'Stay in your lane': The $100 Target dress that's divided the internet

While some people have said that the budget retailer is "dreaming" with that pricepoint, others have defended their pieces and said they would "100% pay for quality."

A new $100 dress from Target has caused quite a stir amongst fans, leaving many divided about whether it's too expensive or worth the price. 

Some argue that it's a good value as it's a high-quality dress, while others think it's way overpriced considering it's from a mass-produced budget retailer.

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The Preview Broderie Midi Dress. Image: Target

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"Target stay in your lane"

The $100 dress in question is the Preview Broderie Midi Dress which is midi-length with a V-neck, a shirred waist and 3/4 puff sleeves with elastic cuffs.

The light blue dress comes in sizes ranging from six-18. It's also made from soft and breathable cotton fabric and is fully lined. 

The dress gained attention recently after a woman took to a Facebook group to vent about the price, saying that it "blows [her] mind."

Jossie Williams began her post by writing, "WTF, a $100 cotton dress at Target."

She then acknowledged that Target now has an ex-Witchery designer so they're trying to move into a new direction, but she still can't understand how they can justify that price tag.

"Firstly, look at the climate we’re in. Terrible time to increase prices," she noted.

"Secondly, this is the wrong shade of duck egg blue, it’d make anyone look sick, terrible cut and an awful cut-off at a no man’s length.

"Lastly, the fact that I’m even discussing a $100 Target cotton dress when Kmart has been dominating the market for producing cheap designer dupes, just blows my mind."

She concluded her post by writing, "Target, stay in your lane."

The dress is midi-length with a V-neck, a shirred waist and 3/4 puff sleeves with elastic cuffs. Image: Target

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"The quality of this compared to Kmart is not even comparable"

The comment section was split down the middle with some people coming out and arguing that the quality of the dress warranted a higher price.

"Target quality is actually great and their clothing has really stepped it up a notch of late. I don’t think they’re trying to be like Kmart or go after that same audience.

 

"Their quality is actually on par with Country Road, Seed etc but half the price. I would assume this is the kind of demographic they’re going for now," someone noted. 

 

Another person added: "As a designer myself, I can tell you that the quality of this compared to the quality of Kmart is not even comparable. Also, the cost of manufacturing has skyrocketed. Think of the supply chain on a garment... how many hands would touch this during the process."

"When you buy a brand new dress for much less than this, it’s because no one is getting paid properly," someone else wrote.

Another person also pointed out that Target still has cheaper dresses in their 'Lily Loves' line, whereas the 'Preview' line is their most expensive one, but you get what you pay for.

"If people want 100% cotton, nice linen etc (not the scratchy or see-through blends), this is an excellent price point," another person replied.

 

"This is madness"

On the other hand, many people agreed with the poster and said that it was a rip-off and that Target is taking advantage of its customers by charging that amount. 

"I was shocked too," one wrote, while another said, "Target has become so expensive in general."

One user called the pricing, "madness" and another person said it was, "crazy."

"They're dreaming," claimed a different woman.

Then this member mentioned that you could, "Pay an extra $20-30 and buy something similar from Seed…. I just don’t see the point."

And then this woman chimed in saying, "Really disappointing that they are charging this much and they aren’t engaging in any sustainable practices - i.e, using recycled materials, producing locally or paying liveable wages to garment workers."

Is it worth the hype? Image: @shessoseasonal

A budget-style influencer weighs in

Affordable style influencer Sarah Strozkiy from @shessoseasonal also reviewed the dress on her Instagram page after she was "super shocked" to see it was $100. 

In her video, she tries on the dress to "see if it's worth it."

She shares that she loves the sleeves, colour and elastic waistband and thinks it's "chic AF."

She then wrote in the caption, "As an OG Target fan girl I still get shocked by their new prices 👀 I’ve been running my page for years and those that have followed me for a long time know I love a juicy fashion bargain steal. So this transformation amazes me. It’s almost as if I blinked and suddenly I’m shopping inside a Witchery sister store.🤭"

She also mentioned that she's seen winter coats in Target ranging from $140-$160.

Someone replied in the comments, "If I have $100 to spend on an outfit the last place I’d go is Target."

Another person wrote, "It's a no from me."

Then a third person said: "Target is absolutely rocking it right now. I see their branding shifting and I think they are making some really positive moves with their designs. I think they have had to increase their prices along with that though."

Originally published as 'Stay in your lane': The $100 Target dress that's divided the internet