My review of Wu...

They don't call me the "Target Addict" for nothing ;-) So after limited luck in store this morning, and a reader tip that the Redwood City (CA) store had a good selection of Jason Wu for Target (albeit in larger sizes) I made one more trip out today to see what I could find.

I'm glad I did, as I was able to find this daisy print dress (shown) in a smaller size than what I had ordered online. I also tried on a bunch of stuff in larger sizes, and here's my take:

* Everything seems to run large, which goes against past Target designer collabs. I also noticed that some of the dresses go all the way up to size 16, which I believe is a first for Target's designer offerings. While I think this is great news for us who aren't a "size zero", if you figured the sizing would be small (as I did) and sized up, you may be in for a shock.

* Furthermore, the sleeveless blouses fit super-boxy, and the pink dot long-sleeved blouse is see-thru (meaning you'll have to wear a cami underneath). Similarly, the striped t-shirt dress is pretty sheer, and I'm mystified why it wasn't made of cotton instead.

* As I believe one reader commented already, many of the blouses look like something my Grandma would wear ;-) While the young teens and 20-somethings can get away with the granny look, this style can look dated on the rest of us.

* Most of the blouses are made of ultra-cheap looking (and feeling) polyester. Memo to Target: I'd rather pay 20% - or even 30% - more for a silk or natural-fiber blend than cheap poly.

* The t-shirts, on the other hand, are made of rayon... which in my experience doesn't hold up well and usually has to be dry-cleaned. The label says you can hand wash it and line dry, but again, I haven't had great luck with rayon tees in the past. This is a "one season item" at best.

Sadly, I wasn't able to get the cute kitty tote, which was the item I REALLY wanted the most. And even more infuriating, I missed a clerk putting out 3 last kitty totes (from "the back", they said) when 3 other women rushed ahead of me. There's one jacked up on eBay right now with 17 bids for $128, and I'm sure it'll end up going for even more. I refuse to pay the eBay vultures a markup, no matter how much I want it, and will hopefully stumble upon a customer return in store someday.

Jason Wu whizzes out of stores

Well, dear readers, I'm afraid we have another Missoni debacle on our hands. After my first post this morning, I raced to the Mountain View, CA Target store, where I counted approx. 50 people already in line at 10 minutes to 8. Not wanting to bet those odds (as I'm sure those in line would pick clean whatever Wu was in stock) I quickly made it over to the Sunnyvale store... only to find that at 8:02am, all the Wu was gone :-(

I commiserated with several frustrated shoppers who came in after me about how Target had again let them down. One woman said she had tried to order online in the wee hours, only to have items "disappear" from her cart, much like what happened to many online shoppers with Missoni. Another shopper - who was lucky enough to nab herself the striped t-shirt dress - said she got there right as they opened the store, but found very little Wu on the racks in the firstplace. A Target clerk confirmed to me that their store had received VERY little stock, so she wasn't surprised that what they had was gone in two minutes.

After "stalking" some shoppers coming out of the dressing room, I was able to grab the gray lace t-shirt and this lovely scarf when someone returned it to the rack. I have to say that from the picture online, I would have passed on this scarf, but in person it's much more beautiful and intricate. I briefly considered trying a third Target store, but then realized it would be fruitless, and headed home instead.

Some of you have already written in to report similar incidents at your own Target stores: very limited stock, and greedy shoppers (probably eBay vultures) nabbing most of what was on the racks. A quick check online shows over 5,800 eBay listings under "Jason Wu Target" already, which is just plain disgusting. Target should really limit the amount of designer items one can buy at checkout. They've done this in the past on "bulk items" (like cases of Coke) so why not for other items as well?

I am thankful that I was able to place my early morning online order without any hiccups, otherwise I would be even more upset over my lack of luck in store. It looks as if most items are now soldout online. How about the rest of you out there? Did you score any Wu, or were you left emptyhanded?

Target's website hasn't crashed, but...

...I notice that 2-3 Jason Wu for Target items are already soldout online. And, curiously enough, some items that WERE previously available for order online - like this flared little black dress - are now mysteriously available "in store only". I had insomnia last night and so around 1:30 Pacific Time I order this dress as well as a couple of blouses. I have an order confirmation from Target, so hopefully these items will reach me. But many of the Wu items I want are available "in stores only"... so off I go to brave the possible crowds. I'll give you a full shopping report later today!

WWD hearts Target

The venerable Women's Wear Daily seems to heart Target... or at least the new Jason Wu for Target collection. Their "February Obsessions" includes the Wu line, which they give their stamp of approval:

"From Proenza Schouler to Thakoon to Rodarte, we never met a Target collaboration we didn't like. That said, we're especially excited for the retailer's latest designer, Jason Wu! Staying true to his feminine aesthetic, the collection is packed with sweet frocks, cute skirts, and lovely blouses. Though we're dying to get our hands on everything, our favorites include the Pleated Shift Dress ($40) in Blush Stripes, the Milu Print Scarf ($20), and the Woven Straw Mini Saddle Bag ($25) in Cream."

Not all Targets will carry Jason Wu...

I was reminded this morning that not all stores will carry the Jason Wu for Target line. While Racked.com has mapped out every single LA area store carrying the line, for other areas you'll need to head to the TargetStyle Facebook page. In the past, this information has been on Target's website, but now I guess they want you to sign up for their FB alerts. And on top of that, the "list" is organized by state, city and zip code - not street address. Meaning: if you're unsure of the location, you'll have to head back to Target's website and search their storefinder for the exact address.

Fab Find: Mossimo Sequin Knit Hat

Since this item is still available on Target's website, I thought I'd pass along my "thumbs up". This little hat may not look like much, but the sequins give it just enough "bling" to dress up whatever casual winter outfit you pair it with. It's also made of supersoft acrylic, which feels like cashmere. Another plus is that it actually fits my head, which may sound odd but many "skull cap" shapes like this actually "poof up" too much on top, making me look like a conehead ;-)

Although Target's website states this item isn't available in stores, that's where I found mine. And while Target's site has this cute cap on clearance for 50% off - at just $6.48 - I scored mine for even less: a paltry $3.88!

PS: Besides basic Black, it also comes in Gray as well.

Why I love Method brand...

Most people are familiar with the Method brand. Method makes home cleaning, personal care, and laundry products that (in their own words) "work, for you and for the planet, ones that are as easy on the eyes as they are on the nose". Their products clean without toxic chemicals, are safe and eco-friendly, and come in well-designed packaging.

So when I finally ran out of my stash of my favorite Method White Tea Body Wash - and noticed that Target's website indicated that all stores in my area were sold out of it - I wrote the friendly folks at Method to ask whether this fragrance had been discontinued, or whether they planned to bring it back. Not only did I get a response within 48 hours, but it was a personalized one as well:

Thanks so much for taking the time to write to us and for your interest in Method. We discontinued that line of body wash about two years ago. However, the good news is we're releasing a new line of creamy body wash in a few weeks, and white tea will be one of the fragrance choices. Check Target and online at www.methodhome.com in early February.

Hope that helps. If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call or email me directly anytime. Take care and have a beautiful day!

Warmest regards,
Meagan

Thanks to Method, I'll eagerly await the debut of their new White Tea Body Wash. In the meantime, I'm using their Refreshing Body Wash in Sea Minerals (shown here) that has a fresh, beachy scent. You can try to get it at Target (where I nabbed it on clearance last week) or you can purchase it directly from Method's website.