Target's "Cyber Monday"

Looks like Target isn't waiting for November to hold their first "Cyber Monday". I just got an email promoting that today only, if you spend $75, you get a $10 Target giftcard. Plus, they promise "doorbuster specials", like Vizio flatscreen TVs, Canon cameras, and Beats by Dr. Dre headphones.

Target to hire fewer seasonal workers this year...

According to the Associated Press, Target plans to hire fewer seasonal workers for the 2013 holiday season, or 20% less than last year. In trying to be more efficient in its hiring practices, Target will only hire about 70,000 seasonal workers this year, compared to last year's 88,000. This move comes as the Minneapolis-based chain saw that its own permanent employees wanted to get first dibs on working extra hours for the holiday season.

Target said it also wants to respond more quickly to the peaks and valleys of customer traffic, which have become more pronounced for many stores as shoppers time their buying for when they believe they can get the best deals. "We're getting smarter in terms of anticipating how many resources we need when guests are really going to be shopping the hardest," said Jodee Kozlak, Target's executive vice president of human resources.

New at Target: Method's Fall 2013 Scents

As mentioned in a post a couple of weeks ago, Method has introduced some new Fall varieties (available at - but not exclusive to - Target) and honestly, I'm not that impressed with the scents nor the updated packaging. The new fragrances include Plumeria, Silver Birch (shown here) and Dulce de Leche. Out of all of them, I found the Silver Birch to be the best of the bunch, although I don't know if I like it enough to actually buy it. The Plumeria was too floral for my tastes, and the Dulce was over-the-top candy-sweet. And the new packaging seems to be trying to copy prior Orla Kiely designs by coming up with their own prints they describe as "wrapped in organic, textured patterns inspired by nature".

And for those of you bummed (as I am) that Target has pretty much sold out of all their supply of last season's Orla Kiely-labeled Method products, here's some good news! You can still buy them (at least for now) via Method's website. This includes both last Fall's Gel Wash scents of Bay Leaf, Pear Ginger, Vanilla Chai and Primrose, as well as Spring 2013's Foam Wash offerings of White Nectarine, Cloudburst and Honeysuckle. Note that Method will re-direct you to their fulfillment center - Soap.com - once you're ready to checkout, and that shipping is free on orders over $35.

My review of 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target...

Today I thought I'd give you a review of the Phillip Lim for Target items I was able to score in store this week. Over the past several days I've visited 3 local Target stores in my area, and was lucky enough to get several items I'm really happy with. The 3 original items I ordered online - the Black Tote with Gusset, the Khaki Trench, and the Brown Carryall Tote - haven't shown up yet, although I did get an email confirmation from Target that they've shipped and are on their way.

Despite the fact I had already ordered the Black Tote with Gusset, this week in store I happened to find one of the Large Carryall Totes in Black, so I nabbed it just in case the online order doesn't show up. I was pretty impressed with this bag. Obviously at a $60>under price point, Target isn't going to produce something in real leather. However the grain of the "pleather" has a nice texture to it and from afar could pass for the real deal. The bag also seems sturdy and roomy, with plenty of handy pockets and compartments inside. Based on this sample, I think the bags in this line are a real "win", and I'm not surprised that they sold out so fast.

Moving on to the clothing: I found the sizing to be a bit varied (depending on the piece) although overall the sizing seems more generous than past Target designer-collabs. I bought this gorgeous Green Blouse in store and had to go down one from my usual size. I love this vibrant shade of green, and plan to pair it with classic black pants for a job interview next week.

On the flipside, I had to size up on the Sparkle Peplum Tank in order to fit my bust. This top has a flattering, structured shape, with a gentle peplum that's not too "flared". The fabric is substantial and not flimsy, making it look more expensive than it really is. This will be a perfect top to wear for the holidays, paired casually with jeans or dressed up with a sleek pencil skirt. Since I liked the shape so much, I also bought this top in the Floral Print.

On all the clothing items, I found the quality and workmanship to be far superior to prior collabs. The materials seem of better quality (at least in the items I bought) and seem like they'll last past a couple of seasons wear.

What do you think, readers? Were you pleasantly surprised (as I was) by this collab? And if you bought anything, what were your favorite pieces?

Some Phillip Lim for Target orders not being filled...

Uh oh... it looks like Target might have another Missoni mess on their hands. Reader "Meena" posted the following complaint on one of my Lim posts from earlier this week:

I am extremely disappointed as I placed an online order for a Phillip Lim bag, and now Target sent me an email stating that they will not be able to fill the order. Instead, they are mailing me an gift card for $100.

Meena, be glad that you at least got $100 gift card out of it, because not everyone did. "Ashley" from Atlanta was lucky enough to get one, as shown in this message she posted to TargetStyle's Facebook page. But comments on Ashley's post shows that another online shopper only got a $10 gift card for her troubles, and yet another referenced that she got a paltry $5 card for her  Prabal Gurung for Target order gone awry.

Fab Find: Cära Leather Cuff Bracelet

Last week at my local Target store I spied a bunch of faux-leather bracelets on clearance in a variety of colors and styles. As I did the rest of my shopping, I mulled over which one to buy, and ended up picking this cuff style by Cära (shown). It reminded me a bit of Gucci's leather cuff, minus the $560 price tag. And marked down to just $7.98 (down from $24.99) how could I resist?

If you're not lucky enough to find it on clearance in store, it's on sale on Target.com for 20% off this week, and also comes in a pretty winter-white color.

Wednesday's Rave: Nate Berkus for Target Sheets

About a year ago I raved out Springmaid's My Soft Sheet Set, which unfortunately Target doesn't carry anymore. By the time I realized these were being phased out, I could no longer find the size I needed on clearance. So it's taken me a long time to find a suitable replacement, but I think I've finally found one: these Nate Berkus for Target sheets in a subtle herringbone pattern. Made of 100% cotton sateen with 300 thread count, they are soft right out of the box, and will hopefully hold up well. And the menswear-inspired herringbone print is a nice alternative to plain solid sheets.

Best of all, this particular pattern is now on clearance in some stores. I've seen them at 30% at one location, and I was lucky enough to score mine at another for 70% off!