failed search, Anthro reviews and a random Kate Spade

These are the dresses that I really like and want to try on:

I was hoping the local (re:1hr away) would carry them..

nope.

instead they gave me ones that looks kind of ridiculous on me.
sigh. you give me the case of sads, anthro!

er..i'll just start with the worse of the batch to get it out of the way.

Grand Slam Dress $228

yikes. talk about ill fitting. my best friend, A hated it so much on me. I don't like the color on me either but I tried this on anyway since I haven't seen any reviews for it yet. I tried on my usual size at 6. it fits TTS although it was a bit snug on the waist for me (probably due to Five Guys burger I ate before going to Anthro.  yes, I know.fail). As you can see from the picture, the top was hugeee on me and the way the skirt falls made my hips look wider than it really is. The color is more intense irl and the thin silk felt nice to the touch. I don't think it was lined though I could be wrong. but yeah....the color & fit is all wrong for me.
Passsss

the next dress just doesn't do anything for me..
Ruffled Oska Dress $168

I thought this dress looked lovely on the hanger so I took it back with me to the dressing room. I tried on my usual anthro size 6. It fits..but it didn't flatter my body at all. it's just kind of there ..and as you can see, the cinched in waist part sat oddly higher above my natural waist. The silk was also pretty thin and surprisingly, it wasn't lined. The tiers falls nicely and didn't add bulk to the lower part of the body which is a plus. At 5'6, the length hit right above the knees which is perfect for me. My friend liked the dress but she didn't like it on me and I agree with her. All in all, this is a pass for me.

The next one isn't bad but didn't really wow me either

Watercolored Gems Shift $168

I didn't see a size 6 hanging so i grabbed the next size up. Not sure if it was because I was bloated from lunch that day but even with a size 8, it was snug on me at the waist. The material was also pretty stiff but was lined. Both my friend and I agreed the plain blue panel in the back adds interest to the dress. The length on this one is also a good length falling just above the knees for me. The V cut in the back was high enough to cover the bra which is good so you don't have to worry about it peeking out. The straps was also wide enough to cover up my bra straps so no worries there too. It can be work appropriate by covering it up with a cardigan (yellow, cobalt, teal, mint green, purple etc) and casual enough for a dinner outing without the cardigan. I'm not completely sold on this dress and it doesn't help when my friend said it ages me too haha. Pass for now but I may revisit when it goes on sale.

Carlow Tank $98
 paired with
Madison Shorts $88

yes, my friend is silly :p

Carlow Tank: I like this tank a lot  but it kind of confuses me actually. Sleeveless but it feels like a sweater. It's made out of a thicker material than I would like to wear in the warmer months. I like the strings on the chest area which is the main selling point of this piece. I grabbed size m which fits well since I read it runs small. It was form fitting but not uncomfortably tight. I like tops with an interesting flair to them and this definitely fits the bill. It's too expensive for what it is so I'll probably wait for it to go on sale. wishlisted!

Shorts: I always love me a cute pair of shorts. It can be hard for me to dress in the summer since I dislike the hot weather so I'm always on the lookout for cute but easy-to-wear pieces. The polka dots pattern is subtle enough without being too loud. The length falls a little bit higher than my fingertips but it's not too short for me. I picked up a size 6 and it's a good fit considering I still have my sweater tights on while wearing it. Paying $90 for a pair of shorts is kind of ridiculous so I'll be waiting for this one to go on sale as well.

Last week, I received an email for free shipping at Anthro with a minimum of $150 purchase. So I decided to take advantage of it and ordered these 2 skirts I've been eyeing on since they went on sale:

Beaufort Gale Skirt $65 (2nd Cut)

I ordered this one in 6P which ends up being a good decision since it comes down to my knees while still fitting me well at the waist. The materials are sheer but I don't think it's as sheer as the reviewers on the website claims it to be. The outer layer is opaque enough to hide everything but the lining is see through..kind of reminds of the foolproof half slip.The skirt is very well made and the embroidery reminds me of Tangerine Flicker Dress. The wide waistband (a little bit more than 5") does a good job of hiding lumps and bumps but makes it a bit harder to style it.

 I'm still not sure if I'm going to keep this or not because I don't really know its potential to fit in to the rest of  my closet. What do you think? Should I keep it or return it? any style ideas for daytime wear?

Wisteria Skirt $90

I also ordered this in 6P as well. It fits well; not too tight and not too loose although buttoning those 2 buttons at the side is kind of a pain since they're pretty small. The length is also to my liking as it hits me right above the knees. The material is also pretty thick...and kind of a pain to iron. I don't mind ironing but this is the one skirt you'd want to second guess if you loathe the activity. It does poof out a little bit below the waist but it doesn't really bother me..probably because I'm comparing it to the disaster that is Yarn Plumes Skirt. The picture on the right represents the color of the skirt a bit more closely under the harsh yellow lighting in my room. The neutral color and the beautiful embroidery makes this skirt to be an easy versatile piece in my closet while still being unique.

Bailey Dress $237

Loveee this dress. I don't have any Kate Spade pieces nor have I tried one so I grabbed my usual dress size at Anthro. I tried on a size 6 and it fits me perfectly in all the right places. The silk was also nice to the touch and not thin at all. As you can see, the ruffles also lay flat so it won't overwhelm your body. I love the pattern and so does my boyfriend which is surprising because he doesn't like it. He described it as a different kind of polka dots because "its pattern is not like normal polka dots". Yeah, I don't know what he meant either which is why I replied with a sigh. I don't really care for the belt; it looks kind of cheap to me but that's a very easy fix.

Does anyone know if KS dresses gets a second cut if a sale item lingers on the website long enough? I would love to get my hands on this but even at the sale price, it's still a bit too high for me.

So that's it for me. I haven't been to Anthro for awhile now since I haven't been taken it with any of their new offerings. The only thing that'll tempt me to stop by is if the Embossed Basket Dress goes on sale tomorrow.