Soon we will know why the model above wearing the Avian Myth Shift ($158) is sitting down in this shot from the August 2012 catalogue.
First the good news. The Tiered Pointelle Sweater Dress ($148) comes with a layering slip! Hard to tell from my review shots I’m sure, in part because the slip was a real pain for me to put on. But it’s in there and much appreciated. The dress itself is a two-tier open knit frock, with an extra layer of skirt at the waistline just for kicks. This second layer is very odd to me — it’s too short to feel like another layer of skirt. If this were a suit of armor that would be the layer protecting some key body parts, but on a knit dress it just feels like a doily.
I found this dress to run large, feeling extra roomy in my usual size medium. But I noticed many online reviewers who are normally extra smalls saying they took a small so your mileage may vary. In the photos above I’m in a small. The layering slip was very tight in the size small but the outer layer fit much better than a medium. My biggest fear was that this dress would be too short-waisted for me, creeping up into an empire over my bust. Luckily that wasn’t the case as the waist hit more or less where it’s supposed to on me. The sleeves were pretty loose and I felt like the midsection of the dress adds bulk. The skirt is shown to fall a-line online but just fell straight on me.
Overall I’m none too impressed. This dress looks fantastic on the catalogue model and average on me. Back to the rack.
At first glance the Open-Air Theater Dress ($148) seems like classic Anthropologie. A fit-n-flare dress with some embroidery on it for good measure. It’s hard to tell from these shots but the top also has two horizontal lace patterns which are lined to prevent sheerness. Leifnotes items have been hit and miss for me, with more of the latter. This dress is 100% cotton which is so awesome! Cotton prices are coming down (while the price of silk continues to skyrocket) so I anticipate more cotton to come. The tank style of the dress is a versatile cut and I liked the knee length.
This dress seems to run large. How large? Well…
…let’s just say I had some extra room in the top. In the photos above I’m in my usual size 6, I also tried on a 4 which was not much better in the top. I did notice extra material hanging around the back as well. Not sure if I just came up against a bad run of the dress or what. But it was strange. It’s too bad because I like the cotton material and the skirt portion is wonderful.
Not a fan of this dress overall. Back to the rack.
The Lace & Chambray Shirtdress ($128) looked like a real winner online. Two popular materials combined in an effortlessly cute dress! When I first saw the dress in real life it was a disappointment. The top part is gorgeous and the waistband seems fine. It’s the skirt that has me confused. It’s “chambray” but not really, some kind of weirdly treated material with a cruel sheen and a propensity for wrinkling.
This dress is designed for a short-torsoed lass like me — the long skirt helps to keep everything in balance with the short top and defined waist. On most people this dress won’t hit at the waist yet on me it was just about there, maybe an inch above the right spot. Is the look flattering? That’s another question. I feel like it makes me look all chest on top. That could be a good thing or a bad thing. I found my usual 6 to fit nicely. But I hate, like really hate, the skirt material.
Can’t get past the skirt, so this dress is a pass.
The Lasercut Sheath ($228) is truly a work of art, a dress that I’d feel privileged to wear. Major attention was clearly paid to both design and fit resulting in undeniably feminine silhouette and fun little details sprinkled all over this frock. I was delighted to see the dress in the Rockefeller Center Anthropologie. From afar it’s pretty and the details only get better as you draw near.
This dress isn’t lined but it is double-layered, so the only sheer part is the mesh up closest to the neckline. Some beautiful scalloped lace lies below the middle part of the mesh but even with this bra straps will clearly show through. I found I didn’t have to unbutton all the buttons to get in — just by undoing the middle 4 I was able to slip into the dress.
Sizingwise I found my usual size 6 to be perfect. It didn’t quite nip in at the waist as far as it could, but otherwise it was great. Mr. Lars talks about structure in his designs and how important that is to clothing. No doubt that works well in this dress. My only quibble, and I almost feel bad saying this, is that the dress feels a little older than me.
I’m not sure where I’d wear it but I know I love it. Wishlisted!
The Ombre Chameli Dress (now $130) seemed to get very little attention and I’ll admit that after initially delighting in it I forgot all about it. Then the Soho store had the dress out and it was love all over again! It’s so vibrant and cheerful and impossible to dislike. It made me smile. The dress is cotton with embroidered details on the bodice and at the waistline, plus a detailed hippie chic skirt.
A medium fit great, comfortable without being too tight and landing right at my knees for the perfect length. This would have been a fantastic summer party dress but I can still see rocking it into the fall with a simple cardigan for outdoor events. I wish Anthropologie had given this the styled treatment for some more outfit ideas.
Two points about this dress: first, the zipper is really short so it’s a pain to take on and off. Get ready to shimmy! Secondly, the waist is really nipped which is awesome for people like me who have waists that are proportionally smaller than their hips and chest, but may be tough for apples or straight shapes.
A winner to me! Waiting for another cut.
Floreat is back…wait. This is Floreat? The same brand that did this top? Or this dress? Or this one? Dubious! The Avian Myth Shift ($158) claims to be Floreat but the fit has Maeve written all over it. By which I mean it runs very tight through the hips. Now we know why the catalogue model was sitting down — when you put this dress on it’s loose up top and tight below. At least it is when you’re curvy like me.
Before launching too deeply into the fit let me heap some praise on the design itself. If I were an animated character I would wear this in The Emperor’s New Groove. And in the real world I’d probably wear this to work. Or maybe to a party. The teal color is lovely and the gold hemline is a great feature. I love everything about this dress except the fit!
I knew a 6 would never work so I grabbed one size up to try. But the 8 still barely shimmied over my hips. It was very tight around my rump and I’d need at least a 10 to be comfortable. Of course then the top would be much too big; the 8 was already in danger of sliding off my shoulders. And the dress would still be short. So there may be no winning here.
I’m jealous of those who can rock this dress. No new groove for me. Back to the rack instead.
An Anthropologie classic by an outside designer! The Tulipa Embroidered Skirt ($128) is a lucky find for Anthropologie, the perfect reminder of designs past. I love this rowdy little a-line skirt. I would love it much more if it were two inches longer. The skirt is appliqued cotton that has a side zip, faux back pockets and a design that trails partway around the back.
A store SA advised me that I might be able to size down so I grabbed an 8. But I think I would have been better off in my usual 10. The waist was perfect in the 8 (stuck zipper aside, thanks again Anthro quality control!) but the skirt was pulling around my thighs. Because of the nipped waist I would not be able to size up to a 12 to wear the skirt lower for more length. That’s disappointing. I wish this skirt came in a tall size. Knee-length, Anthropologie! That’s all I’m asking for.
Intriguing, but waiting for sale so I can rock it with tights. So this will probably go on sale in March. Of 2014.
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