Target has grand plans to retire its veteran brands, which have gotten too broad, and replace them with new labels. Two new clothing brands rolled out recently. Say goodbye to Merona and Mossimo and hello to A New Day (women’s) and Goodfellow & Co (men’s). I went to check them out in person and see that Target’s been busy installing new shelving as well as platforms for mannequins in the clothing departments.

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A New Day

The LA Times story I linked to above notes that Target is trying to compete with J.Crew and Zara. Style wise, they do seem to be upping their game. On-trend embroidered pieces, classic stripes, pleated skirts, and ruffle sleeve shirts filled the racks, but there was also a whole swath of meh that I didn’t bother taking photos of.

The quality seems to vary. For example, the striped dress with bell sleeves above, is constructed out of a nice, thick cotton. For $44.99, the trench seems like a good classic buy, but why is it wrinkly already? If you iron it, will it keep crisp? Same for the embroidered military jacket which also looked sad with wrinkles. The plaid topcoat, while lovely with its fall colors, lacked a full lining. I’m not convinced that it would last more than a season; it seemed like it might pill easily.

Target has a lot of pants on offer with this new line: mid-rise, high-rise, skinny leg, straight leg, wide leg. There were jeans, chinos, track pants, crepe drape pants. I love the variety. However, the majority were made out of synthetic fibers that seemed thin and I wondered if they were prone to wrinkling. Overall, the stuff made out of cotton seemed more solid than clothing made out of synthetic fibers. So I would go for the poplin blouse or denim shirt dress, but inspect more carefully with the crepe pants or pleated trim dress.

Prices were $30 and under for pants, tops and dresses. Jackets and coats were $30 to $50. Personally, I would rather see them use higher quality materials and charge a bit more. I’m trying to be better about buying items that last longer, but I guess I shouldn’t really be shopping at Target in the first place if that’s my goal. (Though in my defense, I do have some Target items that have held up well, like this Richard Chai cotton dress that I’ve been rocking since 2008.)

Of course, a women’s line would not be complete without accessories and there were lots of bags and shoes. I really like the look of the bags, but I try to stay away from Target bags. In my experience most of them don’t hold up well to my abuse. (Few of the purses seem to be online at this point.)

Goodfellow & Co

Over in the men’s department, Target pushed its new brand, Goodfellow & Co, with new mannequins. With bomber jackets, vests, hefty cardigans, and casual blazers, the offerings from Goodfellow & Co were noticeably more stylish than what used to be in the men’s department. They do seem to be going after J.Crew fans with preppy pieces — lots of V-neck sweaters, button downs, and cardigans. Quality wise, the same applies here. Look at the fiber content. The fit seems to vary, according to reviews on the Target site. Sizing ranges from S to XXL. Why no XS?

The men get bags too! There were a few backpacks and even a gym bag which I could see being used as a carry-on as well for a quick weekend trip.

There were also shoes and boots, but I’d pass on those. While the styles were for the most part not bad (though there was a horrid square toe pair), they are constructed out of all man-made materials and look cheap in person. Better to invest in some higher-quality shoes that will last longer. I’m a strong believer that you should invest in those items at the base that provide support — such as tires, mattresses, and shoes.

I’m curious to see what else rolls out in these lines and how A New Day will differ from Who What Wear, an existing women’s trendy line at Target. So far, I’m not that impressed by overall quality. I compared the embroidered military jacket with a similar cropped Mossimo jacket in my closet, and the Mossimo seems like it’s made out of a more tightly woven fabric and holds its shape better. I do think there are some good pieces here.

Stayed tuned for my fit review, with dressing room photos.