, discussed hair products and makeup, and I bought some mousse. It took one hour and they paid me $175 to run my errands and talk about my favorite activity--I hope they call back!

I had some spare time, so I got a pedicure with my birthday girl pal, and stopped in Target on my way to the gym. I had purchases a long white belted Isaac Mizrahi sweater with pretty pearl buttons a couple weeks ago. What was I thinking? Long? White? Belted? I returned it and in approximately seven minutes found two more sweaters, and a dress and a top from the Go line. There was no specific designer attached to the Go items currently in the store (Rogan is winding down and Richard Chai is gearing up), but I liked what they had going on. Lots of flowers and ruffles--and I'm a sucker for both these days.

Here's the dress. It's very fun and vintagey and cute on. Short but not too short, and quite figure flattering. (Cheapy Jr. doesn't care for it, but he's four--what does he know? He's quite the fan of my Chick Flick Cherry toenails, however.)


This is the top I got. It's very similar in style--floral and ruffly--and I probably should have gotten one or the other, but I couldn't decide and I like them both, so now they are both in my closet. Note that both of these items look better in person than they do in these photos. I don't know what it is about the Target website, but they really don't do their clothing justice.


Check out the exposed silver zipper up the back--that was the clincher.


The other items a got were a couple of cropped cardigans. I can't get enough of them for summer. It's hot outside; it's freezing in my office. A mini cardi is the perfect thing to keep the chill off my arms and shoulders and not eclipse my entire summer outfit. They also fit into my bag quite nicely. I must have close to a dozen at this point--a few from Anthropologie, a couple from Old Navy, and four of the exact same one from Target in different colors. Have you all noticed I collect things?

Trying on Rogan for Target's Go Collection

I finished up a big project at work today in the early afternoon so I decided to take the rest of that day off and hit Target them the gym. (Conveniently, Target is practically right next to my gym.) Recently the latest Go collection was released from guest designer Rogan Gregory. (Read about his eco-friendliness--and view his formidable facial hair--here.)

Rogan's collection was released about a week ago (and it didn't seem as picked over as the Jovovich-Hawk offerings I perused at the same Target store the day after they'd come out). I like the overall look of the collection. The colors are mostly soft and muted or black (with a random yellow or bright blue thrown in), lots of animal prints and lots of linen. Here are a few things I tried on.




The zebra top was, of course, way too long for me. It's one of the many items I've tried on in my lifetime that I would have purchased had I been taller. Interesting details in the buttons--they are distressed metal with a random hot pink one--something that only you would know was going on if you wore the top buttoned--fun! (There are lots of surprising buttons in this collection.) The blazer--also too long or I would have taken it home. It fit nicely and I love the leopard fabric showing through the light gauzy fabric--what a subtle way to do animal print.




I had to try on the black romper--how can one resist a romper? (I remember the light purple one I had in eighth grade. It had flowers embroidered at the neckline. I always wore it over a green polo shirt. It was wonderfully hideous, and, unfortunately, captured in a number of photos. I wore it the same year I cut my own bangs within an inch of their life. Actually they were only about an inch long. Thirteen--not my most attractive age.) Well I seriously thought about buying this romper. It fit pretty well. But I decided I am indeed too old to wear such an item of clothing, even if it's not purple. The linen babydoll dress is a nice fabric. I'm so over billowy babydoll silhouettes, though. Not a good look on me. (It does have pockets, however, which is groovy feature in a dress.)




These two silk dresses are the same cut in different fabrics. I carried the leopard print one too and from three different trips to the dressing room before deciding against it. Every time I try on something silk at a store it seems to be static crazy. It was so hard to tell how this dress would drape because it was stuck to me. (I've had this problem in Macy's a few times. Stores must be super electric. The last silk dress I bought was fine once I got it home.) Also note that these models are tall. These dresses hit me at the knee.




I dig these striped items--but not on me. I'm always a sucker for a wrap dress, but this linen number was cut weird in the shoulders. It was a tad line-backer-ish on. And the mini skirt was not so mini. This might have worked well if I had been able to try on the correct size, but this item was almost sold out. (The belt is striped linen on one side and animal print fabric on the other.)




It's hard to tell in this image, but the halter dress above is a black-on-black zebra print. They didn't have my size (note: these run really small), so I hit a computer in the Target and purchased the dress right there in the store before I left. Target is offering free shipping for purchases over $50, which I took advantage of as I also ordered a pink with gold stitching Issac Mizrahi dress that was sold out in my size in the store as well. It's really much prettier in person than in this picture and I had to have it. (I'll miss Issac's dresses when he's done with Target. )

Open Letter to Target

Dear Target,

You know I think you have a lot going for you. You're bright and shiny and clean and generally well-stocked. You've got hip-nifty ads. And you attract exciting up-and-coming guest designers for your Go collection. Patrick Robinson's stuff was nice. Libertine's was brightly odd. Now you've got Brit Alice Temperley and her black-and-gray-heavy, Victorian-ish collection. Many of these pieces seem good. They look wonderful on the models. They look nice on the hangers. But on me. In your not-the-best-lighting-having dressing room. Well, 95% of the time they miss.

Now here's the part that might hurt, but I love you and I owe it to you to say it: These collections...they look cheap. There's always something that's a little off. They don't hang well. There's a bumpy seam. Whatever. They don't hit the bulls-eye. I came close to purchasing an Alice Temperley collection top today. It had a nice scoop neck, good colors, a dash of metallic thread, would have been nice for layering, and it was $16.99. But something about it wasn't quite right. The shoulder seams, maybe. And it was itchy.

I guess it comes down to this: A $16.99 top is a $16.99 top; a $39.95 dress is a $39.95 dress. When it comes to clothing, more often than not, you get what you pay for. (eBay and clearance racks not withstanding.)

I do have an Isaac Mizrahi for Target striped seersucker sundress that I got on clearance for $24-ish. I've worn it a number of times, and it's darling and looks $20 shy of J.Crew. But I've tried on probably 20 other Isaac dresses that were so not good.

Your guest designers' lines always seem to sell well in the stores, so certainly many consumers do not agree with me. I'll continue to browse these lines in store and hope for that one piece that will flatter--and hope it's actually left in my size (like may darling Patrick Robinson medallion skirt with pockets). Soldier on.

--Material Girl

P.S. Right now Patrick Robinson and Libertine lines are on clearance online. I hope they sell well for you, Target. And I hope my fellow shoppers enjoy them.

P.S.S. Isaac is doing bridal now. Bridal? Hmmmm

Randomly

• I've been on vacation. There was not much in the way of shopping opportunities since I was with all my in-laws, my three-year-old, and Cheapy. I did, however, manage to hit an antique mall, a pawn shop, and an estate jewelry store and picked up a great faux diamond cocktail ring, a quite fab turquoise necklace (partly subsidized by my mother-in-law), a pair of sterling hoop earrings, and a really weird necklace made out of...I'm not sure what it's made--acrylic or plastic, but with an organic feel. I saw said item in a wonderful jewelry section in the antique mall (which was one of the nicest ones I've ever seen--very classy and well-stocked, yet not overwhelming). I tried it on. I couldn't quite figure it out. I thought about it for two days. I went back and bought it. I have no idea what to wear it with, but I think it would be cool just hanging on my wall. I think my sister would dig it.

• There was an interesting article in the September 9th issue of the New York Times Magazine on designers doing lines for lower-end stores (Payless, Target. etc.) and how it has effected their careers. The gist of the piece was that the designers upped their visibility despite the fact that they occasionally were dropped (at least temporarily) by more upscale stores. For instance, I heard that Macy's dropped Vera Wang's lingerie line because her Simply Vera line, which recently debuted at Kohl's, includes lingerie. (If you haven't seen the Simply Vera commercials or ads, you might possibly be living under a rock. There was a good 9- or 10-page ad in September Vogue and I've seen TV spots, ads in Lucky, etc. It's also selling out online. I imagine in the stores as well.) I say hurray to the young up-and-coming designers and the Issac Mizrahi types alike. Those of us with limited discretionary funds should have a chance to find some affordable style.

• I'm beginning to get over my sequins phase (although not completely) and I'm working up a leopard print jones. I have this buttery soft brown leather tulip skirt I got at the end of the season last fall (a steal on eBay--the skirt cost a little more than the alterations). I'm thinking and nice animal print shoe would be just the thing to wear with it. Somehow boots just seem too, well, leathery. I found a tremendous pair by Donald J. Pliner. (If you click through to view them check out the multi-view and be sure to admire the heel. Since I can't really afford them at the moment, I found a cheaper alternative by Oh...Deer! (at right) They're cute and furry and I love the print/red contrast, but can I actually wear a shoe by Oh...Deer! Called Lipstick?