I love Target. Every time I walk in, there are lots of colorful and shiny things that I am drawn to like a fly to a bug zapper. But walking in with the new Liberty of London for Target collection on display is like Target awesomeness on crack. The classic line’s floral prints have landed on everything from gardening gloves to plastic tumblers, and it was easy to fill a cart with the whimsical items for under $150. Lucky for you, as it gets to be (almost) bikini season in Ithaca, the collaboration included some awesome swimwear. My favorite is the Poppy Print two piece, in a great multi-colored floral that can beat the Ithaca blues just by looking at it. — $39. 98
Of course, if you’re one of those people who believe that Target collabs cheapen a brand (which they often do — I’m thinking Felix Ray and Carlos Falchi here), you can go ahead and buy the real thing. Liberty of London has great floral prints, including some great suits embellished with beaded or crystal flowers, and there is much more variety in terms of the shapes of suits offered. For their most classic look, I love the Rose Inca print bikini, in a delicate floral pattern. — $325 plus $30 shipping
The Verdict: Drive yourself to Target, stat.
Though we have our cold days, we are almost solidly entering sandal season here on the hill. That means not just your old ratty Rainbows, but pretty, feminine designs as well. My favorite for the season is the eponymous Giuseppe Zanotti Jeweled Fishbone flat sandal. It is almost identical to the shoe that Samantha wore in the nude sushi scene of the Sex and the City movie, but its flat design means you can wear it more often than when you’re laying on a table covered only by sushi. — $695 plus $25 shipping
For those more likely to take the bus to the Commons than to have a driver chauffeur them to Madison Ave., Urban Outfitters carries some adorable sandals along with its useless tchotchkes. While some of them land in the $100 or so price range, some are so cheap that to call them affordable is an understatement. I love the Ecote Macrame Slingback sandal. It isn’t made of the most comfortable materials, but after some breaking in they should be pretty comfy, and at their price, it won’t matter if you only have them for a few months. — $28 at Urban Outfitters
The Verdict: As much as I’d love to be Samantha, go for the Ecote Macrame Slingback and save the extra dough for that summer vacation.
Original Author: Leigha Kemmett