Catherine Malandrino has a new Parisian-themed special collection that started on Friday, September 27 at Kohl’s. Some of the tops feature the Eiffel Tower, Paris or Je T’aime Paris etc. Lace and innovative laser cut designs are prevalent and eye-catching. There are a few geometric patterns as well. The majority of the clothing is black and white, but there are a couple of items in burgundy and midnight blue. The collection is quite comprehensive with tops, sweaters, pants, skirts, dresses, and a couple of jackets. It ranges from work clothing to casual to date nights or special occasions.
I saw the collection online, and I just had to head right down to Kohl’s to see the clothing in person and try things on. Some items come in small/medium/large/extra-large and others are sized. Because I wear different sizes in different clothing silhouettes, I thought it would be safer to actually try them on and see how they look, and I was right. I was a small in some clothes and a medium in others, a size 6 in some and an 8 in others. Whatever.
The clothing is the good/decent quality that you would expect from a mid-tier department store like Kohl’s. What’s great about the collection is you get some of the designer style that you get at Saks but with more mainstream fabrics, a bit lower craftsmanship, and at a much more affordable price. These clothes are really cute. They’re stylish for now, and although I think I will be able to wear one of the pieces I bought forever, they are trendy and I don’t usually spend a lot on designs that could go out of style.
Not all of the Catherine Malandrino collection is in stock at the stores. Many pieces are available only online at the Kohl’s website. That said, there are quite a few pieces in the store, so I didn’t feel like I drove down there for nothing. But unfortunately, they didn’t have the faux wrap dress that I was particularly interested in trying on.
I tried on a couple of dresses, but I didn’t end up buying either one. I’m short, and I really need a petite size in a dress. The sheer long-sleeved lace dress I tried was very pretty, and would look great on a taller woman.
The long-sleeve dress with the fitted bodice and flared bottom was cute, but too young for me at this stage. Twenty years ago, I would have bought it (and actually, I owned two dresses that were very similar to it!).
I purchased a long-sleeve black lace peplum top that’s lined in beige with a deep scoop neck. Very pretty and form fitting. It will look good with a skirt or with black pants or black jeans. Love it.
I also bought a really cute, timeless black knit skirt with pleats on the bottom. In the photo taken on the bed, it looks like an A-line. But it is a straight skirt, and the pleats give it some flare. It has an elastic waist that I usually avoid like the plague, but the waistline stays flat and I can live with it.
The pricing on the collection is a little weird because on day one, it was reduced by 20%. And both online and in the store, if you use a Kohl’s charge, they take off an additional 30% (on anything you buy, not just this collection). I think the two pieces I bought cost me about $50 (I also bought a cute pair of Lee jeans with black velvet embellishment on the back pockets and they brought the total to $75). All in all, an affordable haul.
So go online or head to Kohl’s to check out the Catherine Malandrino limited-edition collection. I’m not sure how long it will be available, but act fast if you want to find your size in the store. Please post a picture in the comments or just let us know what you buy! C’est magnifique!
I’ll have to head to Kohls and see this collection in person as well, love the skirts!
Tina @ My Highest Self recently posted…Review: Mally Volumizing Mascara
There are some very cute pieces and decent quality, Tina. And with that extra 30% off, it’s super affordable. Hope they’ve got a good selection in your local store.
I LOVE the dress! I Thanks for posting this. I’ve never shopped for trendy clothes at Kohl’s, but I will definitely head over there ASAP 🙂
I loved the dress too, but I wasn’t tall enough for it. Hopefully you are, lol! It may be worthwhile applying for a Kohls charge if you don’t have one, depending on what you buy the percentage off increases. Hope you find something, Lois!
I was totally at Kohls this weekend too ! I looked at the collection, but didn’t buy anything. I don’t think the collection was displayed very well at my store and so I wasn’t attracted to it. I also saw the Lee jeans with the black embellishment on the pocket – so cute! I bought a cute tank top from Elle and a long sleeve white top from Vera Wang. I also ordered the Chaps Pieced Sheath Dress as the belt loops were ripped on the one in the store and a satin purple peplum top from Vera Wang. Career pants and jeans were a bust .. maybe my fat shifted or something .. I dunno .. but no pants fit.
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I’m glad you liked the Lee jeans that I got too, Monica. I don’t need more jeans but I couldn’t pass them up. At my Kohl’s, I wouldn’t say that they displayed the CM collection all that well either, but I had seen it online and went looking for certain pieces specifically…tho’ they didn’t necessarily have them in the store. And some of the different tops were all on one rack so you sort of had to know there were different styles to find them. After I had already found the peplum top and the skirt, I cruised through the Vera Wang and there were some cute things but with the jeans and the CM stuff, I had spent enough. I’m looking forward to seeing your haul on your blog!!
Love your purchases, Allison 🙂 I did make it to Kohl’s unexpectedly yesterday and ended up getting the hooded, black jacket which looks very runway-like. I saw two of my website orders in person and will return the one with the lock. It’s called a sweater online but it is made out of just a thin, stretchy shirt material which will look horrific on me. I hope the blouse I ordered fits like the jacket, it was not in the store. The Paris Je t’aime tee is cute also but I’m very glad I was able to get it in midnight blue. The burgundy color would not be flattering for me.
Thank you, Sybille. I wore the top on Saturday night and I like it. I saw the hooded black jacket in the store, and I thought it was really cute. If I didn’t already have a black hoodie with white polka dots, I would’ve tried it on! I’m glad you got to see the items in person, but I’m sorry you will have to return at least one that you ordered, boo. The quality on the items varied: some good/decent quality, others less so. But I found with the discount that the prices were good. I’m glad you got the T in midnight blue. I’m eager to see it when you get it!! C’est si bon!