Luella Clearance Review

This review is late in coming, but then again this is a clearance-oriented rather than a want-it-now retail blog, so I suppose it's not too late. I went to Target a couple of weeks ago after a long study marathon. Sadly, the puffed-sleeve tee and cherry print skirts I liked were gone. However, I did end up picking up 3 things: the cherry-print coin purse, the cherry-print bikini top, and the puffy zip skirt.

The coin purse was the cheapest thing I bought. Retail was $14.99, but I got it for $3.74.

I have to say that this isn't very practical. It's way too big to serve as a coin purse, yet too small to be a clutch. I managed to fit my cell phone, keys, driver's license and credit card in there. You can also throw in some dollar bills and spare change, but thats about it; my wallet will not fit. Still I think it's really cute, has a bit of room, and much better looking/less unwieldy than the clutch. Hence, I used it as a clutch today:

This picture better illustrates how big the coin purse really is. I think it works OK as a clutch on short errands (like a trip to the market). [Note that I'm also wearing another Target clearance item: the Issac Mizrahi peeptoe suede pumps.] Although the coin purse doesn't have a handle, it does have plenty of tassles. I simply grabbed onto one of them and strolled around. One thing did make me unhappy though: the tassles aren't exactly top quality. The dye job is pretty shoddy. When I first took it home, I noticed that paint got scratched off the "shiny" side on the tassle attached to the zipper. I was a little mad at myself for not catching it at the store, but it's not really noticeable so I didn't stay mad for long. But when I had it on my lap while driving today, a lot of green bits sloughed off from the "dull" side of the tassles. I was able to see the itty bits because I was wearing white pants. At least the green fibers were easy to brush off and doesn't dye anything green. I got what I paid for, but the people who shelled out $16.99 were surely gipped.

The next item up for review is the cherry print bikini top:

Retail was $20; I got it for $5. Price is pretty good for any swimwear in general. I didn't like the cherry print bottoms, but I figured it shouldn't be hard to find something in plain ol' kelly green. I haven't swam in this, so I can't vouch for the quality. The clasp is a bit difficult to work with since you have to insert the plastic hook into the loop from the top, but it takes only a few tries to get it right. Still, I don't go swimming much, so I don't see the need to invest heavily in swimwear. Something cheap but cute and fitting (no, I'm not modelling it) will do.

Saving the best for last, I bring you the zip skirt:

Retail was $30, but I got it for $7.50. I'm really happy with it! I know that some people complain about the fit, but the Luella line is one of the best-fitting Target lines for me. The Issac stuff was always too big. I've always had trouble finding fitting bottoms (oh, woe is the notorious waist gap), but this skirt was perfect. It sits just right on the hips, with the right amount of flair created by a layer of tulle. The ornamental zippers are on the front and the back; I like wearing my skirt with those zippers open. The real utilitarian zipper is on the side. The length is good, too. The skirt is now in the laundry, so if something bad happens during the wash-and-dry process, I'll let you guys know. [Update: skirt label said "dry clean only," but you know what that means to me. It came through the machine wash without a scratch. I decided to air dry, which was probably better than throwing it into the dryer.]

The skirt seems a bit hard to wear, but I see lots of potential. The obvious is the "bad girl" look, as illustrated here. I think I can cook up a sporty version with a hoodie and sneakers. Or mix a sweet little cardigan and mary janes (or pumps) with this bad mutha for a "defiant librarian" look.

What I saw but didn't buy: the squire cropped jacket. If there was any left in kelly green, I would have snapped it up right away. $10 for a jacket is not bad. However, the only ones I saw were black with pink buttons. Black with pink buttons! What hideousness! There were lots of bikinis with the star print on it, which I thought was right for teens, but not for anyone over 20. There were still a few mesh bags left, but since the price was still quite high, I'm not surprised that they were still around.