The Birthday Haul

After spending 15 glorious days on my entry table, my Anthropologie birthday discount card went to that big coupon bin in the sky today. Fear not though for it served its purpose well, delivering discounts to me on some coveted items.

Before leaving I was ridiculously meticulous. I combed through Anthro’s site and made a spreadsheet of all the items I wanted and then cut down that list to some want-it-nows. After deliberating on which Anthro brick and mortar to hit (I settled on 5th Ave) I left the house with a budget, a list and a contingency plan.

Of course as soon as I got to the store all that went to heck. It was crowded at Anthro today! Much more crowded than the J.Crew, Bananaban (aka Banana Republic), Zara or Esprit. There wasn’t any kind of special sale going on so I was a bit bewildered. I saw girls carrying around cool items and soon I was combing the racks for anything cool. A quick TMI note: I did the Organic Avenue Love Easy fast last week but totally cheated and I think I ended up gaining weight as a result. So, some potentially bloated reviews follow.

Ric Rac’s Feathered Fronds ($68, above) tank was on one of the racks when I first walked in and I immediately made a bee line for it. This shirt reminds me of the halters I used to wear as a kid with the basket-weave ruching around the bust. I also love the detail along the bottom. The small fit me fine but my true size medium yielded a better fit across my broad shoulders. Once I had the tank on I was indifferent. Pretty? Certainly. Have to have? No. Another meh came via the Then & Now top ($68) by Deletta which I tried on in a small. The product page shot looks alive but in real life the shirt looked slightly…tired. And on it made my torso look tired. Not the most flattering pose! In the same area I noticed all four colors of the View From Above cardigan ($88, love mine in brown) as well as a whole wall of dresses that I don’t see on the website. They are tank-top style and made from recycled materials. I will update if I can find more details anywhere.

Nearby I found the Pohorje Tank ($78) which was stunning in person. The mix of studs, beads and sequins looked amazing in real life (extras of all provided in a sample bag with the tank). I found this shirt to run a little small and needed a large. Also, the scoopneck is shall we say a bit exposing? This tank was not made with a d-cup in mind. I passed for now. On the way downstairs the Flurries Scoopneck ($68, above) drew me in with a pattern of what I thought were fish (apparently I’m all about the fish lately). However upon closer inspection I realized the pattern was a bit more abstract. This thick cotton shirt was by Generra, which I can’t remember seeing before at Anthro. Hooray new brand! I tried on both the small and the medium. Overall the small fit me better but was a bit too short for me. It hit me high-hip and I knew one wash would shrink it beyond comfort. One more circle of upstairs — I painfully walked by the Krasna Dress ($188) which I really really want but am waiting on and could not find the Family Night Tee ($68, I’d tried it on at another Anthro last week).

Though my arms were tired I grabbed a bit more. I’d already tried on Odille’s Winding Lane top ($68) but grabbed it one more time to see if it made today’s cut or not. The size 6 still fit like a dream. This blouse hits at high hip but it works for me because I will pair it with shorts or a full skirt. I also stopped to admire the Thrown-A-Curve halter ($78). It was adorable but I could tell by looking at it that it would expose belly. Since I’m not 16 anymore I decided to pass but if I were 5 inches shorter I would have been all over that top!

My final pickups were the Isabella skirt ($78, above); the J Brand Scarlett Dark Vintage ($158) jeans; the From-the-Ground-Up top ($68) which I reviewed here; the Compass Points tee ($58, outfits here) and the Chiffchaff Cardi ($98).

The Isabella skirt was my most challenging fit of the day. As with all Elevenses skirts I can never decide which size fits me best. I tried on my true size 6, an 8, and a 10. I couldn’t tell with the 6…mostly this was because the pleats were sewn together at the bottom. It could have been OK but I was not convinced. The dressing room attendant suggested I size up. If the skirt is supposed to sit on my waist than the 8 was probably the best. If it was supposed to sit on my hips the 10 was the best. The skirt was kind of short. Not a mini, but definitely above the knee. My pasty winter legs were not helping yet though it may not sound like it I loved the skirt. The textured cotton was not stiff (a good thing) and the pattern was to die for. Anthro sent in one of their personal shoppers to help me and we settled on the 8.

Trying on the J Brand jeans was hysterical. I hope there are no security camera films of it. I am probably fooling myself with straight leg jeans to begin with since I am not straight-shaped. The 29 was no dice and if I was at home wriggling on my bed the 30 would have been fine. But I also know these jeans stretch so the 30 would have ended up too big around my waist. I passed. The Chiffchaff cardi was a surprising winner. The honey color palette would look great with dark cords. I found my true size medium fit wonderfully. My only complaint was how thin the cardi was. Since I bought about 1 million cardis this past winter I passed for now but added this one to my wishlist back home.

In the end, I chose to buy the Isabella skirt, the From-the-Ground-Up top, the Light Study Necklace ($38, detail shot above) and the Compass Points tee. The tee was just as fabulous in real life with amazing blues and greens. The neck is pretty high and the detailing around the neck means no jewelry is really needed. I love this as a weekend piece or with my denim skirt. Both a small and a medium were fine but I chose the medium in case it shrinks. The total came out so that I effectively got the necklace for free plus a bit more. Not a bad deal for my birthday. Thanks Anthro!