Closet Commando: Rodarte x Target 1930's Lingerie

I would have posted outfit pics of my Rodarte x Target pull sooner, but I had to wait nearly a full month to play with my online purchases due to out of town travels. I did my usual stylist-schtick by buying up most of the collection (well, anything with even the slightest whiff of promise) to try on at home at my leisure. I like to see what looks good on me, and which pieces most easily compliment my wardrobe, then return the rest. In the case of Rodarte, is was much harder than usual for me to edit down to a few select pieces, as their style very much speaks to my aesthetic. As we all know, Rodarte is high-end goth-wear, and I am a grown-up punky girl. It's a match made in heaven. Moreover, this collection seemed to be heavily inspired by vintage and lingerie (specifically it seemed to come from the 1930's). As a swing dancer, one of my other obsessions has always been the fashions of the 1930's and 1940's. Really, my credit card did not stand a chance with this collection, I just thank the mass-market gods for making it cheap.

Once again, you will notice my leather jacket. Honestly, I live in the thing. You will have to pry it from my cold dead hands, but in the mean time, I'm gonna wear it with everything. This pink chiffon/silky dress with delicate embroidery, lace at the shoulder, and wrap tie is a particularly feminine piece. I believe it stands out as one of the few pieces in the collection that reads as being expensive (Target designer lines usually only ever have a few such pieces). I have never been a pink-loving girly-girl, but I sure do enjoy harnessing and subverting my own girliness. So I paired the dress with the Rodarte black lace tights and a black lace bra to peek-a-boo, which tied in the overall lingerie look. The jacket does its usual job of toughening up, as well as making a decidedly indoor look a bit more appropriate in a bar. Finally, I wore my newly acquired booties in place of my normal biker boots. I am loving owning a great high heeled boot that can darken an outfit, while remaining sexy, and keeping my tootsies warm in the frigid NYC winter.

Dress: Rodarte x Target

Lace Tights: Rodarte x Target

Leather Jacket: BonaDrag

Booties: Dolce Vita

Rings: Godeux (my own jewelry line)

Necklace: Vintage

Photo of the Guerrilla Stylist by Vivien Kotler

*** Disclaimer: no, I do not have a fashion-vendetta, I would just rather remain mysterious.***

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Friendly Reminder: Rodarte x Target drops TOMORROW

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Rodarte for Target Preview Review

This weekend I managed to brave the wind and rain to stop by the Target pop-up shop in Manhattan. The format was rather strange, with a drive through theme, despite the fact that no one in Manhattan really drives. One would walk up to see the items displayed in a window, place orders on a clip board, pay, then pick up a bag of said items.

The Rodarte for Target line will be officially released on December 20th, but for those of us who could not wait, the pop-up store had three dresses and a couple of bow-belts available for early purchase. Of course, I have seen pictures on-line, and have been very excited about this collab. I was especially interested in the sequined ribcage dress...until I saw it in person. The dress is only sequined on the front of the dress, which for me, makes it look cheap. I believe that a good piece should be designed 360 degrees, and should look just as good going as coming.  The black lace halter looks like it will be a quality piece, but I personally did not end up getting it as I officially own way too many black dresses. In the end, I opted for the champagne colored slip dress, and the grey leopard bow belt. I loved the thin layer of tulle and the antique toned lace on the dress, but my favorite feature was the silk bows on the shoulders. However, when I finally got the dress home to try it on, it did not look good on. When sporting a slip dress, if the fabric is cheap it will just look like you stepped out of the house in chintzy lingerie. This was the case with this dress. It also was ruched around the waist and under the bust in a way that created a dumpy and unflattering silhouette, and the static electricity generated between the slip and the tulle certainly did not help the situation.

So in the end, I kept the bow-belt, which is adjustable to fit any size. The fabric is nice and the design is sweet and special. I returned the slip dress, but I would recommend the halter dress. Overall, I was disappointed with the pieces they chose to preview, however I am not disheartened, as all the Target lines have had amazing pieces as well as chintzy ones.

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