The Budget Babe | Affordable Fashion & Style Blog

Off the Rack: Target's Go International Designer Collective




On March 13, Target released a collection of 34 dresses from past designer collaborations. Target's Go International Designer Collective celebrates the 5th anniversary of the cutting edge series, which I have covered religiously for the past four years along with scores of other fashion bloggers. As I explored the selection of dresses at my store and tried them on, I felt a wave of nostalgia. It was like seeing old friends. I couldn't help but feel giddy as I hauled armfuls of dresses bearing labels marked Proenza Schouler, Thakoon, Rodarte and Alice Temperley into the bright orange fitting rooms. Yes, a part of me was mindful of the quality, the polyester fibers, the erratic sizing (note that I was unable to zip up most of the dresses I tried on), but it didn't matter. This was masstige at its finest and I was happy to be a part of it (even if only as a consumer). I purchased the black lace-print Rodarte dress and photographed the rest for your "real life" reference. If you have specific questions about any of the dresses, let me know and I'll do my best to answer.

You can scroll through this nifty widget to see all the dresses in the collection. Click on any image to go to Target's website where you can shop the entire line:



Did you check out Target's Go International Designer Collective? Which pieces did you buy?

White by Vera Wang Spring 2011 Lookbook




The queen of bridal fashion Vera Wang has created White by Vera Wang, a line of affordable wedding gowns exclusively for David's Bridal.

The stunning inaugural Spring 2011 collection includes 12 gown styles which range from classic ball gowns to modern slim silhouettes in sizes ranging from 0-14, priced between $600 – $1,400 with subsequent collections to launch each fall and spring season.

The timing of this collection couldn't be more perfect since I am recently engaged and a huge Vera Wang fan. Oh, and that whole "budget" thing!

View the White by Vera Wang page on the David's Bridal website for more info.

I'm gravitating towards the one-shoulder style above and the halter dress (below) but I think I'd have to try to these on in person to see which styles are most flattering on me. Which styles do you like?