Soothing my Shopping Soul with Anthropologie Dresses

Last Thursday I had a really bad shopping day. I was determined to find a pink frilly dress so I could be Princess Peach for Halloween, and of course I waited until the last minute. The first thrift store I went into had a great dress that was actually cute enough to wear again, but the top part was too small. In the fourth thrift store, I found a hilariously eighties dress that would be perfect, but it was $110. Discouraged, I decided to go into Anthropologie to lift my spirits. I told myself I would just browse, soak up the nicely scented, well-designed ambiance. But then I saw the Annie & Jane dress, knew I had to try it on, and in a matter of minutes I was in a dressing room with five dresses and a top. And they all fit! And they looked great! And they were all too expensive to buy! So I ended up heading back into the cold, cruel world even sadder. But I'm going to relive it again, just for you guys.

This is the Annie & Jane dress, $89.95, that convinced me it would be worth it to get a dressing room. The eggplant-colored plaid skirt is a mix of preppy and old-fashioned (very Peggy), while the high waist and gathered sweetheart neckline accentuate your curves (very Joan). It's an extremely cute dress that would work for both the office and a date. I heavily debated splurging a little, but I stopped because the tailoring on the pockets was a bit off. Located right on the hips, the pockets bulged out a little bit, marring the perfect hourglass silhouette it should have had. So I put it back on the rack, but if it goes deeper on sale, then I might have to reconsider it.



The Ile Royalle dress, $89.95, is a fabulously flirty strapless dress, with a deep purple sash and floral embroidery that take the sunny yellow color perfectly fitting for fall. I love the pleating down the front, which streamlines the look. Paired with a cardigan in dark grey or a similar shade of purple and some kitten heels, and you'd have a lovely and ladylike outfit.


I tried on two more dresses, but one definitely isn't online and the other keeps disappearing and reappearing on the website. If it turns up again, I'll edit this and add it.


Oh, and if you're wondering, I never did find a pink dress. I considered combining a pink skirt with a pink tank and a pink cardigan, but then I just looked like a five year old whose mother let her dress herself for a day. So I combined blue tights, white shorts, red tank, and blue sweatshirt, and was an Olympic gymnast! I made some medals out of blank CDs and tinfoil, and then pulled my hair back in that unflattering way they all do (with the very front section twisted and pinned back), although I forgot to get a scrunchie, and some blue eye shadow worthy of a twelve year old. What I really wanted to be was an underage Chinese gymnast: red leotard, even tackier glitter makeup, about fifteen sparkly hair clips, and a passport with "Born in 1998" crossed out and "1990" written underneath. I was also tempted to black out one of my teeth (since all the adult ones haven't grown in yet). Anyway, needless to say, I lacked both the foresight and cultural insensitivity to pull that costume off, and I was sticking the landing like Shawn Johnson all night instead.