Simply Vera. Simply Disappointing, or Not?

Back in the day when I lived in NY and was an aspiring stylist, I interned for a short time at Vera Wang. Of course I didn't work directly for her, but I always tried to steal glimpses of her while she worked. I made it a point to walk down the hallway towards the room she was working in. She was always very gracious to say hello when you walked past her in the hallway, but you got the impression that she was a very busy woman. One of the other perks of the job is that I got to work up close with the dresses. Oh, the dresses. So.Very.Astonishingly.Beautiful. I pictured myself wearing one to my wedding or to a red carpet event. Neither happened. Darn. :)

But while I was there, I also always made sure to notice what she was wearing. What struck me was how very simply she dressed. Thus the name, Simply Vera Wang, for Kohl's? When I first heard last year that she was creating a line for Kohl's, I was elated. I went to the store specifically to own something of hers. But I was quickly disappointed. I wasn't fond of the designs she created, most seemed to be boxy or schlumpy looking, and cheaply made. I know, what was I expecting from Kohl's? But her line there is considered more high end than the other lines and thus priced that way. So if I was going to spend my money on say, an $80 cardigan, I wanted it to look and feel great. But it didn't.

Now, I'm not a huge Kohl's shopper, but my sister is, and inevitably she drags me there with her and always finds great deals. I have had success with the Daisy Fuentes line with jeans and the Apt. 9 line with tops. A couple of weeks ago, I was drawn to a display of Vera's line and decided to take a second look. And I was pleasantly surprised this time around. I actually liked what I saw and found a top that I liked. It fit nicely too. I didn't purchase it but plan on returning to do just that.

So I can finally own a Vera, along with the rest of middle America. But isn't this what it's all about? The whole movement of designers to appeal to us regular folks, who otherwise would not be able to experience their designs, except when watching coverage of the red carpet? Sure it demystifies the designer a bit, but accessibility is not all bad. Check out what I found of Vera's at Kohl's.