Sundance Catalog’s Holiday Looks are sure to make any Anthro fan nostalgic…and excited!

Frippery? Horses? Puppies? Sundance Catalog sure knows how to tap an Anthro lover’s heart.
Coat | Gloves | Dress | Belt | Boots

As evb wondered the other day in another post, did Sundance Catalog steal Anthropologie’s old stylist? I mean this as the highest compliment possible because looking through Sundance’s latest catalogue I’m getting that old rush of “ooohs” and “aahs!” that I used to get dog-earing every page of an Anthro lookbook.

Sundance, I think I love you. Why, inside…

The Lucky in Love Dress ($188) is festive enough for holiday, without being merely a Christmas Dress.

What makes me so happy and yet nostalgic seeing Sundance’s latest offerings? Firstly, the fit of most items includes flattering fit-and-flare silhouettes — even at longer lengths like the Bellina Coat ($248, more on it further down in the post) — over the boxy shapes Anthro keeps stubbornly stocking. Secondly, the Sundance items have a sense of fun and whimsy to them that Anthro’s abandoned recently for ‘trendy’ (and wasn’t the whole point of Anthropologie to offer something for wealthy women who’d grown out of Urban Outfitter’s trendy offerings??). Thirdly, the Sundance items look well-made! All of these factors combine to make me happy to see such fabulous pieces again, but wishing they’d come via Anthro too.

To be clear, Sundance and Anthropologie have always kind of woven with each other in a style double helix of sorts. They’ve always had similar aesthetics, so I am not trying to say that Sundance is copying Anthropologie or vice versa. But while we are in a lopsided traverse of that helix where Anthro seems far-flung somewhere out there in lala land, it’s nice to see Sundance sticking to what works — and what we love!

So it’s no wonder that I’m totally in love with Sundance items like the Lucky in Love Dress ($188), a dress that works for holiday but also could work all Fall and Winter without screaming “CHRISTMAS.” Because it’s only October, you know. I covered many more Sundance Dresses I like in this semi-recent post.

The Dreamscape Lace Tee ($98) has thoughtful pattern placement and design details.

Part of the reason I’m so in love with Sundance right now is that they happily eschew trends, instead searching for items that fit into their boho-mountain paradigm. And this is great news for customers in terms of length, fit, and silhouette. Were the Dreamscape Lace Tee ($98) a trendier top, it would have puffy sleeves with big cuffs, no thought given to pattern placement, and a shorter boxy cut. Instead, how lovely is it to see a top with thoughtful details like bracelet sleeves that accentuate the waist, pattern placement meant to elongate and therefore thin, and a beautiful neckline that draws attention up to the face? Unfortunately we did not escape the dreaded “cami sold separately” but I guess we can’t win them all.

This is far from the only top with such attention to detail and insightful touches. The Lace Interlude Top ($188) is a perfect winter-around-the-chalet top, one that can be dressy enough to play hostess to guests or casual enough to lounge about in and feel pretty just for kicks. The Shoulders Above The Rest Top ($158) brings burnout to a playfully elegant level, while the Sakura Blouse ($128) and Midnight Garden Top ($218) use bold color to their advantage. I adore the length and long lace hemline of the Elan Tank ($48), a spectacular lace tank top sure to get plenty of wears peeking out from under sweaters and tops to justify that pricetag.

Beautiful embroidery in a complimentary color, plus a flattering fit 
make the Bellina Coat ($248) a potential closet star.

While soooooooooo many stores are wasting time, fabric and profits interpreting ugly 90s trends like loud colored embroidery that purposely clashes with the base fabric, Sundance happily hums away churning out beautiful, wearable pieces like the Bellina Coat ($248).

What makes this coat stand out from other military-style hooded parkas this year? Let’s again begin with fit, where this coat pays attention to the female shape by gently floating in at the waist and out at the hips — no tricky pinning, girth-expanding cinches or belts required. It’s an innate detail in the design! Also lovely? The subtle daisy/wildflower embroidery on each sleeve, done in a soft ivory/gold/brown palette. It makes this coat different without shouting “I’M SO DIFFERENT AREN’T I COOL?”

Lest you think this is an outlier, the Madera Hoodie ($264) is another example of a long top or mid-layer with waist-fit seaming. It’s sad that this is so jaw-dropping today, but retailers are so willing to sacrifice any costs in production that it feels so good to see a retailer still willing to pay attention to such things that matter. Swoon!!

Après-ski, let the Delaney Pullover ($148) be one of your go-to pieces.

Of course sometimes you want a little looser fit, like after the day on the slopes is done and you can’t even think of putting on a piece that requires buttons or contortions. Enter the Delaney Pullover ($148), a pretty ski sweater with tiny pom details along the split hem. To complete the look, I’d turn to the Dreamer Jeans ($143) in brown sugar and the Velvet Dusk Booties ($168), super cute and relatively affordable at that price point.

Some of the other more casual items I love at Sundance include the Marilyn Coldwater Canyon Jeans ($108), the only pair of embroidered jeans I’ve seen where the embroidery adds to the design rather than detracting; the Astra Shirt ($187), a very expensive but undeniably cute cuffed henley or its much cheaper cousin (and not quite as nice) Cassie Henley ($78); the superior wedged Cate the Great Boots ($275) in contrast piping; the Joanie Sweater Boots ($230) which I own and adore; and the Sandrine Boots ($278), one of the nicest pairs of tall boots I’ve seen this year.

Make being outdoors in the winter fun with items like the Valkyrie Hat ($120) and Willa Mittens ($38).

We can’t finish this post without talking about Sundance’s wide range of accessories. I particularly like their cold-weather gear, which includes cute hats like the Gigi Beanie ($38) and beautiful, multi-colored spectacles like the Fleece-Lined Handwarmers ($28, the multicolored options are at the end of the color thumbnails).

Sundance also has a spectacular array of jewelry, well worth a look if your budget allows. (And really, even if it doesn’t allow it’s worth a look for inspiration! Perhaps at the jewelry under $100 section too?) Some of my current jewelry favorites include the Smoke & Embers Necklace ($238), the Garnet & Labradorite Earrings ($75), the New Revolution Bracelet ($85), the Moonstone Metamorphosis Bracelet ($480), the Magellan Ring ($78) and the Quintet Ring ($148).

As a parting thought, I always recommend checking out Sundance’s Online Outlet Shop, where great deals on items including current season items abound!

What do you love at Sundance right now?

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