Reviews: Fringed Hem Sweater Skirt, Dotted Jacquard Sweater Skirt, Embroidered Lace Pencil Skirt, Patchwork Lace Skirt, Lace-Trimmed Tuxedo Trousers, Colorblock Cargo Trousers

Trousers + model shape = slouchy. Trousers + roxy shape = read on to find out.
The Colorblock Cargo Trousers ($198), shown with the Slanted Openwork Pullover ($98),  

Reviews take a bit of a break from dresses, focusing on bottoms in this set. Want to see more reviews? Check the Reviews archive label.

Fringed Hem Sweater Skirt ($128) by Sparrow, TTS
Style #: 25921362; brown motif (029)
★★★★☆

Note: If you’re wondering my sizing measurements/height/etc, they’re detailed on this page.

Nearly every Anthropologie SA I’ve talked to recently has been super excited about Sparrow’s Fringed Hem Sweater Skirt ($128). It’s been on dress forms at every NYC Anthropologie; it’s been on some of the SAs themselves. I remain dubious but decided to give it a whirl.

The skirt has natural fibers in it like wool and alpaca but the ingredients list starts with nasty acrylic. Luckily it didn’t feel nasty — it’s a bit nubby to the touch but mostly just feels like short fibers strung together. It has an elastic waist and triple tiers of fringe at the bottom.

I am happy to say that this dress is considerably longer in real life than how it looks in the product shots. I feared fringe hitting mid-thigh but the skirt cleared my knees in a size large. It’s body-hugging for a sweater skirt but no so much as to emphasize lumps or bumps. The fit is fine but the design is so 70s to me. I want to put on heeled boots, a white sweater and a frumpy winter hat with a pompom on top.

I’ve got no complaints about the fit or quality but this skirt doesn’t do it for me. Pass.

Here’s a full body shot. The skirt is shown with the Peter Pan Pretender Sweater ($98), which I’ll review in an upcoming set. Don’t judge the sweater by how it looks here — I have it all scrunched up to focus on the skirt.

Dotted Jacquard Sweater Skirt ($88) by Sparrow, TTS
Style #: 25990003; black motif (009)
★★★★☆

Sparrow has more than one sweater skirt option in stores right now. This is the Dotted Jacquard Sweater Skirt ($88) and it’s about as close to a straight skirt as you can get in sweater form. Although I’m beginning to tire of polka dots the pattern here is extremely cute. It doesn’t quite line up at the sides, but it’s close.

This skirt is mainly merino and you can feel the difference — it’s soft with fine fibers that won’t pill much. The dots didn’t quite line up at the sides on the skirt I tried which is fine but a large swatch of plain blue did bug. The skirt has an elastic waist and a hem with two horizontal bands.

I found myself in-between sizes here, so I recommend sticking with your usual size. The large was very loose at the waist but the medium hugged my thighs more than I wanted. This skirt hit me perfectly at the knees and from straight on it fell pleasantly straight. I can see this being a fantastic work skirt in the winter.

Here’s a full-length shot, again pairing the skirt with the Peter Pan Pretender Sweater ($98). I love this skirt!

A useful utilitarian skirt with a cute pattern to boot! Wishlisted!!

Embroidered Lace Pencil Skirt ($128) by Yoana Baraschi, TTS
Style #: 24691453; grey motif (069)
★★★☆☆

The Sunblaze Lace Skirt (jog your memory here) now has a cold-weather cousin in the Embroidered Lace Pencil Skirt ($128). I love this purple and dark grey color combination! I hate the fan pattern sitting front and center.

There seems to be some sizing inconsistency with this skirt — I tried it on the run quickly one day and was swimming in a 10, so I asked for an 8. But when I went back to take review photos you see me in a 10 which was squeezing me tightly. I’m not sure what the deal is. I’m declaring this skirt true to size, but you’ll want to try it on to verify the sizing. This version is definitely tighter around the waist than the Sunblaze Lace Skirt was.

Like its predecessor the Embroidered Lace Pencil Skirt is a nylon/viscose mix that hugs curves and falls to the knees. A side zip helps you in and out and there is no stretch to this skirt at all.

Love the colors, not confident in the fit. Wishlisted for reconsideration at sale time.

Patchwork Lace Skirt ($188) by Leifnotes, TTS
Style #: 25056565; black (001)
★★★★☆

The Patchwork Lace Skirt ($188) looks pretty short online but seems to have gained an inch or two during production. And by simply sizing up you can add some more length to reach nearly to your knees.

I just love the pattern here, lace on white in the front and medallion black lace over white for the rest of the skirt. It’s like a wintery cousin to the similar Dilated Lace Skirt (now $80, review, OOTD) which I own and adore. This skirt has a defined, thick waist band and tumbles down about 19.5″.

My usual size 10 fit fine but sat a couple of inches above my knees. I hate it when skirts hit there, so I sized up to a 12 for these photos. It was perfect, hitting me right above my knees. The skirt has a slight taper in the skirt but isn’t a true pencil. The back zip is a pain. 

Here’s a full-length shot. I wouldn’t mind if this skirt was a few inches longer, but at least sizing up does the trick if you need additional length.

Beautiful, well-made, expensive. Wishlisted!!

Lace-Trimmed Tuxedo Trousers ($128) by Elevenses, TTS
Style #: 25830118; black (001)
★★★☆☆

Easily taking the prize for the most ridiculous outfit in the October 2012 Anthropologie catalogue, the Lace-Trimmed Tuxedo Trousers ($128) somehow managed to pique my interest in-store. They’re just so cute! Simple black chino trousers with a line of flowers down each side? Yes please! It’s little details like this that I love.

The pants are about the same length at J.Crew Cafe Capris, hitting an inch or so above my ankle. As a girl with not just thighs but THIGHS this straight trouser shape is really tough to pull off. Sometimes though I get lucky. I hoped that the black color would help streamline things.

Not so much. The pants hug every curve and make me look a bit Humpty-Dumptyish. I started in my usual size 10 which you see on me above. I tried on a 12 for comparison and found them saggy in the butt. So I’d stick to the 10s. An SA said these would loosen over the course of the day which would make them perfect.

Here’s the full-length. I actually purchased these. Upon taking them out of the bag though my guy couldn’t stifle his giggles. He asked me if I was trying out to be a matador anytime soon. In that moment it was clear I’d had my Anthro goggles on. So back the pants went.

Still love them though. Might just pick them up on sale, and pair them with a long top to balance my curvy proportions.

Colorblock Cargo Trousers ($198) by Leifsdottir, size up
Style #: 25164682; grey motif (008)
★★★☆☆

Oh pants. The fitting bane of my existence. I loooove how the Colorblock Cargo Trousers ($198) look on the model at the top of this post. I knew they wouldn’t be quite so slouchy on me, but I was not prepared for how tight they were! I was drawn to these pants because of the dark blue outer trim which I hoped would slim. These pants look (and feel) like wool but are poly. They’ve got flap pockets on the hips and sit about an inch above the ankles. The grey is darker in real life than it looks online.

I tried a 10 on and they are oh so tight. A 12 would be required. And even then I’m not sure I’d have the room I need. So these pants appear to be more for a straighter shape. I’m sad. These could be amazing over curves! At least the pocket placement will help create curves if your hips are straight.

Not for the curvy among us it seems. Back to the rack.


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