From dresses earlier this week to skirts today, let’s take a look at some of Anthro’s latest in the fitting room…
Note: For reference I am currently sitting at 34-29-38, size 6/M in sweaters, 6 in dresses and 29/30 or 8 in pants and skirts, 32DD. I am 5’8″.
Before I get into the actual review I have to do my usual spiel about how much I hhhhaaaaatttttteeee the fitting rooms at this location, which was just redone two years ago and somehow made the fitting rooms worse. They are caves. With one super-hot overhead light in each room. Plus, all of the mirrors have the “Wear it // Share it // #myanthropologie” tag smack in the middle of the mirror which made taking these photos a real drag. This used to be my favorite Anthro store, Anthropologie! Why have you forsaken me? Also, please let this report about your Soho store be not real.
OK, melodramatic vent over.
A quick lunch stop break to the 5th Ave Anthropologie in Flatiron (NYC) yielded quite a treasure trove of ‘online-only’ items for me, including the Astin Wrap Skirt ($128) which I was truly delighted to see! I don’t understand why Anthro designates these items as only being on their website but then also has them in select stores…Anthro, if I’d known that 5th Ave had both colors in-stock I would have purchased them sooner! Instead now I have to wait til my September spending money kicks in. Still, I am grateful for the opportunity to try it on. I chose the red.
So, the skirt! It looks just as cool in real life and fits well. The material is take-it-or-leave-it poly/rayon/spandex with a faux-leather detail along the front. It’s pull-on which is interesting and I thought that would make the skirt stretchier than it is. It definitely has give to it, but I would not worry too much about it loosening up by a size or so (unlike some of the other skirts in this reviews set).
I tried on a medium. The skirt grazed my knees and sat comfortably on my waist. I’m in my usual size medium here which was great (the large was very loose around my waist) though I would wear some shapewear underneath this baby. It’s always so funny to me when stylists tell me how pencil skirts are ‘made for [your] body type’. Uh huh. Not without structure they’re not! This skirt hugs thighs very tightly, which for me shows off the curves a little too much. Some Spanx underneath will smooth all that out.
This skirt has no lining and isn’t completely easy to walk in, but walking is doable. It also spreads at the faux wrap when you sit so beware. Nothing is revealed; it just looks a little weird. Standing however, it’s pretty awesome.
LOVE THIS!! Buying it, possibly in both colors, the moment I can.
Online Anthro shows the navy version of the Anzere Print Tank ($68) with the skirt, so I decided to see how it’d look with the red. Pretty good as it turns out! This I love, love, love the styling of the skirt and top online so this was another delight.
The top is silky-feeling yet textured poly, though the print itself is flat. The neckline and armholes have a raw-hem chiffon-like trim to them while the bottom seam has none. There is a back half-zip at the neckline but I did not need to use it.
Like many Postmark tops this one runs large. I’m actually in an x-small here because when I got to the store it was the only size left on the rack. It fit pretty well but is a little short on me, so I’d want to buy in a small. That’s one size down from my usual medium in tops…yet it is the size I usually take in Postmark tops.
Pretty print, very versatile. A+ for online styling too Anthropologie! Buying this top too.
I have to admit that I passed this skirt by a couple of times before I tried it on. While it intrigued me on the website, at first when I saw it in real life I was all, ‘nah.’ I’m so glad I got past that initial mediocre reaction! Because it looks and feels great on.
Note how compared to the Astin Wrap Skirt topping the post, this skirt smooths out the sides of my thighs nicely. Yet somehow this rayon knit is less constricting at the same time, though the taper of the pencil skirt at the knee is much more pronounced. It’s harder to walk in yet easier around the thighs somehow.
I’m in an 8 here which felt and looked great on. This skirt will stretch out a bit over the course of a day. It has a back zip and the front faux-wrap with a slight vent. Small strides in this one for sure, but the look is totally worth it. You can see a full-length shot of me in this skirt at the bottom of the post.
Yet another item in my cart right now. Sigh, I’m gonna need to prioritize before I actually buy anything, because I want way too much right now!
The Tearoom Pencil Skirt ($88) is basically a sweater skirt. Knowing that I was not expecting to love it in the fitting room. And I didn’t, though I do like it alright. The pattern is beautiful!! I’d hoped to find both patterns in-store but this was the only one available at 5th Ave — I’m delighted it I found it all considering that the online stock is now in popback-only mode.
Here’s the thing you need to know about this skirt: it stretches. A LOT. Like, at least a size before the day is done is my guess. How do I know? Because there were two mediums on the store display table — one unstretched, and one that had clearly been tried on a lot and was pretty much a large. I grabbed the unstretched one to try.
I’m in a medium in these photos and as you can see the skirt provides no structure or smoothing. Dammit! There is also no lining. In a solid that might be workable but I’m not sure that even shapewear underneath could make this skirt workable on me. Which is too bad because I adore the patterns! It is probably one of those times when I have to accept that this item will not work on my body type. Boo, but oh well.
You can see a full-length shot of me in this skirt at the bottom of the post.
Unlike the other pencil skirts in this post, the Parfait Pencil Skirt ($98) does not have a severe taper down towards the knee. For me, that makes it more versatile, though admittedly it also makes it a little more boring. I love the stripes and I like the button detail on the waist. It is thin poly spandex (not much stretch though) and it is lined!!!
I’m in a large here, which was too big on me. I have the tank top balled up and tucked in the front to keep the skirt from falling down. I’d need a medium to buy. This would be a fantastic fall/spring work staple, you could easily tuck in a tank as I have here or wear a cute sweater over it. Lots of options.
Of all the skirts I tried this is the one I’d wait for sale to buy. You can see a full-length shot of me in this skirt just below.
Above are full-length shots to give you a better idea of how the last three skirts looked. I’m wearing the Anzere Print Tank ($68) which is reviewed above in the left shot, the Satin-Trimmed Tee ($50, runs large) in ‘orange’ (really more red) in the middle shot, and the Jenson Tank ($68, runs large) in the right shot. My pumps are these from Banana Republic.
I recently tried on the Fluttered Fete Midi Skirt ($188) in this post.
What do you think of the skirts in this reviews set? Have you tried any of them on? What else should I review?
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