Reviews: Stitched Horizons Pullover, Tulip Lace Shell, Swallow Dive Halter, Take Flight Tank, Matana Tunic, Template Tank, Idella Tank

This model shot cracks me up every time. I love the idea of this outfit though the practicality is questionable. Though a thick (short-sleeved!) sweater and shorts seem like an odd pairing I must admit this photo is beautiful. When the opportunity came to try the sweater it was all I could do to avoid seeking out shorts to try with it.

The sweater is the Stitched Horizons Pullover (now $50) and I’m not surprised it hit sale quickly. I wish this piece had come out in February or March instead of late April. The knit is chunky but this sweater’s actually pretty lightweight. As suggested on the product page this would be the perfect evening topper for a walk on the beach. The arms are quite fluttery, leaving extra material hanging when your arms are at your sides like on me above. Materialwise it’s a cotton-poly mix that will likely shrink a bit when washed. (Hence the advice to dry clean it.)

I tried on a medium. The hem comes up on the sides so while I would have liked to size down to a small I couldn’t for length reasons. The fit overall is rather boxy. I love the spade of the main body of the sweater, and I like the sleeves when your arms are out but I think it looks silly when my arms are just resting against my sides. The scoopneck is comfortably wide but not too deep. And there is zero itch factor. On second cut this sweater gets considered; for now it’s back to the rack. 

Tulip Lace Shell ($68), how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. One, I already own your winter cousin the Upstaged Tee (now $50, OOTD at the bottom of this post) which I love. Two, you have a sheer front it’s true but your back is opaque in a tulip shape. Three, I have a weakness for daisy lace. You have reeled me in!! So much so that — spoiler alert! — I’ll feature this top two ways in my OOTD on my tumblr today. And I’ve made some outfit options for it in a guest post on What the Frock?. And while in the Anthropologie at The Grove with Carol and Kathryn, I convinced them both to buy this top. Why are you looking at me like that?

Ahem. What’s great about this top is it’s so versatile. Wonderful for work with either a collared top or cami underneath. Great for after work with a smaller layer under. Perfect for being on-trend by popping a neon tank underneath. Goes with a skirt or pants or crops or shorts. Or over a dress. Can be worn frontwards or backwards. It’s like a Dr. Suess poem embodied in a shirt.

I stuck with my usual size medium in this top. It’s a little large up over my shoulders, but a small would not fit right over my hips. This top hits me high hip and you’ll note that the sides are just a but higher than the front. And there’s just a slight nip in above the waist which keeps this shell from being super boxy. The back has a tulip-style opening…

…which lends a modern, streamlined feel when worn as the front. Oh, how I swoon! I’ve already washed this top twice and it holds up well to the gentle cycle. (I washed it in a delicates bag to keep it safe.) It hasn’t pilled, the shape has held up nicely so far and I really can’t say enough great things about this top. It would have been nice if this had come with a layering cami…otherwise, sold. This one’s already in my closet.

I love the model shot for the Swallow Dive Halter ($88). While I wouldn’t wear the top with gauchos I like how simple and fresh the halter looks in that shot. But once again there is annoying model trickery at work. First, the model’s luscious locks are concealing just how Edwardian the halter is — the ruffles around the collar are practically pop-locked. Secondly, the model either has a really short torso or is just shorter than my 5’8″ stature (unlikely) because this halter was so short on me. It hovered over my hips like a mushroom top. Other features on this top include a tie-back and smocked back with a thick waistband and tiered, ruffled bottom half.

I have one more complaint. (Sorry.)   

The pattern. Drives me. NUTS!!! Birds are flying around this top like crazy avian from a Hitchcock film. They are partially obscured into seams…they are practically on top of each other at the hem…they are upside down…they are on the waistband or not on the waistband. GAH! Misaligned patterns are a real pet peeve of mine and this top just about drove me over the edge. It’s either incredibly lazy of Anthro’s QC team or just not well-thought out and either way I’m annoyed.

I tried both a size 6 and a size 8. While the size 6 nipped nicely around my waist the 8 was clearly the better fit overall, especially in length. This photo directly above shows both the 6 (left) and the 8 (right) while the photo above that one shows me in the side 8 triplex. Note how on the 6 the waistband is nearly devoid of birds (me likey). Notice how on the 8 kamikaze killdeer are flying every which way around my tummy (me no likely). Meanwhile another seems to be flying out of the space between my breasts. Pleasant. 

I hope Anthropologie comes out with a solid version of this halter, or maybe a different pattern. Normally I love the birds but on this top it just doesn’t work. Big ol’ honkin pass. 

While the last top was for the birds, the beautiful Take Flight Tank ($78) has well-deployed warblers that help the design rather than hurt it. This two-layer top feels silky but it actually all poly. Unfortunately it’s not washable polyester so I’m kind of confused by the material choice. The top has a slightly higher hem in front and a racerback. The bottom layer is birds on a wire under a slightly sheer top of cobalt blue. It’s such a luxurious blue on top! I love this cobalt color. There is another variant of this top on Anthro’s website that reverses the idea, with a tribal print over a beautiful green bottom layer…

This blue/bird version is currently sold out on the website, but I managed to find it in the Rockefeller Center store with some help from a SA. (EA secret tip: a lot of times items that appear out of stock online are pulled from store floors. I don’t know why. Try asking your store if there are any in backstock.) I tried all three sizes (small, medium, large) before settling on my usual medium as the best fit. The reason? Length. A small was too short on me. A large hung too low up top, revealing too much. A medium was just about right — a little spacious across the back causing minor puckering, but otherwise great. This top got OOTD treatment over on my tumblr. Which, as you can guess, means that I purchased it. You win again Anthropologie!

With apologies, I failed to record the label of the Matana Tunic ($128). So I’m not sure of the brand, Postmark maybe? I will update this post once I find it again in-store. This top looks adorable online! Little black flowers with golden centers populate a gorgeous green silk tunic. It looks like the top has a slight shape online; it appears to nip in under the bust. In reality, the only shape this top has is boxy. Not fun for roxy.

This top runs hugemongous. You see me in a 4 above. I am no 4. I like the crisscross strap design (both front and back) and the color and pattern are delightful. The fit is just comically off. The only way I can see this top working is tucked into a skirt. But I will not pay $100+ for that. If you choose to buy this top be sure to size down at least twice. For me it’s a pass until at least a hundred bucks gets knocked off the price.

The Template Tank‘s ($188) neckline is so, so cool. It kind of reminds me of the Chrysler Building, or maybe something Lady Liberty would wear. Architectural elements like these are awesome in clothing. The only downside is it can be tough to wear. I’m not sure that I’m completely pulling it off but I like the top too much to care.

The tank is made from silk and is pretty sheer. In addition to having the neckline cutouts it’s also got cut-ins round back so a strapless bra is a necessity. The top falls to about mid-hip and is flowy, but not overly so. There’s not much of a shape to the shirt — it pretty much falls straight from the neckline. I tried on both an 8 and a 6 and found my usual size 6 to fit better. I love the color of this sky blue version but if you prefer there’s also two Printed Template Tanks to choose from. One is the Leifsdottir version which fits just like its solid sister and one is the Leifnotes version which I’ll review next. As for this sky blue version, I purchased it in April and have made an OOTD post for it over on my tumblr.

Someone must love this neckline just as much as I do! The Idella Tank ($128) is similar to the Template Tank above but not quite as nice. For starters, the Idella is much thinner silk than its full Leifsdottir cousin. It’s also much sheerer. And somewhat flowier. But the laser-cut neckline is intact and that’s probably the most important thing. This top will require special care to last.

The paisley pattern reeled me in. One cool thing is that there’s no side hem — the top cascades from the neckline, so the pattern is never mismatched at the sides. It’s one continuous piece. Love that! The length is great, hitting mid-to-low hip.

I tried on a 6 like I’d worn in the Template Tank and you can see that the Idella is much flowier. I had more air in the sides and the back. Although I already own one version I couldn’t resist adding this one in late April. I’m a sucker for the laser cuts! I’ve given this top the OOTD treatment on — where else? — my tumblr. (Note: On my tumblr I’m wearing an 8, which I later exchanged for a 6. The shots with this review are a size 6.) 

I’ll have more top reviews later today! If you have a review request please let me know in the comments. Do you own any of these pieces? If so, how are you styling them? Will any of these tops make your wishlist or cart?