I’ve seen a few variations on this same idea at Anthropologie this spring — a strip of shiny sequins down the middle of a shirt. The Kinetic Garden Top ($88) mixes an abstract floral print into the mix. I can’t get over how much shorter these tops are in real life. 23″ long, as the website claims? I am dubious. On the plus side this top has lots of cute details, from little ruffles escaping from the shoulder to the piping around the raised hem. The sequins on the top I tried were well-affixed.
I snapped up a medium and headed to the fitting room. This top would look cute over a pair of shorts mixed with the right cardigan. It looks a bit tired paired with my jeans. The medium fit fine but was shorter than I’d hoped. If you need some new casual tops this is a good option. For me? A pass.
One caveat before I dig in: my opinion of the Antilles Tank ($68) totally changed after the Soho Fashion Show. I’d been all set to write this top after trying it on, for reasons I’ll elaborate on in a moment. It just goes to show that seeing these pieces styled on real people goes a long way towards helping me buy items.
My issues with this tank are this: it’s very, very oversized and it’s polyester. I suppose some will cheer the latter as it makes the top machine washable. The top feels like silk. But it’s not. The oversized nature of this top is the main issue. You can tuck it into a skirt to define a shape but I wish it had some tailoring instead. I like the straps quite a bit and the bow is a lovely detail that can be worn to either the front of the back.
The photos above are me in a small, and if I buy this top I plan on buying the x-small. I imagine that many will be sized out of this top on the petite end of the spectrum. The yellow wasn’t as golden as I expected it to be in real life; it’s a shade lighter than the product shot. It’s still quite pretty. If I can figure out enough ways to wear this top I plan to pick it up on sale. For now, wishlisted!
Guinevere comes through with the Rewound Picot Cardigan ($88), a delightfully open knit layer that will be perfect for warmer days. It comes in a pea soup-like moss shade or an intensely white hue, both of which pair well with this year’s trendy colors. The cotton used is light without fuzzies and the quality seems to be great. I love the different stitchwork on this cardigan and especially enjoyed the view from the back.
I decided to try on the moss version. I grabbed a medium, my usual size. It felt big. I would size down to a small to purchase this cardigan. The sleeves are slightly oversized and hang at a weird angle. That’s my only quibble — I think this is a fantastic piece! I’ve wishlisted the white version and plan to pick it up at full price.
★★★☆☆
Oh, Anthropologie, no one wants to look lopsided. I adore the pattern of the Turn the Kaleidoscope Tank ($58) but I am not loving this odd offset square pleat. It kind of looks like I got the top caught against something and need to untwist it. I applaud trying to do something above the basic knit top. Unfortunately it didn’t work on me.
The top is made from soft modal that you’ll want to keep out of the washing machine. (Hand-washing is OK.) The geometric pattern is a beautiful sight to behold. It might have fooled me a bit — I grabbed a small to try on but should have chosen my usual medium instead. I got that nice comfy feeling with the top on but can’t get past the pleat. Back to the rack.
Some serious model trickery is clearly at work with the Patched Pointelle Tunic ($78). Does this look anything like the top on me above? It does after major fashion surgery perhaps! I was truly excited to try on what I thought would be a long, lean, streamlined knit tunic. Instead I felt like I’d just thrown a blanket over my head. I’m honestly confounded and can’t figure out what went wrong here. The design itself — neutral pieces of patchwork over a long silhouette — is perfect yet the execution is horrid.Very poor choice of materials to see a new top behaving like this.
I tried on a small and I was swimming. Additionally this top looked like it had been stretched out of shape and then put back on the hanger. I thought I’d just landed a bad egg so I requested a new small to try on. Same issue — wonky fit and stretched effect. I’m very sad to see this happen to such a pretty top. Pass for sure.
I almost wore the Cygnus Tank ($88) in the Soho Fashion Show last week, and while I ended up in a top I loved equally I spent some time oohing and aahing over this sparkly creation. A pretty mix of beads, sequins and stitchwork combine to create birds (swans, according to the online product description) worthy of pure delight. The top is almost a racerback so a regular bra will be a challenge. I inspected the embroidery closely and found no quality flaws on the tank I tried on, from either the right side out or the inside out.
My usual size medium fit well though I felt a little muddy between my brown top and green pants. Something more vibrant will work much better with this top! The fitting room attendant noted that everyone at the Rockefeller Center Anthropologie was in love with top. I can understand why. It looks beautiful and fits comfortably. Wishlisted!!
Coming up this weekend I will have more reviews, including a bunch of skirts. If you have a specific item you’d like to see reviewed let me know in the comments and I will try my best!
