Reviews: Neo-Refinement Pullover, Typhoon Cardigan, Trammel Cardigan, Decade-By-Decade Skirt, Blurred Petals Pullover, Painted Morning Skirt, Pulling It Together Sweater

I am a huge fan of architectural clothing, so I was quite excited to try Moth’s Neo-Refinement Pullover ($88). These had just been restocked at the 5th Ave Anthropologie when I was there and I watched several fashionable ladies grab the sweater before I got to the rack. With just two colors to choose from I selected the purple, which has a deep red undertone to it.

I was able to size down to a small easily. I pulled the sweater down over my hips so you can see the shape, though I recommend styling it slouchy like the model shot above. The wool-poly mix feels pretty soft and there are diagonal striations in the thread. It’s also pretty thin. No chance this is keeping me warm on its own.

This sweater has rave reviews on the website but I wasn’t overly impressed. The biggest problem for me is the neckline. I’m very sensitive to anything close to my throat. Turtlenecks are a very hard sell; I don’t wear chokers; etc. I found this sweater to engage my gag reflex almost immediately. I thought maybe the small was too tight so I tried a medium and had the same issue. Even a large crawled up into my neck. Simply put, there’s no way I can wear this top. Back to the rack.

The Typhoon Cardigan ($98) has been high on my wishlist for awhile. I’d given up hope of seeing it in-store until anonanonanon and Trix mentioned seeing it in their stores earlier this month. I doubled my efforts to find the cardigan and eventually found it on Friday. With my pursuit at an end I turned to the capture. I started off in my usual size medium but was swimming in it. So I traded that in for a small which fit better. It was still roomy but I don’t mind my cardigans loose. Plus it means I could layer a heavier top underneath.

The allure of this cardigan was the deconstructed front. In real life I don’t think the effect was as nice. I was confused by the front panels, which I could not get to lay the way they do in the product shot. I like the short zipper and the overall comfort of this piece. Still, I feel that if I saw this at another store I’d laugh it away. With my Anthro goggles on, this is still on my wishlist for sale.

I was not expecting such a win from the Trammel Cardigan ($98)! I liked the loosely knit “scarf” immediately though this does smack of rock star off-strage wear to me. Then again, maybe that’s not a bad thing. The sweater itself is a cotton-linen-poly mix that feels slippery thanks to a touch of viscose. Oddly this makes the sweater cold. Literally. I’m not sure how warm you’d be in this. There is zero itch factor though which is always a plus.

My true size medium fit perfectly. I love the pockets and how this cardigan lays perfectly. It’s not heavy but it does have a bit of heft to it, which I hope would keep it from flying about too much in the wind. I found the dusty mauve version of the Voila Top ($78, review here) looked perfect underneath. My one knock is that this is dry clean only. Boo. Wishlisted!

Tablecloth. Apologies if I offend but that is the first thought that popped into my head when I saw the Decade-By-Decade Skirt ($128). The shape is right on with 50s throwback and the colors are era-perfect. I am not sure why there are four seams to this skirt. I find the front seam particularly bothersome. On the skirt I tried it interrupted the flow of the pleats. And the pattern didn’t match up at a single seam which is one of my pet peeves.

I grabbed my usual size 10 to try on. God this skirt looked bad on me. I have a pretty small waist and yet this skirt didn’t hug it at all. It also bloused out oddly over my hips which made me look nice and wide. Just what I want! To check to see if the size was an issue I tried both an 8 and a 12 but neither was right. I just don’t think this skirt is right for my body shape. Pass.

If mohair makes you itch you will not like the Blurred Petals Pullover ($118). But if you’re itch tolerant like me give this sweater a shot. I suppose the pattern on this sweater is kind of blurry. I like the tones of green, yellow and red and despite the thinness this sweater is decently warm.

I tried on my usual size medium. It was a good fit. I wish this sweater was an inch or two longer — hitting mid-hip would have been better than high hip. A friend looking over my shoulder just called this a Zach Morris sweater which makes me love it even more! For that reason alone this sweater is totally wishlisted.

I knew there was a reason why I passed on the Marston Sweater Skirt and the Hellebore Sweater Skirt! It’s because Anthropologie had another pretty yellow skirt up its sleeves. Elevenses’s Painted Morning Skirt ($88) is the clear winner of the three in my book. It has a gentle, ivory-infused coil pattern on the body of the skirt and a beautiful elasticized belt, which you can see in closeup here. Above the belt line is a pleated detail that makes it a bit hard to layer over this top. A looser top or sweater could work though I’d probably opt to tuck a top in.

I was on my way out of the store when I saw this skirt, so apologies for the fitting over my jeans. Even over my denim I could tell my true size 10 was the right size. (I confirmed it later sans jeans.) Sadly though I’ll need to get the belt fixed. It is so long! I could not believe how much extra there was. What’s the point of being elastic if it’s so big? Yet I can’t help but look past it. This skirt is perfection. Well-designed, excellent detail work and flattering on many. Wishlisted!

It’s hard to tell from these shots but the Pulling It Together Sweater ($68) has a pretty flutter of material on the right side. Let’s see it a little better, shall we?

Ah, much better. This reminds me a lot of two J.Crew Cardigans from the winter, the Cashmere Cody and the Cashmere Femme. It has the same v-neck, front pockets and slightly cropped fit. The buttons are brass (or plaited as such) on all three color variations. Such a great choice on Anthro’s part! They are so much nicer than the standard plastic buttons you see on many cardis.

I tried on my usual size medium. It was a tighter fit than I’d like, so I’d size up to a large to buy this. The flutter along the neckline didn’t bother me but I don’t think it helped the sweater either. I understand Anthro’s attempt to make this more than just a standard, simple cardigan. Personally, I would have loved slightly princess sleeves instead. Just my take though. I like this cardigan but would not pay full price for it. In the meantime, wishlisted.