As someone who not only can proudly admit that she buys clothes at Target, but may be the only person who wears her “Livin’ La Vida Broka” t-shirt from their juniors section on a regular basis, I have to pour one out for four of the retailer’s longtime brands, including Mossimo and Merona, which are being phased out (along with the Cherokee and Cinco product lines). Thankfully, I have seen no news of phasing out their Victoria Beckham collection.
Of course, when one door closes, another one opens, and Target is using this opportunity to introduce some new brands, 12 over the next two years to be exact. The first new product lines that have been announced are women’s brand A New Day, made up of fashionable mix and match separates, and Project 62, a new home furnishing line with a modern touch. These new brands will make their debut in September, followed by activewear line JoyLab that touts itself as “fitness-meets-fashion-and-function” and menswear line Goodfellow & Co., which will hit store shelves in October.
Target announced the news, in a press release. According to Mark Tritton, Target’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer, the retailer is trying to deliver a more curated, boutique-like experience for its customers, asserting, “Our new brands are all about the changing face of our guests — what they need, what they’re looking for from Target. When we took a close look at our existing assortment with this in mind, we saw a disconnect. We knew we’d need to refresh our offerings — and define new ones — so our guests continue to love what they’re discovering at Target and want to keep coming back, again and again.”
You know what they say, change is good. I am going to miss Mossimo, as they made my all-time favorite faux suede high heels (RIP), but I’m looking forward to the new lines, especially Project 62 (as most of my home is already filled with furnishings from Target). So, next time you go in to buy some air freshener and end up walking out with an extra $100 worth of stuff you had no intention of buying, you might want to stock up on some of the departing brands.
Note by Celebitchy: This is not an ad! Corey just really likes Target and we wanted to talk about this story, which is making headlines on celebrity sites.
Photos: flickr/Mike Mozart, Target
oh, i loved Mossimo. Even as somebody too old for their target customer….
So do I!! Their tee shirts are the absolute best. I’d better stock up.
Omg, me too — I wear Mossimo faded skinny jeans nearly every day, not because they’re cheap (they are) but because I love love love the fit and the worn finish. Also I love their big, soft, thin pocket tees and have more than twenty of them in all colors. Their sweaters in winter time are great, too. I have some old Mossimo army-green baggy pants that I wear with a black leotard — BLAM, I’ll never be able to buy them again! I am in DESPAIR. Mr. Lahdidah just passed by and asked me if something was wrong and I said “MOSSIMO IS DEAD! DEADDDDD!” He told me I’d better stock up on the jeans. Then he left the house in a hurry. Not to go to Target. Just to get away from me.
I just searched for Mossimo on Amazon and put one in my cart to see who was selling them. It was listed as sold by Feel Good Apparel and fulfilled by Amazon.
So not apparently a Target exclusive and will live on at Amazon and elsewhere …. unless this is someone who buys from Target and resells.
If you have the ibotta app, going through them gets you an extra rebate for some Amazon departments, including fashions at the moment.
I like both of those brands and just bought three of their tees a couple days ago.
this makes me sad but I am looking forward to see what they bring in.
and this…
“So, next time you go in to buy some air freshener and end up walking out with an extra $100 worth of stuff you had no intention of buying,”
for the longest time, I thought it was just me..!
I always thought blinders might be a good idea, to save money and time when I have to run in!
Internet shopping was supposed to save us from that. But Amazon….
I’d never got into a Target until I was in college, and I remember walking out going “why do I have so much extra stuff?!”
After that, any time I go to Target, I try to have an accountability buddy and we always ask each other right before checkout “DO YOU REALLY NEED THAT?” 😀
He used to live down the street from me! We bonded over our contempt for the neighbor between us building a monstrously huge house after she had thrown up every obstacle against him adding one room over his garage. And he favored the same unpopular local breakfast spot that I love (so he has good taste!). I did wonder if he thought more or less of me when I’d come in wearing my Target clothes…
Who lived down the street from you…Mossimo?
They are the only petite pants that fit me properly. Of course they are getting rid of them.
That’s so cool to hear because Mossimo is the only Target brand that fits me (XXL) the right way – and close to the only brand I’ve found anywhere!
Hmm I’m a little nervous about this. I love Target for basics and shoes, but I don’t really buy their “trendy” clothes. I’m worried this is going to be all trendy.
Me too, on all accounts. I go there for cheap but decent work wear, and I don’t need to dress in the trends.
*Bart Simpson voice* Oh, mannnnnnn . . . 🙁
Don’t have a cow, man! LOL
I think this is a good thing as long as the prices don’t go up too much. No point in making all of these upgrades if no one can afford to buy what you are selling. What I have seen so far is mostly good. I just hope that the new lines coming are in a large range of sizes and styles.
I bought a pair of pants from that VB line and absolutely love them. Their WhoWhatWear line is also cute and decently priced. For me,
I just stumbled across the WhoWhatWear stuff last week, making a beeline for straight for the cute tops and dresses as I was passing by to pick up men’s underwear. Sadly it was very picked over and only the smallest and largest sizes were left. But if this is the direction they are going, I like it.
I’ll always have a soft spot for Target for introducing affordable, cute maternity wear at a time when no one else really offered it. Gap was piloting like four items. It wasn’t around for my first pregnancy, so I had to buy expensive stuff I didn’t even really like. But I was much more stylish for my second pregnancy thanks to their pieces!
Esmom, I can’t tell you how many times I saw a dress or top from a distance and thought “oh, how CUTE!” only to find out it was a maternity item when I got close. their maternity stuff is WAY cute, some of it is cuter than the “regular” items.
Yes-I loved Target’s maternity clothes! My oldest is 19 and back in the day, the only places for maternity clothes were those cheesy Motherhood stores and really expensive Pea in the Pod. I was thrilled with the things I had from Target.
CA, Motherhood was the worst! It was in an awful strip mall near my house, which I hated to even enter. I had a couple cringe inducing items from there because I refused to drop much money on clothes I’d only wear a couple months. Pregnant women now have no idea how many more choices they have now, lol!
I’m actually really excited about this. I too love Target. Sometimes when I’m a little overwhelmed, I will go to Target and just walk around until I feel better. I’ve actually gotten pretty good at being able to go into Target and leave without buying anything through the years, but I do usually peruse the clothing and home items (they have great sheets with a high thread count, low price point.) I bought a Victoria Beckham top that was on clearance a few weeks ago and love it. It looks like a high end piece, but I can’t tell you the last time I purchased anything from their Merona and Mossimo lines. This will be great news! Hopefully they will think about making the clothing sections less crowded with merchandise too!
I agree that the Merona and Mossimo pieces haven’t appealed to me for a while now, they’ve been giving off cheap vibes to me and I usually have no issues with cheap.
I absolutely love Target. Going in to just walk around or get one thing is impossible. I have to go today for fruit and paper towels, but will end up with bags of stuff that I don’t really need. I’ve never bought any clothes from that line, but they look better than clothes from Walmart
Good to know I’m not the only one who sometimes uses Target shopping as a “pick-me-up.”
Bag of popcorn, check. Iced Coffee, check. Target therapy, check.
“I’m going to Target. I’ll be back in about $200.”
Haha. Good one. Happens every time. One of those universal truths.
TRUTH.
So true.
LOL, that was me on Saturday! I went in for calamine lotion and cotton balls. Five minutes max, right? It was literally $200 by the time I checked out. And that was my introduction to cartwheel. OMG, now it’ll be like Costco, I’ll never be able to leave the store for under $100…
I love Target and I actually haven’t seen the cinco children’s line in a while. I thought it was already replaced by Cat and Jack which I can’t get enough of. Also, I just bought that black bathing suit and I love it! First time I’ve gotten a one piece in a long time but after four kids it needed to happen. It’s comfy and super flattering.
I like the look of that bathing suit and, thanks to your endorsement, I’m going to go see if they have any left.
I got it last week and there were quite a few left at mine. It’s a tad pricey for what I wanted to pay but worth it for how comfortable I am in it with my leftover baby pooch.
LOVE the kids’ C&J line there. I was okay with Circo but C&J is much better quality and style-wise.
I’m still “meh” on their Art Class line though.
Love Art Class! I even got a shirt for myself – the kids XL fits.
Maybe this is a change for the better. I stopped even looking at clothes at Target because everything I bought fell to pieces after one wash.
That’s what I was going to say! I’ve got a few basic pieces from target that I’ve worn for years and that look great, but the few things I’ve bought in the last 12 months (for myself, I like the kids Cat and Jack line) has fallen apart within two washing. I don’t even bother looking at their clothes for adults anymore.
This doesn’t say anything about fixing quality issues.
Uh no it sure doesn’t, but I’m hoping that by dumping tired, low-quality brands that Target is on a path to better things.
That’s how clothes from almost anywhere are. Hard to find good quality things that last
I tend to buy more expensive clothes because 1. I only wear black so I don’t need a huge wardrobe and 2. Because they typically last longer. There are pieces from Elizabeth & James I’ve been knocking around in for years. And my one and only pair of jeans has been going strong since probably 2009. The quality is there but you really have to search it out, I think
I thought this was an ad and clicked because I just wasn’t sure. Lol… still feels like an ad.
I’ll miss the moss vneck t-shirts. Soooo… comfy. Same cut as a jcrew t-shirt for 80% less and better quality.
We’ve never run sponsored posts and if we do we’ll put it on the thumbnail! (I made that with my photoshop skillz.)
Im very excited for the change. I designed their shoes, mostly Merona and I loved it. Brand focused work will be more challenging but rewarding 😊
My opinion on target clothes and shoes are that the price doesn’t match the quality. Hopefully that will change.
Yes! I have a friend who buys the same pair of flats from Target every few weeks because they just fall apart with any kind of daily wear. I imagine she could have bought a few pairs of very nice shoes for all that she spends replacing those $19.95 flats.
No!!!
I need to stock up on the Mossimo kimono dresses. I’m even wearing on right now. I’ve got big thighs and these dresses are the best!
I had an emergency and I needed some pajamas at 11 at night. Long story. Anyway Target to the rescue. I knew at least it would be something cute and I would continue to wear them. Where else can you get a cute t shirt, an iron, a beauty mask and frozen vegan chicken patties?
I’m bummed but they continue to shrink their in store plus size options so expect even less now. I have Merona t’s that are probably 5-7 years old and still wear them while ones purchased more recently have hit the rag bin. I stopped regular trips to Target when 90% of their plus line moved online. In store stuff was mostly awful and sizing is too inconsistent to deal with the back and forth online, so Kohls gets more of my money these days.
Agree that the Merona quality has really declined.
I prefer to shop secondhand and was struck by how items I was drawn to for good quality often turned out to be Merona. So I decided to make an exception and shop for Merona new at Target, but it was like it was a different brand. Couldn’t find anything to buy. Way to go, Target.
Target gets further and further away from what made it awesome. I kind of actively dread shopping there now as it feels like a slow motion crash. I don’t want a stupid effing “curated” “boutique” experience in Target, at least not the way their current Crap Executive Officer will interpret it (though that’s not solely Target’s problem – I swear, most retail is being run into the ground by people who hate retail). I want more like it was in the 1990s/early 2000s: I want lower priced (lower than your average mall store, but higher than they charge now), higher quality pieces. I want things made in America, preferably by union labor. I want design executed in-house, stateside – and that goes for the graphic design pieces they outsourced a few years back. I want there to be fun surprises, but I don’t need 8-12 collections of them. I want core dinnerware. I want quality over quantity. If you make things I won’t need to replace immediately, you will be my forever store. Which you were until a few years ago, but now… meh.
Preach! LL Bean tried a curated type of line for a few years recently and when I read an interview with the millennial-aged team in charge their disdain for the core Bean customer was clear, to the point where even the writer noted it in the story. Look at JCrew; Jenna Lyons got so caught up in her own hype and veered so far off course the company is having significant struggles.
LL Bean seems to taken some positives from that experiment – both their men and women’s lines seem to be a mix of appealing to the older, core LL Bean shopper and the younger millennial demographic. Their women’s line seems more appealing towards the millennials who want to go beyond buying the fast fashion clothing that lasts for longer than a year.
I do think part of their comeback is due to both their quality and customer service. They guarantee most of their products with a lifetime warranty, but given the abuse of it, they now require the name of the purchaser, if the item was given as a gift. I’m impressed with how they’ve handled working out the kinks in their systems upgrade by sending out coupon codes to customers whose orders were affected by it.
I would add Land’s End as another retailer American retailer that is in crisis mode. Their former CEO, who came from Dolce & Gabanna, was hired to make it more fashion forward, never relocated to Wisconsin, where it is based and stayed in New York. Now, they’re trying a back to basics approach. They were also trying a more curated approach but the price points were too high for the sought after millennial demographic.
Amen sister ! I am so tired of the boutique movement, I just want plain and decently made and priced items. If I wanted designer, I would go elsewhere.
Guess this goes along with the store being “re-designed”- the one I frequent has totally reconfigured clothes and shoes depts. I have better luck with shoes and athletic wear there- tho still love my Jason Wu pieces from a few years back! Happy shopping to all!
This is just hammering home that Canadians no longer have target. It’s ok though, I’ll cry into my roll up the rim Tims cup this morning.
Maybe the one in my area was the only stocked one in canada, but it was so good. I miss you target and your cheap clothing that was cute and not horrible quality. Come back some time.
Oh Canada! I’m so sorry for you. We’ll send care packages. Or, better yet, trade Target high-end towels and seasonal dinnerware for.health care….
This is brilliant, and there are absolutely no foreseeable issues with this new trade agreement.
I will trade you six months of BC pills and some morning after pills for a replacement shower basket (mine is rusting) and one of those nice big sofa pillows?
Literally though, my friend came back from a Niagara weekend and the highlight was going across the border to pick up target stuff. She now has adorable birk knockoffs that were 15 bucks. Granted with the current exchange that’s like 150 Canadian.. jk but still, I miss parity. And target.
Yes, but you have Homesense so…
I’ll trade?(you like homesense?)
How about a trade. We’ll give you Target stores if you give us Justin Trudeau. 😉
Oh this is a much harder negotiation.
We don’t have to take Orange Voldemort do we?
Well the two that were around here were awful. We couldn’t figure out what all the hype was about. They were huge stores half full of dollar store crap and lots of empty shelves. Now I think they are just some oversized Canadian tire stores, not sure because I couldn’t be bothered to check.
When I was in jr and high school (mid 90s), there were no targets in my area. So when we would go to Florida to spend the summer with my grandparents, literally one of the first things we did would be to go straight to Target. My grandma and her old lady friends called it Tar-Zhay and thought they were so fancy, lol. And this news makes me nostalgic for that time, and a little sad, BUT my love for target has only grown, so this is sort of exciting too. Also, I have two sons, and target’s Cat and Jack line, and the Art Class stuff, is really some of the coolest boy clothes I have found, and for a really awesome price as a bonus.
I’d never heard of Target while living in Massachusetts. When I moved to Florida in 2000, I saw the store everywhere. Oprah used to talk about a place called Tar-zhay, and I’m happy that I now know what she was talking about. There’s one less than a mile away from my house and I go all the time
My mom Frenches it up as “Target,” too. She says it’s meant to be said with a wine glass in one hand and a flourish of the other.
Kids’ line is Circo, not Cinco, yes?
Yes.
They stopped selling Cherokee when I worked there & I handled that just fine, but for whatever reason this makes me sad. I’m sure what they’re bringing in will be fine, but… meh.
Yes, Circo. I do find the Cat and Jack line to to iffy. Too many garish colors, almost too trendy for kids, but I dress my 5 yr old like a 5 yr old. She will be big soon enough and want all “in” clothing that I will have no control over. Their bathing suits though for the kids were on point this season, we picked out so many cute ones and the quality is good.
As for women, aside from t-shirts I haven’t bought clothes for myself there in a long time. In the minority again but I hated the who what wear stuff. I live in S. CA and I don’t see people wearing those clothes. Also, my store is pretty well stocked too, the stuff has been languishing. They have put in a new section (took out the jewelry dept) and it’s all clothes 20 somethings would probably wear. It actually looks like floral rags hanging, so I haven’t bothered to look.
I am looking forward to the home stuff, by my Target did a huge redo 2 years or so in that dept and it’s very very trendy…not really my thing, but I do love looking . I’m at Target once a week (if not more) as I grocery shop there so I looooove going in and seeing new stuff even if I don’t buy…HELLO to their “dollar section”!!
I just bought a really cute pair of Merona tie strap espadrille wedges. I’m still not clear on why they’re ditching the old lines unless it’s just rebranding the same stuff for a larger demographic. Don’t mess with my shoe game, Tar-zhay!
“Note by Celebitchy: This is not an ad! Corey just really likes Target…”
😂😂😂 Girl same!! That had me crackin up!
As I sit at my dining room table in my soft, sky blue Merona tshirt, I lower my head in a moment of silence.
My daughter’s entire baby and toddler wardrobe came from Target 20 years ago. They had the cutest clothes, best prices and handled washings well.
I still love that store. I love the way it’s laid out, love the selection of products and prices. I looked all over town for a backpack style nice gray or black purse that could hold a small computer that didn’t look like utter crap or break the bank, and wouldn’t you know I found one at Target on a family vacation in Wisconsin! The quality is excellent and sturdy and it’s my favorite purse. Going to Target always puts a smile on my face.
Although I will miss the Mossimo brand and the Cherokee brand, I am looking forward to the changes. I have several sweaters in the Cherokee brand and they have held up pretty well. We still have not seen the Victoria Beckham brand in our stores yet but we live in a relatively small town and things take FOREVER to get here. One question though for everybody….does your Target play background music in the store?? Ours does not, and it is eerily quiet in there and it is borderline uncomfortable.
I wonder if they could be inspired by the success of Uniqlo in the US with its core collection of basics at affordable prices and curated collections and collaborations. Most of my work clothes are from there. The closest one to where I live is in Chicago on Michigan Avenue, so most of my purchases from them are online.
CRAAAAP! Its taken me years to find dress slacks that fit me right (tall, big hips/butt, short legs) and finding Merona was a godsend. This sucks
I can see where they want to freshen things up, but I feel a little nostalgic. I bought both my kids’ clothes there for years and my teenage daughter still finds cute dresses, shirts, swimsuits, shorts and shoes. I haven’t shopped for myself in years, though, because they don’t seem to care about larger sizes.
Really hope they bring quality back, I never buy clothing at Target anymore because it’s far too expensive to only wear once. Seriously, everything falls apart so quickly now.
Only thing I remember about Mossimo is that the company is owned by Uncle Jessie’s wife in Full House. 🤷🏾♀️
And at one point, it was marketed at a higher price point (BT – before Target). But yep Aunt Becky own’s that line.
Oh man, I love the mossimo tshirts. And their clothing has been a life saver for my tween who’s outgrown the kid section. Mossimo has had such cute sundresses, tops, and shorts that actually cover her butt. Hopefully the new stuff is good. And I am a frequent put the kids to bed, say bye to my husband, and go roam the aisles at target person. It’s therapeutic. Only wish I could bring a bottle of wine with me.
I was always a little too curvy for the Mossimo line even when I was really thin (I liked the clothes but always had to size up), but I did enjoy some good times with Merona and will pour one out for it. I do like the Beckham collection, though. I like the minimalism in her designs.
I am in love with their Ava & Viv collection!! I just bought a bunch of their t shirts and tank tops!! I lurve Target. It’s always so clean and organized!! The perfectionist side of my personality does girly twirls every time I shop there!!
that bathing suit—–ISSA WIN
Wait, there’s a “Livin’ la vida broka” T-shirt???!!!
As a European, we don’t have target but I have to get myself one!!!
I love the Mossimo maternity line and dresses. One of the best-fitted dresses I own is Mossimo. I am wearing a Mossimo maternity dress as I type (even though I’m 7 weeks postpartum).
I used to shop at Target all the time for clothes and haven’t in years….probably right around the time they went from 100% cotton to poly blends. Plus a lot of it looks so cheap and tacky now, so hopefully the new lines will be a welcome change. I like Cat & Jack a lot.
I’m a day late but Target is life in my semi small town. We don’t have a super target, but I’m also an hour away from any sort of Bed, Bath& Beyond, Babies r us, toys r us, or basically anywhere other than a Walmart, sadly. Target is where 100% of my toddlers clothing comes from. Cat & Jack for life. The colors and style amazing. Walmart only seems to sell Spider man or weird animated creatures all over the baby / toddler clothing!!! DRIVES me insane.
This is such disappointing news. I wear Mossimo undershirts every day. My mom has the Livin’ la Vida Broka shirt.