Budget-O-Rama: Old Navy & Target In-Store Review
No head shots--because of the heat, my hair died and went to hell.
I had the day off yesterday, so my little brother and I scheduled some bonding time. Specifically, we went to Target & Old Navy before catching a matinee of Iron Man. I'd never read any Iron Man comics, and felt skeptical about the whole "magical iron suit" concept, but the movie was brilliant. Killer special effects, well-written dialogue, and Robert Downey Jr. is just wonderful.
As for shopping: at Target, the Rogan collection didn't impress me, and most everything else fell under the "cute-but-not-quite" heading. Isaac Mizrahi has nice pieces, however; his fabrics and construction definitely surpass other Target brands. My favorite items are his sari dresses, particularly the hot pink one, which sold out online but is still available in-store.
After Target, we visited Old Navy. I've mentioned it before, but I like the fashion-forward direction they've taken recently. Of course, the execution's still hit or miss. The silk tops I liked online are too flimsy in person, the sequined pieces feature ugly matte sequins (the exceptions being the silver & the sequin-stripe tanks), and the unfinished hem on the sweater dresses looks cheap. I like the sleeves on the voile stripe tops, but the bubble hem's unflattering.
As for the good, the tie-neck tops are chic and the banded sweater tanks looked surprisingly nice on the floor models. They also have plenty of excellent basics, in a wide range of colors. I got two plain white tees (including the one above) for $18.
Hugging my fake baby bump...
My favorite item, however, was the chiffon tiered top, $24.50. The fabric's soft and moves well, and I appreciate the size & extent of the ruffles. I had considered buying the black version (it's the only one available online) but preferred the white & grey in person. The white, in particular, has an ethereal quality that I love (it's semi-transparent, but not obscene).
Still, as much as I love the tops, they're not "figure-flattering." I'm a short hourglass, so the smart thing to wear would be tops that cinch at the waist (i.e. the opposite of these). I may try to cinch them with a wide belt (like Old Navy did in the promo shot); turn one into a skirt [edit: tried it, pictures below]; or just embrace the puffiness.
Edit: So I tried the skirt concept, and was pretty pleased with the result. The tanks can be stacked to create a flapper dress, although you still have the puff ball problem from before (unless you're an apple or inverted triangle with great legs--in that case, go for it!). What worked better for me was transforming the camis into individual skirts paired with form-fitting tops. It's sort of ballerina chic (but with what shoes, I wonder?).
Last but not least, here are some snaps from Old Navy's July preview:
Yes, please.
UPDATE: ShopDiary test drove the black ruffle camis!
