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sammit. Fashion/Style ~ Fashion, beauty and shopping ideas from former Tribune style editor Sam Mittelsteadt.

Vera Wang debuts lines at Kohl’s

September 18th, 2007, 8:45 pm · 2 Comments · posted by Sam Mittelsteadt

Vera Wang made her name with wedding gowns but has gone on to lend her name to fragrance, jewelry, eyewear … even mattresses. This month the fashion designer Kohl’s debuts a licensed line of clothing, accessories, even linens. I’ll be interested to see how well it’s received.Just today, one of our page designers was bemoaning how she’d "turned into a Kohl’s shopper" — the wife and mother who browses and ends up buying toys for her kids and a T-shirt for her husband. "I’m going to be wearing mom jeans soon," she said resignedly. And here’s the strength of Kohl’s: You can find toys for your kids, and a T-shirt for your husband ("on sale for $2.97!"), and other things all in one place. But here’s the thing: Everything my friend rattled off today, she bought because it was a bargain or on sale. (And like a classic mom, she didn’t grab anything for herself, either.)What I wonder: Is the Kohl’s customer going to buy a Simply Vera $98 jacquard bubble skirt, like the one above, even if it comes in sizes up to 16?* Will they stock up on $34 long-sleeve crewnecks? Will a Kohl’s shopper splurge on $19.99 bath towels or $70 pillowcases? It’s the old point-of-purchase conundrum: Why does a $20 face cream seem like a bargain at Neiman Marcus but an extravagance at Walgreens? (For the record, Vera Wang is not selling face cream, at least at Kohl’s.) Conversely, will a Vera Wang line bring shoppers into Kohl’s who’ve never been there before?So I imagine the best-sellers, as such, will be lower-price basics like $50 jeans and $30 modal-fabric tops and pants._____* (Another thing to wonder: Is it wise for a size 16 woman to wear a bubble skirt that will make her look even larger?)

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2 Responses to “Vera Wang debuts lines at Kohl’s”

  1. Albert Ching Says:

    “Just today, one of our page designers was bemoaning how she’d “turned into a Kohl’s shopper” — the wife and mother who browses and ends up buying toys for her kids and a T-shirt for her husband.”"

    You don’t have to lie about it. It was me. I admit it.

  2. Sam Mittelsteadt Says:

    You’re not a mom, you’re not a wife … you’re not even a page designer! How can I trust anything you say now?

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