Phillip Lim 3.1 for Target: My Picks, Styled

If a policeman rang my doorbell and asked me what I was doing on the night between September 14th and September 15th, I wouldn't have to think more than five seconds to answer. I was on my computer, waiting for the Phillip Lim 3.1 for Target collection to be released on the Target website. See, Phillip Lim is probably my favorite designer and I have a skirt from the summer collection that I paid a small fortune for but is one of the favorite things in my closet. So, even if I have been disappointed by the designer collaborations at Target in the past (especially by the Calypso one) I could NOT not partake in the Phillip Lim craziness. I was up until 2 am ET and the Collection was released only a few hours later which means that when I woke up on Sunday all the bags were gone. Luckily for me I was one of the few not interested in the bags but in the clothes. I had previewed the collection online and made my choice already and I was actually surprised that none of my picks had sold out. I ordered all the "animal" print items, ie the skirt, the dress and the sweater. I also "almost" ordered the "Boom" dress but only a size S was still available and it sold-out during checkout. I learned after that the dress fit pretty big/long so I saved myself a return on this one probably. A few days after my order I received an email from Target that my shipment had been delayed (usually bad news), only to receive shipping confirmation a few hours later. Go figure!

Anyway, of the three items I ordered the skirt was the one I was the most excited about. I don't shop at Target enough to know for sure which size I should order but I went with the smallest available, a size 2. It just fits but I think going up a size would have added too much volume as it is pretty full already. It is a mini but of a decent length and would be called a "skirt" at JCrew. I had a precise outfit in mind when I ordered it, with my Milly leather collar top from last year (the pumps are from Zara, I got them in Italy for 22 EU). This top is very fitted so it can be easily tucked in without creating bulk but it also looks good left out covering the skirt waistband which is blue:








I think that for the price it looks quite fetching. However, you should know that it has a horrible exposed industrial zipper in the back (that I forgot to take a picture of). I guess you can't have everything.
I also tried it with the matching sweater, which is the way it was styled on the website. I love the sweater but it can look very pajam-y and needs to be dressed up a little bit (also, this runs a bit small IMO, especially at the neckline). I think the sweater with the skirt it is too much IRL, what do you think?





I have already worn it several times, mostly like this:



The dress was a bit of a (positive) surprise. In my opinion out of the three pieces (if not of the entire collection) it is the most Phillip Lim-esque. I mean that I wouldn't be surprised to see this dress sold on net-a-porter or Shopbop for a much higher price (in another fabric). The print is on a smaller scale, which makes it a bit more sophisticated that its blown-up version. The fabric is a very thin jersey though and because of the body-con cut most will feel very exposed in this one or like they need to wear Spandex. Basically it doesn't hold anything in. On the other side the subtle shirring can help camouflaging some extra pounds in the belly area (but just a little bit).

So this is very simply styled:



Even if I can pull it off I know myself and I know I would never wear it like this in real life, it is simply not a match for my lifestyle. So I tried other ways to style it and bring it down to momland.
I switched my pumps to booties first and then added a belt but it didn't really work:




Then I tried to add a layer for more "coverage". My Rebecca Taylor tweed vest looks good on pretty much everything and also on this dress. However, I have a shoes problem in this case since you MUST wear some kind of heels with the dress and I have no heeled shoes that go with this outfit (ideally, I would need a pair of cream-ish or blue pumps):



I liked it with my military jacket and a neutral belt (I was lazy and didn't change my shoes but this would look much better with a pair of booties in the same color than the belt, that I have somewhere):





I liked it even more with a black open cardigan, belted:





In fact I felt so comfortable in this that I kept this outfit on all the morning around the house.

I hope those of you who have ordered one of these enjoyed the styling session.

What do you think of these items and what's your favorite outfit? I am debating if to keep the three of them or return one. What do you think? Should I return the skirt or the dress?
Please let me know in the comments!