The Recessionista Reviews The Webster for Target

Pictured: Close up shot on the Webster Palm Print Beach Bag at Target. (photo: M Hall)

Today Target launched their Shops at Target collection, featuring clothing for women, men juniors & kids from The Webster a fashionable Miami store that puts the hip and trendy into beach style so famously started by Lilly Pulitzer. If you’re familiar with fashions from The Webster, then you know that a dress from their line can be from $100.00 US to  $500.00 US.  As you can see from the boutique prices, the Target collection is indeed more inexpensive. It’s also more mainstream and not as edgy.

Pictured: Short pink palm print dress with tie from the Webster at Target. (photo: M. Hall)

  Overall, this line is much better quality than the previous Jason Wu for Target collection.  The clothing is better made, the sizing is more generous and many of the dresses are lined.  There is also plenty of inventory at Target stores, as without the hype, there doesn’t seem to be any mad rush to shop or hoard, then resell on eBay. There are some nice pieces of beach/resort/summer wear in this collection, but there are some “gotchas” too. Let’s start with the long dresses. The Webster for Target Maxi dresses retail at almost $45.00 US, and the prints are really printed.   One style is spaghetti straps with a tiered ruffle skirt, and the other is fitted elastic at the bodice with a full skirt.  The maxi dresses are voluminous to stay the least.  I sized down in them, as the skirts have a generous amount of fabric, and because of that, they do add size to your figure.  You can look much larger than you actually are because there is no fit in the garment. If they were less than $45.00, I might have gown for that, but for the price, I didn’t feel they worked as well for me, as some other maxi dresses I own. Having said that, if these go on sale for less than $35.00, I would consider buying the Pink Palm tree maxi dress with the side zip and the thin spaghetti straps.  This is a really pretty, feminine print and I ordered it in the peasant top.  The tops also run full and blousey, so in my opinion, you may also want to size down in those so as not to add more volume to your figure. Don’t we all want to wear clothes that flatter us instead of making us look like we just added ten extra pounds?  I know I do.

Pictured: My in store picture of The Webster Deco Print/Navy Sheath Dress (picture M. Hall)

My surprise favorite for fit in the collection was the Navy sheath dress with the palm tree print panel in the center. The dress is priced at $39.99, which again to me is higher than I’d like to pay for a dress from Target. However, the dress has a surprisingly good fit, especially for a Target garment. It hits right above the knee, so it’s the right length for me, as I don’t like the thigh-high look in a summer sun dress.  The fabric also has some stretch in it (3% spandex, 97% cotton)  to ensure comfort in movement, especially when you sit down.  The 97 % cotton blend, will  let your skin to breathe in a way that the polyester fabric in the maxi dresses will not during the hot summer months ahead.  I really like the palm deco print on this one, which is in the center panel.  There is also a shirt dress in this palm deco print and it’s very cute. However, it doesn’t have much shape to it, so again,size down and see how it looks on you.  More inexpensively priced are the accessories. I like the sand dollar earrings for $14.99 and of course the beach bag with the green palm trees is cute and well priced for $29.99.

Overall, there’s a lot to like about The Webster for Target clothing.  Just please do go try it on in store before you buy to make sure your  purchase the right size for your figure.  The cuts will not be flattering for everyone.  But, if they work for you, some of the prints are really cute for summer, so do check it out.  I don’t see this collection as poorly made or a rip-off as I felt much of Jason Wu for Target was.  To see all my in-store pictures, include the menswear, check my Webster for Pinterest board. You can see how the garments actually look vs. the lookbook pictures.