Vera Wang at Kohl's

Saturday morning I got a call from my mom telling me about these adorable nightgowns that looked like cocktail dresses at Kohl's. And she said they were designed by Vera Wang. A light bulb went off. I'd seen some pieces from the high-end designer's line for Kohl's in various fashion mags and had marked my mental calendar to head there on Friday, but somehow I'd completely forgotten. So, Saturday afternoon I rushed out to Short Pump to check out the selection.

After massive trying on and scrutinizing, I'm giving the line mixed-but-positive reviews. There were plenty of cute pieces. I took home a black pencil skirt with a pleated satin hem and adorable seeming up the back ($64); an A-line hip-length white blouse with a bow that cinched it at the empire waist ($54); a black, sleeveless jersey shirt with black satin pleating on the front ($44); and a white bubble top with a ruffled neckline that featured rhinestones at the center ($54). So, there definitely were some pieces I liked and they were reasonably priced (plus, I opened a Kohl's card and scored an extra 30 percent off!). But, the sizing was a little off. I wore a size smaller than normal in the tops and debated on whether to buy the skirt in my size or one up.

Also, some of the styles were well designed, but the fabric was heavy or cheap. A purple wrap top with a ruffled collar and sleeves has a gorgeous cut, but the polyester fabric felt like a fast-food restaurant uniform. A long satin coat had a cute, relaxed cut but the fabric looked like discount store, NOT designer. No thanks. Some of the pieces lacked the appropriate detailing. A men's-styled cardigan had the potential to be way cute, but rather than using fancy buttons on the whole thing, Vera used one faceted silver button at the top, and boring nondescript ones the rest of the way down.

Vera also had lingerie; scarves, hats and gloves; nightgowns; shoes; home decor and purses. As my mom reported, the nightgowns were spectacular. They did look like little silk cocktail dresses and matching robes were available with most styles. My mom picked up a pair of the Vera flat shoes with rhinestone embellishments and has called for several days since telling me how comfortable they are. She's a flat-shoe addict, so if she calls a pair comfortable, they're probably like walking on air.

Finally, there was also a great selection of faux leather purses. I didn't find any worth buying because all the styles were pretty basic, but I was tempted by the Small Date Hobo ($49) that looked like a teeny tiny version of the average large-sized hobo with a gold chain shoulder strap. Soo cute.

Hits and misses aside, I'll definitely be heading back to see the next collection when it debuts.