I Shopped The Altazurra For Target Collection So You Don't Have To

Up until now I have successfully avoided buying into the hype that is Target designer collaborations.

Up until now I have successfully avoided buying into the hype that is Target designer collaborations. I thought Missoni was a bunch of cheap zig-zag prints in ugly colors (sorry! ) and I was originally intrigued by Prabal Gurung until I saw how shoddy the construction was. None of it actually looked or felt good in person. 

That’s why, although I was surprisingly into quite a few things from the Altuzarra for Target lookbook, I was still careful not to get my hopes up. I refuse to purchase anything from these collaborations online because there’s no way of knowing if the quality will be any good. Therefore I found myself driving half an hour out of my way Sunday to the closest Target carrying the Altuzarra collection. 

Was it worth it? Well, yes and no. 

I went on my mission with a few particular items in mind. Honestly I was sort of hoping that the pieces I liked would be crap, or look horrible on me, because even at these prices it’s not really practical for me to buy several pieces at a total of $200 or upwards. I’m at the clearance rack and thrift store level of my shopping budget right now, sadly. I decided I’d try on the pieces I had my eyes on and then only purchase the ones that really looked and felt amazing. 

The trench coat was the only piece I was interested in that wasn't there. Despite getting there two hours after the store opened, I had my pick of sizes for every other item -- the best part of suburban Targets.  

I loaded up my arms with the items I came for and several others besides and headed to the dressing rooms. (I ignored all the snakeprint because it is definitely not my thing.) 

I tried on the velvet tux first. Unsurprisingly it turned on to be way too much look on me with both pieces on at once. 

The pants by themselves were quite nice, but the blazer made me feel like a novice magician. The quality was good but the lapel was too big and shiny, making the blazer look rather cheap in person.

I also tried on five dresses. 

The lacey black one was fine but it was boring and the wrong length on me. The maxi floral dress was gorgeous, as was the cranberry wrap dress--but I knew I would never wear them anywhere. 

My favorite was the summery striped shirtdress, despite not loving drop waisted dresses on myself. I would have bought it if it WASN'T TOTALLY THE WRONG SEASON. I don't like buying things only to have them sit in my closet for half the year. 

I had been planning on getting the heron dress along with the wide belt but in the end I didn't love it on me enough to spend the money. Same goes for the heron sweater. 

Maybe I'll go back in a few weeks once it's all sitting on the clearance rack. That said, the quality and fit of all the dresses was really good and I'm a little sad that I didn't spring for the heron dress.

Of course, I couldn't leave without trying on the giant furry coat. 

After a cursory look at the shoes (the booties were not my style and the tall boots were awesome but painful-looking and too pricey at $80), I headed to the checkout. Surprising myself with my restraint, I only ended up with two things.

I purchased the striped button down for $30 and the velvet trousers for $40. The shirt was a practical choice (it was the only item that I could see myself wearing to work every week) and it made me think of Meg Ryan in You've Got Mail, which is my sartorial goal every fall. The velvet pants weren't quite so practical but I know I'll wear them pretty regularly, both to work with comfy sweaters and out on the weekend with heels. 

In the end, I didn't purchase nearly as much from the Altuzarra for Target collection as I thought I was in danger of doing. It was more because it didn't suit my look or my lifestyle than because of poor quality or fit, though. On the contrary, everything fit really well (I only had to up or down one size occasionally) and the quality was great. Most dresses were lined, and the fabric may have been on the cheaper side but still felt really well-made and substantial, as did the zippers and clasps. There were a few loose threads here and there but that's it. If you've been waffling on this collection because you were burned in the past, I definitely encourage you to check it out. 

Did you get anything from Altuzarra for Target? Let me know what you thought!