I agree that the look is available elsewhere. If it's not, it's sure as heck going to be after this clusterfuck as knock offs come to market.
Here is the thing about LP prints. The people who can recognize an "authentic" LP print are going to know it's one of the ones from Target. My SIL's mom worked for LP for years; my SIL gets cast offs, irregulars and leftovers (since she is itty bitty tiny). She's had women come up to her and scorn her for wearing a print from past years - like wearing a 2010 print in 2013.
I guess my point is, if you like the style and the look, and aren't really interested in the name brand, there is going to be options. If you are interested in looking like you are wearing LP to impress people (not saying anyone here is, just in general ), the people impressed by that are going know it's the $38 version.
I just don't really get it. Target stuff is cute anyway! I can go into Target any given day and buy a bunch of cute, quirky-looking things I don't really need. This stuff is like Target quality, right? Just with LP designs? Also, I might be wrong, but I don't get the impression that the people buying this can't or don't buy real LP. Especially the people paying resale mark-up. So.. just go buy LP? It's on Ruelala all the time.
Here is the thing about LP prints. The people who can recognize an "authentic" LP print are going to know it's one of the ones from Target. My SIL's mom worked for LP for years; my SIL gets cast offs, irregulars and leftovers (since she is itty bitty tiny). She's had women come up to her and scorn her for wearing a print from past years - like wearing a 2010 print in 2013.
I had to look up what all this was when I saw so many posts about this. I can't get into a design that looks like Lisa Frank threw up on a Georgia O'Keefe painting.
I do understand, though, that if you wear plus sizes (or whatever the fuck "fashion" decides is plus size) then this might have been your opportunity to get something fun that isn't usually available. It really sucks that 1) Target only offered it online and 2) Target has the worst website I have ever seen for a mass market retailer.
I find myself shopping there less and less these days.
I do understand, though, that if you wear plus sizes (or whatever the fuck "fashion" decides is plus size) then this might have been your opportunity to get something fun that isn't usually available. It really sucks that 1) Target only offered it online and 2) Target has the worst website I have ever seen for a mass market retailer.
I find myself shopping there less and less these days.
Yeah the real losers in all of this are the plus size ladies. Everything about how this was handled sucks for them. I just don't understand it bc IMO it probably would have been just as lucrative (if not more) than the regular sizes. Why online only? Has anyone explained that strategy?
Get the fuck out. I buy a lot on ebay. I would say that half of my work wardrobe is stuff I've gotten on there, NWT, at well under the listed retail. The whole point of ebay is to pay LESS. And no way in hell would I be paying nearly four times the retail to someone whose feedback shows that she's very new to this. NEWP.
I do understand, though, that if you wear plus sizes (or whatever the fuck "fashion" decides is plus size) then this might have been your opportunity to get something fun that isn't usually available. It really sucks that 1) Target only offered it online and 2) Target has the worst website I have ever seen for a mass market retailer.
I find myself shopping there less and less these days.
It seems like what really sucks is that Lilly Pulitzer can't be bothered to make clothes for plus size women unless it's a limited release discount line. I don't know why you'd give a company like that your money.
I agree with you 100% there. It's not my style at all, so I have no skin in this game, but it's fucked up.
While Target clearly gives no fucks, they (and LP) are actually losing out on a small segment of the market with this approach. I wasn't familiar w/ LP before this. And looking at it online, I've been kind of "meh" about it. BUT I thought I'd check their stuff out once the hoopla dies down. Maybe in person something would appeal to me.
But as all the LP crazies made sure to buy up EVERYTHING, clearly this won't be happening. So, I will remain a LP non-lover.
I don't think they count that as a loss, though. While there may have been more satisfied customers if the LP stuff had been more evenly spread around, there is a very valuable (to a brand) element of cachet that comes with scarcity. Kind of like the opposite of what's been going on with brands like Coach where the more they expand, the more they risk looking like a "mall brand" as opposed to a "luxury brand."
The merchandise is sold even if it went to relatively few hoarders. You're aware of a brand that you didn't know before -- brand awareness alone is something brands pay through the nose for, and both Target and LP hardly had to do any marketing. I think just about all they did was release an online lookbook and word of mouth took care of the rest. It wasn't even in the weekly Target ad because they knew they didn't need to bother using space to advertise it. The buzz that both brands are getting from this is worth far more than the actual stuff they sold.
And remember all the LP-lovers who were upset that this brand they saw as expensive and exclusive was being offered to the masses through Target? LP gets to keep their cachet/not worry much about "brand damage" because even the cheapy Target stuff is hard to come by and was sold out within minutes. I bet their direct sales will see a boost from this as well because people have discovered them that otherwise wouldn't have. Target's reputation gets a boost because they're affiliated with a brand that can generate this kind of interest, and the next time they do a highly coveted collab, you'll get more people staying up until 3 a.m. or lining up at the store because they'll remember how fast stuff went this time.
This is Missoni 2.0. Not all of their collabs generate this much crazy, but it's kind of fascinating to see which ones do.
Post by runforrest on Apr 20, 2015 10:47:58 GMT -5
The problem with the eBay inflated prices is that because people will actually pay that much for this stuff, then the crazy multiple-cart shoppers will continue to sell it. It does.not.compute that you would pay over $100 for a LP for Target dress when you can get an actual LP dress for around the same price.
I remember the Missoni hysteria, and I did go early for that one, because that shit is expensive, and even on eBay, the prices were nowhere close to the price of an actual Missoni garment/blanket/etc. I remember women with two-three carts just filled to the brim with Missoni chevron-printed stuff. It was stressful, lol.
I guess I wonder, though, why anyone would want a dress from a designer that normally doesn't design for your shape. And who once did a line of SORORITY PRINTS. And whose line was only offered online, presumably because while they want your business, they don't want your image. And whose fans seem to be such total fucking basic douchebags.
I flame anyone who made fun of those of us who like VB but like LP. It's like the Easter bunny took a shit and made a product line.
I do understand, though, that if you wear plus sizes (or whatever the fuck "fashion" decides is plus size) then this might have been your opportunity to get something fun that isn't usually available. It really sucks that 1) Target only offered it online and 2) Target has the worst website I have ever seen for a mass market retailer.
I find myself shopping there less and less these days.
It seems like what really sucks is that Lilly Pulitzer can't be bothered to make clothes for plus size women unless it's a limited release discount line. I don't know why you'd give a company like that your money.
My first thought while reading this was that maybe this will show LP that they need to and would get a good return in the plus size market. But then I realized I was dreaming.
I had this exact headband in my hand when I swung by my Target several hours after the madness took place and could not bring myself to spend $8 on a headband.
The last time they had a ton of buzz about a line, a lot of stuff from that line (Liberty?) showed up at my Goodwill. They always get new stuff from Target that has been returned and/or cannot be put out on the floor again. I'll have to check it out.