MMM: Hi Ho, Anthro

This may come as a shock to all you fashion bloggers out there, but I have never bought anything from Anthropologie.

I know. I've been disowned, right?

Slight correction: I have physically purchased items from Anthro before. But only for gifts (I'm looking at you, Liz) and never anything for myself. Why? Well number one, I feel like it's super expensive. Like too expensive for what it actually is. Also almost everything there looks like it came out of a flea market. I just feel like it's lotsa buck, very little bang, you know?

Despite that, I am mildly obsessed with their merchandising. I have countless pics on my phone of their amazing window displays. I mean, the coral reef/plastic cup thing they have going on right now is AH-Mazing.

So like usual, while doing my lunch hour laps around the mall, I found myself wandering in and actually liking quite a few items. Like a lot. I found so many things I decided that this week's Mall Madness Monday post would be Anthro-centric.

Disclaimer: I still think this stuff is pretty damn expensive. Also I'm convinced half the clothes I like will show up at Forever 21 within six months. But still, a girl can dream, right?

Disclaimer Addendum: No, you are not crazy. Well you are, but that's besides the point. It is in fact Tuesday, not Monday as this post would suggest. I flaked on my MMM post last night and woke up panicking that all my loyal followers would be disappointed (to the four of you, my sincerest apologies). If you can believe it, I actually went to the gym after work last night and then came home and watched Mean Girls in its entirety on E! And while I loved every second of it, I was bummed with myself that I didn't uphold the one established theme on my blog. Sorry, peeps. Let's still be friends. 

Also, a PS: I dedicate this post to my husband, because every time I see the Anthropologie logo I think of him and laugh (which is why I am such a joy to be married to, obv). When we went to NYC a few years ago, he saw an Anthro store for the first time and ran towards it like he had found the mothership. You can understand as an anthropology major, he had very little connection to anything cool in the outside world. And finally, here was an entire store meant for someone just like him! He thought he found his place in the world when he encountered all of the shabby chic furniture that looks like I-picked-this-from-a-barn-in-Vermont-but-really-I-paid-$998-for-a-looks-like-it-was-used-but-it-really-wasn't-dresser. And then he saw all the women's clothes. And then he ran. 

But more importantly... the stuff.

so clearly i was drawn to this. part nautical, part little
house on the prairie. but doesn't this look like something
that will end up at f21 for way less than $128? the tradeoff
is it'll be about eight inches shorter. priorities.

i think this is totes adorbs, mainly because i never
realized those letters were next to each other in the
alphabet before. but i know at least three creative
crafty people that would be all like "i can make this."
i invite them to go ahead & i volunteer to be their test
subject.

i've been eying this dress for some time because the color
is divine. yes, it's a baby doll style dress, which will make
you either look like you are a baby or just carrying one.
also it's like a super heavy brocade- worst summer dress
fabric ever. but doesn't it just look like something our
girl elle woods would rock at a garden party? yes, she's
still real to me. 

i almost love the books & stationary at anthro more than the
clothes. actually most of the time that's true. as much as i love
all my techno devices, i still really love writing things on paper...
with a pencil. i call these the "anti-writer's block" series. my
birthday is july 31, btw...

how beautiful are these cups? i mean they're completely
impractical, but so lovely. first of all, they are baby sized.
this is what i imagine cindy lou hoo drank out of when she saw
the grinch in the middle of the night. i drink water out of the
largest container i can find- carafe, trough, whatever. these are
like, fancier dixie cups. but.so.pretty.

i am all about florals right now. just in my head, because
i don't actually own any of this stuff in real life. i searched
high & low for inexpensive floral shorts the other day (because
let's face it- how long is this trend really going to last for?) &
found nothing. that doesn't mean i'm going to spring for this $118
pair, but i'm mentally pinning this pattern as we speak.

haven't you always wanted a big old slab of petrified wood
to serve appetizers on? oops, scratch that, this isn't actually
safe to eat off of. i still think it's cool. although knowing steve,
he would find a way to chop up a petrified log, or petrify a log,
or whatever you have to do to make this, just so i could save the $48.

i'd imagine mary poppins would describe me "perfectly
imperfect in every way." well, she's probably too nice to say
that, but she might buy me this book. i'm a sucker for
anything domino-adjacent. i'm still in mourning over that one. 

these are boxes filled with postcards of old books & vanity
fair covers. i die. but also i don't like that many people enough
to send them these & trust they won't toss them in the garbage
can. but we should all send a few more postcards, & who
knows? maybe the world will be a better place. unless i'm the
one sending them.

i love cutesy stationary. i love it from anywhere,
papyrus to christmas tree shop. also i have a bin
full & still always feel like i need more. these
ones adorably represent four different countries!
& the girl has a scooter & a head scarf! so jealous.

So what do you think, Anthro-shoppers? Are the prices worth it? Is the store your happy place among a barrage of retailers with pushy salespeople and bad lighting? Or is the craft fair vibe just a little too much for you?

~L