So many of us were excited yesterday- and it had nothing to do with the Superbowl. It was because Jason Wu for Target collection arrived in-stores and online.
There was only one item I had my heart set on and it was the Jason Wu for Target Poplin Dress in Navy. I wasn't the only one. Ah well. Not the end of the world.
The Today Show's The Look had a great article ("The Jason Wu for Target collection is almost totally sold out") about how popular the line was and how quickly it sold out. However there was one part with a link to a video (which is embedded in this post) that really stuck out for me:
The whole debate about resellers is ongoing and there are definite pros and cons to the reselling side of the retail business. I am not going to go into that whole debate here.Our readers also told us that some stores were more heavily stocked than others, and that most enforced a two-pieces-per-style purchase policy. There was also a purchase limit on the website, in an effort to curb reselling. We don’t know how sucessful that strategy was, as 11,419 items marked “Jason Wu for Target” are now being sold on eBay.
In fact, one store in midtown Miami was particularly relaxed about the purchase policy. In a video posted to YouTube on Sunday, customers look on as a young couple fills their carts with all of the Jason Wu items in the store, and then check out at guest services. The user who posted the video wrote that the pair told the other shoppers they were planning to resell the pieces.
I have personally seen resellers at J.Crew Sample Sales in NYC, and I am grateful that they were polite about buying up stuff (they didn't run off with all items, just a few in each category). I even read comments from other JCAs at Warehouse Sales of J.Crew who could ask resellers to look in their bags before they bought the item.
However, this couple (in the video) really ticked me off! They clearly were greedy. Did they have to take the entire stock of merchandise and shove it into their carts?! Could they not leave anything behind?! I would be fuming mad if I were the second person waiting in line, coming up empty.
After watching the video, I no longer desire the Target Poplin Dress. I am pretty happy I slept in Sunday morning. :)
Are you a fan of the Jason Wu for Target Collection? Were you able to order/buy any pieces? Were you able to get the items you wanted? Please share! :)
I got the Milu cat tote and scarf (hey, we crazy cat ladies gotta represent!) online.
ReplyDeleteI went to one of the Targets in my area last night on another errand and every single Jason Wu piece was gone, so I'm glad I didn't try to go to the store to buy.
I watched the video earlier in the day too. Since I live in Canada and Target won't ship here, I have to go to ebay for items. I did pay significant higher prices on previous Missoni and Mulberry for Target items. But after watching the video, these people really turned me off. Very likely that they will sell the items on ebay. Not going to support their habits.
ReplyDeletecarolyn from vancouver here looks 11 14 15 & 17 look supid.The bags are lovely but not available? No promos on... J crew is being just nasty....errrrr
ReplyDeletecarolyn here....meant to put it under comments about spring look book . sorry
ReplyDeleteI am curious - what does Target have to say about the resellers' hoarding habits? Are they secretly glad that their pieces are sold out regardless? Or are they secretly mad that the pieces can actually fetch a much higher price in "black market" than at their store?
ReplyDeleteI rarely if ever leave a comment. Just not my thing...but...this Jason Wu/Missoni thing is just more than I can stand.
ReplyDeleteHas anyone ever bought any clothing article from Target that lasted more than a few washings?
Anyone remember the Liberty of London fad? Haven't seen hide 'ner hair of that train wreck since it was all the rage a few seasons ago. Bloggers were all over that like white on rice...now it's yesterdays news & yesterdays fashion.
Then the Missoni fiasco. People went ga ga over cheapy Missoni stuff. Yall wearing that much these days? really? where?
Now it's all about Jason Wu. oy!
6 weeks from now you aren't gonna remember who Jason Wu for Target was.
If I sound irked it because I don't get it. Why are perfectly smart & educated women buying cheaply made & cheaply looking clothing. Can someone enlighten me here.
I realize that I'm gonna tick off the masses with this post (if it survives the filters)...but I'm honestly seeking answers. It's just my nature to question things that don't add up.
I went to Target on Sunday afternoon, not even knowing it was the release day for Jason Wu. In my store the racks were still quite full of most styles in every size even in late afternoon. I tried on quite a few things but found the dresses and skirt way too short (I'm 5'9") and the sleeves on many of the blouses too tight even though I don't have huge arms (I take an XS). The fabric was awfully sheer on many of the tops and had to pass on quite a lot as it wouldn't be appropriate for work.
ReplyDeleteDespite wanting to love the line, all I took home was the gray and black tee with the lace patter screen printed on it. That one was cute and fit nice--in a drapey sort of way.
I thought some of the pieces were cute. I wasn't willing to be part of the frenzy though, so no shopping for me. I also refuse to pay the inflated ebay prices. With the wealth of choices offered by so many retailers, I know I'll find more than enough to buy somewhere else.
ReplyDeleteI read a comment somewhere noting that Target will limit your purchases of cases of Coke on sale, but not the designer collaborations? I think that's preposterous- they would sell out anyway, but it causes a lot of ill will and irreparable damage to customer loyalty. Ick.
ReplyDeleteI ordered the blush and yellow striped shift online, since it was the most striking and unique piece to me. The website was absolutely buggy and annoying and it took me forever to successfully check out. But I did, and you know what? By Sunday night my order was shipped, with tracking. Pretty impressed with that.
I try not to get too worked up about these collaborations, usually just one piece that I really like. I have an awesome Liberty print dress that I actually plan on wearing this week (doing winter florals...) and a versatile Rodarte lace dress. I'm looking forward to scoring some Marni print goodness in March...
Keep desiring a kitty scarf, but trying not to! I'm too much of a cat lady already!
what they did was outrageous! If I was there I would have just taken stuff out of their cart to prove a point. The fact that Target corporate did not stop it is a travesty.
ReplyDeleteI was at my Target at 7:35 am, waited un line until 8 a.m. with 40or 50 people and we were all able to get a lot of stuff and everyone was very nice (we all made a run for the racks, but everyone was very civil).
I went when my local target opened up at around 8 am EST. There actually wasn't many people there at opening besides myself, another young woman (who bought stuff for herself and a friend), and two older ladies.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, my local target wasn't very well stocked. I did get the blue printed scarf (now tied to my brompton hobo), the black lace clutch that I loved after seeing the lookbook a few days before it's release. Two dresses (one the blue navy - floral and the red - white - blue jersey). A black pleated skirt and blue blouse.
Of course, it being Target Mass Market, caveat emptor applies. While craftsmanship is surprisingly nice - especially the black lace clutch. I can tell some weren't as well done due to fabric choices and the like.
The Target Collabs are important for designers to get their name out there. I knew who Jason Wu was because he designed the First Lady's dress. Missoni though wasn't known to Mom until the Target thing. It worked exceptionally well in the past for Liberty and Isaac Mizrahi.
It's training wheels. In essence. Maybe you don't think you can justify a couple hundred dollars for a fabulous piece from someone you have little exposure to. But, with this - you can have a big exposure and possibly set in mind that that piece at Nordie's is worth it. It's the same thing for Sirano for Payless.
Bringing Fashion to the Masses.
Overall, I'm pretty pleased with my purchases. The big winner was that red-white-blue dress, actually.
I wasn't brave enough to actually go to the store but did score done dresses, a blouse, and a scarf online. Here's to hoping they fit!
ReplyDeleteI went to a Target in upstate NY (visiting the folks) and I must say it was nothing like this. I got the Milu cat scarf, the Milu cat tee and a pink polka dot sheer tee.
ReplyDeleteThere were about 10 people in line when the store opened and only one pair of resellers, but they were curbed. Only one item per person. Haha.
Jane- I am so on your wavelength. 'Nuff said.
ReplyDeleteJane, I agree with you. I live in the land of Target (Minnesota) and can easily go to 5 or more Targets in a very short period of time (90 minutes or less) if I'm motivated to get something (Liberty, Missoni, etc). The designer collabs are fun, but not as exciting now that EVERY retailer does them. The Target collabs are particularly poor quality. I believe they are moving away from collabs and instead are starting to test a new boutique concept this spring at some of the Targets here in MN -- Cos Bar, Privet, cute dog retailer from Boston can't remember the name, will have in-store boutiques.
ReplyDeleteI saw the collection online around midnight. The products didn't have any descriptions, such as fabric content, so I passed.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who wants a laugh (potentially at this vey same greedy couple's expense) should search "Jason Wu for Target" on ebay and set their filter to "ending soonest." TONS of auctions whose exorbitant starting bids are about to expire with ZERO takers! Hopefully these vultures will learn their lesson and give the rest of us a shot next time!
ReplyDeleteThe quality isn't there in any of the collections I've tried sold by Target. I haven't seen Jason Wu's yet but I don't intend to. I don't understand the mass hysteria, nothing is well made.
ReplyDeleteJane - I'm with you for the most part, though I did buy those black and grey suede zig zag pumps from the Missoni for Target line. I love them and wear them frequently.
ReplyDelete(And yes, for the record I was one of the 100-odd women outside my local Target yesterday at 7:30 AM. Luckily everyone else was courteous and pleasant, so both my friend and I walked away with everything we wanted- red cap sleeve blouse, blue pleated blouse, flower-print pleated skirt and blush stripe dress for me. I've never been wild about past Target collections either-- certainly not wild enough to get up at 7 on a Sun-- but smtg about the Jason Wu was just so girly and so classic and so ME. Not to mention a great cheaper alternative to certain JC trends for the spring. So I've got no complaints- but I do feel for the women who got shut out and think Target should DEFINITELY impose an item limit!
ReplyDeleteYeah, this was a bit of a debacle, eh?
ReplyDeleteI did not partake, and did not want to partake mainly because I knew whatever I want I would eventually be able to get either at Target (from a return) or on-line on ebay a few years from now (if I still want it). The Missoni thing was the last straw, and I refuse to help Target's bottom line until they figure this out a bit more.
It is good to hear reports of them trying to manage the madness, but wow, the Miami couple is proof that it really didn't go far enough. I guess the only way to prevent people like that from continuing to do what they do is to not buy from them, but I get the allure of some of these pieces, they are cute and girly and fun, and it can be hard to say no, even to ebay resellers. But I will just say no. Especially since I know in a couple of years I can get the same pieces for far less. I just have to wait.
In regards to the Liberty collaboration, I do still wear my pieces, but that is owing more to my overall devotion to their prints. Yes, many of them are on cheaper poly, but styled with more traditional fabrics in classic cuts can look really cute. The kids items that my daughter has have held up exceptionally well, and she still gets wear out of the pieces I chose for her. BUT, here is the deal...I was only willing to go out and be part of that madness that morning (if you can call eight women shopping at the store for liberty stuff madness, those were the days) because of my singular love of the Liberty print.
For those of you who got pieces, yay. I love what I have seen on folks so far, and I will happily live vicariously through you!
@ Lizzy, I cannot believe someone is selling those dresses for $200! lol Who is crazy enough to buy them at that price? The whole point of the collection was the cheap thrill, emphasis on cheap.
ReplyDelete@ Rose, most of the collection consisted of a very poorly constructed polyester or rayon. The dresses and tops looked like they were priced far more than they were worth (they looked cheap). The items I got, the Milu cat tee, was rayon and the Milu cat scarf was poly and they were well done for the price. But what can I say? I have the makings of a crazy cat lady. I love cat prints!
I totally agree with the comments here. I saw some items online, and even found myself at Target on Sunday afternoon (to pick up mundane items like paper towels) and there were actually still a few Jason Wu items on the rack in my size. Even though I thought the dresses were pretty, I knew I would pass because the hemlines were so short! I could never wear any of the dresses to work (or out of the house for that matter).
ReplyDeleteIn any case, I think the re-selling has gotten crazy, and the quality of the items sucks. After the initial hysteria winds down, any items the resellers are stuck with rapidly lose their value in any case.
I'm voting with my wallet and not buying into it.
I wasn't in line at the crack of dawn, but I did head to my local Target at about 10:30am on Sunday to check out the Jason Wu line and see if I could snag the kitty scarf (I bought the last one). There were some cute things, some cheap things, and more polyester than I care to hang around with on a daily basis, but I did buy a dress and 2 tees besides the scarf. If I get one season of wear out of them, I'll be satisfied...plenty of J.Crew tees only last that long these days, and they cost almost twice as much. Some reviews of the Jason Wu for Target collection on my blog here.
ReplyDeleteI think that the people who get the most out of these Target designer collaborations are the teens and women (and men) who love design and are obsessed with fashion magazines, but maybe they have a limited income and live in small towns where Target is the most fashion-forward store around. Missoni or Jason Wu for Target might be the closest thing that they can get to "designer" fashion until they can move to a city and find a job that pays more than peanuts. I grew up in a very rural area where this was the case for a lot of people - you had to drive 25 miles in any direction to buy clothes that weren't from the Salvation Army or Ames. That's what grosses me out the most about the vultures from Miami and those re-sellers like them - they take these clothes away from those who would enjoy them the most. Yeah, it's legal...but it's also a real jerk move.
My local store was poorly stocked. That may be because the Missoni pieces just sat and sat on shelves.
ReplyDeleteI bought the pink shirt with bow. But I'm storing it for a few weeks until the frenzy dies down.
I have some Target pieces that I have worn for years. But I take care of them. And usually buy them when they are discounted. That way I can get an extra in case it falls apart.
I saw the poplin dress on Saturday, the day BEFORE it hit the stores on EBAY selling for 150! The dress was only 39.99, for goodness sakes!
ReplyDeleteI went to Target at 8:15 and everything was mostly gone. One lady said the button on a blouse fell off while trying it on. She also said that two ladies ahead of her grabbed ALL the scarves and handbags.
11,400 items for "Jason Wu Target"? My guess is that most of it won't move, and people will end up reselling for pretty close to retail, or trek back to the store to return them.
ReplyDeleteI'm done chasing Target collaborations. Totally not worth it. Target needs to go back to producing cute things for Merona & Merona Collection. Upgrade fabrics from poly to cotton. That sort of thing.
ReplyDeleteI wanted that blue dress badly, too! I did snag the similar light-blue skirt. Hoping it fits!
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that the resellers clearing the racks are being greedy, I also am sick of hearing people in the news stories whine about why Target should produce enough for everybody. Don't they know that if we all could get it, then it wouldn't be an exclusive "it" item? Nobody clamors for the Simply Vera line from Kolhs, since it's available all the time.
Of course Target's strategy is to benefit from all the publicity and to draw people to the stores. Or maybe, as a JCA, I just spend too much time thinking about retail strategy. ;)
I ended up at Target on Sunday morning totally by accident, and there was still about half the merchandise left on the racks.
ReplyDeleteHonestly after what happened with the Missoni stuff, it's all toxic to me. I don't think I'd care who made what and sold it there, I refuse to buy it on principle!
This wiping out of stuff by resellers makes me ill. I can't say they don't have the right to do it, but I do know I won't participate in it on the buying end or the selling end. It disgusts me.
And on top of that, the fabrics are nearly always horrible synthetics. The pieces rarely, if ever, pass my F21 test. So it's not even a question for me. I always look, but I never buy.
I would rather have one 'real' piece of Missoni or Calypso or whatever and have it be made of something that will last and drape well, like silk or linen or wool, than have a bunch of substandard polyester crap with a fancy label in it.
I had no idea the Jason Wu collaboration would sell out so quickly. I guess it depends on where you are, because with the Missoni debacle some stores were still fully stocked and couldn't move the items.
ReplyDeleteIn Duluth MN I just walked in around 5pm, found the Jason Wu rack, was the only gal looking at it, and purchased 2 dresses. I guess there are some benefits to living so far up north :)
How timely - I just posted about this this topic here.
ReplyDeleteLike JCrew1985, I also live in Minneapolis and happen to work downtown near Target HQ. The skyway is still FULL of people of all ages wearing Missoni. The most worn item is the Missoni laptop case.
As you can read in my post, I'm more of a quality or quantity shopper and prefer to buy one truly timeless piece than five that will last a season or less.
Jane, I have to agree. None of the clothing items from the recent collaborations (last 2-3 years) are of quality that warrants me purchasing them. I just don't get it. I have a few items from the Erin Fetherston and Alice Temperly for Target lines but I think that was before it became so frenzied, and they are actually very high quality... an all cotton sweater dress and a gorgeous jacquard jacket.
ReplyDeleteDon't even get me started on how fugly most of the Missoni stuff was. I will never understand the allure of Missoni, period, not just the dumbed down Target versions.
What really gets me is that people actually buy from the resellers on eBay.
I will say that the Liberty of London for Target home pieces were amazing... I have several of the picture frames, bowls, mugs, filing box, and a flower pot that I just love. They were totally worth the price and will last for years.
ReplyDeleteThat's awful! My local Target restricted folks from purchasing more than one item in a style. I got the poplin dress and I'm so excited!
ReplyDeleteI was at a smaller Target on Sunday and was able to snag the striped poplin dress. People were ridiculous about this, even in a smaller town.
ReplyDeleteThe only problem is, I am having trouble styling this dress. I want to cover my arms, but every cardigan I have makes the while thing frumpy. :(
Anyone else fondly remember the days of Isaac Mizrahi for Target? I still have a hefty black cashmere turtleneck from his collection..
ReplyDeleteI went to Target Sunday around 8:30 to make a return, so I browsed around. There weren't too many people there. The stuff was cute, but of course, it was all made in China. My NY's resolution was to quit buying clothes produced in China, so it's all out for me.
ReplyDeleteAs far as other Target collaborations, I still have and wear most of the stuff I've gotten. I bought a couple Liberty dresses from the little girl's section. (I wear a 10/12, so these dresses ran WAY too big.) These have held up well. They were 100% cotton and half the price of the polyester women's dresses from that line.
I have many items of clothing that has lasted years and years (hubby too). I wash in cold water, hang to dry, and fluff on the fluff setting in the dryer. Their dress pants fit me better than most brands.
ReplyDeleteStylestance - Yes, I remember Mizrahi for Target. It ended up going downhill too (esp bad zippers), but boy did it start of great.
ReplyDeleteI still have a 100% cashmere Isaac Mizrahi for Target sweater dress that I found on the clearance rack for $9.99(!). I think it was an online return. Still wear it and love it. That line totally went downhill toward the end but it used to be super cute. It has been a while since I have bought clothing at Target, unfortunately.
ReplyDeleteJealous of everyone who scored the cat tee - so incredibly adorable and I want one! (albeit not enough to put money in the pockets of ebay resellers)
ReplyDeleteThat said, I very rarely comment on youtube videos but I couldn't refrain from posting something about this one (username dairycallou). It's absolutely disgusting what this couple did, but I don't blame them. I expect people to be greedy and opportunistic - it's human nature to widely varying degrees and this happens to be an extreme case. I hold Target to blame for doing nothing to prevent or restrict this sort of behavior. The fact that some stores imposed a per-customer item limit and some didn't calls to mind my very frustrations with J.Crew's inconsistencies from store to store. For the Miami Target store to claim they contacted corporate HQ only to learn that there was no policy to prevent two customers from buying every last piece of inventory, it begins to sound like Target's primary objective was to heighten demand and ignore customer satisfaction; as long as every piece was sold, it didn't matter if they sold to one customer or thousands. Sad.