Tuesday's Rant: Target's Disappointing Designer Lines

On Tuesdays I usually take the opportunity to rant about something I do NOT like about Target …because although I love them to death, they certainly ain’t perfect. Today’s rant is about the rash of disappointing designer debuts at Target. In the past 6 months, the Bullseye has given us a so-so Jonathan Saunders clothing line, a ho-hum Hayden-Harnett purse line, and a big-n-blingy Erickson-Beamon jewelry collection. I won’t even mention the McQ line. And as I talked about in yesterday’s post, we now have a lackluster Miss Trish of Capri sandal line hitting Target stores. It’s really a bummer that all of Target’s recent design collaborations have been such a letdown after all the hype and advertising. And it makes me wonder whether their next two designer collections - Loomstate (Rogan’s organic men’s and women’s wear) and Ashley Page (swimwear) – are going to be a buzzkill as well.

The dish on Miss Trish...

Yesterday I discovered that my local Target had put some of the new Miss Trish of Capri sandals out early (they are not due in stores until April 5th) and I hate to say it, but I was immediately disappointed by what I saw. First off, they were hard to find; they were misplaced in the Mossimo section, and even had Mossimo signs on the shelves advertising the prices. ??? Anyhow, look for the bright turquoise-blue boxes and you'll find Miss Trish. And what I found could be best described as cheap. I saw most of the flat-styles I blogged about last week, and there wasn't one pair I liked enough to even try on, let alone buy. The stitching was sloppy on at least two pairs that I examined up close (which points to shoddy manufacturing) and the PVC materials are so "plastic" that they don't even attempt to look like faux-leather.

Now contrary to my prediction, Miss Trish is also offering a couple of high-heeled options in addition to the flats previewed on Nitrolicious. Pictured at left is one of the Miss Trish platforms I saw in person; this style features hot pink faux-leather with mini-jeweled turtles. You can see pics of the red nautical-braided rope sandal as well as the black-patent crystal ladybug platform here on the Sugar Rock Catwalk. But as was the case with the flat styles, the platforms didn't "wow" me at all. What a letdown!

Pick of the Week

It's Pick of the Week time: each week I pick one great buy from Target's Weekly ad (in the Sunday newspaper) and highlight it here on my blog. Now there's a lot of fun stuff on sale this week, but here's what I honed in on: fresh herbs and veggies from Target's Garden Center.

As I've lamented before, not all Target stores have a Garden Center anymore, but the one Target in my area that does always has fresh plants that are attractively displayed. That's why I was excited to see that Target has herbs and veggie plants on sale this week, because nothing could be more fresh than growing your own. It's also economical (have you priced fresh Chives and Oregano lately?) as well as convenient (oops, out of Rosemary? Just step outside and pick some!). We actually had a wonderful salad last night made out of lettuce picked from our own backyard; the greens were tender and it really impressed my parents that it was "home grown"!

Herbs in 1-pt pots: on sale for $1.75 each
Veggies in 1-pt pots: on sale for $0.99 each
Herbs or Veggies in 3.2-pt pots: on sale for $2.99 each

(Available in Target stores only; not available online. Assortment may vary by store. Available in Target's outdoor Garden Center; note that not all Target stores have a Garden Center).

The Bernie Madoff baseball card

I'll continue the baseball theme from yesterday with news that the Topps Company - in addition to releasing their usual selection of baseball cards this Spring - will also issue trading cards featuring the 'world's biggest hoaxes, hoodwinks and bamboozles'. And yes, that includes a card dedicated to Bernie Madoff. Among the other do-badders in the subset are Charles Ponzi, The Runaway Bride, and Enron.

"These cards feature 20 perpetrators of some of the most notorious pranks, dubious claims, and outright frauds of the last 2 centuries," says Topps. That means, my friends, that you could potentially open a pack of these cards and find Madoff right alongside notable sluggers like Alex Rodriguez or Albert Pujols. The cards will sell for $3 a pack at mass retailers (including Target) and the odds of finding a Madoff will be one in 12 packs on average.

Major League wear on the cheap

Spring training is in full swing and the start of the 2009 Major League Baseball season is upon us. In just a few short weeks, our favorite heroes of the diamond will take the field and battle it out for division pennants. And in order to fully support your team, one must be outfitted with team apparel, right? But in today's economy, most of us are struggling for necessities, not to even mention "wants" like a baseball jersey.

That's why my favorite place to shop for major league wear is Target. Target offers not only licensed baseball wear, but also gear of local other professional – and sometimes college - sports teams. Obviously, the key word is “local”; if you live in Minnesota (Target headquarters) you’re going to get a selection of Minnesota Twins shirts. In my neck of the woods (Northern California) we have the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland A’s. And I have noticed that depending on the season, my Target will also offer a selection of San Jose Sharks (hockey) and San Francisco 49ers & Oakland Raiders (football) wear. I have even seen shirts for our two local universities: Stanford and UC California Berkeley. One caveat: you won’t find the "flashy" or "trendy" styles of sports apparel at the Bullseye; rather, you pretty much get the basic shirt, polo or sweatshirt with the standard logo. But the good news is that you can usually pick up these shirts for the wallet-friendly range of $16-22.

Jessica Alba hearts Target

Out for some mother/daughter bonding time, Jessica Alba and her baby girl Honor Marie made a shopping trip to Target last month in Los Angeles.

The “Sin City” and “Fantastic Four” star and her precious daughter ventured over to their local Target store, wandering the aisles before heading out to the car with a cartful of purchases.

Wednesday’s Rave: this Mossimo shoe

It's a boot! No wait, it's a sandal! And it's metallic! (which, we hear, is really big for Spring….)

It's the Valentina Peep-Toe Bootie by Mossimo, and at just $26,99, it looks a heck of a lot more expensive than it actually is.