Anthropologie has officially unveiled some of the looks from the June 2012 catalogue on their website…and I’m dying over here, in ways both good and bad.
Let’s start with the good: the photography is just gorgeous. And the clothes are once again mostly center-stage, with a few randomly placed cats blocking the view. In the store itself, I’m noticing improvements in materials. Aside from sheerness which still seems to be an infectious disease among Anthropologie designers, I’m seeing rayon used in ways that make sense for summer clothing; more real cotton and silk as opposed to their poly-whatever doppelgängers and better stitching at the seams and hemlines. And as I walk around the stores I’m finding designs that make me really excited. I just purchased a couple of work/weekend tops I’m really happy with: We Love Vera’s Split Narcissus Shell ($78) and Myne’s Sahuarita Blouse ($158) both of which will get the review treatment shortly and the latter of which will see OOTD love over on my tumblr this week.
And then there’s the catalogue which is….confused. Or confusing at the least. I found myself flipping through these images going oh, no…oh no…oh no no no! I don’t understand the duality. In-store, Anthropologie seems to be experimenting with proportional balance. Wavy tops with stem-like pants, skirts with pouf paired with sleek tops, etc. And while these stylings are still challenging for a curvy girl like me, at least I can pick and choose a wardrobe from that. The catalogue meanwhile seems to be stuck in 1970s California. Loose, easy and kicked back is a nice lifestyle to aspire to but these clothes aren’t practical! Worse, while the photography is beautiful these clothes do not speak to me. So if I lived far away from an Anthropologie I wouldn’t be enticed to make the trip. I have always loved the way Anthropologie’s best catalogues tell a story. I am not confident in the catalogue voice right now though. It is not speaking the same language as either the website or the stores. They’ve gone split-brain.
My biggest frustration is that the majority of the catalogue stuff is not going to look right on me. I’ll try some pieces anyway but I will be shocked if the proportions work. It makes me a little mad to be honest. I don’t want the catalogue to go away but I’m still left wishing for the days when nearly every corner was dog-eared. This post is pure reaction to the photos and I hope you’ll share your thoughts in the comments. Maybe I’m just way off.
This is one of the pieces I’m eager to try,
It’s just gorgeous.
It’s another challenging shape for anyone with curves.
The suggestion of a thick belt (not part of the top) is helpful.
So community, I turn to you. How do you feel about these preview items? Did I just wake up cranky this morning? Any wishlist additions for you? What do you think about the stores vs. the catalogue?