One of my friends has 12 different red t-shirts, collected over the years from Target. She rarely wears any of them. The reason? One is stretched out, one has a hem coming apart, one would be the "perfect red" but fits like crap, one fits perfectly but is the wrong red, one gives her good boobs but shows her belly, one can only be worn peeking out at the bottom of another shirt, three are worn only to bed, one is sentimental and one still had tags on it from 2003. Repeat the situation for various colors - white, black, gray, pink, etc. Why does one keep buying this stuff? Because it was cheap. Because Target is Mom crack.
I actually hate shopping at Target. But several times a year I get suckered in. I always enter the dressing room gleefully, arms full of clothes so cheap that they can't be believed, on a high from the Mom crack that is Target. However, 45 minutes later, my blood sugar is low, the florescent lights have sucked all youth from my face and my euphoria surrounding my cheap Target finds has completely evaporated. I am at rock bottom. I have to fight the urge to rush back out there, to keep looking! I mean there are all of these racks and racks of stuff! And they are SO CHEAP! There must be something perfect! Or maybe I can just make this work? I mean, it's only $20! Ooooo! I didn't see THAT rack! THAT must be the rack for me!!
Mom crack for sure.
But in any case, most of the time at Target I find that either the fit is off, or the color is off, or the style is too young....or I just don't love it. Cheap? Yes. Destined to be donated to Goodwill from lack of use? Definitely. So what suckers me in? The occasional success, and people like Tara, our May mom.
Tara, mother of two beautiful girls, was celebrating her oldest daughter's third birthday. She pulled together a party look that was comfortable, practical, and simply looks amazing. And two of the key pieces are, (damm her!!) from Target.
Tara is wearing the Xhilaration Flutter Sleeve top, $13 from Target in hardware gray (pictured above). The drapiness of the top combined with the banded bottom is one of the most flattering cuts for moms who want to hide a post-baby belly. Even better, the flutter sleeves are perfect for anyone not comfortable with their upper arms.
She's also wearing Gap's Skinny Cropped Jeans, $60, with a pair of nude colored wedges she bought several years ago at, yup, you guessed it, Target. I love the combo of nude heels with...well, anything really. A nude or lighter shoe will help elongate your leg and make you look taller than, say, the expected black sandal. And her necklace is from Forever21; sadly, she bought it a few years ago and it is no longer available.
Here are a couple of accessory options to recreate Tara's look:
The necklace above echo's the chunkiness of Tara's, but in a bolder color. It is the Graduated Multi Bead Necklace, found at JcPenny for $28. I like this necklace paired with Target's Mossimo Round Toe Wedge in taupe patent, $23. The smaller wedge heel makes this a good choice for an outdoor party - you can chase your kid without worrying about a high heel sinking into the lawn, and patent is pretty stain proof.
I really like Tara's pairing of a pale necklace with the gray top. It made for a nice, soft, slightly romantic look. The Madison necklace by KentonBeadworks, $40 would be a good choice to recreate the romantic vibe. Pair this necklace with the flirty Merona Elizabeth Slingback Wedges, $25 at Target.
Sigh. Back I go. Back to the fluorescent lights, the 6 item dressing room limit, the racks of shirts that aren't quite right. All for the promise that I can look as awesome as Tara for just a few bucks. I'll just go in and buy Tara's shirt. And the shoes. But Target probably has some capri jeans that would work. And they are probably only like $20. Hmmmm....which would save $40 (because I didn't buy the Gap jeans). So with that $40, I could probably find another shirt or two. Or maybe a summer dress. They have 12 racks of summer dresses....I'm sure I can find a cute one! And a skirt! I really need a skirt! But what if they run out of my size? OMG - I should go now! Right now! Target's open all night....right?
Mom crack.
xo,
S
