Kmart’s New Advertising Campaign: Stylish or Just Hype?

When you think of Kmart clothing, you don’t necessarily think of forward-thinking, high-end fashion. With its new advertising campaign, however, the big-box store seems to be striving for a more aspirational image.

Accompanying the new tagline, “Money can’t buy style,” Kmart’s breezy summer advertisements feature real people wearing Kmart outfits they picked for themselves. The overall implication seems to be that expressing your personal style is more important than buying expensive designer labels—but aren’t there times when you should spring for the more expensive option?

Cheap and Chic?

Here at LearnVest, we love low prices, but we also appreciate good quality. Kmart clothes are certainly inexpensive—few items on the website are over $45—but the concern is whether they will last.

So when is it OK to buy Kmart clothing? Generally, we think it’s a good option for when you’re trying a new trend (we’re looking at you, rompers!). If you’re worried that a particular fad will go out of style, or if you’re just not sure if it will work for you, purchasing an inexpensive version of the style allows you to get “the look” without busting your budget on a higher-end item that may eventually go out of style anyway.

For classic pieces like a cozy sweater or a leather handbag, however, we recommend you think about investing in higher quality items that will last you for years.

We have a Kmart right around the corner from our office, and we ducked in a few days ago to check it out. Right now, it doesn’t seem like the newest wave of fashion brands offered under the “Kmart Fashion” label has hit stores, but Kmart certainly has begun building its presence online, with a collection from Sofía Vergara of “Modern Family” scheduled to launch this fall.

For now, though, check out the summery pieces from Kmart’s Attention and Route 66 lines. We like the cute flutter-sleeve dress pictured above, the striped V-neck sweater and the military-inspired jacket.