Target was one of the first mega-retail chains to commit to selling affordable clothing and accessories alongside essentials like detergent, cosmetics, and food. Basically, it’s a one-stop shopping destination for recessionistas who aren’t willing to sacrifice style when on a budget. I’ve never seen any fashion item priced above $100, so you don’t have to feel any shopper’s guilt if you take yourself on a mini shopping spree. Check out our favorite Cheapskate finds, after the jump.

It’s official. Jean Paul Gaultier has signed on as the newest Target Designer Collaborator, inciting gasps and breathless moments from fashion lovers all over. He’s the third designer to take part, following Alexander McQueen who drew inspiration from Liela Moss of The Duke Spirit, and Anna Sui, whose “Gossip Girl” pieces were a major fan obsession.

No, these are not Halloween costumes. They’re actually pieces from the upcoming and greatly anticipated Rodarte line for Target.

Yes, images are finally leaking of the new line, which editors have already previewed, but were banned from sharing with their readers.

Along with the sequined skull dress (far right), the ultra “it” designers have developed 55 other pieces, ranging from a lacy t-shirt, to a leopard jacket and dress, amazing stockings, and even more lace. We’re looking at a price range of $9.99-$79.99 for the collection, including knee-highs, dresses, and jackets. Mark your calendars people. December 20th is R-day, and you best believe every fashionista (professional, amateur or otherwise) is gonna be clamoring to scoop each and every piece up. [Racked]

The day you’ve all been waiting for is imminent: Anna Sui‘s “Gossip Girl”-inspired line for Target is available to the public this Sunday. We weaseled our way into a sneak preview this week though, and we’ve got the lowdown on how the collection looks in real life. As is to be expected, there are a handful of hits and a few definite misses.

We loved a bunch of the Blair-esque pieces with their sweet but restrained detailing. While Vanessa’s clothing group was mostly far too ‘70s and polyester-y for us and Serena’s was rather cute, even if most of it didn’t look much like Serena’s style at all. (One Serena-inspired dress appeared to have teeth around the neck. We were scared.) Finally, the Jenny stuff ranged from adorable (like the dress at left) to tacky (check out the over-ripped, synthetic leggings after the jump and you’ll know what we’re talking about).

More images and info after the jump.

Another day, another Target collaboration. Here’s a first look at Anna Sheffield’s (of Bing Bang accessories fame) jewelry collection designed for the fashionable retail giant. In the mix: necklaces with vintage-inspired cameo pendants and insignia charms with Victorian touches like ribbon strands. The earrings recall Sheffield’s signature style with draped chains of mixed shapes and colors. The line is fairly affordable with a max price point of $79.99, although most pieces cost less than $40. You’ll have to wait until August 30 for the line to drop, but, after that, you’re sure to look bangin’.

Check out the other looks after the jump! [LuckyMag.com]

Rodarte is designing a line for Target‘s Go International project, allowing us to die happy after purchasing, well, everything the day it’s available on December 20. Because, really, what else is there to live for once you’ve filled your closet with Rodarte for $60 instead of $4,000? We’d sort of resigned ourselves to the idea that Rodarte would always just be a little too cool to be at all accessible, but the 55-piece Target collection plans have proven us wrong and caused us to hold our collective breathe in anticipation.

Rather than focusing on any one specific type of clothing, the line is said to range from knee highs to party dresses to jackets, meaning we could potentially make endless combinations in our online shopping carts as a means of entertaining ourselves. And because Rodarte is Rodarte and, thus, known for their over-the-top-awesome details, you can count on a semi-scaled back interpretation of the same sort of intensity you see in their regular runway shows.

We die. [WWD]

Target is turning many books from flops into best-sellers. Each month, a panel of employees gets together and chooses some books, often from little-known authors, to be a Target “Bookmarked Club Pick.” The books that are chosen are published in special Target editions, and the prices are slashed. The books are put on the ends of bookshelves so shoppers will notice them more. Turns out, Target is quite the trendsetter. People have begun snatching up their picks, some of which are books that, previously, no one gave a damn about. Check out some of their picks, after the jump.

So apparently execs over at Target had an opportunity for The Blessed Ones—Serena and Blair, of course—to wear Anna Sui’s “Gossip Girl” inspired Target clothing line on the show, and they turned it down because the teen drama may be a little too racy for their tastes. In fact, they’re shying away from the “Gossip Girl” influences in Sui’s Fall ‘09 diffusion line entirely.

According to The Daily News, “One of Target’s top executives got nervous about being that closely associated with the show, given the [debauchery] its characters get into.” Sure, drugging your friends (yeah, we’re pointing at you, Georgina), and screwing anything that moves (we’re pointing at you, umm, entire G.G. cast), isn’t exactly model citizen kind of behavior, but if this show has taught us anything, it’s that bad behavior doesn’t necessarily go hand-in-hand with dressing badly. Or um, something like that. [Ed Note: Also, it’s just a freakin’ TV show, right? Sheesh!] But what do you think? Is Target making a mistake by steering clear of “Gossip Girl” associations (and missing some mage promotion), or is their concern justified? [Daily News]

Don’t bother denying it, you’ve been trying to dress like Blair and Serena for months now. Well, your days of attempting to make $50 dresses look like Chanel are over, courtesy of Anna Sui. The quirky chic designer has just released images of her Gossip Girl-inspired collection for Target and we’re definitely getting the appropriate level of Blair vibes from the dress all the way on the left.  Check out the whole collection here before it launches September 13. [The Cut]

We are suckers for patent round toe pumps. They go with everything and are perfect for work and play. Black, on the other hand, does not always go with everything and can get rather boring anyway. That’s why these navy patent pumps are perfect for those days when you need an alternative neutral to compliment some fabulous outfit for which black simply will not do. Best of all, they are from Target, are almost embarrassingly affordable, and are (fairly) comfortable. Can we get a “Woohoo!?” [$29.99, Mossimo Valonia Pump]

In the past, Target has worked women into a frenzy by having high-end designers make affordable fashions for us po’, fat, regular folk. Isaac Mizrahi made Target chic with his classic cuts; Rogan Gregory created an uproar with his animal print fabulousness; Luella Bartletley made us want to wear puffed up party dresses again; and we really got into Paul & Joe’s cute, feminine prints. But that was then, and this Alexander McQueen collection is now! I’d rather gaze lovingly at his designs, day dreaming of the day when I can afford a pair of his peep-toe pumps, than have this crap cluttering my closet.

• Britney Spears has done something that actually makes sense: she’s the new spokeswoman for sexy/trashy brand Candie’s, sold at Kohl’s. [WWD]
• Sarah Jessica Parker said she regrets wearing a black wedding dress when she wed Matthew Broderick in 1997 and would do things differently today: “(I would) white it up. I’d wear a beautiful, proper wedding dress, like I should have worn on that day.” [Times of India]
• Tom Cruise is threatening to sue Addictiontee.com for Photoshopping his image onto tees which say “Sex Addict” and “Everything Turns Me On.”  A spokesperson for Addictiontee.com says their next tee shirt will say, “I sue everybody.”  Oh…snap. [Times of India]

Up-and-coming designers doing collaborations with Target is becoming too predictable a path to success. Instead, an alternate way to gain name recognition and visibility is to design a line of condoms. Yes, that’s right, designer condoms. Marc Jacobs designed a rubber wrapper on his own, and then last September, Planned Parenthood released a Yigal Azrouël-designed condom wrapper for its Proper Attire line. The Planned Parenthood/designer collaboration is continuing this season with Alexander Wang‘s simple black and white package ($5.99 for 3), which just happen to match his Fall 2009 collection that came down the runway on Feb. 14. Come September, what hot designer will Planned Parenthood get to do a Proper Attire condom wrapper? We’re betting on Phillip Lim. [via Refinery29]

JCPenney’s collaboration with designer Charlotte Ronson, I Heart Ronson, just came out, but I’m not going to buy anything from it. In fact, I’m getting a little sick of designers collaborating with big retailers.

When Target first began doing its Go International designer collaborations back in 2006 with Luella Bartley, I was beyond psyched. At the time, I was an assistant at a magazine and wasn’t making anywhere near enough to pay for some of the styles on its page. With Go International, I could at last afford clothes by the new designers everyone was talking about. And because the lines were nicely done and even the people who could afford the pricier stuff wanted pieces from them, there was no shame in buying a dress from Target.

Sure, we said we were totally over designer collaborations with mass-market retailers, but every one in a while there will be one that makes us want to run, not walk, to Target. This is one of them. British designer Orla Kiely, who makes delightfully colorful clothes, accessories, and home goods, will bring her cheery brand of housewares to Target next month! Our kitchen just got a whole lot happier. [Apartment Therapy]

Designer Thakoon Panchgul’s GO International Collection for Target hits stores Dec. 28, mere days after Christmas. The clothes are cute, if a bit summery, but are you going to be all shopped out and in no mood to fight angry women for a strappy dress in the middle of winter?

The first photos of Alexander McQueen’s McQ Alexander McQueen for Target line surfaced today on WWD, and we are not impressed. The clothes in the two photos look more like they came from American Apparel than from one of the most noteworthy fashion designers of our time. Perhaps the other pieces in the collection will make up for the cotton mesh dress at right. While looking at the photo credits, we noticed that the shiny unitard is not part of the McQ for Target line. Nor are black patent Guillotine Hinfray boots or the glorious red Christian Louboutins. This got us to thinking who we’d really love to have a line at Target.