A Little Pilotto + Rules for Shopping Designer Collabs

Peter Pilotto x Target colorblock cotton and mesh cardigan, Helmut Lang tee, Isabel Marant x H&M kids sweatpants, Isabel Marant Betty sneakers

So I know I said I wasn't staying up for the Peter Pilotto x Target release as there were no must have items for me from the collection, but k was working late that Saturday and woke me up when he came in around 1am, so I hopped online to check it out on first Net-a-porter then Target.com. The styling and descriptions were much better on Net-A-Porter, plus I trust that the buyers at Net-A-Porter bought only the best pieces from the collaboration so it was a good starting point. A couple of the items were more expensive on Net-A-Porter than on Target so I ultimately ordered a bunch of items from Target.com, just so I could check out the quality, fit and style in the hopes of finding them on sale. Only half of my order has arrived, the rest is delayed "due to weather." Now that I've shopped a bunch of these collaborations, I have a couple of rules that I try to stick with. First of all, especially with the Target collabs, I try to buy pieces that are at least 50% cotton. The 100% polyester pieces just feel a little icky, they are usually staticky, wrinkle easily and cling in the wrong places. Second, also with the Target collabs, always go with the smallest size; Target sizing always runs big for me and sometimes even the smallest size doesn't fit, and I don't consider myself particularly "petite." Third, keep only the pieces that you love that are sold out online, as the Target collaborations are often found on the clearance racks; I've scored several pieces in the past from Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung for up to 70% off. Fourth, be wary of matronly cuts; a lot of the dresses are knee length and high necked which may look cute on 5'10" models but just matronly on ordinary beings. Finally, with these collaborations, I try to buy pieces that are "signature" designs / style of the brand, otherwise you are just buying a regular Target piece of clothing (of course there's nothing wrong with that either). To be fair, this cardigan doesn't really scream "Pilotto" to me as I usually identify Pilotto with bold digital prints; this is probably one of the most subtle pieces of the collaboration.

This mesh colorblocked cardigan didn't jump out at me online, but I saw it in store at Target and thought it was quite cute. I really like the sporty mesh details on the sleeves and back, reminds me of Alexander Wang. I bought it to "contemplate" it further but ended up taking off the tags and immediately wearing it out to dinner as the A/C in the restaurant was on full blast. I really like the cardigan, it's quite versatile and I can see myself wearing it a lot, goes with my very casual lifestyle. As for the other pieces that I have received so far, I like the long sleeve printed tee; a good easy to wear basic that I will get a lot of use out of. I like the pencil skirt, as with most Target items for me, it runs big; the size 2 is still too big for me in the back. Plus, I just don't see myself wearing pencil skirts that much; too dressy for my everyday life with little k, a little too buttoned up for when I actually want to dress up and go out for a night on the town.

Little k is wearing a RH baby and child faux fur vest, Tea Collection dress, Splendid Littles leggings and Stride Rite Mary Janes