Man Shops Globe is back tonight. This week head Anthropologie buyer Keith Johnson heads to Turkey. Last week is where the real story is though. Community member CS12 attended one of the MSG screening events, and was kind enough to send back this report:
Hey Y’all,
I just got back from the Man Shops Globe screening party at the Atlanta-Lenox Square Anthropologie, and I am so excited to share the details of the event with you all. It was even more fun than I had expected. I am all about free food and wine and so I was game no matter what the night held. At worst, I would spend a great evening shopping with friends. But can a party inside an Anthro be anything less than fabulous?
A chalkboard sign announced that the store was closed to regular customers due to a private party, so there was an air of excitement before we even stepped inside. In true Anthro fashion, we dined on elegant appetizers including pâté, chocolate truffles, and fruit with honey dripping fresh from the honeycomb. The bar was stocked with sparkling water, red and white wines, and Stella Artois served in keepsake glasses. After some mingling, the manager gathered everyone around to introduce the show and the process behind the concept, and to mention the charity the night’s proceeds supported — the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design. It was exciting to think of a new generation of artists being supported by such a creative place as Anthropologie.
I’ll be honest, my friend and I did not sit down for even one minute of the TV show. I had imagined the event running on giant screens while people shopped and mingled, but these screens were smaller and set up in more of a formal sitting area. We wanted to shop and socialize the whole time. About half the partygoers watched while the rest shopped. I think I would have been more interested in catching the show had it not premiered two weeks ago.
It was really fun to see the whole staff together and everyone was at their absolute friendliest. There was a spirit of celebration and camaraderie buzzing around the store as we all mingled and explored. The manager made sure to learn everyone’s names, and our cool SA chatted with us for a really long time. A random stray boyfriend who had plopped himself on the couches in the dressing room with a plate of food nodded in approval as I modeled a dress for my friend.
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At first I wondered if Anthro was crazy to encourage shopping during a catered party, but let’s just say the alcohol encouraged everyone’s shopping tendencies. After a glass or two of wine, everything seemed worth trying on! I came away with the Flight-of-the-Bee Dress, marked down twice on the sale racks. I had a surreal moment thinking this was the first (and probably last) time I would bring an open glass of beer into the dressing room with me. Yet, the funny image of my frothy Stella among my pretty clothes was a great summary of the night…all about the shopping, but all about the party, too.
Thanks CS12 for the report! Sounds like a wonderful event.
So how does the dress look on? I was looking at the dress, but wasn't too sure about the honeycomb look on the top. It is cheap at $39.95.
I have not tried on that particular dress — hopefully CS12 will drop by to give her take.
Lmao, sorta drunk shopping…doesn't sound safe for the wallet 🙂 Lol at the stray guy eating at nodding his approval. Sounds like the party was great 🙂 Oh yeah, love your blog 🙂 was wondering if you knew, since you're the anthro expert, what the anthro card is for..I signed up too late to get the free shipping but now…what is it for? hmm…
It will help you next time there is free shipping for sure. Until then, the biggest advantage I can think of is receiptless returns. If you lose a receipt but want to return something the store employee can look up the transaction in your anthro history. This has come in handy for me a few times. It may also increase your chances of getting the birthday discount, but I don't have concrete evidence of that.
Thanks Roxy!!This dress is a risk for me, but I'm trying to make my wardrobe a little more quirky and artsy so at $39.95 I'm gonna test-drive this look for me. The SA assured me it looked better on than it did on the hanger, and I know reviewers on the website mentioned the crazy print, but I've always been attracted to this dress on the site and on the hanger. I might not have made the effort to try it on had it not been so deeply discounted, though.Diem, what specifically are your concerns about the dress? I paid more attention to the top after I read your question than I did in the dressing room. The thick blue sash really anchors the top and keeps the pattern from being too busy. I'm petite but a double-d, and the blue dots stretch a bit across the front for me. They are "painted" on and so some of the blue could crack. However, with a cardi thrown over the dress it's not noticeable at all.Hazel, it was all pretty amusing 🙂
hazel – the anthro card is like a travelling receipt. it will keep track of your purchaes for easy returns and exchanges just in case you loose your receipt. i hear they also send you a little surprise for your birthday.
CS12 — It's the top. It looks a litle busy against the bottom. I usually don't do dresses where the top is a different pattern than the bottom. And the reason is that for most of them the waist is too high. It tends to cut me off and makes me look shorter. For example, the Jacqueline dress which is really cute. But the waist is about two inches too high me. I'm petite, but long waisted. So my concern for the dress is the busy print on the top and where the waistline falls. From what I read about the Porridge line, her designs are unique and all her clothing are made in the US. So they high quality.
Diem–I gotcha on the top. I do think the sash is key–the fact that it's wide and solid-colored breaks up the top and bottom patterns. This may be one of those dresses that works differently on every different body…it has the potential to be short-waisted. For someone with a larger bust like me, i'm always walking the line between trying to emphasize the narrowest part of me and avoiding a waistline that falls at my bust 🙂 I would prefer this top be a bit longer but it's stretch cotton so it can be pulled down a bit…it probably all depends on how you tie the sash and how the top sits on the body.