After spending two long nights sleeping on planes, I was happy to be back in the U.S. today. I checked my Twitter feed upon landing (hooray for Twitter, FB, and Blogger not being blocked!) and realized that today was a good day to return…
Me (shooting up from my airplane seat, suddenly alert): “The Jason Wu for Target line is launching this morning! How convenient!!”
Groggy Nick: “Wha? What’s that?”
Me (sly smile creeping across face): “Stores open in one hour!”
Unamused Nick: “You’re kidding me, right.”
I would typically never subject my boyfriend to the madness of women at a collaboration launch, but my local Target is outside of the city and I don’t drive in Boston (for good reason). After some coaxing and promises of an “American breakfast” afterwards, we dropped off our luggage and were on our way.
I arrived at 7:45AM and there were about 20 people in line ahead of me. We were told that each shopper was limited to 6 pieces from the collection. I was relieved to hear this, as there were definitely some eBay’ers ahead of me (unless they were generous husbands/grandmothers picking up merchandise for loved ones?). When doors opened at 8AM sharp, I speed-walked in and grabbed every XS I could find. All dresses were already snatched up except for this one, which I was happy to grab:
Preface: All clothing in this collection is in women’s regular sizing. Sizing seems to run normal for a women’s regular line, which means it will probably not fit extra petite ladies without alterations. Most items have a boxy cut, with a straight-up-and-down silhouette when un-belted. Everything seems to be sold out online today, but Target might quietly restock like they did with Missoni.
Now, on to this dress. This piece appeared unflattering on models in both stock photos and ads, but in-person, I thought it was one of the more interesting pieces of the collection. I love the combination of goldenrod and black against blush pink, as well as the details like a simple collar, pearly buttons, and scalloped trim on the front pleats. This would be lovely for brunch in the spring, and can also be business-casual appropriate in warmer weather.
On me (~ 5 feet tall, 32-24-32), this dress needs some slimming along the torso to make the armholes a bit smaller, and to rectify the bunching back as shown below. The belt loops also fall below my actual waist, so I would move those an inch or two upwards. Another aspect I don’t love about this dress that can’t be changed is the wide angled cap sleeves.
Old Navy jeggings in 0 Short, CL Decolette Pumps (starts in sz 4, now also in nude)
This blouse is boxy like everything else in the collection, but drapes well enough that it doesn’t need alterations on someone my size. I like how it looks worn casually with jeans or tucked into a pencil skirt. The blouse does poof out when fully tucked in, so I would slim the sides a little or layer on a cardigan / blazer.
In the ads, this top looked gorgeous paired with the floral pleated skirt. On the hanger, it looked wide and tent-like. Nick took one look and scoffed, and I almost put it back, but decided there was no harm in bringing it home to try on.
When worn, this top was surprisingly girly and pretty. I love the dotted mesh against the navy floral and can see this top (as well as many others in this collection) pairing perfectly with crisp white skinny jeans. I added a yellow belt for fun and the resulting look wasn’t too bad – almost like a peplum silhouette.
$22.99
These 100% rayon tees were a definite no for me. The material was stretchy and cool to the touch, but felt like they would pill after a few wash n’ wears. The tees looked similar to stuff you can get at H&M; any day. The twisted-ness of the neck is also more visible with the black trim, making the quality look cheap.
The skirts and dresses in numerical sizing all started at size 2. I wasn’t too disappointed about not finding any pleated skirts or dresses because they would require costly alterations, anyways. This skirt is 100% cotton and feels like a stiffer poplin material. I like the grosgrain ribbon waist, the pockets (sucker for pockets), and front pleats, but found the printed material to look a bit tacky.
Readers – Out of #1-3, help me decide which piece(s) to keep! If any of you also shopped this collection, I’d love to hear what you got!
Sorry, but none of this looks very good on you. :/
i have the pink dress and i love it! 🙂
I woke up so early for this collection and couldn't believe how many people were waiting in line at 7:45am outside my Target! It was insane. All the bags and scarves were gone in matter of seconds. I was dumb and followed the wrong group over there so by the time I got to the clothes, most of the xs tops were gone. I tried on the nude blouse with the lace skirt (the only things i wanted for weeks now) and neither worked for me. I ended up buying the shift dress you got, a navy floral dress, and a robin's egg blue cap sleeved blouse. After trying on everything at home, I decided to only keep the floral dress.
I say keep the navy floral top! Everything else looks too big/wide, which was my problem too. I agree with one of a commenter above, forget that this a Jason Wu collection… what would you really pick up if it was a no name brand?
I love your choices! I definitely saw some E-Bayer's as well and was also glad to hear about the limit of 6 rule.
Don't think you need to keep any of it … you probably have far cuter things in your current closet and the year has just begun! Cute as some of the clothes are, they are not special or different enough to keep and the colors and cuts seem kind of dated already (tie neck blouses, nudes, all scream 2010-2011, KWIM). I agree with you that everything looks H&M; quality (not a bad thing, mind you) but would you give them a second glance if they didn't say "Jason Wu" on them. If you returned everything, you might use the $ towards a new Jason Wu item (on sale, of course!).
You look very fresh from two long overnight plane trips. I returned from Asia last Monday and I did not look nearly as perky as you! Still don't. Hope you had fun and wlecome back.
Hello! Yay, new pictures! It's funny how some things drives us to stay awake even after a long day/flight. I'm from the UK so there's no Target here :-/ I really like the blue top with the daisies but otherwise not very keen on anything else. The materials used don't look very appealing to me. Maybe I'm just a bit picky what my clothes are made of.
P.S. For some reason, the dotted bow blouse looks like something someone in a nursing home would wear. It may be due to the pattern and loose fit.
I like the idea of higher end designers making clothes for Target. It was interesting seeing what Jason Wu offered. However, putting into practice what you taught us, the quality of the fabrics, cut and patterns don't look flattering. It must've been easy and cheap for them to mass produce these clothes, particularly since you said that most of them had a boxy cut. If there was one to keep, it would be the mesh top.
If you pretend that you didn't know these clothes were Jason Wu's and were a no name brand instead, it may help make your decisions easier.
Thanks for sharing them with us Jean!
Bela Anzu
I like the concept of higher end designers making clothes for Target. It's interesting seeing what Jason Wu's clothing line for Target look like. However, putting to practice what you've taught us about assessing the quality of fabrics, the cut and patterns, these clothes don't seem to flatter you. It must've been easy and cheap for them to mass produce these clothes, if they all have a boxy cut. If you had to choose any piece to keep, it would be the mesh top.
Maybe if you were to reassess these clothes pretending that they weren't Jason Wu's line and a no name brand instead, it would help make your decisions easier.
Bela Anzu
Welcome back, Jean! Looks like you had a tan. I went to Target late last night (around 5:30pm) and most of the pieces were still available. The only item that I am interested in is the navy dress but I don't think it's available in stores. Everything else looks big on the rack. I like the floral sleeveless top on you the best. Have a great week and I look forward to hear more about your trip!
Wow you are so beautiful! Cute outfits too! 🙂
If you have time go checkout my blog xx
http://christineannan.blogspot.com/
Everything looks great on you 🙂 keep them all!!! Lol Thanks for the detailed super fast review. Now I should decide to bidding on eBay or not. This morning's target tour was very dissapointing. Cause I know none of Hawaiian is that early bird for this kind of clothes. Those people must be retailers… Jason wouldn't happy about them selling target clothes four times more expensive than he priced!! But I'm happy that you found those 🙂
Love your photos, and the way you've styled each piece! Keep the floral mesh top, the polka dot navy blouse, and the striped peach dress. I liked the attention to detail with the dresses, but did not like the loose threads that I saw on many pieces. Also, some of the dresses were a bit flimsy. Overall, I thought the prints were fun, and I got the cat tote, floral flap bag, a few tops, and the dot dress in cream. I also wrote a review with my shopping experience and some tips on my blog.
Welcome back, I missed your more frequent posting schedule! 🙂
I braved the crowds this morning and my first attempt (at 9am) was a miss. I got some breakfast and went back to sleep…and then on the way home stopped by another Target and almost walked out again disappointed when John materialized with the long sleeve sheer polka dot blouse in xs. So that's what I came home with! 🙂
welcome back to the states! looks like you got a tan!
i think my favorite are the 2 blouses, but they definitely need slimming though. i think everything else is just okay.
I like how you belted the boxy dress. Very nice.
I ended up just getting the sheer blush dot blouse in a small… it's quite long on me (I'm 5'), but tucked into jeans or a skirt, it looks great!
Thought it would be good if you shared this video though:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LADVFPWQOng&feature;=player_embedded
2 people in a store in Miami bought out ALL of the Jason Wu collection to "resell"… very unethical, we should all be boycotting e-bay sellers who are raising the prices substantially. Spread the word!
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2 & 3 are my favorites. both looked best tucked in and both seem like good choices for when you don't want to think too much about your wardrobe and you want an easy, casual day out. the mesh blouse looked so darling with your blue skirt (without the belt). very feminine but not too overdone. its a good balance. the blouse looked great with the pants and will probably look even better if you slim the sides. i just love simple shirts like that where you can look together without a lot of effort. throw it on with some skinny jeans and you can be out the door in seconds!
Curious to see how the dress will look after alterations!
I went to the Target in Framingham and they didn't have a limit on the # of items. There were two lines formed at both entrances so my friend and I split up between the two. Good thing we did because I was able to make a bee line for the women's section and grabbed 2 of the smallest size of items that we had earmarked for weeks. Everything was gone within 30 seconds. The fit of the cream dress w/the pearl collar is very giving in the bodice and not petite friendly at all. In fact, it looks almost like something Fraulein Maria from the Sound of Music would have worn. Hope others had better luck with the dress 🙂 Save for the printed pleated skirt and the kitty t-shirt, sadly everything else will be returned (the dress, the pleated black skirt, & the pink dotted shirt you passed on Jean). For the price and quality, I don't feel it's worth it. I did try the one in South Bay hoping they might have the blue canvas skirt (the color is just so beautiful). Spotted the last skirt in a size 10. If anyone is interested, the material is as described in its name. It's like you're wearing a blue dyed L.L. Bean canvas bag with the material just as thick and stiff!
I'm really loving the mesh top, the dress is cute but it would look way too baggy on you
id say keep the dress. i got the dress and im
an xs as well. im just going to shorten it a bit and i think it'll be absolutely adorable! i love the color combo. to tell u honestly, when this dress ran out, quite a few customers told me how lucky i was to get it! the other dresses looked too 4th of july theme-ish to me.
I'm in Austin too! Which stores did you try? I do think the bow tied blouse is cute. I live hw well trained Nick's fashion eye is…most men would just have no clue!
I like the third top the most. It looks best on you. The rest kind of look plain and doesn't seem like you.
I didn't get ANYTHING! I woke up too late and everything was pretty much gone by mid-afternoon. Don't know what I was thinking!! To think there would be anything left after 15 minutes after launch. Oh, well maybe next time.
I did manage to find one dress but didn't feel like the dress lived up to my expectation. But I don't know. I'll wait for target to restock and then decide from there what I really think of the collection.
I'm not a huge fan of this collection but thought the 2nd blouse looks quite nice 🙂
I like the blue dotted blouse the best. I think it would be a great blouse for both casual and office wear.
Thanks for the reviews despite your jet lag!! If you decide to keep any of them, I'd have to vote for #3. I'm not sure if the mesh top makes it inappropriate for work, but I can see it as versatile day or night top for the weekends. I picked up sheer blush dot top in XS. I'm still undecided whether or not to keep it. I'm in love with the dainty collar and although wide, it drapes okay when tucked in. The problem is the long sleeves which don't role up as nicely.
You look great in everything, but the first dress would be my pick. It seems like it might be a tricky alteration though, so not sure if it's worth your time. Depends if you love it.
Jean, you always look fantastic, but I don't think any of these pieces are flattering or worth the money.
Your reviews are always good, but… I got Milu t-shirt, the gray one and the white with the riboon and love all of them, yes… they feel thin, but that's what I love of them 😀
http://thelookedover.blogspot.com/2012/02/lo-hicimos-jason-wu-for-target.html
I am totally and completely disappointed in Jason Wu's line for Target…I have been waiting for months. It is generic and completely uninspired. Although I think everything looks beautiful on you Jean….but it's not you. it's his god awful clothes. What a bummer!
I loved the style and some of the fabrics but the fit is a bit wide on most of them, which I wasn't to fond of. But I think I'll keep most of what I bought just cause it fits my style
with initial glance I liked all of them on you, but now that I read through your reviews more indepth and thoroughly, (and examined pics more closely) I think #2 looks best! and is the most flattering.
Youre pretty wearing anything tho, but my favorite for you is #2
I wish we had Target here! I love ALL of the pieces! Especially the dress and the dotted blue blouse. So cute and pretty for spring!
Everything looks amazing once you style it, particularly the mesh top. That said, I'm quite disappointed in how they fit you! Can't believe those are XS >,< If you do alter any of the pieces yourself, please share what you did. Fit is so important as a petite woman. Take care Jen! -Lily
Hi Jean! Is this your trick to beat the jet lag? you are brave 🙂 I went to my target this morning but nothing was left in my size at 8:15 a.m. And really the only piece I was eyeing was this top: http://www.target.com/p/Jason-Wu-for-Target-Collared-Cap-Sleeve-Pleated-Blouse-in-Gold/-/A-13840183
which I later realized that was only sold online. Don't really excited for any of the pieces of this collection as I was thinking they will require major alterations.
btw…#1 you make this dress look 1000% better than the model. It did not really caught my attention until now ^.^
Welcome back!
I say keep the navy blouse and floral sleeveless one. I totally missed this launch today! =(
I really dont think you should keep any of them! The colours and patterns arent that flattering. For the same prices, you could get better clothes from hnm.
Awesome! I checked out our local Target too today and came home with the same dress. It does fit big and boxy but it looks really good belted. I tried on some other pieces but didn't like them well enough to purchase. Thanks for this review, it's great to see these pieces on another petite 😉
Welcome back! Glad you're both home safely. : ) You look a little darker!
As for the pieces, I honestly don't like any of them except for the lace print skirt and the sheer dot blouse. Between #1, 2, & 3 though, I'd choose the sleeveless top for you because I can see you wearing it multiple times.
I went this morning at around 8 (right when my local target opened) and almost everything was gone. I mainly went for that one white dress with the black belt and the black and white satchel and it wasn't there at all. I don't know if they ran out right away or if my local target wasn't carrying it. I went to another Target and they didn't even have the collection at all… I was so sad 🙁 I wish I went before 8 like you did !
Anyway, I love all that you got ! I hope they restock or something…lol.. Also, they all look so nice on you ! I especially like number 2 and 4 😀
i thought they all looked good on you, especially the dress, but # 3 seems the most versatile and unique! 🙂
http://sariaz2.blogspot.com/
Thanks for sharing! I considered dragging myself out of bed to Watertown but was too lazy. Looks like I didn't miss much. Everything looks lovely on you but I do hate the feel of polyester — especially when it's dry and full of static in the winter!
I ordered the light blue pleated skirt and the lace skirt online. I'm curious to see how they fit.
I went to Target at 9:30AM just to grocery shop before Super Bowl. And I only saw a handful of stuff on the racks. Like 2 Cardigans, 1 dress, 1 sleeveless blouse, 2 tees etc. I did purchased the Tie Neck Blouse in Blush and the Floral Chiffon Dress with Belt.
I think numbers 2 + 3 are good for you. It is something you could wear over and over. I'm not sure about number 1. It is different from what you normally wear but how often do you think you'll wear it?
I like #2 on you. Despite the awkward twisted neckline the overall look is still cute. Plus, you don't need alterations. On a side note… I just checked ebay. As of now, there are over 10,000 listings under "Jason Wu Target"! These ebay vultures are terrible to hoard so many pieces and then sell them for like 5x the original price! I really hope more people read your (and Ana's) reviews and realize that the quality is not worth those exorbitant prices! It feels like ticket scalping to me! If ticket scalping is illegal, shouldn't clothing scalping be too?
Just feel that they do not look nice on you, compared to other clothes you had
I'd say keep the sleeveless floral blouse. I was surprised that I didn't love the look of the other pieces as much as I wanted to!
Agree on the Target in Canada! One year to go!
You had great luck! I wish all Targets had a limit of 6 pieces for collections like this. I got to Target 5 minutes early and there were 20 people in front of me in line. Thankfully we were different sizes so I still got to try on most of what I thought I wanted. I tried to order online last night, but Target's website was still having Missoni-esque problems. In the end, I ordered a dress that will probably be too big in some areas. If you can alter the dress to fit you, will you show how you fixed it on your blog? I would love to learn how to do that. It's hard to pay to get everything altered, especially for something like this. I also love the two blue blouses on you!
Thanks so much for sharing! Now I don't feel like I missed out by not being able to go to a Target store (not the most convenient in NYC!).