What You Should Buy At Your Favorite Stores - Part II
Please note that I will be discussing Target in terms of “what to buy” strictly by what you can put on your body. Not what you can eat off of or clean your house with.
PRICE RANGE: $5-$100
WHAT TO BUY: Work staples; trendy seasonal clothing; trendy shoes; pajamas; scarves; tote bags; sale/clearance items; designer collaboration collections
WHAT NOT TO BUY: Denim/pants; overpriced designer collaboration collections
WHY? Target’s biggest pro and its biggest con are the exact same thing: the darn designer collections. Here’s how they get you: they stir up huge hype about the collection, manufacture it at iffy quality-control levels, put a minimum of design and creativity into each piece, use less-than-desirable materials and slap a $70 price tag on it. And you know what? You buy it. Because it has a designer label on it. To be frank, there are very few designer collaboration collections for Target that are worth spending retail on. (Wait for the clearance racks.) You can get an equally priced item at much higher quality elsewhere. Don’t be fooled by the hype (or the recent Gilt Groupe sale). The only way to know if buying their clothes makes sense is to try them on in person. If you want to buy sight-unseen, know that Target sizes their designer collections by junior sizing (sizes 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc).
Also, a note about Target pants: namely, they suck. I know of very few people who have had luck with Target pants/jeans and the complaints are usually due to fit, not necessarily quality. It’s hard to mass produce pants and have a desirable outcome. For similarly-priced denim/pants with a better fit, try Old Navy or H&M.
Something else you’ll need to know is that Target shoes are more often than not quite uncomfortable. They’ve gotten better, yes, over time, but be careful. Try them on and walk in them. This is usually an area of concern in their heels/flats, but not so much with wedges, boots and sandals.
PRICE RANGE: $15-150+
WHAT TO BUY: Denim/pants; sweaters/cardigans; plain tees; outerwear; loungewear
WHAT NOT TO BUY: Everything else
WHY? GAP does basics really well. So, stick to the basics. Jeans, a plain t-shirt or two and a warm winter coat. These things have always been GAP’s specialty and have been further refined over the past several years. Their denim, in particular, has seen huge improvements in fit and style and the quality has been compared to jeans costing nearly twice as much. Don’t be allured by dresses, sandals or trendy blouses: you can similar items elsewhere for a better price and a more flattering fit.
PRICE RANGE: $20-$200
WHAT TO BUY: Sale items or items from Express outlets
WHAT NOT TO BUY: Everything else. I’m serious.
WHY? Express has some great sales, take advantage of them. But, let’s be real. Express is the less stylish, more expensive version of H&M, trying to reinvent themselves by switching up their inventory every several years. “We’ll be trendy this year!” “We’re the new Banana Republic!” I tire of it, guys. I really do. And their prices are just ridiculous. $200 for a coat? From Express? I think not. Express has some nice items, especially by way of pants/trousers, but you can buy them from their outlet stores, or wait for their large seasonal sales. There is no reason to ever, ever buy retail from this store. Trust me.
[Part III is coming soon!]
Please share with the other readers! :) Do you agree/disagree with my assessments of these stores?
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