My exhaustive review of Thakoon for Target...

One of the Target stores near where I live - the one that always puts out the Go International stuff out early - already had Thakoon's line out as of yesterday, so I was able to check the collection out "live and in person". Here are my thoughts:

Overall, Thakoon for Target is much better than the previous 3-4 Go International lines. Standout pieces include the much-anticipated shibori dress (which I featured the other day) that's cuter on than on the hanger (believe me, because I bought it!). I also really liked this striped dress (which I previewed the other day) that's super-summery but should be OK in late-Spring with the addition of a navy or white cardigan. And I'll probably go back to buy this swingy blue skirt (pictured) that also comes in the grey shibori print and would look great with a simple black t-shirt.

Thakoon's tops were a mixed bag. The ruffled tops (pictured) are cute, as are the colorblock tanks (which are made of a silky-type poly that could easily be dressed up for evening). But the tops with large horizontal stripes? Never a good idea. And while some of the t-shirts were cute in the shibori print, others (like the yellow camo print) were just plain garish.

Two areas I'd definitely recommend passing on are the cardigans, as they're actually more like t-shirt material than sweater-weight. In other words, they come off as cheap and flimsy. And the swimwear is so skimpy that it really is best saved for the very young (or super-skinny).

And speaking of which: Thakoon himself keeps talking about designing with "girls in mind" on his video on Target.com (scroll down to 'menu' under Thakoon's name and you can 'watch the video'). So obviously, these fashions are aimed at the younger set ....although I don't exactly picture young girls buying resort wear, unless it's for Spring Break in Florida.

UPDATE: Just a little friendly warning that the sizing for the Thakoon line is all over the map! Some items (like the t-shirts and jackets) run true-to-size, whereas others - the dresses in particular - are HUGE. And still other items run small, so it's best to "try before you buy" in order to avoid returns.