Quick reviews of 25+ Anthropologie dresses that are 20% off today!

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Anthropologie’s 20% off full-price dresses promotion ends today (and don’t forget Free Shipping on orders of $150+ if you are an Anthro loyalty member) and to help out your frock-picking fretting I’m filling this post up with 25+ quick dress reviews. I know this community is missing the review posts and I don’t have the time I used to before going back to work to full-time to take photos and cobble them together anymore, but I hope this abbreviated version still helps. You’ll find reviews of the beautiful Lillian Column Dress ($650 + 20% off, above) and more Anthropologie dresses in this post.

To help identify each dress, I’ve added captions with the name of almost every dress in the shoppable boutique at the bottom of the post! There were a few dresses that aren’t properly populated in my affiliate programs, so I could not add the names to those.

Quickly, my current stats are: 5′ 8″, 185 lbs, 34-32-40″, 34DD, size 10 in dresses. I have some exciting news upcoming related to these stats — stay tuned for that!!

Let’s start off with some Anthropologie dresses I really love right now.

Astronomy Swing Dress ($228 + 20% off): Runs TTS. One of Anthro’s better offerings right now. Every bit as pretty in real life as it looks online! I love the embroidery detail around the arm holes and the sequins are a lovely teal shade. If you have long hair watch out though as my hair got caught i the sequins several times while trying on the dress! Although it’s called a swing dress online it fit me like a fit-and-flare. It hit me just above the knees.

Greta V-Neck Jacquard Dress ($300 + 20% off): Runs large. Orla Kiely rarely disappoints. Sure, $300 is a disappointing price for polyester, but the brand’s silk dresses run more in the $500 range so I suppose this is an acceptable trade-off. Besides, this dress is the poly that feels like silk and if I’m being honest poly is more wearable for me than silk, which often overheats me. The dress has a v-neck that hints at the chest without showing too much off, and it hit me right at my knees. It runs big — an 8 fit me fine, whereas I’d usually need a 10 these days.

Lillian Column Dress ($650 + 20% off, pictured at top of post): Runs small. If you want an option where the 20% off goes a long way, it’s hard to beat this dress. With fit details that are ultra-flattering to curves or straight shapes alike, this long column dress is a body-skimming exercise in confidence-boosting self love. Be sure to size up — one size if you’re less curvy and two sizes if you’re an hourglass or pear like me.

Lunar Dress ($168 + 20% off): Runs TTS. The silver version of this dress is lovely, but the metallic blue really sparkles for something special! If you want a versatile party dress for all your holiday needs this one is my top vote. Spaghetti straps would not be my first choice but this dress fits near impeccably, with a skirt that’s pleated yet not overdone or too voluminous. The skirt portion is shorter in real life — it hit me just across my knees rather than below as the model shots online show. I took my usual 10 in this dress.

Nobility Dress ($658 + 20% off): Runs small. Just a bit fancier than the Lillian Column Dress, this dress has similar beauty and fit details. However I found the vertical stripes in the skirt challenging, though in the back the seaming is done exquisitely. I needed to size up two sizes in this dress for the best fit.

Pinafore Cross-Back Dress ($158 + 20% off, pictured above): Runs small. This dress runs super-small for sure, but the right fit makes it look really lovely! The material is heavy and perfect for chilly and cold days. I have a small ribcage so the 12 fit me wonderfully; most people will need to go up 1-2 sizes depending on how big your bust is. The thick waistband is a beautiful fit detail and the length hits me about 2 inches below the knees, without looking mumsy.

Structured Knitwork Dress ($148 + 20% off): Runs TTS. A fantastic modern dress that’s perfect for layering under a moto jacket. My store only had the green colorway to try on, but I’m told to be wary of the red version as it apparently runs larger and sits more shapeless. This is a midweight dress (too heavy for warm days) that hits above the knee. I found a medium to fit well — but I need to wear shapewear under it to keep it looking smooth, as it’s unlined.

Tupelo Floral Dress ($148 + 20% off): Runs large. With just two reviews online, it’s easy to reject this dress for being low-rated, but that would be a huge mistakes! The product photo isn’t doing much for it either sadly. In real life however this cute peasant dress is a beautiful light teal color with pretty pink-balanced flowers. The open neckline gives it a playful detail, along with the tiered skirt. Punch up the look with a cute cropped jacket and booties. Also, for a better fit be sure to size down — I found a medium fit me much better than a large.

Next up, more dresses that I like but don’t quite make the cut for my current favorites.

Ariana Lace Column Dress ($168 + 20% off): Runs small. A winter version of the Gardenia Lace Column Dress, this dress has just a little bit more give than its predecessor. Lace insets criss-crossing the dress give it the effect of sheen, and its body-hugging fit is sexy without being very revealing. I could get away with the black-navy version of this at work with a long cardigan.

Avian Kimono Midi Dress ($168 + 20% off): Runs TTS. The first thing to know about this dress is that the base color of this dress is a beautiful light pink, not cream as it looks online. You’d think Anthro would do better in emphasizing that! The fit is certainly flattering, with the waist mini obi belt going a long way towards creating a pretty body shape. However, the dress is unnervingly low-cut! I was pretty disappointed by this; I could not wear this dress to work.

Ballet Knit Dress ($158 + 20% off): Runs TTS. Anthropologie is carrying a number of ballet-inspired pieces this Fall and it’s a smart way to go, as the off-duty dancer look is one every lady likes! This dress has a turtleneck top, waist tie and a flowy skirt. The torso is a bit short for those of us who are bustier, but the overall look still works. This dress has one very smart design detail — in the back, a thick elastic panel keeps you from looking pregnant in the front. The dress hits across the top of my knees.

Cloth & Stone Cozy Plaid Tunic Dress ($138 + 20% off): Runs TTS. A pretty and more feminine take on flannel, this grey + pink tunic does not make it to dress length on me — but may on you shorter ladies! It’s got a slightly oversized fit and lends itself to being either a top or middle layer depending on the weather and your mood. Expect to get tons of compliments and “where’d you get that?” on this one!

Corps De Ballet Dress ($158 + 20% off): Size up if busty. The other ballet-inspired winner at Anthro right now, this dress is a simple racerback tank dress with an included wrap crop cardigan. Unfortunately, the wrap cardigan is pretty small if you’re a C cup or larger, but sizing up seems to help with that. The skirt is a beautiful flowy shape that looks lovely whether you’re twirling or just walking. It hits across my knees.

Fluttered Tunic Dress ($168 + 20% off, above): Runs large except through the arms — read on for details. A swingy dress with triple-tiered sleeves, this was a huge hit for me during NYFW. It’s not obvious from the product shot but the neckline has a triangle of mirror-fronted circular adornments that are a fun little extra offsetting the black + teal print. But what’s weird is that while the dress runs large through the chest and body, it runs pretty tight through the arms! At first I thought it was just me but several friends have confirmed they had to stick with their usual size to fit their arms through the sleeves instead of sizing down like they wanted for a better overall fit. So, if you have tiny or body arms feel free to size down but the rest of us need to stick with our usual size to ensure the arms fit.

Korovilas Esmie Lace Dress ($458 + 20% off): Runs small. Another dress with a more ‘modern’ cut — modern nearly always translates to shorter than normal and running small. In spite of that, once you have your sizing figured out it’s lovely on! The reviewer on Anthro’s site calls this dress stiff…but to me it’s no stiffer than most non-chantilly lace dresses are. It’s a thicker lace stitching so yes there is some stiffness, but there’s also plenty of give. The skirt hit me well above the knees — thick tights would be a must here. The sleeves are also a bit constricting and don’t allow full arm movement. Size up one to two sizes in this one, depending on your bustiness and curve-factor. If you can get your sizing figured out, the dress is quite lovely on!

Mollie Tunic Dress ($148 + 20% off, above): Runs TTS. In a major win, this dress has pockets!! If you’re tall like me it’s juuuuust on the border of being a dress, so I suggest leggings — these perhaps? —  underneath. This tunic dress also lends itself well to being belted. Expect tons of compliments on the pretty color combos present in this dress. I just wish it were a bit longer!

Mira Velvet Wrap Dress ($268 + 20% off): Runs TTS. Metallic, silk, black and slinky, this dress has a sex appeal that Anthropologie is not really known for, but it totally works here! I tried on this dress of the onesies rack in the fitting room and was surprised by how much it covers while giving the appearance of revealing more. Adjustable straps are nice for those of us with short chest-to-neckline proportions, though this dress has no lining or interior bra to speak of. It hits me right at the knees in a size large, my usual in Bailey 44. It would have been nice to see this dress in an XL option

Munro Embroidered Tunic Dress ($168 + 20% off): Runs TTS. This dress is actually fully lined! What a rare delight at Anthro these days. Although roomy, it fits its peasant aesthetic well and the colors are bright and beautiful in real life. A certain winner with great layering potential. Hits me just above the knees with plenty of room through the arms and body.

Olia Column Dress ($158 + 20% off): Runs small. Although column dresses had their moment, I adore the shape as one of the most flattering on hourglass and pear shapes! This dress’s choice of pink and brown is lovely and I found the large comfortable and very flattering.

Ribbed Sweater Dress ($138 + 20% off): Runs TTS. A quiet re-release of one of my all-time Anthro favorites, this v-neck short sleeves dress features buttons down the side and a sharply modern body-skimming shape in a nice, easy-to-wear longer length. The acrylic material is kind of a bummer (the original was a cotton-wool mix) but if you’re allergic to wool this one is better I suppose. Can be worn with the skirt buttons open as a very long top or all buttoned up as a dress. Looks fantastic under a jean jacket or puffer coat. Or this velvet jacket I adore.

Sundry V-Neck Dress ($128 + 20% off): Runs small. A terrific weekend dress with ruching up the skirt, this dress is perhaps better suited to the shorter ladies among us as the skirt hits well above the knee. Also, if you have curvier or thicker thighs as I do this dress has major ride-up potential. But, those comments aside, it’s very cute and lovely on! Lightweight and comfy. Size up in this one for surely — true larges are probably sized out.

Tracy Reese Sequined Dress ($748 + 20% off): Runs small. Looking for a total scene-stealer? This dress is an elegant stunner thanks to a brilliant mix of rich and bold hues. That turquoise stripe is particularly inspired! I’m not in love with the handkerchief hem but I think the right pair of heels is all you need to make it work. Shorter ladies beware — that hemline might dust the floor for you. Size up in this dress.

Velvet Burnout Wrap Dress ($158 + 20% off): Runs TTS. This rich blue hue is adorned with pretty pink flowers all over in a faux-wrap shape. With a low-cut top a cami underneath helps quite a bit, as do tights underneath. The skirt is on the shorter side but the complete effect of this dress is lovely.

WHIT Belted Floral Kimono Dress ($568 + 20% off): Runs TTS. A total surprise win in the fitting room, I didn’t think much of this dress online or even on the rack but it shines on the body! The print’s blues and greens are very vivid in real life set off the cream base, and the obi belt works wonders on hourglass shapes. I found this dress to run TTS. There is another version of this dress without the belt.

To wrap up these reviews, here are some dresses that were disappointments for me.

Floral Burnout Slip Dress ($168 + 20% off): Runs large. This dress has a pretty faux-wrap look to it that would be ideal if executed well, but…it’s not. The chest is huge and the skirt runs pretty narrow from the waist through the hips, and the fabric is rough against the skin. Worst of all the roses are not applied to the dress well and come off very easily. Boo.

Giselle Sweater Dress ($198 + 20% off): Runs TTS. Twice now Anthropologie has taken its aim at this pink ballet-style dancer off-duty dress, and twice now it’s whiffed. While the length and proportions are better this time around, and the overall fit was good in a size large, this dress is incredibly itchy due to metallic thread that isn’t woven into the fabric very well. I could barely wait to take the dress right back off! Le sigh, Anthropologie.

Janine Embroidered Dress ($228 + 20% off, above): Sizing is inconsistent. If Anthropologie is looking for a dress to illustrate their quality issues, I’d point to this one. It seems that every single one of this dress is made a bit differently, so two size 4s may fit differently from each other, which is annoying to say the least. I found myself a 12 when I tried on this dress, but I tried on a friend’s 10 later on to borrow and had no issue fitting into it, so I can’t really say for sure. Aside from that, some dresses seem to have a production error with tons of extra material around the waist and not enough in the bust. This is probably not a dress you want to buy online.

What Anthropologie dresses have you tried on recently? Please share your picks and reviews in the comments!!

11 Comments

  1. maryeb
    November 5, 2017 / 2:17 pm

    Thanks for the reviews, Roxy!! Lots of lovelies and your detailed review is very helpful.
    Hard to narrow it down, but I think my top favs are the Lunar, Astronomy, Ballet Knit and Mollie. Also love the Ribbed Sweater dress, but I bet it's too long for us shorter gals.

    • November 5, 2017 / 5:08 pm

      Great choices maryeb!

  2. evb
    November 5, 2017 / 2:42 pm

    Roxy, thanks so much for taking the time to try on all these dresses!

    Just as an aside, the heels I wanted popped back in today so I ordered them 🙂

    Here’s the link (feel free to change it): http://bit.ly/2hcZZeM

    • November 5, 2017 / 5:09 pm

      Changed, and yay! So happy they popped back. 🙂

  3. Eina
    November 5, 2017 / 3:08 pm

    Thank you for all these great reviews, Roxy. And thank you for the fabric content since I've mostly stopped checking the clothes side of the site.

    Would you say the Mira dress has a straight fit or more of a fit and flare?
    I can't tell from the photos, and my bottom is bigger than my top.

    • November 5, 2017 / 5:09 pm

      The Mira is a fit and flare Eina. =)

  4. Joanna Y.
    November 8, 2017 / 12:01 am

    Thanks Roxy! I added a number to my Wishlist!

    a few I've tried on recently (Roxy, feel free to change the links):
    1) for another ballet-inspired dress, that disappointed me: the Layered Arabesque: there's a reason the model is crossing her arms. I suspect she's covering up the weird fit at the end of the sweater/waist of the dress. or that was how it was on me. https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/layered-arabes… . and it was cut pretty deep

    2) I had the Astrid Embroidered Dress on my wishlist so was excited to see it in a store recently: was S, my usual size. I realized without the waist tie, it's actually a pretty huge swing dress, and the tie resulted in a bunch of bunching that I couldn't make look good over my hips. so a bit of a disappointment but would look good on someone with a straight frame I bet! https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/astrid-embroid

  5. Serra
    November 9, 2017 / 10:01 pm

    OT, but does anyone know if popbacks are a thing of the past? I know that things will pop back on the sale page but I used to be able to score items that would only show up if you went directly to the items page. It was one of my favorite past times… trolling old product pages in the hopes that one became available for an amazing sale price.

    • Chewy
      November 10, 2017 / 7:31 am

      I scored a popback last week..but it’s been harder and harder. My last score was months ago.

  6. Chewy
    November 10, 2017 / 7:30 am

    There’s the glencoe sweater coat that’s selling fairly quickly. It’s the reissue of the pony (dressage) coat by field flower last year but it doesnt pill. There was only one left at my local store yesterday and it is 100% wool. More versatile because it comes in plaid. I ordered it assuming there will be a % off in two weeks (black friday) for a PA.

  7. Nikki
    November 11, 2017 / 11:43 pm

    Thank you so much for ll the reviews Roxy. I had stopped shopping at Anthro a while ago … but have recently discovered it again. Your blog was an invaluable resource before and now too!! I had been eyeing a few of the Tracy Reese jumpsuits (Laurrette V-Neck and the Selena jumpsuit) and score them with the 25% sale but … the material seems so thin. I thought they would be lined. Does anyone have any thoughts on whether these are still wearable without a lining?

    Also, most importantly, for readers in MN, have you noticed being charged a sales tax for the clothing for online orders? When did this happen? I checked all previous orders and have not been taxed before (my last online order was in Apr 2017).


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