Prabal Gurung for Target: Nice Design; Sometimes Poor Execution Part 2

Three looks for the Prabal Gurung for Target collaboration.

Prabal Gurung brought fun patterns, bright colors and feminine shapes to Target. Yesterday, I reviewed the shoes in the collection, finding that the designs were nice but sometimes the construction was poor.

I was able to buy items from the collection both online and in my local store.

I tried more of the clothing than shoes, so I decided that since this collection contained both, I would review clothing for the first time on this blog. Moreover, the clothes are designed to go with the shoes, as the looks above show.

I purchased  this long sleeve tee in Nolita print ($19.99) to add a fun pop of color to my outfits.

I also purchased the long sleeve t-shirt in Floral Crush print ($19.99).

The two items of clothing I purchased were the long sleeve t-shirts in the two fun prints ($19.99). The Nolita print is bright uneven vertical stripes. The Floral Crush pattern has bright flowers that fade out to white. 

The materials were soft, but not sheer. The sizing runs large.

I thought the shirts would add a pop of color under black at work or dress up jeans. The floral print will also look cute with shorts as the weather warms up. At $19.99, I was happy to buy both.

I was less excited about the rest of the collection. Below are the items I tried on.

Royal Wedding: The Sky-high Heels of Victoria Beckham

All eyes were first on Kate Middleton as she wed her prince, but with a crowd of the famous and fashionable in attendance one couldn’t help but glance at their outfits.

Victoria Beckham, the former Spice Girl, Posh,  showed up in navy from hat to shoes. Her outfit has been no stranger to controversy.

Liz Jones of the Daily Mail said, “The effect was more suitable for a funeral than a wedding.”

Budget Fashionistas Celebrate! Dolce Vita Spring 2011 Collection for Target

Dolce Vita for Target Fall 2010 Boots that I bought for $9.

Target is again bringing designer fashion to the masses. After successful collaborations with designers, such as Rodarte and Zac Posen, Target now offers a collection of Dolce Vita wedges and sandals based on the brand’s spring 2011 collection. The partnership follows a widely talked about Dolce Vita for Target fall 2010 boot and flat collection. (See my short buckle boots above. For the whole collection, check out Nitrolicious)

Dolce Vita, which means “good life,” is known for stylish and flirty shoes and clothing. The Target collection recreates this vibe with styles similar to the brand’s spring 2011 offerings. The selection is limited and less fashion-forward. No platform sandals will be found in Target.

The Controversial Ugg Boot

My imitation Ugg boots

The weather has all of a sudden turned chilly, and although they are worn almost all year, Ugg boots are being seen all around. Uggs and all their copies are quite controversial. While they are praised for their warmth and comfort, they are disliked for their looks. For many they put the “ugg” in ugly.

The page Ugg boots are ugly has 1,882 Facebook “likes,” while the official Ugg Australia page  has 1,773 fans. This highlights the close debate.

In Defense of Fashion: The Stock Price Raising Influence of Michelle Obama

Fashion is often criticized for being frivolous, but a recent study from New York University found that fashion can play an important role in the economy.

The study used the example of Michelle Obama, who has recently become a fashion icon, with blogs like Mrs. O  following her ever choice.

The study found that not only does the first lady’s clothing choices increase sales of items she wore, but also increases their stock prices. David Yermack, professor of finance and business at New York University's Leonard N. Stern School of Business, performed a year-long analysis of the economic impact of Obama's apparel selections (Oliver & Yeo, 2010).

Critical Shopper: Reviewing Shoes and Stores

The Crocs shoes I own. Many are surprised to find out they're made by Crocs.

Crocs are praised by many for their comfort and criticized for their looks. When one thinks of Crocs, one thinks of slip-ons with circular openings. Many also think of the controversy and dislike of Crocs, mainly for their looks.  (For more on this, see Comfort or Style—Can you have both?) Recently, the New York Times under its Critical Shopper column wrote a pretty negative piece about Crocs. This column has run into to trouble before, writing a scathing review of JC Penney’s opening in Manhattan.

The Crocs article, by Jon Caramanica  in its style section criticized Crocs, especially their store in New York City’s fashionable SoHo. Caramanica calls the store, “the neighborhood’s Achilles’ heel.” Furthermore he calls the brand’s ABF flip-flop, “One of the flip-flops, the ABF (for “almost barefoot”), with its single-injected bulbous swoops, could pass for a cousin — an extremely distant one, several times removed, and estranged from the family — of the shoes Zaha Hadid designed for the Brazilian shoemaker Melissa a couple of years ago.” About another pair of flip-flops, Caramanica wrote, “ pair of flip-flops that looked like a withered bathmat sandwiched between two unforgiving slabs of Croslite” Under cost, he wrote, “Cheap, in dollars (or euros, or yen); the tax on the soul has not yet been measured.”