Interested in some Anthropologie dress reviews? Inside, some of their latest releases get taken for a roxy fitting room spin…
Note: My sizing is currently floating — I started a new muscle-toning exercise regimen in June! For reference I am currently sitting at 34-30-39, size 6/M in sweaters, 6 in dresses and 30 in pants, 34D. I am 5’8″.
Anthropologie seems to be reserving some of its best dresses for online-only status these days, so it was a true delight stumbling across the ‘online-only’ Sweetwater Dress ($188) in the Rockefeller Center (NYC) Anthropologie. This fit-and-flare dress has a beaded sweetheart neckline, removable straps and a pleated flared skirt. It’s cotton with a cotton lining (hooray!!!) and has a back zip. I was worried the beading across the top of the dress would hurt or scratch but I barely noticed it — a good thing!
This dress is lovely, lovely, lovely on. One thing to note is that if you have a larger chest the bodice will feel tight. I’m in my usual size 6 for the photos above and that jjjjuuuusssttt made it over my chest. There’s no stretch panel in the back. If you have a smaller chest you should be able to size down. Overall the effect is delightful though — I get to show off my tiny waist! I adore the skirt portion as well. It spilled to right across the top of my knees, which is great because these days my legs are covered in black & blue marks from hurdles and wall-jumps at Warrior Fitness Boot Camp. (That place is seriously amazing and highly recommended!)
I had to knock off a star from my dress review though, and here’s why: the beautiful border print you see being accented by the model at the top of this post is hidden inside a pleat on nearly every dress I saw in-store. Without it the skirt seems fuller and makes my bottom half look wider. I did one find one dress where the border was facing outwards on a size 10, and I threw it on quickly in the fitting room. Although the dress was too big on me it was a huge difference in terms of visually streamlining my overall appearance. The bodice makes my upper half look incredible because of the wide center-placed pattern accented by a curve-hugging filigree on the sides. The skirt has the same design thought put in but the production process has failed it! Boo.
Despite that complaint, this is still a dress beyond my wildest summer dreams. This one’s coming home to me with my August spending budget. Counting down the days…
The first thing you need to know about the stunning Gallery Row Dress ($188) is that the print placement varies from dress to dress. Anthropologie even notes this on their website — good on them! If you look at the bodice on me, then on Anthropologie’s model shot, then on its product shot, you’ll notice that none of us have the same placement. I happen to like mine the best! This frock is an unholy mix of rayon, spandex, with a rayon-spandex lining. It feels fine on and doesn’t look like the kind of rayon that will pill. It’s pleasantly lightweight.
Poor choice on my part wearing flat sandals the day I hit Anthro, because this dress sings with heels. I love the v-neck shape which shows just a peek of the chest, the defined waist which looks amazing with the Aster Belt ($48) and the skirt, which has one layer of tulle underneath and is maybe just a tad too floofy for me. Workable though! The dress is nice and long, hitting across my knees. I love the bias cut of the sleeve which is flattering to most arm shapes.
I’m in my usual size 6 here and I felt great. I am attending more artsy events these days for my job and this dress is a fantastic option for a gallery opening. Then again, it’s a fantastic dress just because! No reason needed. This dress is near the top of my wishlist.
I like the Tea Tree Shift ($285) but I’m not convinced it’s a nearly $300-worthy dress. This structured cotton dress with a poly lining has a cross-faux wrap tank bodice with a skirt that poufs out over the midsection (see the middle shot above, har har). I like the mustard and black print on white, though sunny yellow would have been even better!
The tank straps are placed a little too close together for my taste. I like them wider, because among other things the cut-in placement shows a peek of my bra from the side. This dress is a little shorter than the two that started this reviews set; this one hits about 2 inches above the knee right across that tricky part of my quads. Luckily the skirt has enough volume in its flare to make things look good.
I tried on a 6, the size I usually wear in dresses. It worked nicely aside from the aforementioned bra peek issue. This dress is muted and professional which I like, but not quite exciting enough for me to feel like I need it. I think bright yellow instead of mustard would have done the trick for me.
Lil! It’s so nice to see you at Anthropologie again! One of the few classic in-house brands that remains consistent in both name and design as we remember it. I wish I had better things to say about the Windward Dress ($178), but this is where the reviews set starts to go downhill. An eyelet-and-lace dress that hits across the knees sounds like perfection in my mind but the reality is a little less. It’s cotton, nylon and viscose mixed in a machine-washable product. Yay! But what is up with that back veil, trim, cape, whatever?!?
I so dislike the super-high neckline of this dress. It looks lower on both Anthropologie’s model shot and on their product shot, but on me it felt like it was choking me. I generally dislike high necklines because it’s then harder to balance out my bust and hips…this dress does a pretty good job though thanks to smart placement of the different eyelet and lace patterns. The skirt poufs out a bit under the waist tie, though that could be a result of the pretzel I’d had right before I hit Anthropologie. Auntie Anne’s…my weakness! I found a 6 to be a pleasant fit in this dress.
This dress is no doubt romantic, ethereal and pleasantly summeresque. That back kills it for me though. Sorry Anthro, I know I keep asking for unique design features and then look at me being all hypocritical. This one’s a pass.
This is the kind of dress I adore! The Petal Pop Mini Shift ($178) is a modern flapper dress with tons of petals pasted all over it. A few years back J.Crew had a similar shirt and I remember loving it, event though it’s not exactly the most slimming shape. I love the 3-D pop and texture of it and I think it’s smart that Anthropologie chose a neutral color for the dress. I think however that there are some things that could have been done to make this dress more flattering. First, it’s super short. Like high thigh short. I get that it’s supposed to be a flapper-esque shift in a more 60s mod shape, but some extra length would have helped to balance the visual weight of the petals. Also, the v-neck doesn’t come down low enough. It would have been cool to see them go a little risqué here with a plunging v-neck down to nearly the waist — and that would have also helped to balance the width of this dress.
Alright those were roxy’s backseat design suggestions. I love the lace trim over the shoulders that spills onto the high back. And I appreciate that the back of this poly-cotton-rayon dress is a smooth, opaque sheet. For a shift, this dress hugs the butt nicely! I’m in my usual 6 here which fit fine. No waist definition here. No anything definition really. I felt a bit like the canvas for an art piece. This dress was wearing me more than I was wearing it!
I could see this being a fun New Year’s Eve dress. Since it’s July, I think I’ll wait to make any decision. Wishlisted for reconsideration come sale time.
The Mandra Dress ($168) is another dress where the print placement varies from dress to dress. It took me some picking through the rack before I found a placement I liked enough to try on. Most of the dresses had way too much blue across the chest for my taste. The dress you see on me above had an excellent placement.
It’s dry clean only rayon and man is it short! I think the shortness works very well here, especially with the double layer of ruffles at the bottom. While standing this dress hit me at the fingertips. While sitting it was nearly scandalous. Hmm, date nite…
I tried on my usual size medium and though the top fit well the skirt portion was too tight for comfort around my hips and tummy. A large would work better, one size up. This dress is also crying for a belt. I think something like the Tabby Belt ($38) would look good, or perhaps the Florette Belt ($38) or even the Daisy Knoll Belt ($48).
What do you think of the dresses this time around? In case you missed it, Anthro is offering Free Shipping this weekend! Details here.
