Not one to let a weekend go by without a promo these days, here’s Anthropologie’s latest: Take 20% off Full-Price Tops and get FREE SHIPPING on orders of $150+! I am loving all of these promotions (though they do make me worry about Anthro’s financial health a bit). I am not surprised to see a promo on tops.
Why, you may ask? Come on inside…
Although probably not since you’re an Anthro lover like me. Either way, here’s why: Anthropologie is still losing at the tops game, big time. I do not understand why, even though customers have spent most of the last 3-4 years lamenting that Anthropologie issues too many boxy, overly flowy, or unstructured tops, each new season Anthro unveils more boxy, overly flowy or unstructured tops. It’s at the point where it’s driving me nuts! (On a very relative, superficial scale.)
Another problem is that the quality of many (not all) Anthropologie tops is lower than it used to be. This is not just an Anthro problem — J.Crew and Banana Republic, pretty much any midmarket retailer and even some so-called high-end brands suffer from this too. The culprits? Number one in my crosshairs is rayon. Rayon is shit. I hate rayon! It works in maybe 10% of the deployments I’ve seen it in, clothingwise. Why is it that I have Anthropologie tops from 2009-2010 that still look new after 20+ washings, yet I have tops from last year that look shopworn and are in such awful condition I can’t even donate them?
RAYON. Retailers went to rayon jersey instead of the old, reliable, quality cotton jersey and this is what happened. It does not hold up. Colors bleed. It pills. It stretches or shrinks, or both. It is god awful, and if you’re using rayon as a retailer you better be charging Zara or H&M prices, not Anthropologie prices!
The other culprit? SPANDEX. Good lord, who ever thought it was a good idea to use Spandex in non-activewear???? I would rather go up 5 sizes in cotton jeans (or whatever) then have even 1 drop of Spandex in my clothing. It holds up better than rayon sure, but as a woman there is nothing worse than my jeans drooping down to my widest part — and thus revealing some ass crack — because of friggin’ Spandex. It makes me look sloppy! I HATE Spandex. Keep it strictly to my rowing and cycling gear, thanks.
Lastly in this rant I was just looking for the right opportunity to write, has Anthropologie completely lost the ability to tailor??? I guess so, because even in rare cases when they attempt tops that should be brilliant like the Ruffled Cascade Tank (now $50) I mentioned in yesterday’s sale roundup and was so excited about when I first saw it online, the tailoring is so bad that I have to guess on sizing and am usually wrong by one or two sizes.
AUGH, Anthropologie. A big ol’ Charlie Brown AUGH. Figure it out.
So, rant over, what tops do I recommend in this promo? Luckily, there are some good ones! The Vallita Blouse (now $63) is a new version of the Islander Top (also now $63), which I own and adore and wear all the time. Its material feels cool even in the summer heat. The Lia Tank (now $63) is another one of my faves this year, though it does have Spandex. It looks great with white shorts or crops, and will also look flattering over jeans. The Linen Ladder Lace Tank (now $71) is a sleek, elongating option, while the Embroidered Sienna Top (now $71) is a cute cropped top that still manages to make it past my waist.
The Aria Linen Blouse (now $55) has beautiful detailing both in front and in back, and it goes with pretty much everything! The Canopy Tank (now $79) is my boyfriend’s favorite tank of mine this summer, though again unnecessary spandex is present. The Eyelet Halter Top (now $71) is the top I’ve been trying to find in nearby stores for weeks! All of these are quality tops that should stand the test of time.
What tops might you use this promo on? And what do you think of Anthropologie’s top offerings lately?
