Target's Designer Collective launched today, so I headed to my local Target to check it out. (To shop online click here.) What is the Designer Collective? Essentially, Target brought back 34 dresses from past designer collaborations and they are selling them together. Some were good, and some were not so good. Here's my take:
1. Zac Posen polka-dot print dress, $39.99
I wear a size 2 at stores like Gap, Express, etc. I needed a size 7 in this dress. I was impressed with the quality, but felt a little bit too much like a 50's waitress to purchase it.
2. Libertine striped tunic, $24.99
I was excited to try this one on, and I was planning to buy it. I hated the bubble-sleeves though (I wish it was more of a loose T-shirt fit), and like many dresses it was too short on me. (I'm 5'7" and tried on the size S.)
3. Thakon gathered dress in cyber floral, $39.99
This print was adorable, but the fit was awful. Looks cute in the picture, but there was literally enough material to make 3 more dresses out of it, and I tried on the size XS. I also thought the price was too high. I will opt for a cute print sundress at Forever 21 for half the price!
4. Tucker ruffle-back dress, $39.99
I was surprised at how much I loved this one. I'm wearing it backwards in the photo (looked better that way!), and the only thing keeping me from buying was how short it was. :-( I tried on a size S.
5. Rodarte lace-print dress, $39.99
This dress gets my vote for being the highest quality material out of the whole collection. It was gorgeous in person, and the size S fit perfect.
6. Rodarte slip dress in peach, $44.99
I also loved this dress. The S fit great and I felt like a princess. Not sure where I would wear such a whimsical dress though so I decided against it.
Dresses that were not-great quality in person:
- Tracy Feith strappy dress in white
- Jonathan Saunders colorblock dress (it was stiff, itchy cotton)
Dresses that were awesome quality in person:
- Alice Temperley crepe dress in black
- Tucker button-front dress in floral print
Verdict: All of the dresses had at least one thing "wrong" with them, so I went home empty-handed. I also have a hard time spending that much on a dress, when I can get the same quality at Forever 21 for half the price. Tell me though - have you checked out the collection? What were your thoughts?
I thought that the Tracy Feith strappy dress in white was well lined for a white dress. Not see through at all, but I too didn't want to pay full price for it
ReplyDeleteI agree that it was well-lined! The white fabric looked cheap to me though, and the gold zipper was also a little too cheap looking for $40.
ReplyDeleteI bought the lace print dress today. I am a teacher and I plan on wearing it to Open House with a belt and maybe a cardi or blazer. I was happy with the matieral and the fact that it was not too short. Now what shoes?!
ReplyDeleteI love all of these dresses! I love some of the lines Target carries. It's amazing what you can get at such low prices.
ReplyDeletehttp://shoesnjules.onsugar.com/
Candice, that one was my favorite! Would look great with black belt, blazer and some peep-toe patent shoes.
ReplyDeleteThey all look cute in the pics! I have a really hard time finding anything at Target that has a decent fit. I would much rather go to Forever 21 for great cheapies! :)
ReplyDeleteOMG. This is hilarious! I JUST got back from Target and #1. I was planning on buying the stripped Libertine dress but did NOT like the sleeves,and #2. I put on the Tucker dress backwards, too!! It looked so much cuter that way than the way it is intended. I actually didn't think it was too short (I'm 5'8" but will wear it with flats) so I bought it!
ReplyDeletei was so excited to see the collection at target today! i didnt even realize it was debuting today, usually by the time i get there, all the good stuff is gone. i tried on a handful of the dresses and ended up going home with the tucker button front dress in floral and the tracy feith in hibiscus print. for me, the fit was great on both of them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review. I wasn't that excited about the re-lauch anyhow so you saved me a trip. Like your hair wavy, a nice little change. =)
ReplyDeleteJanice
(Couture and Crayons)
I saw those today! I liked the lace print one but they didn't have my size. Boo! The striped tunic looks like it would be good a good coverup for a day at the beach, add a straw hat, flip flops, and a fun beach bag.
ReplyDeleteCupcakeAdventures
Totally agree Melissa!
ReplyDeleteWe are totally on the same wavelength, LOL! Flats would definitely help with the navy dress, but you know me, I was thinking of pairing with my 4" heels. :-) I also wanted to belt it, which would make it a tad shorter and at that point I think my butt would be hanging out, hehe!
ReplyDeleteThe Tucker dresses were such great quality! Glad you were able to find a couple that you liked!
ReplyDeleteI don't own any of the dresses but saw them at Target yesterday ( i guess they had put them out early) and though some of them were cute, most looked kind of cheaper up close and too short (i'm 5'10, so I totally feel you on that.)
ReplyDeleteI tried on some of those today but they were out of most of them in my size. I agree that there is just usually something wrong with the fit! So unfortunate!
ReplyDeleteI went to Target today to check them out too. I didn't end up getting anything just because nothing was worth buying. Like you, I found at least one thing wrong with every single dress. Oh well, money saved :)
ReplyDeleteI love that you tried them on and took photos in the dressing room. I wouldn't have thought of that. Smart girl! Thanks for the review. I had been watching the date and wondering about them.
ReplyDeleteI love that you tried them on and reviewed them without buying them! :P Good stuff! However, the only dress I think is nice is the 4th, blue one. Even then, it's not that amazing of a dress. That's quite disappointing from Target. These dresses (especially the first one, yuck!) are horrible. Money well saved :)
ReplyDeleteOooh I had no idea Target was doing this! I really like the Libertine striped tunic...now I'm going to have to keep my eyes peeled!
ReplyDeleteAlso - love the Thakoon printed dress - I actually bought the shorts the first time they were in store; it's too bad the fit was funky with the dress!
The Alice Temperley crepe dress in black was amazing, wonderful quality! too bad the my size was all gone. I loved the Jovovich-Hawk polka dot. The Rogan animal silk is a very nice casual piece perfect for layering.
ReplyDeleteThey also have really great designer brand shoes...glad they are branching out but still find you get what you pay for. Tends to be on the cheaper side occasionally
ReplyDeleteAll this "designer for less" makes me so upset! I mean you expect - at least- good quality!
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but I refuse to pay $50 for a dress That's gonna make me itch or I'm going to spend $5 in dry cleaners Because the qualify is too bad to throw them in the washer.
No thanks, I'll keep looking at the sale racks for nice clothes at Macy's Or Nordstrom
i agree about the zac posen. i wear a six normally, and when i couldn't even zip up a 9 AT ALL... i wasn't going any higher than that... i picked up the rodarte lace-print and the pink tucker dress- although i still need to try that on b\c i swapped sizes before i left. i won't have anywhere to wear them for a while, so i will hold onto them and my receipt and then if they stick around long enough to go on sale, i will probably re-buy them and return the full-price ones... so bad.
ReplyDeletei don't know how they pick the locations where they carry them. i work at a really busy target and our store doesn't carry them- i have to always go elsewhere.
great review!
Great post! I bought the Rodarte lace-print dress (I already have 3 of the reissued dresses). I also tried on the pink polka dot dress - cute, but I felt like I should wear it swing dancing, lol.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for doing all this research and legwork for us and yes Iagreew ith you the prices are a bit pricey for plain looking dresses like that. Oh btw thank you so so much for telling me to just have fun for my meetup outfit look I did and everyone complemented me. I did a post on it too.
ReplyDeletehttp://aggierxqueen.blogspot.com/
I also ran to Target to check out what all the fuzz was about. I wasn't impressed by the quality of the dresses either. I already have the Tucker floral print..and I LOVE it! I liked the Rodarte lace-print dress too, but they didn't have my size. It didn't leave me longing for it enough to look it up online. Thanks for the VERY accurate review :-)
ReplyDeleteLoved your recap! I was really impressed with the quality and fit of most of the Target dresses. I actually bought three (!!!)- the Alice Temperley, the Tucker button-down floral, and the block print- but I think I might return one. I thought these were SO much better than Forever 21 (maybe I'm biased because I refuse to waste money there because the quality and fit are HORRIBLE). My only complaint is that they all seemed a little bit short on me, but maybe I'm just not used to summer styles after this long cold winter.
ReplyDeleteJ - I'm surprised you didn't try the PS Bustier Dress. I have it in brown from the original run....but I think the purple is pretty online. Seems a little long.....could have altered to be a shorter hem. Or wear with flat sandals for an great Summer night date dress.
ReplyDeleteonly you would look in a target fitting room mirror ;). I kinda hate Target prices sometimes, I definitely would never spend $40 on those dresses when I can find something of better quality for the same price, if not cheaper, at TJ Maxx or Marshalls.
ReplyDeleteDid you happen to see a black Mossimo blazer when you were there? (they had it in beige and black, I can't find it on their site for some reason) I bought it a few days ago, and it was $29.99. I was wondering about your opinion on it if you saw it. If not, sorry and please ignore this! hahaha :)
Sarra, I didn't see that blazer but feel free to send me a picture or post to my Facebook page!
ReplyDeleteonly you would look good* sorry about the typo!
ReplyDeletethe blazer looks similar to this, except mine is flared in the back and is cotton/spandex material: http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/hinge-crop-blazer/3120345?origin=category&siteId=J84DHJLQkR4-vBSfSFAJe.QxVPn0Br1BHg
ReplyDeletedo you think $30 is a good price for a blazer from target?
I tried the Rodarte lace-print dress, the Tucker floral-print dress, and the Jovovich-Hawk floral-print dress. I thought the Jovovich-Hawk was going to be my favorite (I'm totally a flower child at heart), but I hated it on me! I l loved the Rodarte lace-print dress - I normally wear a M, but all they had was a L... I gave it a go, and it was just way too much fabric! I also loved the Tucker floral-print dress, but it was a bit too short for my liking (I'm 5'8"). I wasn't completely in love with any of them, which is good because I've given up shopping for Lent!
ReplyDeleteI like the look of the polka dot dress when I so it but now I'm not to sure about it.
ReplyDeletehttp://amyfashionblog52.blogspot.com/
I really really want the Tracy Feith for Target Dress in Hibiscus Print, but my target didn't have it! I'd hate to order it online and it not fit :( Thanks for the reviews though! I might try looking at these dresses at another Target soon.
ReplyDeleteSamantha
http://museuminternmusings.blogspot.com
I think $30 is a great price for a blazer from Target! A black blazer is definitely something I would consider investing in though. I paid around $70 for mine from Express more than 7 years ago and I still wear it all the time!
ReplyDeleteI thought they ran short too!
ReplyDeleteOnly a few days late but I am excited to get to my local Target! I have the Tucker Ruffle dress and I LOVE it! Yes, it is short but I paired it with black tights and some heels and it was perfect for Holiday parties (I even wore it to church). Also, you hair looks gorgeous! Did you do anything to it?!
ReplyDeleteThat outfit sounds adorable! My hair is naturally wavy like this. I showered, slept on it wet then put some Loreal Springing Curls mousse in it when I woke up!
ReplyDeleteThis has nothing to do with the collection, but I love your hair - beautiful curls!
ReplyDeleteYour hair looks FANTASTIC curly!!! You should wear it that way more often!!
ReplyDeleteThe only one I sort of liked was the Rodarte lace-print dress, but even that I wasn't thrilled with and wouldn't want to pay more than $20 for it. I felt like most of the styles at my Target were geared toward teenage girls, and I wouldn't feel comfortable in them. I was disappointed, because I love Target's different designer series. Their Dolce Vita for Target sandals are adorable, and I bought some Isaac Mizrahi ankle strap pumps there years ago and I still wear them.
ReplyDeleteNice post J, and I agree with you on the quality here. I found many flaws in this collection and was very disappointed in the quality. I am 5'4 and they were short on me, so I can only imagine how they looked on you at 5'7. I felt like Target really put out a cheap collection. Here's my review: http://therecessionista.blogspot.com/2011/03/targets-go-dress-collection-no-go.html
ReplyDeleteCould you zip the Zac Posen dress? LOL. The Jonathan Saunders dress was really poorly made.
Thanks for sharing your review! The zipper on the Zac Posen dress was really cheap! I didn't bother zipping it up all the way, I would have needed some help to not break it!
ReplyDeleteDas ist erstaunlich. Keep Beitrag dude!
ReplyDelete