I went back and forth on the Tartlet Burst Top ($48) based on its online product shot. It’s cute! It’s got a weird sash that looks beauty-contestant like. It’s long! It’s like Starfleet off-duty. When this arrived locally I decided it was worth a try-on. The top is a cotton-modal mix which I like in warmer weather (the modal makes it thinner) and has a slightly slippery feel. The sash seems pretty well connected at the bottom of the v-neck before joining the shirt up over the shoulder. The bust has plenty of ruching to add visual interest.
My usual size medium fit fine, though I’d normally tuck it into the skirt. The green color reads as teal to me…I don’t know why Anthro fakes color names that. I assume this top will stretch over the course of the day and I hope the extra sliver doesn’t stretch too much. I’m not usually a fan of capped sleeves but the slight wing on these helped balance out my chest and hips. I feel this top is flattering to curves and that makes me happy! Wishlisted!!
Normally I pass super-flowy tops by with nary a second glance. Something about the Coronilla Top ($88) made me stop to take a second look. I really like the pattern on this top! The light green color is bohemian without being too earthy crunchy and the chiffon sleeve set adds an extra ethereal vibe. I knew the top would be short on me but decided to give it a go.
I found a medium too flowy so it’s down to a small I went for the shots above. It’s extra flowy in back as a warning! The top 1/3 of the shirt as well as the top half of the sleeves are curiously sheer. The rayon material feels soft but I hope this top won’t fade or pill. (Only time will tell.) It’s disappointing that this isn’t cotton. I think this top would look great under a cropped blazer! But I’m not biting at full price. Wishlisted for reconsideration at sale time.
I regular scoff at the price T by Alexander Wang charges for tee shirts, so I suppose $60 isn’t bad by comparison. Then again, Anthro seems a bit silly for making the Banded Borders Top ($58) a pricey basic option. Of course they’d probably defend themselves by saying, “look at the back!” I wish I hadn’t. From the front this is your classic early-80s thick striped tee, ready for me to put on my sweatband, wristband and rollerskates. Then in the back there’s this weird cowl that I swear was created for the sole purpose of emphasizing le top de muffin. Or is it there so the police can grab you more easily as you flee the crime scene, you vigilante?
Anthropologie’s design team wasn’t around to answer. In the fitting room a medium fit fine and I was happy to see the stripes meet up in the center-back seam. All pointing down towards said muffin top. I was laughing about it. The top is all rayon and that’s a shame. Aren’t tees supposed to be cotton? Back to the rack.
The Circles & Squares Silk Blouse ($98) makes the prettiest bow! Two long neck ties drape down and can be loosely knotted, tied as I did, or left open if you’re going for the bowtie undone look. I love the circle/square pattern which appeals to my love of all things geometric. And the colors are muted but lovely. This top is rendered in opaque silk which billows just off the body. I’d probably tuck it in most times but it is long enough to wear over pants, hitting high thigh on my 5’8″ frame.
My usual size 6 was comfortably loose with extra room in the back. I appreciate the slight ‘a’ of the cut over the hips. I think many people will be able to size down in this top. The buttons down the front are brightly plated in gold. This top is barely a racerback — wearing a bra with straps will be a bit of a challenge. I think the effort would be worth it. Pretty top! I’d love to see a tank or short-sleeved version similar to this. For now, wishlisted!
★★★☆☆
I’m bored with cropped tops. Bored, bored. So bored. Consider me doubly annoyed when said too-short top has a pattern as wonderful as the Carolinae Top ($98), a waste of a perfectly nice print. Eager to bare your belly to the world when you stand up straight? Look no further. The sleeves seem too long for this shirt, I wish they were shorter. I do love the back, which has a decorative button at the neck from which a reverse v-pleat falls.
I fooled myself into thinking maybe this top would somehow be long enough for me. It’s not. My usual size 6 otherwise fit (an 8 was too big and still not long enough). I hunched over to take these fitting room shots. I am sad because I love the green base color and the flowers are nice…but there is just no way I could wear this top on most occasions. So it is a pass.
The pants are the Pilcro Straight Ankle Chinos ($88) which I’ll review in an upcoming post.
I love the idea of a night out top that is a little revealing without giving away too much. In theory that’s what the Staggered Gleam Top ($58) should be, though there are some execution issues. Let’s talk about the design first though. It’s a modal top with a staggered-step bustline and sparkly mesh from the chest to the neck. The strap weaves around to a barely-buttoned half-mesh back. Because the neck strap doesn’t open or close Anthropologie had to make it big enough to go over our heads. Unfortunately this requirement also meant the straps are very long. Had there been some way to adjust the strap this top would have been bumped up at least one star. As it is, I’ll probably have to add one or rish mesh-flashing someone.
I have tried on both the navy and ivory…for whatever reason I like the ivory better. The mesh seems more continuous then it is on the navy you see on me above, where the mesh stands out obviously. I had to size down to a small — I found my usual medium was much too loose, especially up top. Like the Circles & Squares Silk Blouse ($98) top further up in the post, wearing a bra will be a challenge. My plan is to pick a thin-strapped bra that I can wear halter-style. It will still be visible but less so than a conventional bra.
I purchased the ivory version as part of my birthday haul…that post is upcoming.
Do you want to show your love for Donkey Kong in a more subtle way? Like the gaming classic the Slanted Layers Tee ($48) has tilted tiers cascading downward. They look very cool and I’m glad that they’re rendered in the same color as the shirt body instead of the contrasts that were trendy a year or two ago. The top is a cotton-poly mix with short sleeves and a long length.
A medium fit me fine, though I would not have minded some more room around the hips. At the neckline there was too much room in the medium which caused lips to appear. The tiers make it kind of tough to master the fit. I liked the longer length and the color choices available but this isn’t appealing enough to get me at full price. Wishlisted for reconsideration come sale time.
Going for the extra details, Deletta’s Penelope Cowlneck ($78) is a work of art. A mix of tencel and wool are spun into a cowlneck, banded hem and lace accents. Lace sleeve tips and an open lace back make this a pretty top in every sense of the word. Well, almost. Turns out that great aesthetics don’t always translate into a great fit.
I tried on my usual medium. This top runs short; you want to pull the banded hem down onto your thighs but it wants to settle at an awkward point just above. To counteract this I set the top at my waist. The cowlneck takes some finesse to get right — mine kept wanting to dump outwards instead of in. But the toughest challenge is the back. No matter what size I tried on the lace spills away from the body, creating an almost pouch or bubble-like appearance. Reading the online reviews on the product page I see many others have faced the same challenge.
It makes me wonder once again: does Anthropologie put their items on more than one fit model? Because if so many in the community are facing this challenge I can’t understand how this got pushed to production. Despite that harsh assertion I still like the top…just wish it was done better. It too was part of my birthday haul, and I styled it for an OOTE (outfit of the evening) over on my tumblr.
Looking for more product reviews on EA? Check the REVIEWS tab on the top nav bar or see some recent set links below.
Recent top review sets:
Review set 1:
Wrap Around Blouse
Scalloped Strings Tank
Drape & Scallop Top
Frosted Boucle Pullover
Olea Tank
Ripple Pleated Tank
Review set 2:
Windflower Blouse
Draped Snail Tank
Spindleflower Tank
Flora Throwback Top
Zenobia Tee
Daphne Crown Tank
Oriel Tee
Fluttered Hem Tee
Dual Convergence Top
Review set 3:
Asymmetric Throwback Tee
Extended Hours Top
Peplum Askew Tank
Reversible Seamless Tank
Clipped Cities Blouse
Ruffled Cape Tank
