Note: Looking for the sale post? It’s just below this one.
In 2010, fashion turned to the not too distant past to regurgitate trends back onto the runway. Many of the fads fell outside of Anthropologie’s bailiwick. Let’s take a look back at the styles, moods and moments Anthropologie took on this past year.
Nautical. Ahoy there! Yonder be tops of blue and white, done up of course in varying stripes. Cropped pants with ties and high waistlines or shorts with lots of buttons. A v-neck or two with a sailor’s collar, a fish print for a more literal offer. That’s what Anthro’s nautical theme was made of. I loved many of the pieces Anthro’s nautical collection contained but didn’t end up buying much from it. I got the Perilla Dress and the Fifth Form Shift but that was about it. The style, while cute, didn’t really fit into my urban lifestyle. If I ever move to the boardwalk I will revisit pieces like these. Seems like the items sold well though and I love how Anthro put its own spin on the theme. verdict: hit.
Long skirts and short skirts. Call me choosy, but I really like my skirts to hit at or right above the knee. This year was a disaster for me with skirts. Everything was either mini or to my calves, neither of which is a flattering length on me. Skirts got really, really short this year too — 15″ in many cases. This may be fine for those who are petite or with short legs but that barely covers my tush. Conversely, the “Mad Men”-inspired long skirts were pretty on the hanger but look matronly on my thicker legs. Anthropologie fell into line with other retailers, releasing skirts both mini and maxi. With a couple of exceptions I avoided both. They don’t work for work, they don’t work for weekend play. Not versatile enough for my closet. The designs were beautiful but not especially practical. verdict: miss.
Anthropologie on TV. Argh. It’s so weird seeing Anthropologie all over TV these days! If she’s quirky, she wears it. If she’s the outsider, she wears it. If she’s OCD, she wears it. ARGH. The shows I watch don’t seem to have an abundance of Anthro, thank god, but it’s strange to hear about friends coveting the brand now that Emma/Annie/Lily/Brennan/whoever is wearing it. If you do like seeing it, then I highly recommend Anjali’s awesome Anthropologie on TV roundups on goldenmeans. The same part of me that’s a musical elitist hates it. The logical part of me says, ‘hypocritical much, Anthro blogger?’ Still, I don’t need to see celebrities or TV characters in the clothing I wear. In fact, I’d prefer to see them in something else. verdict: miss.
Downtown style. This year Anthropologie tried more city chic than ever before. J Brand Houlihans at Anthropologie? It happened. I still can’t believe it. Yet I have to say I liked it. It was always a surprise to see a simple silk shirt or a double-breasted blazer at Anthro. They did a great job of distilling the trend I thought. Plus, it became a one-stop shop where I could get both my whimsy and my city. I do worry about Anthropologie trying to spread its wings too far. As long as the results look like this they’re doing well. verdict: hit.
Video. It’s something high fashion houses have been doing for awhile. This year Anthropologie added much more motion to their site, from movie intros to video product reviews. The movies are great and I love seeing full outfits in motion. I’m a little less impressed with the product videos, which were mostly a model twirling around and making silly faces. I’d love to see something like Zappos’ product review videos. There’s a description of the item and it on someone (i.e. not a model) without judgment about the item itself. A step firmly in the right direction by Anthropologie. verdict: hit.
Holy sheerness, Batman. Anthropologie, this may come as a shock to you, but most people like their clothing to be opaque! I know, I know, sheer is sexy. But when I’m at the office or out with friends or, you know, in public, I don’t really need to be telling the world what color my bra is. Time was that sheer blouses at least came with layering tanks. These days sheerness is practically advertised as a feature — it’s sheer! DO. NOT. WANT. And what of cotton tops that are so thin you can pretty much see through them? No thanks. verdict: this trend needs to die.
