What Are You Wearing This Fall?

Sweaters, sequins, and scarves at Forever 21.

Enamored with Erin Fetherston's Collection

Perhaps I'm enamored with Erin Fetherston's collection for Target. I went to Target tonight to exchange my Erin Fetherston thermal tops because they run small and not surprisingly, they only had one lonely thermal top left on the racks - a size extra small in the bunny print. Based upon what I observed during my quick once-over of the racks, the Erin logo T-shirt was sold out, the lavender layered dress was sold out in sizes 3 through 7, and the ivory wool coat was completely sold out.

September 17, 2019 update - If you're in search of the heart shaped tote bags in red or ivory, I have them. Please e-mail me to purchase at (info at thekeytochic dot com) or DM me on social @thekeytochic. 

On the other hand, there were plenty of: the red silk charmeuse Peter Pan collar dress, the black jacquard jacket with the bow, the black wool coat, the red and silver charmeuse jumpers, the velvet blazers and pants in black and in blue, the red velvet shorts, the long-sleeved T-shirts with the bow in the middle, and most of the balloon-sleeved tops in black, gray, and pink. It looked like the thermal tops and pants were the bestsellers so far. I was completely excited to see 3 of the heart handbags on the rack - 2 in ivory and one in red. I swooped in and grabbed one in each color. One of the pieces that I coveted most in Erin's collection is the ivory heart handbag. I also wanted the heart scarf in gray, but upon closer inspection, it looked like the sweaters in the collection because it was fraying already, so I passed on it.



I tried on the layered dress in the gold color. A size 3 fit well to my surprise, but the cut did nothing to flatter my figure, so I decided not to buy.

I also tried on the bunny print dress, which was available in most sizes. With all of the great reviews that I've read about this dress, I expected it to be sold out in the smaller sizes. The belt helps to create a nice fit around the waist and the skirt flares nicely around the hips. At any rate, a size 3 fit well, the fabric felt good, but I wasn't crazy about the print. On someone else, it would look cute with the pink balloon sleeved top layered underneath.

The heart handbags were larger than I expected. Both have a zippered pocket and two patch pockets inside. The red bag has a cute heart fabric lining, while the ivory one has the Erin logo fabric inside.

GO Erin, GO Target!

I was so anxiously awaiting the debut of the Erin Fetherston GO International collection at Target today that I dreamt about it last night. Swirling Peter Pan collared dresses and playful prints danced around in my slumbering thoughts. I even woke up early so I could get to my local Target before the masses start their Sunday afternoon shopping. It was worth it because the racks were relatively untouched by the time I got there at 10am. (In my semi-paranoid mind, I thought it might be possible that all of the pieces that I wanted in my size would be sold out. But in reality, this wasn't exactly Cavalli for H&M. Some of the Target employees that I spoke with have not even heard of Erin Fetherston! And the women in my community aren't exactly fashion-forward shopaholics like myself, so they weren't breaking down the doors this morning to check out the new GO International line.) In my store, they had all the sizes in everything that was displayed except the ivory wool bubble-shaped coat. Someone (perhaps Target employees?) had snagged up all of the size smalls. I tried on an extra small and it was huge on me. If I weren't so petite, I would have bought it, but the coat practically swallowed me up. The same goes for the sizing on the black wool coat with the heart pockets. Too big for a petite person like myself!

September 17, 2019 update - If you're in search of the heart shaped tote bags in red or ivory, I have them. Please e-mail me to purchase at (info at thekeytochic dot com) or DM me on social @thekeytochic. 

Perhaps the reason why I like the collection is because the velvet blazers, puff-sleeved shirts, dresses, and jumpers stay true to Erin Fetherston's design aesthetic. The most costume-y piece is the charmeuse jumper which comes in silver or red. Although cute, it seems like a hard look for an adult to pull off. I fell in love with the Erin logo T-shirt, although I'd rather see it in cotton instead of stretchy modal. I also loved the red silk charmeuse Peter Pan collar dress (seen in the ads and pictured below), although I'd never wear something that flashy. I know if it were black or navy I would have bought it.

Although I approve of Erin Fetherston's sweet, childlike designs for the GO line, I found the quality and the fit to be quite poor and unpredictable. (This comes as no surprise when you're paying next to nothing for a big designer at a mass reatiler.) For example, when I went to unbutton a shirt in the dressing room, the button fell right off. Furthermore, the gray cardigan that I eyed in Target's online photos was already starting to become fuzzy when I inspected it on the racks. As far as sizing, I had to go up on some of the tops and down on the dresses. As a reference, I normally wear a size small in tops and a size 5 or 7 in dresses and bottoms. Fortunately, they allow 6 items at a time in the fitting rooms.
Here is the chiffon layered dress from the ads. I tried a size 3 and the fit was loose under the arms, which surprised me. I was happy with the color (the lavender is gorgeous) and the quality of the fabric, but the cut did nothing to flatter my figure, so I didn't buy it. Please exuse the horrible lighting of the dressing rooms. The top layers of this dress are actually a faint shade of pink.
I also tried on the black velvet and satin skirt. It also runs big, like the dresses. I think it would be cute on someone who doesn't have hips, as it adds volume in the hip and thigh area.

Here is the red silk charmeuse dress from the ads. Although I liked it, the color combined with the shine makes it too flashy for me. I think it would make a great holiday party dress on someone who wants a fun, youthful look.

Today I wore my new red velvet shorts from the collection with some tights underneath and the Erin logo T under a black jersey top. The red velvet shorts remind me of Alice in Wonderland. I really like the pleating in the front and the cuff detail.

This is the shirt where the button fell off. I went down a size to an extra small because this style runs big. It's longer in the back than in the front and has some nice pleating in the front for added shape.

I adore this versatile Erin logo T. The only thing that I don't like is that I would prefer it to be made of cotton instead of modal, which tends to be too stretchy for my taste. I bought a size medium because the shirt is cut pretty narrow.

How adorable is the velvet bow on this long-sleeved T? It would look good with the black velevet trousers (which I didn't buy) in the collection.

The thermal tops run small, and like the Erin logo T, are not made of cotton. The thermal pants run true to size. I bought both the heart print and the bunny print. I noticed that other shoppers were calling these "pajamas", but they'll work well as daywear layered under dresses, shorts, and T-shirts.

Many of the pieces in the Erin Fetherston collection merchandise well together. While I wouldn't normally dress head to toe in a GO designer's pieces, I may make an exception with Erin Fetherston's collection. The bows, hearts, and Peter Pan collars definitely appeal to the inner five-year-old within me. For women with a youthful energy, long legs, or a desire to look sweet and feminine, this collection is a thumbs up! It's my favorite GO International collection so far. Happy shopping! If you went crazy over this collection like me, let me know what you bought and what you passed on!

Diana Bobar Designs

There's nothing like the hopeful anticipation of waiting for a package to arrive in the mail. It gives me something to look forward to when I see the mailman's truck parked in the neighborhood. Instead of dreading his arrival because of bills and piles of junk mail that he often delivers, I ask myself whether it will be what I like to call "a good mail day." A "good mail day" could consist of my new Nylon or Elle magazine, a new dELiA*s catalog, a rebate check, or something I've purchased online. Well today was an excellent mail day. I received a car charger for my new PDA that only cost $6, and I also received a beautiful new animal print clutch handmade for me by the very talented Diana of So Fash'on.


When I saw the photos Diana had posted of a clutch she had made, I fell in love with the fabric and the red trim. I asked her to make me one and in less than 3 days, it was on its way! I must admit that I am utterly impressed by her craftsmanship and the promptness of both the Romanian post office and more surprisingly, the U.S. Postal Service. It recently took 2 weeks to get a bag from Missouri that I bought on ebay, while it took about 1 week to get a bag from Romania! Go figure!

This is the second item I've ordered from Diana, and I feel like I have both a friend and a personal fashion designer in Romania. The clutch has a zipper closure on the top and a tweed fabric lining, which make it a high quality piece. There is plenty of room for my PDA, some makeup, a wallet, and my ipod or digital camera. What makes it so special is that it was handmade and it came from so far away.

***Thank you, Diana, once again, for your exquisite designs, your attention to detail, and your promptness in making me this gorgeous clutch! I love it!

Animal Prints Make Women Crazy

Even with all of the anticipation and publicity for the Cavalli for H&M collection, I must admit that I didn't expect the collections to sell out within minutes. I knew the pieces would go quickly (within hours, I thought), but camping out overnight? Now that's dedication. After reading about how some women rushed into the stores and grabbed everything in sight without regard for sizes, I guess Cavalli brings out the animal within most women, cheesy pun totally intended! Last Thursday, when the collection went on sale, I scoured ebay for the one piece that I desire - the sleeveless ruffled tuxedo top. If it weren't for that bow tie, I probably wouldn't lust after the top so much. In fact, when I was idly browsing at JCPenney last week, I saw a sleeveless black satin top much like the one from Cavalli's collection. All I would have to do is scour JoAnn fabrics for a white ribbon or similar piece of fabric and make a DIY version of that bow tie. And as far as the animal prints in the collection go, I've been buying so many leopard-print pieces this season that it's ridiculous. Animal prints are everywhere, so the Cavalli animal print leggings, dresses, and tops didn't seem unique to me. (In fact, I'll do a future post about many of the animal print additions to my wardrobe.) Since I refuse to pay outrageously inflated ebay prices for the ruffled top, I guess I'll have to settle for the much more affordable JCPenney version...or hope that H&M restocks the collection.


I'm curious to know if any of my readers were able to shop the collection, and if so, how crazy was it? Did you buy any great pieces? And...I know it's a long shot, but if you have the Cavalli for H&M blouse that's the subject of this post in a size 4, (in white or black), and you're willing to sell it, I'm interested!

Just Call Me Customized

Upon checking my email this morning, I learned that Fashion Trend Guide has been selected as one of the "Top 100 Fashion Blogs" by the CG bloggers. They have compiled a comprehensive list of some of the best fashion blogs on the net, sorting them into such categories as: Vintage and Thrift, Shoppers, Street Fashion, News and Tips, Lifestyle, and Beauty. I was happy to see that many of my favorites are also on the list. Congratulations to everyone on the list and many thanks to the people at the Customized Girl blog.

Be My Guest, Finally

It's taken about two months, but my guest bedroom is finally done. I am so excited! All the new furniture is in and many boxes have been unpacked. Although the headboards that I originally chose were discontinued, I'm very happy with the ones I picked to replace them.

Here are the before photos of the bedroom. As you can see, the furniture is a mismatched collection of bookcases, a dresser, a desk surrounded by computer equipment, and an antique dresser. The headboard on the right is actually the same one I had as a small child. Thanks to craigslist, I was able to sell several pieces and make some fast cash, while giving the furniture a new home.

Below are the after photos of the bedroom. All of the bedding is from delia*s, the lamp and bookcase are from Target, and the rest of the furniture is from the Stanley Young America "Isabella" and "Caroline" collections. Now I have more options in terms of clothing storage with the two large dressers and the nightstand. It feels so good to have a room in which everything coordinates! I'll be proud to show the room to guests, as it looks organized, comfortable, and chic. My intention was not to make the room too girly, so I went with the black and white color scheme. I'll probably add some more small accessories to personalize the room and add some more color over time.

The bed on the right in the above photos is brand new and is slightly taller than the one on the left because it has a thick pillow-top. I am pleased that my friend S.R. was the very first person to sleep in it and gave it a thumbs up.