STORE WARS: Nordstrom vs. Target
Starting March 13th and running through April 2nd, Dappered.com is hosting a bracket based tournament with the purpose of eventually crowning the all around Affordable Men’s Style Retail Champ for 2012. For a full introduction see this post. The bracket on the right will be updated as the tournament progresses. Click on it for the full size. Make a case for your preferred competitor in the comments section, but don’t forget to vote at the bottom of each match up. On with today’s showdown:
Strengths: Arguably the premier retailer for a wide variety of clothing, shoes, and accessories that land on the high end of what most would call “affordable.” One of if not the biggest mass retailer to offer free shipping and free returns all the time. The legendary “half-yearly” sales for men, and the additional markdowns that usually follow. A sale section that’s usually decently well stocked. Designer brand list has wild range. In-house brands like Calibrate, 1901, and the plain ol’ Nordstrom line offer more than a few items with incredible looks and high quality for very reasonable prices. Website is clean and easy to navigate.
Weaknesses: They hardly ever have large-scale sales, so those higher than Macy’s-level retail prices won’t come down real often, if at all. Could use a few more affordable suiting options. Their in-house brand Calibrate seems to make blazers and jackets that look a little chopped/too short.
How they got here: Easily outgunned L.L. Bean Signature in the first round.
Strengths: As affordable as it gets this side of thrift stores. Everywhere and incredibly accessible. Their ultimate dress shirt is the best you can buy for around $20. The new Merona Kensington cotton unstructured blazer. The place to find Timex Weekenders (just about the entire series) plus slip-thru straps. Mossimo trim fit polos and t-shirts. Bold striped socks. Surprisingly decent wool/silk ties. And some of their furniture ain’t half bad either.
Weaknesses: You’re not going to find a lot of stuff that’s built to last. Or manufactured in the USA (or this hemisphere.) Good to great for low cost casual stuff, but understandably struggles when it comes to more dressed up options. Sweaters can be wonky fitting. Jeans aren’t really worth the savings. Wearing a red shirt when shopping there might leave you with confused customers asking you questions.
How they got here: Proved the doubters wrong by eliminating Indochino, a finalist from 2011, in the first round.
Your votes determine who goes on to the next round. Cast your ballot below. Voting ends at midnight ET.
UPDATE: That was close. Real close. Nordstrom barely hangs on by a few votes to beat Target at the wire.
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Store Wars Rd. 2: Nordstrom vs. Target
- Nordstrom (50%, 421 Votes)
- Target (50%, 418 Votes)
Total Voters: 838
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I vote Target. Mossimo T-shirts > All
I’ll second that and add the polo knit shirts to that list as well…
I’m surprised this is so close right now. For me, it’s Nordstrom all the way. You can’t beat their shoe selection and the quality is so much better than Target that it’s almost unfair. Granted their prices are also much higher but you can get some nice deals during their sales.
I agree with a lot of what’s written on Dappered. It’s lead me to some really good finds. And I visit the site almost daily.
But for the life of me, I’ll never understand the value placed on Target clothes.
This is a close one… I love the cheap Target socks but overall I’m aiming higher in my clothing quality, so Nordstrom gets the nod.
Surprised its so close. Yes, a good selection of plain tshirts and socks, but Nordstrom is a go-to for most.
Nordstrom. I don’t see the point in buying anything but underwear and socks from Target. I haven’t seen that Dappered-approved blazer in person but I’d be surprised if it lasted very long.
Having a lot less disposable income than many on this site (or so it seems), I’ve gotta give Target some major props for being able to fill out a wardrobe. Granted, I walk straight past the shoe department unless I need polish/laces, and wouldn’t buy any “big” pieces there, but you I’ve been thrilled with the deals I can get on the Merona dress shirts (just got some on clearance @ $7/piece), colorful socks, and the ubiquitous Mossimo polos. For me, Nordstrom is maybe once or twice a year. Target is my bread and butter.
Nordstrom in the lead? I get that their merchandise is nicer and more likely to last, but as a betting man, I’d put my money on the notion that a majority of the readers here do a lot more shopping at Target than they let on, and that they do at Nordstrom.
Target get’s my nod again. It can be quite nice to stay on trend with their offerings without breaking the bank and then regretting the purchase when last year’s “In” is now “Out.”
Plus, are any of you really buying Target gear thinking the stuff will last for years?
I can’t believe it’s so close. You go to target for toiletries, underwear, diapers. Not clothing. Nordstrom has a sick shoe department and their suit selection is unreal.
Why cant I find the Mossimo trim fit polos on Target’s website?
Nordstroms customer service is impecable. Thats important. You ever tried to return something at Target… Not to mention, targets “store experience” is horrible. If it where half as good as their tv spots I might not mind shopping there.
I like the Mossimo line at Target, but I find everything else kind of ‘meh’. and while I don’t go to Target for clothes, I do browse. Nordstrom (+Rack) however, is my first choice if I’m looking for quality, variety, and (sometimes) price.
Not sure about how often they appear online, but in Target stores, they clearance them off for winter, so they should have only just started coming back in stock.
As a college student whose slowly trying to move out of t-shirts and badly fitting clothes, Target is my winner. Firstly, you really can’t beat their prices, and when you’re on a tight budget and just trying to branch out, it definitely helps. Those cheapo polos are now my go-to shirts. Secondly, (and some may view this as a con), locations are everywhere. I live in a fairly well populated area, and I can’t remember seeing a Nordstrom. Again, since I’m just starting out, there’s pretty much no way in hell I’m ordering anything online. I just don’t have the knowledge of how different fits work for me or how different patterns will turn out.
Speaking of which, every time I see a gingham shirt pictured online I love the look. Every time I seem to find one in store to try on, I come out looking like a farmer. What’s the secret?
Socks are the only thing I’ve gotten from Target, too.
Wow…pretentious much. Reading some of these comments really makes me a bit upset, but i guess everyone is entitled to their opinions. I vote target. I love the selection at Nordstrom, but they just can’t beat the deals at Target. If you can bring yourself to shop there, which i can see may be a problem for some readers, you’ll see that Target has a lot to offer at great prices.
I love Target, for everything except clothes. I don’t think there is anything at Target that I have ever seen worth wearing. For department stores, Kohl’s is my go-to for cheap clothes, or to experiment with a slightly different look, and Macy’s is where I go for decent quality clothes that will expand my wardrobe with out breaking the bank.
Nordstrom’s return policy and customer service is legendary. Case closed.
I do my grocery shopping at Target. Sometimes.
Price and value are all relative anyway.
Are we including Nordstrom Rack in here? If so, I think Nordstrom wins hands down.
Sweet sassy molassy, 319-310 Nordstrom? This is a tight race.
I like the more upscale offerings from Nordstrom…but Target is, as was said, the bread and butter. I haven’t gotten into the ultimate shirts, but their sweaters, polos, slim ties and shawl cardigans are nice (when downsized) for the price. I can spend there and barely feel guilty. It’s close, but Target for the win.
It’s Target by far for me. The key is to treat those few racks marked “clearance” like their own small thrift store. I can’t tell you how many great dress and casual shirts I’ve gotten for ridiculous prices. Also that blazer is FANTASTIC. Very well built with heavy cotton, sturdy stitching and so fitted! I should note I’m a college student with almost no disposable income, but value for your basic pieces should be universal no matter how much you have to spend.
Target, for the Dappered demographic, should be the top winner of this competition in my opinion. All the people who are lauding the superiority of Nordstrom such as their ‘impecable suit selection’ are ignoring how cost prohibitive it usually is and how seldom things go on sale. Even if we fold Nordstrom Rack into this, which I mostly like for shoes, I still think the price point is generally too high. I think people are deluding themselves on how often they shop at Nordstrom or are too snooty to shop at Target.
Target is, in my opinion, the leading affordable place to buy stylish clothes. I just got ready for spring with their cotton Madras short sleeve shirts ($16.50) and preppy shorts ($15). I have NEVER had quality problems with my Target goods, unlike Old Navy, Zara, etc… I never have stuff fall apart, weird holes develop, or copious loose threads, etc… Between Mossimo and Merona, you can built competent, affordable, stylish outfits. Even when stuff isn’t on sale its a good price and when it is it’s borderline ridiculously cheap. Plus, if you watch the sales you can get refunded on the difference after purchase, so you don’t necessarily have to only clearance shop there.
And yeah, shoe selection sucks at Target but who regularly buys shoes at Nordstrom at full price? Unless it is their in-house brand (which generally people on the Threads forum seem to tell others to just pay extra and go with a known brand) I don’t think too many people actually buy shoes there. I did used to buy shoes at the Rack quite a bit, though, if that is indeed included in this.
Target’s v-necks and polos are my go-to casual shirts and Nordstrom is generally outside of my price range. Target it is!
Wow. Did not expect things to be this close at this point in the day!
It would be weird as hell if Target took this thing. I mean, who’s the competition here? Land’s End maybe?
I made one road trip to Nordstrom/Nordstrom Rack in the last year and spent $700.
I’ve made two dozen trips to Target in the last year and spent about $250 on clothing.
You don’t have to go to Nordstrom very often to spend a lot of money and check off some big shoe and formal wear items off the list. It was a tough decision, and I opted for Target because of a number of small, cheap purchases. But Nordstrom has its place. One good suit purchase there would require a lot of Target deals to outweigh it, in my mind.
Yeah, this one is close. If we have to count hanging chads there’s going to be hell to pay!
I’d rather get staples thrifting and get special / unique items at better stores, like Nordstrom. There’s room for stuff like underwear and socks at Target, through.
Oh snap! Florida, circa year 2000 joke!
At this point I expect BR to win, although it would be thrifting if more of y’all thrifted
I still stand by my prediction of the winner of the Land’s End/Jcrew bracket to win.
Throughout the day, no matter what browser (or computer) I used, the page would not let me vote. I wanted to vote for Nordstrom, but it just kept showing me the vote totals.
I don’t understand.
The contest is for the “all around Affordable Men’s Style Retail Champ for 2012”. I stand by that Nordstrom, even if you fold the Rack into it, are not most people’s definition of affordable. I think for the money, Target is a better value for most readers here and while you may sometimes splurge on purchases from Nordstrom, Target is a more consistent source of well priced staples.
It was exciting to see how close it got though, looks like Nordstrom just barely eeked it out. I hope H&M is added next year because I’ve been loving their stuff lately after losing some weight and being able to comfortably wear them again.