My Experience Shopping the Rodarte Collection at Target

By Kendra Gilbert on December 22nd, 2009

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I don’t wake up at 8 a.m. for just anyone. Especially on a Sunday. But, this past Sunday, instead of sleeping in, I set my alarm clock for 7:45 a.m. and, bleary-eyed, got out of bed to head to Target. After all, that was the day Rodarte’s line for the discount retailer hit stores!

By around 8:20 a.m., my friend Veronica and I had arrived at the store on La Brea and Santa Monica Blvd. in West Hollywood. The store was relatively quiet, except for the swarm of women in the Rodarte section. It wasn’t loud or frenzied, but it was definitely tense; women on a mission. By the time we showed up, all of the belts were gone (Unexpectedly, Target had put the collection out on Friday, two days ahead of schedule). And a leopard-print jacket that Veronica was trying to find for a friend was also no where to be seen, except in the carts of a few women who had gotten a better jump on the day than we had. When a sales associate walked up with a rack of go-backs that included one remaining jacket, my friend Veronica grabbed it.

As we headed to the fitting rooms with our items, a women stopped us to ask Veronica about the jacket. I could tell she wanted to just grab it and run (earlier, a woman had taken a shirt right out of Veronica’s hand). But, she asked if she could have it if it didn’t work out for Veronica. And, even though Veronica agreed, she still insisted that she try it on right there in the aisle. Veronica agreed. Luckily, the woman gave it back when she realized it didn’t fit.

The fitting room was full of women all trying on the Rodarte clothes. I didn’t see a single girl in there with any other item. But, for the most part, the mood was pretty cooperative. If one girl had a size that another girl needed, she would pass it over to her, so long as she had already tried it on and it didn’t fit. But, it was the scene around the racks of go-backs that most resembled sharks stalking a pod of seals. The sales associates had to pull the racks away from woman (myself included) once or twice in order to cut down on congestion around the fitting rooms.

I came away from the experience with a sky blue dress and a navy tulle blouse with bows on the sleeves and at the neck. Veronica, ever the responsible shopper, left with nothing. Not even the leopard jacket. Which means, it undoubtedly went right into the cart of another ravenous Rodarte shopper.

When I got home, I discussed my experience with my friend and fellow Rodarte worshiper, Angie, via text. She lives in Chicago and had ventured out that morning on her own quest at Target. Apparently, people in the Midwest don’t share the love for Rodarte that my friends and I do. Angie said the collection was barely touched and she was the only one shopping it. Lucky!