Norma Kamali for Walmart: Far From Fug

I really wanted to hate it -- WalMart just offends my fair trade, organic espresso-charged heart. When NK dumped Everlast to partner with Walmart, I was beyond appalled and railed against the fugging of another fine brand.

After finally tracking down a Walmart (this is Target country) 40 miles away, I set off with enough venom to crash a Palin rally. Storming through the sliding doors, past the conga line of shopping baskets being checked against receipts, I quickly spotted the enormous NK for Walmart display. 

The first pieces I saw were the organic cotton t-shirts for $6.  Look at this little pup!!  He's adorable and although the screenprint may not survive too many machine washings, the organic cotton is thick and soft.  Similar shirts go for 10x this in local boutiques, so I snagged a bunch for holiday gifts. The lips print is also cute and if you're into statement shirts, there are a bunch available online.

 First the Leopard jersey wrap dress. I expected the fabric to be of the sleazy, itchy poly variety.  Instead, I found that most of the knits (94% poly/6 % spandex) are very close to the blend she uses in her Everlast and OMO lines (96% poly/ 4% spandex).  The weave isn't as tight and it doesn't have exactly the same feel (or hand for all of you design types).  However, the wrap dresses (leopard, black or red) are $20 and styled similarly to the ones in her Everlast line. Here's an example from our eBay store. Although the NK for Walmart version doesn't have the puff sleeves of the Everlast one, it does have ruched detailing at the top of the sweetheart neckline.  She uses the same fabrics in a straight tank dress for $15.  Most of the dresses are sized XS-XXL.

My other favorite knit piece is the shirt dress in black or red.  I've paired it here with a Betsey Johnson double-buckle belt from our eBay store...it's a great excuse to dig out the belts at the back of your own closet.

Other top knit pieces are an off-shoulder top (red or black) paired w/pull-on flared pants ($10, $15)...this is my go-to holiday travel ensemble.  The pant has a wider waistband to hold everything in apres feast.

  Kamali's casual pieces also mimic the signature pieces in her main line collections. The hoodie jacket dress ($15, in red or gray) is all cotton and styled like the much more expensive one in her Everlast collection. Again, the quality of the weave isn't the same as the Everlast pieces and I'm not sure how the color will be after a few washings. DogDad thought it had a funny smell, but that could be his inner Walmart snob rearing its ugly head. (-:

 

Other cotton picks include the batwing jacket ($18) in white, gray or black. These were sold out in-store, so I've included a photo from the website.

I didn't like the 'work' pieces...blazers, skirts and pants. The fabrics were icky and the 'tailoring' just wasn't there. Ditto for the shoes and accessories...they don't do faux-leather PVC nearly as well as Target. However, overall I was pleasantly surprised by the collection and held my head high instead of slinking out the doors. Plus, with everything at an amazing $20 or less (and $0.97 shipping at Walmart.com), the collection represents quite an achievement with little downside risk.  How often do you hear that these days?

Comments

[Prêt à Porter P]

hmm...i may have to consider braving walmart, gosh i hate that place...