I used to watch Rachel Zoe’s show on Bravo sporadically and appreciated her eye for fashion but when I first heard about her foray into an eponymous clothing brand, I was a bit skeptical.
It did, however, pique my interest and I’ve been keeping a close eye on a few items in the event that they get heavily discounted. I was lucky enough to snatch two items from her collection for 70% off and ended up keeping one of them.
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| Karen Pleated Mini Skirt |
As I only thoroughly inspected two items and tried on a handful more, my sample size is quite small so if you have a different opinion, feel free to share them with me in the comments.
Sizing: I thought the tops were cut generously but the bottoms are cut much slimmer compared to mall brands. The Karen skirt in size 0 measures a hair short of 12 inches and is smaller than many of my 00P skirts from Ann Taylor and Banana Republic. Sleeves will probably be too long for women around my height (they are about 2-3 inches too long on me; but I have short arms).
Quality: The collection is expensive (clothing items are a few hundred dollars at retail and sold at places like Neiman Marcus and Piperlime) so the quality is fair. I think it’s most worthwhile when heavily discounted. I just don’t know that I would pay $265 (the retail price for the Karen Pleated Skirt) for something that I might find at Ann Taylor. I did decide to keep the blouse (the Marcia Blouse; $225 retail) because I thought the silk and spandex blend was soft to the touch and opaque enough to wear to work. The epaulet, barrel cuffs, and pocket details added enough flair to the top. I am not sure how I feel about priest collar but the top was a keeper for me.
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| Zara blazer, Rachel Zoe top (in print), Gap jeans, See by Chloe bag, and Michael Antonio pumps |
