Phillip Lim For Target Items - Return or D.I.Y.?

Okay, remember when I told you I ordered the following items offline from th e3.1 Phillip Lim collection for Target?

Well, I ordered all XL's and 16's. Thinking if they had enough stretch I could get them to fit.

Well, I'll start with the pieces I've received and discuss their fit and fabric on a size 18 top and a size 20 bottom person.

Whose that person I speak of?




Me, Of Course!!

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Starting it off is the

PHILLIP LIM - ANIMAL PRINT SWEATER - XL

So the first item I received was the animal print sweater. My first reaction to it was "Damn it, the sleeves are chiffon." My second reaction was: "And they don't have any stretch, this isn't going to fit. Then finally I realized how cute it was and tried it on anyway.  Conclusion, my arms didn't fit.

I thought of just cutting the arms off and making the sweater into a vest. I mean the chiffon would NOT be missed (although the back is chiffon as well).

I am actually still considering that as I write this. It is a very cute sweater and I've seen nothing like it. So I kind of want to keep it, but I also don't want to mess up the sweater for good since I don't sew. But my mother sews and she would be able to seal around the armholes after I cut the sleeves off.

Ignore my shoddy erasing job, but you get the point.

So see, I am still not 100% sure if I want to embark in this adventure. What do you think??

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PHILLIP LIM - ZIPPERED PATCHWORK DRESS - 16

This dress was probably my favorite of the bunch. The pattern was way more awesome in real life than it looked on the internet. The quality was impeccable and I couldn't wait to put it on because this one actually had some stretch to it.



WEll, I put it on and I came to three conclusions:

1. The sleeves are too tight
2. Yet, I'm still keeping it because it's adorable
3. The sleeves will be adjusted.

So the seam of the sleeve was on the bottom near the armpit. Lucky me!! So my shoddy work would not be put on display for the whole world to see.

So I cut the sleeve at it's seam, trying not to cut the fabric, but the strings holding the fabric together. Didn't work too well, but it doesn't matter because I figured all I need to do is get some black stretch ponte fabric and have my mother sew the fabric in between the two now seperated seams and I would be good!!

I then put the dress on again, with the sleeves cut, and it fit like a charm. Well, maybe it didn;t fit like a charm, because some of my back fat was a little on display through the fabric. If I didn't have such a big butt, it would have falled nicely, but my butt caused some of the fabric to gather at my waist.

The dress has a zipper front with two zippers, each going a different way. I started to play with the dress and saw that I could wear it several different ways. Conclusion, I was pleased!! So this one is getting a slight adjustment then it will be put in rotation, as soon as possible.

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PHILLIP LIM - BOOM SWEATSHIRT - XL

This fit, so Im keeping it. Even though it was pretty fitted on me, not baggy like on the model. It is still cute and I will make it work, so I'm keeping it...

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PHILLIP LIM - SWEATER DRESS - XL

When I chose to get this while ordering online, I had no CLUE how it would look on me. It looked kind of funky, but that is why I liked it. It looked kind of funky.

When, I received it in the mail, I noticed the top had a lot of stretch to it, but the waist bad of the shirt (well it is a bit lower than your waist so perhaps hemline is more appropriate) did NOT have much stretch... WHY? Well, because of that DARN chiffon again.

As I was putting it on, I kept thinking "this thing is NOT going to go past my butt and hips without tearing". But somehow I was able to maneuver it so it did and I could get an idea of what it looked like on.

It was interesting is all I can say. Not bad, not good, just interesting.

Well, I immediately pulled it up slightly and it made it look SO MUCH BETTER. But it also made it SO MUCH TIGHTER around my upper thighs due to the chiffon not stretching. So, without thinking, I opened my legs wide enough until I heard a few strings break. "Welp" I thought "I guess I'm keeping it." So I took it off and with my hands looked for the areas in which the chiffon was doubled over and attached to the hemline. At those areas I pulled detaching it. My intent was to loosen the chiffon and just sew it back on in a place that allowed for more stretch. I did this about 4 times. Once for each side.

I then noticed that the hemline of the sweatshirt was actually long enough to cover the damage I was doing so I put the dress back on, pulled it up a few inches and fell in love. It was perfect. All I need is a needle and thread to close up the holes from where the chiffon detached from the shirt, and it will be all good! Excited to put this one in rotation as well.

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PHILLIP LIM - ANIMAL PRINT SKIRT - 16

This was one of the pieces I was looking most forwad to. It was ADORABLE.

So when I received it in the mail it was the first one I wanted to try on. But as I pulled it out of the bag I realized something...WTF is up with Phillip Lim and Chiffon?? The entire skirt was made out of Chiffon except for the waist band which was made out of a stretchy satin like fabric.

Well, I tried it on anyway. I knew it wasn't going to fit right, it would fit me high waisted but it would be too short to wear it like that... And I was right.

I mean someone who enjoys short skirts could get away with it. But I have too much butt to be playing around with the wind and a too short skirt! So after preening in the mirror for about 5 minutes trying to make the skirt work SOMEHOW, I finally decided to mourn the loss quickly and then move on. So basically, this is going back to the store.

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So basically, so far, that is my experience with five pieces from the Phillip Lim Collection.

I would do a giveaway instead of returning these to the store, but I honestly don't think anyone who wears higher than a 14 would fit in the items I am considering returning and I don't want to do a giveaway that excludes ANYONE because of their size, that just wouldn't be nice.

Well, I still am expecting the two mixed media button downs (they are men sized and have jersey sleeves so hopefully they fit) and the two peplum tops (which has no sleeves so hopefully they work as well).

As soon as I receive them I will update this post.

As always, thanks for reading.

Come back soon!!!

Jen L.