Tilman Monsanto thinks shopping for men’s clothing in Gainesville is horrible.
The UF sociology and Spanish junior said he puts more thought into getting dressed than the average 20-year-old guy. The lack of local boutiques for men puts a damper on his slim European style.
“I keep my eye out for things in the one or two shops around here,” he said. “I have to plan to make a trip to Orlando when I want something new.”
But urbanite UF students like Monsanto who don’t have access to designer stores can opt for a new wardrobe this fall with the 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target collection, which just hit stores Sunday.
More than one hundred fall essentials, including leather jackets, button-down shirts and tailored pants are available for women and, on this rare occasion, men. Items in the collection range from $19.99 to $299.99.
Brian Jablonski, store team leader for the Target on Archer Road, said the company is always working on new collaborations and does a good job finding international designers.
In an interview with Target, designer Phillip Lim said he was interested in making a wardrobe for the stylish person on the go.
“It’s a little on the pricey edge,” 22-year-old Solomiya Virstyuk said, but she added the price accounts for the fact that Lim is expressing his artistic ability.
Virstyuk said she has to dress professionally now that she’s in pharmacy school.
She said even though she has a full schedule, she likes her outfits to have hints of elegance, and Lim’s collection incorporates men’s style in women’s clothing with that elegance. It’s sharp, and the details are simple but interesting.
“The actual styles are not overdone,” she said. “They’re clean-cut and have color patterns that mix well together but won’t look tacky.”
Molly Muth, 22, an elementary education graduate student, said she was looking forward to buying Lim’s signature bag.
“They’re so cheap here, but they’re actually $100 bags,” Muth said.
Lim designed versatile pieces that suit different moods — something for every day of the week, he said in the interview with Target.
Monsanto said his style depends on whom he is going to see and whether it’s a fancy dinner, going to Midtown or meeting with a professor. He said the Lim pieces can be worn on different occasions, and Target is making high-end fashion accessible and giving people more options.
”It’s important to be conscious of what you wear,” he said. “The first impression is what lasts with people.”
A version of this story ran on page 7 on 9/19/2013 under the headline "Target collab suits students"
