Catharsis: Anthropologie’s May Pre-Shop and their recent survey too

Anthropologie’s May preview is all white and features items like the Tania Ruffled Pullover ($118).

Hooooooooooo boy. Is it time for an intervention? That’s what I wondered as I perused Anthropologie’s May 2017 Journal Pre-Shop page, a page that is all white. It’s all white!!

You get Free Shipping on your purchase today too, no code or minimum purchase required. Inside, it’s time to talk, Anthro.

The Pleated-Sleeve Sweater Top ($88) is $88 for a glorified tee shirt I guess?? It also comes in yellow…??
Everything is a question for me right now.

I get it — white signifies summer and nothing is cooler than wearing all white to a summer party, right? Just ask P. Diddy. Or the Governor’s Island Pop-Up Dinner (where, ahem, you provide your own dinner). Or Dinner en Blanc. Or countless Hamptons white parties I’ve attended, which have overtones of nouveau riche and undertones of vague racism, regardless of the ethnicities of the attendees that have always left me feeling kinda squirmy in my dinner seat.

White is cool, you guys. Don’t forget it.

I could understand one or two all-white outfits, or a page with them if they all had one pop of color or some kind of fun statement. Instead, this feels odd and off. The weird vibes I get from the pre-shop page almost make me miss the cute items that are there, like the Crochet Mini Dress ($248), which I like but won’t be getting because I own last year’s version of the white shift, which was much less expensive, or the Eyelet Mock Neck Shell ($78) which has a great chance of ending up in my closet if it’s not too short on, ditto the Scalloped Crop Top ($68) or the Evanwood Lace Halter Top ($88) which would be very cute under a spring cardigan or jacket.

I’m also interested in the Fringed Split-Back Sweater Tank ($128), the Pilcro Peplum Denim Jacket ($128) and the Desiree Open-Shoulder Pullover ($128).

 

The Pilcro Peplum Denim Jacket ($128) looks intriguing both as a jacket and a top.

Then there’s this odd trifecta of jackets that aren’t really jackets, the Perforated Leather Bomber ($298), the Perforated Leather Moto Jacket ($298) and the cute but totally unreasonable Floral Eyelet Bomber ($158) — the last of which is not on the pre-shop page. Along with items like the Alina Lace-Up Top ($147) which is nearly $150 for a sheer sweater top (???), I’m baffled.

 

Anthropologie sent out two surveys the other day, one about home and one about our clothing shopping habits. The page shown above sums up my sadness about Anthropologie lately. I’m glad they’re asking why we’re spending less, but I feel like this is a question they’ve been asking the last two years now, and each season they seem to get further and further away from what their customers actually want in their clothing offerings. So, will our answers even make a difference? I truly hope so.

The last page of the survey was a blank form to share our opinions about the brand. Here is what I said:

“Anthropologie was until recently my favorite store, ever. I would happily spend all of my discretionary income there each month and built a beautiful closet of flattering, well-made clothing, fabulous bags, amazing jewelry and fun shoes. Well, no longer. The designs don’t even look or feel like Anthropologie anymore!! Who are you trying to appeal to? Certainly not your current customers. When I do find a design I like, which is rare these days, it often ends up fitting like a sack and is usually online-only so I have to pay a (non-refundable) shipping fee just for the honor of trying it on…after several no-gos, I give up. The stores are no longer inspiring and have way too much non-clothing. Your clothing is TOO BOXY, TOO SHORT and NOT FLATTERING ON MOST WOMEN. Bring back defined waists, seaming and fit details like darts, basketweave panels and wraps. Go back to your catalogues from 2002-2005 and see the joy those pieces had. Notice that 80% of your clothing then was everyday wearable with much fewer special occasion/jet-setting clothes. I may be a jet-setter but I don’t dress like one everyday.”

I realize now I also forgot to mention that the website is a frustrating user experience, and that I wish Anthropologie would emulate sister brand Free People’s FPMe gallery, where you see real customers of all ages, shapes and sizes showing off how they wear each item. (Though the recent condensing of Urban Outfitters’ brands tech teams from three to one is clearly showing in poor usability on FP’s site too, sigh.)

It’s clear to me that Anthropologie no longer thinks in terms of outfits, or even wearing its pieces in more than one look. Everything is a hard, discrete piece with no reason or complement. It’s hard to sort through that as a shopper!!

Wondering what Anthropologie items are good right now? I recently rounded up the best picks hiding among their overstuffed selection of sacks here.

What do you think of the May pre-shop page? What did you tell Anthropologie in its survey (or forget to say, that you’d like to say here?) Anthropologie has truly lost its way, and it’s breaking my heart.

77 Comments

  1. Lindinha
    March 20, 2017 / 1:14 pm

    Wow that Blue Allegra Dress look is super pretty and affordable!! The two shopping attributes that are most important for me in 2017 ?? Thanks for sharing these Roxy!

    • March 20, 2017 / 10:28 pm

      You are welcome! I love the Allegra Dress too.

  2. Lisa
    March 20, 2017 / 11:05 pm

    Allegra dress sold out! ??

  3. evb
    April 20, 2017 / 2:02 pm

    In a word: Nope.

    They have totally lost the plot. No idea what their brand is anymore.

    I used to love how they would mix patterns, colors, scales, textures, prints.

    So an all white shop does less than nothing for my interest.

    Off to Boden!

  4. klj1
    April 20, 2017 / 2:26 pm

    Ugh. WTF is right.
    I turned mine in but forgot to mention the shipping prices..how could I forget that! 🙂

  5. April 20, 2017 / 10:32 am

    Yuck. Everything is so blah right now. I find myself browsing Poshmark and looking at all the old pretties from years ago!

    It's nice they offer free ship with no code…..might use it in conjunction with my survey discount code to get some mugs for teacher presents. I wish there were pretty clothes to buy instead!

  6. klj1
    April 20, 2017 / 10:54 am

    Has anyone purchased the Evie Peplum Top and is it feasible to size down or is the top part extra tight? I just can't tell on this one 🙂

    Thanks!

    • Dina
      April 22, 2017 / 6:35 am

      Most of the reviews say it's TTS and a couple of people had to size up because it runs small through the torso.

    • April 20, 2017 / 5:11 pm

      That is completely my stylle!

    • Ann
      April 20, 2017 / 11:16 pm

      Oh wow, that navy floral maxi! Thanks for this! 2 minutes of ooh and aah.

    • Dina
      April 22, 2017 / 6:38 am

      Beautiful stuff!

  7. Cecilia
    April 20, 2017 / 1:00 pm

    I'll be spending my 20% off survey coupon (with free shipping today) not on clothing but on home. In clothing there is NOTHING. Short, boxy, no flattering necklines (why is everything off the shoulder or crewneck?) Tthe things which are intriguing such as the Pilcrow Peplum Jacket above will probably remain intriguing because I won't order it when there are no clear photos of the garment. Why is the model crossing her arms over her belly instead of standing up straight? Does the jacket puff out in the front in some weird way, such that she has to press it down? How big are the sleeves, really? I have no idea. And I don't want to pay for the privilege of finding out what the garment actually looks like. Ditto for the slanted, skewed photos, action photos etc. Fine if you want to pretend you are editorial, Anthro, but include a regular view, too of the garment. Sometimes I wonder if the Anthro photographs the clothes is actually a sneaky way of disguising how awful the clothes are. Sigh. After years of surveys and hope, I actually think it's over.

  8. April 20, 2017 / 5:03 pm

    Lately, I've been spending at J. Crew and Nordstrom. If I see another cold shoulder, strapless, one shoulder mess I will scream! Boxy, shapeless short dresses, too casual pants, nothing remotely wearable to work.

  9. Anthropolitan
    April 20, 2017 / 1:36 pm

    LOL, Kelly “grown adult women who would like to be able to wear a bra with our dresses and tops”. Hilarious, yet sad when you have to remind a company that makes clothes for women that women wear bras.

    • Kelly
      April 20, 2017 / 7:25 pm

      Sad but true!

    • April 25, 2017 / 12:01 am

      …and women who have the money to pay for clothing that flatters us.

  10. Val
    April 20, 2017 / 5:41 pm

    I started filling out the survey, but then I gave up half way through, with a “what's the point?” feeling and the realization that I didn't have anything I wanted to use an extra 20% off on.

  11. Mary
    April 20, 2017 / 7:08 pm

    I am not sure I will go through with the survey. Yesterday I went to the store to make a return. The SA that processed it gave me a 20% card with the words just cause to induce me to shop there, I guess. Then a few hours later I received the survey email. So, I am not optimistic that they actually want to hear from me or any customer. After all, I filled out a survey recently for a 20%. I am thinking the survey is a sneaky way to gve discounts without looking too desperate. But of course, there is not a thing I wanted to buy, because what an irony, they don't actually pay any attention to what people respond in their surveys.

  12. Magnolia
    April 20, 2017 / 3:23 pm

    Because Roxy mentioned and i have only started buying from Anthro a couple of years ago (on my grown up income) I went digging up the Anthro catalogs from 2004 onwards and omg! I think they should just re-make all that stuff and I think we would all buy it all over again. Problem solved. haha.

    • evb
      April 20, 2017 / 8:28 pm

      That's the truth!!

    • Anthro_Blogger
      April 22, 2017 / 2:54 am

      Yasssssssssssssssssssss girl!

    • klj1
      April 22, 2017 / 7:32 pm

      Yep.

  13. Tara
    April 20, 2017 / 7:52 pm

    I actually really enjoyed the all white preview page. I just recently looked at anthro's color pages (red/yellow/green/purple/blue) and thought they were really eye catching and well done. The colors/clothing flowed so well together. I have no problem with cohesive clothes and prefer it to the jumbled mess I usually see. I've never actually worn an all white outfit but I do really enjoy white pieces. They are classic, clean and crisp looking in my opinion. They are also a great way to have an accessory stand out. I did not get a survey invite but sadly my complaints are along the same lines as everybody else's: bad website, prices too high, shipping costs too high, no figure flattering garments.

  14. Laura
    April 20, 2017 / 3:56 pm

    This, 1000x this!!!!!!!!!!

    • Trixxie
      April 20, 2017 / 8:51 pm

      I tried it but ended up returning it. It just wasn't flattering for my body type…I have a large chest and it veered too far into maternity dress territory. It was well made…cotton and a cotton lining if I remember correctly. The embroidery was nice but not quite as vibrant as had hoped.

    • Kelly
      April 20, 2017 / 9:05 pm

      I tried it on and passed. It's cotton with a cotton lining and the embroidery is lovely, but it looked like a hospital gown on me.

  15. Natalie
    April 20, 2017 / 9:03 pm

    I see the extra 25% off sale promo banner still on, however when I checkout it did not apply automatically (but I do see the free shipping.) Is anyone else having the same problem?

  16. Lauren
    April 20, 2017 / 9:13 pm

    I laughed when that preshop page loaded. I'd been excited to maybe use my 20% discount on something brand new and pretty but no, of course not. So I went back to the 'can I get through checkout with an item in my cart when that item has been on the site for more than a week' struggle known so well to Canadian Anthropologie shoppers. At least I didn't have to pay $20 for shipping this time. Another year, another unused birthday discount.

  17. Maya
    April 20, 2017 / 10:55 pm

    Hi Roxy, do you have any pictures of yourself wearing Pilcro washed chino skirt? Wanted to see you pair it up. Also, how does the skirt run?

  18. nicolashaver
    April 20, 2017 / 11:14 pm

    Roxy, I feel you. Lots to say but I wondered if you were familiar with Leona Edmonton, an Australian designer? She makes beautiful jersey dresses with a vintage feel, very high quality, and a limited range of accessories in the same style. I feel like it's your aesthetic – worth checking out! Her Frocks and Ruby collections are my favourite: http://global.leonaedmiston.com/au/dress-collecti

  19. Olga
    April 21, 2017 / 3:54 am

    I have a birthday coupon and the 20% for the survey and I can't find anything. I walked to my local store the other day with the hope to be inspired. There was nothing to even get my attention, let alone try on anything.
    OT, 7 For All Man Kind is running 40% off in stores.

  20. lulu
    April 21, 2017 / 4:10 am

    Hmm, not a single thing that I want to buy either. It makes me so sad because Anthro has been my “go to” for several years now. I am branching out and shopping elsewhere but it makes me feel very disloyal.

  21. Amelia
    April 21, 2017 / 1:49 am

    Looks like sale is ringing up at 40% off now in the cart with free ship… unfortunately… I don't want any of it!

    • Dina
      April 21, 2017 / 4:19 pm

      LOL

      • Dina
        April 21, 2017 / 4:25 pm

        Most of what I bought in the past few months were less expensive popbacks of things that I kept if they were cute and returned if not, no matter how inexpensive they ended up being. I buy very few full price items (can count on one hand).

    • Sherry
      April 21, 2017 / 7:59 pm

      I just went to the store could find absolutely nothing I wanted to try on. However I ended up buying a ton of home items as gifts for teachers and assistants!

  22. Stefanie
    April 21, 2017 / 10:23 am

    Two things: sale is now an additional 40 off
    And
    Does anyone know the name of the pendant necklace with a moon that was turquoise that went on sale last round of markdowns? It had a moon and something else, both were turquoise, on a pendant. It's sold out and I want to call around and need the name! Thanks!

    • Rachel
      April 21, 2017 / 4:07 pm

      I see the necklace is available at 3393 Peachtree Road, Atlanta,(404) 237-4175. Hope it helps.

  23. Deme
    April 21, 2017 / 12:56 pm

    Does anyone have a 20% off code they would be willing to spare? Thank you. 🙂

  24. lulu
    April 21, 2017 / 1:25 pm

    Everyone got the same code: N224GTB7NFR

  25. Stefanie
    April 21, 2017 / 12:21 pm

    Whats the name of the necklace? Thanks!

  26. Heather
    April 21, 2017 / 9:43 pm

    Has anyone seen the ara stone choker in person? I purchased the raffine blouse by Maeve in neutral-it's cute.

  27. Dina
    April 22, 2017 / 2:19 am

    And it says the 20% code is for one time use by April 30, but in the meantime I have used it several times already (adding to my lack of FP purchases).

    • Dina
      April 22, 2017 / 6:22 am

      I just checked and it says “Enjoy 20% off your next full-price purchase” so I thought that meant one time use, but I guess not.

  28. Shari
    April 22, 2017 / 8:47 am

    So the one thing I wanted to buy – the scalloped crop tank seems to have vanished off the site and my wishlist in all colors. I just don't understand how you can have a pre shop and then not have the item.

  29. Eli
    April 23, 2017 / 12:55 pm

    Has anyone tried on the Suspender Jumpsuit? Gets glowing reviews – but I still can't help bit wonder if on a 5ft 1 in person, it will look like a clown suit. And pricey I think for what it is.. https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/suspender-jump

  30. Dina
    April 23, 2017 / 8:14 pm

    I saw a SA in my store wearing it and it looked adorable. She's around 5'2″ or 5'3″. I also saw several people on Instagram wearing it and it looked great. Most people seemed to style it with their hair up.

    • Eli
      April 24, 2017 / 11:44 am

      Thank you for this – I would not have thought of the hair style detail!


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