My Thoughts on Rodarte for Target

And the moment we've all been waiting for: Rodarte for Target!!! Cue girly squealing. Maud and I went last night just in case they'd started putting items about, but that was a no-go, so we trekked over at 8:10 AM Sunday morning (crazy Target holiday hours), and ten minutes after the store had opened people were already losing their minds. Maybe it's because the Rodarte sisters are from our town, but there were a couple very determined, frightening people at our Target who snatched up everything and took over the dressing rooms. Most of the collection made it to our store, everything but the belts, tights, leopard print jacket, and the lace cardigan. I watched what was going in and out of the dressing rooms in hopes that someone was trying on all the lace cardigans at once, but nope. It's ok, Maud and I were still happy campers. Keep reading for pics and my thoughts on the collection:

Sequinned Rib Dress, $44.99 (sold out): I actually liked this more than I thought I would. There's something kind of catchy about the cut from the front, and the ribcage print is so quirky. This dress is really cute from the front, but I tried on a medium and it was a struggle to get it over my chest and hips, but the waist was really baggy. But you can't belt it at the waist without obscuring the print. Hmm. And the back has no sequins, which kind of diminishes the effect, although you still get a lot of bling for $44.99. All in all, if you can find it, it fits, and you have the cash, I'd get it. It's not the kind of dress you see often.


Crepe Lace Print Dress, $34.99 at target.com: This dress is really sweet. It's a nude, polyester slip (unlined) with a simple elastic waist and a black lace print. I really like the idea of the trompe l'oeil print, which is equal parts trendy and refined, and I think this would be a very versatile, easy to work with piece. How cute would this be with a navy belt? The reason I didn't get it is because the small just didn't fit me quite right. It makes my chest look point, and although I love Mad Men I'm not a fan of the cone boob.


Black Cami with Lace, $19.99 (sold out), Tulle Crepe Lace Skirt, $29.99 (sold out): This cami was actually really cute. It also comes in nude, ochre, and a magenta. I really like it tucked into a loose, casual shirt for a boudoir-inspired look. It's decently made and has a cute lace detail at the chest. The issue for me was that the fit at the chest was too tight in the XS, but the body was too big in the small, and it's the kind of piece you can get a lot of places, so I'm going to wait it out for the right cami. This skirt was my least favorite piece, hands down. It's not that it's an ugly skirt, because it's actually pretty cute. It's the fit. Maybe it's just not cut for me, because it literally added 20 pounds to my frame, made my hips look distorted, and made me look pregnant. My stomach's no washboard, but I'm in good shape. That's just not acceptable.


Crepe Slip Dress in black, $39.99 (sold out): I thought I would fall head over heels in love with this, but I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, it's obviously adorable. I love the idea of the sheer overlay on top of the vintage-looking slip, and it has this great Gothic/romantic/vampire vibe to it that is right up my ally. My issues with this dress were that the bows on the shoulders are a little awkward looking, there's a LOT of static cling (no really, A LOT), and the fit was interesting. The waist and the body fit me pretty well in the small and the medium, but the bust was too big for me in both, which made the chest area look droopy and ended up making this look more nightgown than party dress. BUT if you have a larger chest I think this dress would really work for you, and the cut is really flattering. An a-line skirt looks good on everyone!


Crepe Slip Dress in Tan/Ochre, $39.99 (sold out): Same dress, different color. This one's a small (the black was a medium) and you can see how the bust area is just a little off. If you look good in yellow, you might like this little number. Yellow makes me look jaundiced, so no.


And here's what I ended up getting:

Leopard Print Lace Dress, $44.99 (sold out): I got it! I got it! It was funny because when we walked in Maud grabbed this and I grabbed the skeleton dress and there was this funny "I know I have what you want but I don't want to give up what I'm holding moment" but this came home with me. It's painted lace, which I absolutely love because the swirls of the lace behind the print give the illusion of actual leopard hair, and how fur grows in curvy patterns (if that makes any sense). The body is lined, but the sleeves aren't, which I actually like because that makes it easier for me to push the sleeves up a little bit. There are 3 oversized bows down the back, which I'm a little torn about. It kind of makes you look like you have back tumors from far away. I think I want to cut two of them off, leave either the top or the bottom bow, and use the other two as accessories because they are pretty cute. As for the fit, I think it'll be hit or miss for a lot of people. It's a body-con dress and it's not stretchy, so it's either going to work or it won't. I lucked out, which surprises me to no end because nothing ever fits my chest/hips and my waist at the same time. I'm wearing a 5, which is a little loose on me, but I think the 3 would be a little tight (which makes sense because I'm a 4, but grrrrr). If it helps my measurements are 36-27-36, but I think you could have up to 38 hips and still fit the 5. I'm 5'8', so it's a short mini, but it's not indecent by any means (even my dad approved it). If you want this I'd drive over to Tar-jay now, because I literally had two people try to steal this out of my hands.


Swiss Dot Dress, $39.99 at target.com: And here's the other thing I walked away with. I didn't think I'd like this at all, but in person it's so adorable. Very modern Alice in Wonderland/Cinderella, AKA the perfect palette for all my edgier accessories. It's a baby blue, with a swiss dot pattern on the skirt, blue lace at the bodice, and illusion netting at the neckline. The netting is very sheer, but it's gathered at the sleeves and the collar, and at the keyhole cut out in the back. The actual skirt is definitely mini-length, but the overskirt (which is the a-line Swiss dot part) makes it more daytime appropriate. My only issue with this is that it cuts down a few inches below my bra in the back, which is a plus if you're into the exposed lingerie trend but otherwise kind of a hassle. What I really love about this dress is that the cut is extremely flattering. The sweetheart cut of the bodice both adds and accentuates curves, the fitted waist highlights your thinnest part, and the a-line skirt hides any lower body dislikes and creates a great hourglass shape. I also love that this looks like a fab vintage '50s prom dress without any of the vintage fit discrepancies. I really like this with a moto jacket and a men's leather belt to counter-act the sweetness of the dress itself.
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Overall I think this was a very strong collection. I feel like I really got a lot of dress for the prices I paid, and the general vibe was very Rodarte, that quirky, slightly Gothic, twisted princess feel. I do wish I'd gotten to see the black lace cardigan, the leopard belts, and the lace tights. I might go back and check on those. There were a few more pieces that I didn't try on--a denim jacket (boring), denim shorts (actually very cute, but FYI they run small), a few tees that weren't remarkable, a lace tee (cute but the lace print was very floral), a leopard hoodie (so out of place), a fugly peach wrap dress, a weird raincoat, and a few bikinis.

Seriously guys, I'd head over to your local Target if you haven't already. The collection was totally picked over half an hour after being put out, and some stores put the collection out a few days ago.