shown with the Floriography Cardigan ($138).
I admit I’m feeling some pressure for this reviews set: will the community agree that these new arrival dresses are good? Or will this only further refute my declaration earlier this week that the newest items are wonderful? Eep! This is the second dress reviews set today; you can see my earlier Made In Kind dress reviews here.
STYLE # 24950446; pink (066), navy (041) or green motif (038)
★★★★☆
I gather the Frothed Dots Dress ($158) has been around for awhile online. I’d never noticed it until I came across it in-store and had to take a closer look. For some reason this dress has no delightful copy online, so let me provide my own take: Delicate and demure, this softly flowing Weston Wear dress will have your heart set on dancing the day away. I mentioned in a comment somewhere that although I’m not familiar with Taylor Swift’s music I do know she loves Anthropologie. This dress would be right up her alley I think.
The material is meshy nylon and rayon. It’s soft and fragile to the touch. The muslin underlayer is white and clearly shows through the dress. I don’t mind it but a color more matched to the dots would have been nice. The skirt is purposefully laid over the bodice with an outwardly stitched waist hemline, while pleats cascade below. The scoopneck has a thin trim.
I found my usual size medium to work nicely. This dress is a bit plain on its own; I’d want to liven it up with a belt like the Studded Corset Belt ($58) or perhaps the Bowline Belt ($48) shown in the catalogue shot. I love the classic shape so much!! I would love to see this shape in other colors, patterns, whatever! It hits at the perfect spot across my knees the sleeves are just the right length to cover my upper arms without poking too far away from my body. I really love this dress! I was tempted to buy it on sight, but the budget prevailed and it’s been wishlisted instead.
★★★★★
Well, hello dress! The Up & Away Mini Dress ($128) deserves every last star, for it fits to perfection. This faux-twist front dress is amazingly flattering. It falls to my knees, has the perfect v-neck that reveals just a hint without giving a free show and is very easy to wear. Made from viscose, it’s cool and thin and would work well in summer though the colors are decidedly fall.
My usual size medium fit great. I find dresses that fit this well often. I love the slight ruching on the shoulders and the twists across the tummy, which can camouflage food babies. Although I love the whimsy of hot air balloons, I have to admit I’m not in love with the print. I think the issue is the blah color palette. It’s a very minor quibble. I hope to see this dress in other patterns or colors because it fits like magic. Wishlisted!
The Bubbled Bands Shirtdress ($168) is a dress that’s half-right. The pros: a generously flared skirt, a cute shirtdress shape, a thick black piping on the placket. The cons: the clownish appearance, the drab green color, the ruffle. I know that just yesterday I was talking about how much I love ruffles. Only when they’re properly deployed and here the ruffle is so, so wrong to me.
The dress is cotton with a slightly longer hem in back. The skirt’s scalloped ruffles are set on a bias while the bodice is straight. Buttons down the center help you in and out of this dress. I like how the buttons match the dress and pop off the black. I found my usual size 6 to be comfortably loose. It’s a shame this is an olive and not a more vibrant kelly green. It’s the color of my parents’ bathroom. The black version online seems a little better to me, though I didn’t see that version in-store to try on. I detest that front ruffle though. It looks odd to me. It ruins the dress for me too, so this one went back to the rack.
It’s a photo print dress done right. The Cuillin Dress ($248) takes that photo and makes one heccuva flattering piece. When I saw this dress on the rack it didn’t look like much. The pleats in the front gave me pause — I really wasn’t sure how this would look on my chest. The dress is silk, fully lined and comes on and off pullover style.
My usual size 6 fit great. I was most pleasantly surprised by the thin waist tie — I didn’t expect it to do anything but it gathered the pleats perfectly to show off my waist. The tie was long enough that I looped it around my waist twice before tying it in front. The sleeves are a little short even for caps in my opinion but the length is perfect. I love the scoopneck front and cropped v back. Pricey though it is I’m in love. Wishlisted!
The Battenberg & Organdy Dress ($228) is lace on lace, rendered two ways. On top traditional daisy lace waves while the skirt is a mesh with embroidered with white and black drops. It’s beautiful. There’s a nice thick sash at the waist and removable straps that can barely be considered functional.
The bodice on this dress runs very small. So I sized up to an 8 from my usual 6. The skirt has a bit of pouf but nothing too serious. I think this dress is very flattering, though once again we have a strapless dress on a busty gal. Not my ideal. The skirt may appear see-through but it’s not — there’s three layers at work here.
As seems to be Anthropologie’s recipe these days, there’s a solid lining, then a layer of crinoline, then the skirt’s top layer. Around the hemline are two dashed lines of white embroidery.
I had some difficulty zipping the dress. This was due to two things: first, the thin pink ribbon behind the teeth. I appreciate this touch but it kept catching in the zipper. Secondly, there’s no hook-and-eye closure at the top of the zip. So I had to twist it around so the zipper was in front, zip myself up, and then contort the dress around my body and into place. Hopefully you’ll have someone to help you zip in.
A beautiful dress but not for me. Pass.
STYLE # 24832271; navy (041) or orange (089)
★★★☆☆
The Colorblocked Shirtdress ($128) aims for classic but falls a bit short. I see what Anthropologie was going for: a simple yet elegant flattering piece. Unfortunately what appears simple is deceptive. This dress is really hard to wear!
I have a short torso and the dress borders on being too short-waisted for me. I sized up to an 8 for these shots, as the 6 would have been too tight across the bust. I hate the pocket placement, right over the chest. It emphasizes that which does not need emphasizing. I do like the skirt, which tumbles gracefully to the knees. It’s machine washable poly too which is nice.
And yes, the collar is removable…
…revealing a mandarin collar underneath. I wanted to love this dress but it doesn’t look right on me. Back to the rack it went.
If Anthropologie was aiming for adorable, they achieved it with the Dixie Dot Dress ($118). This empire-waisted dress (which appears that way in the model shot but not the catalogue shot weirdly) is relaxed summer fun. I love the large dots which are slightly more spaced above the empire. An elastic band sets the bodice of this cotton frock, and a side zip helps you slide this on and off. The straps are thick enough to conceal a bra and lay straight in both front and back. Nice to see that — for awhile it seemed everything was going racerback.
I found the fit good in my usual size 6. Unfortunately the dress I tried had a pleat that insisted on settling in when it should have been out, but I could still tell this dress is flattering. Problem is Anthro is competing against a million other polka-dotted numbers and at over $100 I don’t think this one will be at the top of anyone’s list. Perhaps come sale time. Wishlisted for reconsideration upon markdown.
I appreciate the details on the Denim Shirtdress ($128), from the All Saints-esque layout of the front rivet buttons to the fringed wrapped belt. This is basically a collared tank dress done in denim. It’s lightweight but not thin material and the color is a nice striated denim. Without the belt the dress just kind of hangs loosely, though probably not enough for most people to size down.
My usual 6 fit fine, but I don’t think the front buttons are very flattering on me. They should fall straight. Not over my chest though! I appreciate the knee-length and don’t mind the tank-style shoulders, which do cut in a bit like a racerback. I only wish the front was more flattering on me. Cool design ideas. Execution leaves something to be desired. Back to the rack.
Have you tried any of the dresses in this set? How are you styling them?
