Target’s Clothing Department Is Changing

There are few joys more pure than a rainy afternoon wandering the aisles of Target, unfettered by children, miles of inexpensive fashions at your fingertips. For those of us with a taste for a great fashion find, it really has been nirvana. Well, folks, it looks like that nirvana is going to look pretty different moving forward, because Target's clothing department is changing in a major way... and it's a dark day for those of us who have been loyal to its tried-and-true brands.

For now, anyway. Stay tuned.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Target is undergoing a serious revamp and dropping some of its popular fashion lines — namely fan favorites like Merona, Mossimo, Cherokee, and Circo. I know, guys, I know. The Mossimo and Merona lines in particular feel like losing a trusted, thoughtful, ever-forgiving, and surprisingly inexpensive best pal. In an attempt to explain this minor tragedy, Target Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer Mark Tritton said in a press release:

Our new brands are all about the changing face of our guests — what they need, what they’re looking for from Target. When we took a close look at our existing assortment with this in mind, we saw a disconnect. We knew we’d need to refresh our offerings — and define new ones — so our guests continue to love what they’re discovering at Target and want to keep coming back, again and again.

Fans of the beloved fashion lines took to social media to mourn the loss of some old standbys. And it almost seems as though they weren't quite ready to see them go.

But Tritton said good things are coming our way in place of these lines, according to the corporate Target website.

Our brands have been solid performers. Take Cherokee and Circo in our kids’ business, for example — they were performing strongly, even in a difficult market. But we talked to our guests, looked at the data, and we realized that there was this huge opportunity to create a unique personality and own-able, differentiated point of view.

With that in mind, the retail chain will be introducing 12 new lines exclusive to Target, which will include fashion, accessories, and home decor. If it's any consolation, the new lines actually look pretty cute.

The new brands include a women's clothing line called A New Day, a men's line called Goodfellow & Co., a home decor label called Project 62, and a new athletic line, JoyLab, according to NBC News.

So that's some sort of consolation, right? In with the new and out with the old? Perhaps these new lines will be even better than Mossimo and Merona (just kidding, I didn't mean that).

Then there's another plus: if Target is no longer producing the line, there are bound to be some sweet sales as stores make way for the new brands.