Shop Talk

Clothing has been a tough sell amid the recession, as shoppers stick to buying more of what they need and less of what they want.

But mass merchants are continuing to strike deals with designers, hoping they can find the right mix of fashionable clothes and low prices to win sales from frugal shoppers.

Right now, Walmart.com is touting its new Miley Cyrus & Max Azria clothing collection. The website had a page devoted to the collaboration, showing the teen star dressed in the line of rock-inspired clothing for teens.

The collection features tie-dye tank tops for $6, graphic T-shirts for $7 (like the one pictured above), and skinny jeans for $20.

A link to “Go behind the scenes” says it is coming soon, but a link listing Miley’s upcoming concert dates and a link to buy her music from Walmart.com does work.

Meanwhile Target.com is featuring its new Paul Frank for Target collection.

Frank brings his familiar cartoon characters to Target, with slippers for $8.99 and a T-shirt (shown at right) for $7.99 emblazoned with his popular Julius the monkey.

As an added incentive for price-conscious shoppers, Target.com visitors can click on a link for a coupon that will give them $2 off a Paul Frank for Target clothing purchase until August 29.

(Photos: from Walmart.com and Target.com)