The British Anthropologi(e)st

Thoroughly Modern Girls

2012-02-09T15:03:00.000-08:00

Anyone who's seen my Twitter will know I'm a fan of the New Girl - what's not to love? Glasses, quirkiness, great clothes and girly activities that I love. One of the funniest (if least believable scenes) involved Jess thinking she could wear this on a date:

Really, Jess? If you're going to rock the farm girl look, all you need are your trusty Hunter wellies:

You'll have to forgive me - I'm not wearing any make up in these photos, eek!

The "shawl" is in fact just my Aubin and Wills scarf, which is from the men's line, so much wider than my usual scarves - can't get enough of this baby. Unfortunately it does seem to be blending into my hair so you can't see my nifty loose side plait, gosh-darn-it.

Back to New Girl: for those who don't watch the show, or haven't seen one of the latest episodes yet, "Jess and Julia", Jess makes a great speech, which I've copied below:

"I brake for birds. I rock a lot of polka dots. I have touched glitter in the last 24 hours. I spend my entire day talking to children and I find it fundamentally strange that you're not a dessert person. That's just weird and it freaks me out! And I'm sorry I don't talk like Murphy Brown and I hate your pantsuit. I wish it had ribbons on it or something to make it just slightly cuter. And that doesn't mean I'm not smart and tough and strong!"

I had to resist doing a cliched "you go, girl!" when she said this, trying to bear in mind that she is actually a fictional character.

I find that more and more women these days are embracing being "girly-girls" without giving up being strong and independent women - why shouldn't we have it both ways, damn it? I think women these days are a mess of different likes and dislikes. Me, I'm just a mess of apparent contradictions: I wear big skirts and pink and polka dots, I buy expensive girly handbags, I can spend an entire day cooking up a storm but I also like to take my ya-yas out in a good first person shooter or XBox game (hello, Batman Arkham Asyylum). I argue politics with people until I'm blue in the mouth, I think there are few things better than whiling away a night with girlfriends at a cocktail bar, unless it's a day out at a cricket ground or baseball stadium. I watch way too much television (hello? New Girl!) but I also can't get enough of classics, or of time outdoors (in the right conditions, I hasten to add). I'm way too proud to let a stranger carry a heavy suitcase down a flight of stairs for me, even if I'm wearing my most ridiculous stilettos, but I can't tell you how much I appreciate chivalry.

Let me hear what you think, because what I think is that we are thoroughly modern girls.

De Chelley Dress, Aubin and Wills Scarf, Looping Lanes Belt and Hunter Carnaby Wellies.

Shopping Ban - Eeeeek!

2012-02-06T08:38:00.000-08:00

Okay, so, as you know: I've been a bad girl. I bought something I shouldn't have (even if it is very pretty) and to make up for it, I've decided to go on a shopping ban for February, which makes this day six. So far, I haven't bought any clothes/shoes/etc - just groceries and a meal out.

I ordered some shoes and tights at the very end of the January, and I may yet send the shoes back, if they're not absolutely perfect. I bought them with the limited 25 per cent off offered last week, but I think they'll be around for a while, so I can always re-buy them later on if the size isn't right.

The only exceptions to the rule are the Layered Column Dress and the Nightshade Top, should either of them go on sale (and even then, it's going to take some consideration!).

Instead, I'm going to try and do some work instead (shock! horror!) and shop my closet. I'll also try and run the rest of my NYC Anthro reviews, which I haven't gotten around to yet. Lastly: I'll be bringing the Style It! feature back on Wednesday, the one that's about two months overdue! If you still want to sneak in a "winter comfort outfit", then please do!

I'll try and post more outfit photos than I have been lately, but I'm afraid the fact that winter's come at last means I'm going to be largely limited to using my one bare wall in my room as a backdrop - not terribly exciting, I know!

On a completely random tangent: I've had this song from Glee stuck in my head for a week now. I try and not get too hooked on Glee songs, as I think they're the audio equivalent of junk food, fun but ultimately bad for you.

Erm. Also, how amazing are the Milly white dress and the black gown? Don't suppose anyone recognises the black dress?

Oh, and if you don't follow my Twitter/the news: it finally snowed in London! Whilst that's ruled out about half the clothes I have with me on campus, I'm loving sloshing around in my Hunter's. The only thing I'd forgotten about wellies is that they're so bloody heavy! I had to sprint up an unshovelled hill yesterday, boots on, to catch a bus and I thought I was about to go into cardiac arrest on the bus!

Okay, that's it for now. Anyone have any tips for abstaining from indulging? I've unsubscribed from all of my eBay search emails and I'm going to do the same with ASOS, etc...

Fly-by Night

2012-02-03T17:34:00.000-08:00

Just a quick outfit post tonight! This is quite an autumnal look, it occurs to me, but I'm just loving these new cords that I managed to snag in the sale. The only real downside to them, as opposed to, say, skinny jeans, is that there is no sort of "suck in factor". Basically, your legs are going to look like how they actually are. Kind of terrifying.

Oh, and I bought that bag! I'm just terrible. So, I'm going to be going on an Anthro ban and trying not to spend much on clothes/etc this month - I will try to log any catastrophic failures or successes on here - joy.

Night, night!

Windsor Scoopneck, Pilcro Serif Cords, Slinking Frills Pumps, Aubin and Wills Scarf.

Introduction, Obsession and a Resolution

2012-02-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

First outfit photo in ages. And I've realised why I haven't been doing them outside lately: because it's fecking freezing! I actually thought I was going to get hypothermia when I was fiddling with the camera and I ended up having to sprint back from the field to my room, hands feeling as though they were about to fall off. I was wearing a coat, but no gloves or sweater as the heating's been on full blast everywhere on campus. So, that's why you'll have to forgive me looking peaky in these photos!

In addition to posting an outfit, I wanted to introduce you to my newest obsession:

Meet my gorgeous Watermelon Alexa bag by Mulberry (the oversized). Yes, it's a bit of a summery colour but I just love it. If a girl can't have a pet at university, then dang it: she needs a designer bag.

Let me preface this next bit by saying that I'm really not a bag person. I don't think I've ever spent more than £100 on a bag before, if that, so this was a fairly major jump for me. I'm also not great at switching bags around, I tend to wear my bags until they die - also, am I the only one who always leaves something crucial out when I try and alternate bags?

Having said all of this, I've been lusting after a Mulberry bag for a really long time. I had my heart set on a Bayswater, the classic, but I was open to the Alexa as well, as I know my Mom loves hers and I quite liked the slouchiness, yet poshness, of the oversized ones. As it happened, the colour that I had seen about 18 months ago in a magazine - the piece that started this new craziness - turned up in the outlets and I pounced. I actually got a discount too, thanks to some barely noticeable scratches on the metal, so that's going right into the fund for the next one...

Speaking of... this one has now turned up in the outlets, the Bayswater, and I can feel my heart jumping into my mouth every time I see it:

I've always been a sucker for royal blue. Can you hear me "eeeeeeee"ing from where you are?

Now: it's much cheaper than it used to be, and I can just about afford it - not to say it isn't still expensive. But if I do, then I have to not buy anything else clothes/shoes/bags wise for the rest of the month. Eek. Is that feasible for me? And is it worth it? I also have to have it delivered to my billing address, i.e. my parents' house, so that won't be a lot of fun to explain!

My other reservation, aside from the cost, justifying it to my parents and my lack of conviction in my ability to not spend, is that I've been waiting for about a month to see if another bag I'm in love with might pop onto eBay. If it does in February, then I'm screwed. And isn't one of the prettiest bags you've ever seen?:

The upside of buying the Bayswater, though, is that it comes from Mulberry so it's under warranty for a year, should anything happen to it, and it'll be brand spanking new, whereas an eBay bag is obviously going to be second hand and not covered by Mulberry... Argh.

Am I being completely insane?

Dilemma. Advice welcomed!

H&M blue bow tank; Openwork Vines Skirt, M&S navy tights; Melissa bow flats; Mulberry Watermelon Alexa.

Pinning Around

2012-02-01T09:04:00.000-08:00

As I get older, I think I'm becoming less tech-savvy, not more. I'm just that little bit slower in getting motivated to try out new platforms. I think it's that I don't want to invest the time if it's not going to catch on (Google Buzz, anyone?). That's why it's taken me until now to get into Pinterest. But now I'm slightly hooked. I say slightly, because I'm not technically allowed to get hooked on anything, at the moment, thanks to looming deadlines. But, still, I couldn't resist. I try not to pin everything! Here are the things that I've pinned recently:

Source: asos.com via Sian on Pinterest

I actually bought these today, making the most of a student discount special ASOS are running (got to love them), so I'll definitely let you all know if they live up to the hype. I just can't get over how cute they are. They remind me simultaneously of the 1920s and something that wouldn't be amiss on the French Riviera in summer. God, I miss summer.

Source: net-a-porter.com via Sian on Pinterest

Way out of my price range, alas, and completely sold out, it seems. But a girl can dream.

Source: us.anthropologie.com via Sian on Pinterest

I couldn't completely leave Anthro out, could I? This is one of the few new pieces speaking to me - and I'm sure you can see why: nudey perfection.

Any suggestions for people to follow on Pinterest?

Londoner Touring London

2012-01-28T08:28:00.000-08:00

Just two more papers and a dissertation left to go! Good feeling. In the meantime, here are those photos of my "touristing" in London last week. Picture heavy!

Photos were taken with a point and shoot, so not fabulous quality, I'm afraid.

Above, that's an old Routemaster bus, which are hardly ever used - they're from the 1950s or so, so that was good timing by my photographer!

It took me so much effort to haul my arse up there and I ended up with a scrape on my boots, bruise on my legs and tonne of good memories for my troubles. It's about 5-6 feet, but the worst thing is that there's no purchase once you're halfway up, so I ended up beaching myself and my friend had to give me a huge push from behind! Not my finest moment...

Other thing: when friend started snapping photos, she shouted at me "it looks like you're naked!", thanks to this cardigan, and she's totally right! Pulled the coat on pretty fast!

So, for those of you who don't know the area: this is Nelson's column, one of London's landmarks, standing at 169 feet, taller than the Statue of Liberty!

Lesson of the day: it's really, really hard to pose well with the back end of a iron lion. It's near impossible to get to the front of them if you aren't tall, alas. A few people were trying to climb over their backs, but they're really slippery and, y'know, I choose life.

Disclaimer: I'm aware that it is in no way sunny, but I was dying to try on my new sunglasses! I usually stay away from big frames like this, they have a tendency to make me look like a bug, but these are cute (I'm continually reassured) and I love the contrast between the tortoiseshell and the mint interior.

What can I say? This is a skirt with a lot of layers, and they're not going to arrange them by themselves.

Bug attack!

After we finally worked up the nerve to jump back down again (I was fine, wearing flat boots but the friend had to be caught by me as she was wearing heels!) we headed off for a walk through St James' Park where we ran into...

Cutest.

Fricking.

Squirrel.

Evah.

This guy saw I had crumbs and came straight up to me in the street, sat back on his haunches and "begged" - how could I resist! He actually held onto my fingers! He thought about (and we saw him doing it to someone else) running up my leg to my lap, but I wigged about my tights.

I just love that all the pigeons were like "f-cker!" I did give them some as well - I'm an equal opportunities feeder!

Lastly, as we got closer to Buckinham Palace, we realised that it was the changing of the guard. We couldn't face the crowds in front of the palace, so we had to settle for the Wellington Barracks:

The band was playing different songs, from "God Save The Queen" to "It's Not Unusual" - good way to finish up!

Well that's it for now, but hopefully there'll be a post tomorrow.

Seen in this post:

Lepidoptera Dress, H&M wrap cardigan, Tobacco Tights (ASOS), Ruched Marigold Coat, Topshop faux fur scarf, Ralph Lauren sunglasses, Armani glasses and ECCO Hobart Boots.

Tiding Over

2012-01-23T16:58:00.000-08:00

Yeah, if you haven't guessed: I'm still drowning in papers, alas, but I thought I'd share a picture from my last day out (unfortunately taken with the point and shoot, rather than DSLR) to let you know I'm still alive!

As you can see, one of my fantastic NYC sale purchases was the Ruched Marigold Coat, which I cannot recommend highly enough. The material is soft, warm enough for here (if not Siberia) and the colour and style are just stunning. I sized down to an extra-small, and I suggest going as small as possible, if you're interested, to downplay the flounciness.

This was taken on the monument in Trafalgar Square. A friend and I were there early on Friday after getting the opportunity to go to the Leonardo Live exhibition, which was incredible. It was fab, no one was in the square yet, so I managed to clamber up, beaching myself like a whale at one point and flashing my knickers at another, with minimal distress.

Wow... Hyperbole overload, today.

Back with a (casual) vengeance

2012-01-13T13:25:00.000-08:00

And she's back - in skinny jeans, no less! I'm sorry I've been gone so long with no word! I've moved on from that last paper straight to my dissertation for a couple of days. My posting is going to be a little crazier than usual, but I hope you stick with me! I have some reviews for you tonight, which I'll try and blitz through.

Wearing: Christopher Kane Galaxy modal tee; Soft Bow Belt; Pilcro Stet Slim Jeans; Final Flourish Heels and Urban Decay Super Saturated Lip Pencil in Crush.

This tee was an amazing Christmas present from my little brother. It's made from modal and is slightly sheer, but it just feels like wearing gossamer. Love it. Awesome present.

Reviews:

Lacy Layered Column Dress by Bailey 44 (can't find it online)

Well, I suppose the love for Bailey 44's column dresses had to end somewhere, huh? The latest incarnation, with stretchy lace panels is the only version of this dress which I haven't completely swooned for - quick, stop while you're ahead!

In terms of sizing, it fits just like all of Bailey 44's other dresses (here, here and here, for a start). However, I don't know if it's the lack of stripes or if it's the lace itself, but this just isn't as flattering as its other incarnations. I found that it was impossible to get all of the material to lie flat, so the result is a slightly fuzzy, post-four drinks outline. This probably heightened by my food baby in the photo below - don't judge me, I was in New York, I had just had a pizza!

Pass for me - c'mon you know if you've lost me, the ultimate Bailey 44 fan, you need to change tack.

[Update: Never mind, I've just seen their latest incarnations, and I'm still with them. I'm such a sucker.]

In the Interim Top by Bailey 44

Surprise, surprise, another Bailey 44 review - I seem to be really racking them up these days.

Despite what the item description says, this top is black. What might lead you into thinking it's dark grey is that it's sheer - unusual for Bailey 44, Anthro? Not so much.

I'm wearing a small here, and though it's a little thinner and clingier than most of Bailey 44's clothes, I wouldn't want to size down for fear of the shoulder straps not staying up.

I couldn't get the openings at the neck to open quite as nicely as they do on the Anthro site, but I was impressed with the shoulder cut outs, somehow conservative, yet saucy. Just like me ;)

This would be such a great top if the materials were up to Bailey 44's usual standards, but the thinness and transparency kind of killed it for me. I'm hoping they bring out some more colours which will be made of sterner stuff.

Pumapard Blouse by Portrait of a Girl (on sale)

This is one of those weird, optical illusion pieces of clothing. When I saw it, I fully expected it to be a soft, stretchy and slightly fuzzy short sleeved jumper style top. In fact, there's almost zero stretch, and the material is not soft in the slightest, very slight stiff and itchy.

I'm wearing a US4/UK8 here (thanks to me thinking it would have some stretch) which fit, but not ideally. The boxy shape means that it's not going to suit hourglass types very well, and the short length can compound a slightly weird image. On the upside: the pattern was really cute, I can imagine it going well with a silk scarf around your neck or in your hair for a 1960s look.

This is a pass for me, but worth taking a look at on sale.

That's all - back to the grindstone. Will try and post the Winter Warmth outfits tomorrow - so, so overdue!

Misery Bear

2012-01-04T17:23:00.000-08:00

Okay, I know I'm being rubbish! But, I'm afraid posting is still going to have to wait a bit. I have a paper (actually five, hideous, mini ones) due on Tuesday next week and I'm drowning, not waving. After that, I have seventeen days until my next one, then twenty until the next official deadline but I also have to try and hand in a 2,000 word chapter of my dissertation before then. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh. I know this constitutes as whining! Just bear with me whilst I freak out.
I'm going to keep posting, if just a little sporadically for a while, as this is a nice change of scene for me (and I will be taking pictures of the incredible flying shark tomorrow). Winter warmth Style It! is still coming, so don't worry (and do send in a picture if you haven't yet).
Fingers crossed, I should have snagged my beloved Brushed Lace Pullover today, huzzah, which is one of the only pieces I've been dying for for a while.
(Misery) Bear with me?

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T14:20:00.000-08:00

Wishing you and yours all the best in the New Year!

Please send in your outfits for "winter warmth" Style It! and they'll be going up later tonight or tomorrow morning!

Wednesday's Child

2011-12-29T16:37:00.000-08:00

I have more reviews!

Just to remind you, you have two days left to send in your outfits or Polyvore sets of your "winter warmth" outfits.

I actually received my remote control for my DSLR today, and a GorillaPod was one of my Christmas presents, so hopefully I'll have more outfit photos coming soon! I know, they've been a long time coming.

Sorted Stripes Dress by Bailey 44

And Bailey 44 continues its hot streak! I have to say though, I did tell Roxy (who was next door) I felt seriously like Wednesday Addams in this dress, but I have to admit that it's growing on me - ama I crazy?

Wearing my usual small in this, which fit like a charm - again: loving Bailey 44's consistent sizing! If you don't own anything by them, stick to your true size, but bear in mind that there's a certain amount of stretch in their pieces, so if you're between sizes, you're pretty much safe sizing down without the fear of lumps and bumps.

I can feel my eyes exhausting themselves when I try to work out whether or not the different stripes are flattering or not - I choose not to worry! The feature of the dress I was most concerned with was the fishtail. Thanks to my black tights, I can't really tell what effect it's having, so I'll have to try this on again with bare legs. I will say that it was less noticeable on than it appears to be online.

Still, I can't shake the feeling that if I straightened and darkened my hair I would look like a modern day Wednesday Addams. Maybe that wouldn't be a bad thing?

Nightshade Top by Bordeaux

I seem to be weirdly into the loungewear section at Anthro at the moment - maybe it's an adverse reaction to the cold weather?

This seems like a slightly less delicate version of the Brushed Lace Pullover, so I was keen to try it on (considering that I've already been waiting forever the damned Pullover to go on sale, I'm looking for possible alternatives). I'm wearing the small in this and it was roomy but not huge. I could probably size down to an extra-small but for the lounging/lady of leisure look I would probably stick with this size.

There's not a lot of stretch in the sleeves but it's the more traditionally 'sweater-y' in the cuffs and waistband which are a soft ribbed sweater material.

I can see this being quite versatile but it's probably best suited to wearing with skinny jeans(!) and a piar of heels. Most defitely wishlisted.

Corded Dots Pencil Skirt by Maeve

Having missed out on the Ackee Skirt, I was keen to try out the mustard equivalent!

I'm wearing a UK10/US6 here, which I actually found to be a little too big, so I'd say that this skirt runs big (as I usually have to size up in pencil skirts, to a UK12/US8), though if you like wearing your skirts more on your hips than waist, then true size will be fine. I'm afraid I didn't have time to try on the right size, so this will have to do!

I can see the colour being hugely versatile and the colour combo works marvellously. The material is a really nice, very fine wale corduroy, warm enough to wear now with tights and ideal for spring/autumn, though maybe a little too warm for summer - though how many pencil skirts aren't, frankly?

The length, when the skirt was positioned at the proper place on my waist, hit me a couple of inches above my knee, which is alittle high for the traditional pencil skirt, but still work-friendly.

I like this, but I'm not sure I need it. Maybe at second markdown.

Okay, I'm off to Bedfordshire!

Skinny Obsession continues...

2011-12-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

Reviews tonight: sorry I've been been a little lacklustre with these lately.

Just before we begin, though, I want to remind people to send in their 'winter warmth' outfits! You know you want to ;)

Striped Intersection Top by Bailey 44

Of course if it's by Bailey 44, I simply must try it. And love it. And have it. Naturally, darling.

I'm wearing my usual Bailey 44 size small here, which continues to be the right size - nothing like sizing continuity to encourage brand loyalty.

This is obviously the same kind of style as most of Bailey 44's pieces have been lately. The only difference (apart from the obvious) is that the stripes don't line up on the sides, which is a little annoying though not a deal breaker, so far as I'm concerned. The v-neck is really deep, though, so this is not a work safe, alas. I think a lot of people might only be comfortable wearing this one over a cami - though I'm not sure how practical that is with how form fitting the material is.

I'm loving the colour of this top and the fact that we finally have a top with full length sleeves! As for the stripes, I'm not sure that these are as flattering as the less diagonal ones on the Layered Column Dress, et al.

Fingers crossed this makes it to sale!

Ruffled Cape Tank by Deletta

This is one of those pieces that I was disappointed with, but for nobody's fault but my own: I didn't read the item description properly. I had assumed/hoped that this was a structured tee shirt. What it is really is a quite thin tank with a separate piece of material attached which goes over the shoulders (which did remind me a bit of an American footballer's shoulder armour!).

I'm wearing a small here, and that fit as well as usual - I would say this has a fair amount of stretch, but it's all about where the shoulder... thingies hit you, so stick with your true size.

In the end I wasn't as impressed with this as I thought I would be. It was less to do with the colour and the fit but more that I felt that the quality wasn't entirely there - particularly for the price they're asking for. Maybe I've just been spoilt by Bailey 44?

Pilcro Cord Leggings (only available in grey and moss in the UK)

Continuing with my venture into the world of skinny jeans, I couldn't resist the pilcro leggings that I accidentally picked up with the rest of my sale items.

The orange leggings are actually less bright than they seem here. Weirdly, you'd have thought that them being less bright would be a good thing, but the truth is that the faded orange actually made me think that it just looked as though I had been Tangoed (does that mean anything to non-Brits?). I'm kind of torn, because I do think the colour might prove to be versatile in a pumpkin spice sort of way.

I'm wearing these in a 28 and this is the size I'd stick with. If you're between sizes I would size down: as they're leggings, they have a little more stretch than usual. These were the first of many skinnies I tried on, and it says something that these persuaded me to keep trying skinnies on. I'm going to wait them out for sale, just because I'm not sure how long these will last, as the material feels a little thinner than most of the pilcro cords. If I can get over the possibility of looking like I've been perma-tanned, I'll go for the orange ones, otherwise the lilac have some promise...

As for today's trip to London, I got a pair of jeans (skinnies! Yes, I'm going a little crazy here), the Slung Sash Tee (on sale for £20 instore) in the coral and lastly, but most importantly, I managed to track down my Polka Rounds Clutch! Not a bad haul, if I say so myself. The dratted Brushed Lace Pullover is eluding me, though, darn.

That's all for tonight. I'm off to go read some more American Psycho, which I'll readily admit is freaking me out a bit. Ick.

Resurfacing

2011-12-27T16:19:00.000-08:00

I'm still alive! I'm afraid I've just been pathetically lethargic in the wake of Christmas. I hope everyone had one as lovely as mine? I spent most of the time cooking, with a blood alcohol about twice the legal limit and singing songs from Julie Andrews films. I received some really fantastic Christmas presents (and two slightly sadder ones, alas - more on that later), so I'll be sure to do a Christmas/New York/Boxing Day Sales haul posts.

I'm off to London tomorrow to check out any potential Anthro sales - do let me know if you have any review requests.

Winter Warmth Outfits for Style It! have been put off til New Years as I've only received three entries so far, come on people! Send me your snuggliest outfits that saw Christmas or that you'll be wearing to ring in the New Year.

Tiny Windows Dress, Cath Kidston socks, Hunter Carnaby Wellies.

I'm looking a little dour here, but these are my lovely new wellies which I finally got! It's been about two years since I started hankering after them and they're finally mine!

Funniest (pardon my French) fucking present has to go to the remote controlled flying shark that my brother and I received as a present from my Dad. I literally can't wait to try it out, and I promise that once I do there will be tonnes of photos of me being pursued by a shark through the hallways of my house on this blog. That is all.

The aforementioned presents that didn't pan out so well were the Polka Rounds Clutch which I was pining for for ages, which my Mom ordered for me and the Xbox game "Batman: Arkham City" which I've been hankering after since October. Unfortunately when Mom opened the box from Anthro containing, supposedly, my clutch it turned out to be a mislabelled Parallels Clutch. This one is really cute, but I just don't think it's versatile enough to warrant keeping, so I'm taking it back for credit tomorrow - kind of gutted to have missed out on the clutch, though, as I saw so many when I was in New York! The moral of this story, kids: always check your packages. With regards to the game: all our tech seems to be crapping out on us - the cable isn't working properly and the Xbox refuses to turn on, so it's going to be a while until I finally get to get my ya-yas out on Arkham's inmates.

So, round up: send me your Style It! submissions for Saturday and review requests if you have them, and keep your fingers crossed for a good sale in the UK tomorrow!

Hell's Frozen Over (AKA Sian wears skinny jeans and other sale item reviews)

2011-12-22T16:44:00.000-08:00

I finally tried on some skinny jeans for the blog! It had to happen sometime, I guess. I've rounded up the reviews I did in New York for items that are on sale at the moment, I hope someone finds them useful.
Remember to send in your warm and cosy winter outfits for the Christmas Eve edition of Style It! It can be an actual outfit, or if you're pushed for time, you can always submit it in Polyvore form.

Artist's Eye Top by Holding Horses

AG Stevie Skinny Jeans (on sale)

I'm wearing the 28 in these jeans and these were the right size on me. The main reason I hardly ever wear jeans is that I have a hard time finding ones that fit my body shape properly: if they fit over my hips then they tend to gape in the waist and vice versa. I also find, and I'm afraid these jeans do this a bit, that skinny jeans really don't flatter my legs which are on the chunkier side, thanks to horse riding!

The material of these jeans was so much nicer than I expected! I stuck to my usual waist measurement and found that the stretch in the fabric meant that I could hoik them over my hips and still have them fit my waist nicely. They are suitably skinny that I found no problem tucking them into either flat or heeled boots. I find that these kind of jeans usually look best with a low-mid heel or wedge.

Looking back on these photos I do really wish I had kept them (particularly in light of the dratted 50% off promotion that started right after I left!). Unfortunately, though, I had the misfortune to pull these on in the changing room whilst I was wearing the Cashmere Boatneck and suddenly got this vision of me looking like Santa's little helper.

This top was something I just grabbed to go with the jeans I was trying on (and would avoid the Jovie from "Elf" look) but I'm surprisingly taken with it. I'm wearing a small here and this was the right size for me: fitted through the top but keeping the detail on the bottom. This is really bloody sheer, I'm afraid, so it'll have to be white or nude bras only, but it looks as though it could be a great layering piece. The material is soft and cuddly. Wouldn't it be great if it went on sale and I could get it for 75% off? *bats eyelashes*

Fluted Ponte Dress by Girls From Savoy

I know I've used this reference before, but this is even more like it than the last time:

This is emphasised by the fact that I'm wearing my amazing, daring and a little saucy Henry Holland Suspender Tights (which I'll post about another time), which you can just see peeking out from the hem.

This dress was shorter than I expected, perfect for winter wear with thick tights, but completely work inappropriate once the tights come off.

I'm wearing a small which fit well, if not perfectly: the bust fit snugly but the waist and shoulders were a little wide on me, but I daren't size down. The material does, though, have a nice amount of give to it. The waistband, in case you can't tell, is brown velvet, not black. The dress zips up along the back in a semi-exposed zip.

Another recurring peeve of mine: why the three-quarter length sleeves all the time, Anthro?! Feel this might have been a little better with full or no sleeves.

Was dithering, and I think they've sold out of all of these now, alas. But if anyone has a small they decide they don't want any more: get in touch! ;) And yes, it's so I can look like Sally Jupiter.

Bovary Dress by Maple

This dress is one of those ones that I just flicked over on the website, much to my detriment.

I'm wearing a US4/UK8 in the blue and a US6/UK10 in the grey. There's not a huge amount of difference in them, size wise, so I'd say stick with your usual size if you're busty, size down if you're leaner on top.

This isn't the most flattering dress on me, thanks to the cut of the bodice, which does the magic "waist, what waist?" trick here, but the material is nice and swishy and perfect for office parties. I imagine you could throw a black jacket over these for a good office to night out outfit.

Another one I'm tempted by, though I'm not sure I want to pay for shipping to the UK for it. In the pictures the grey dress definitely wins, but in person the navy just edged it for versatility.

In conclusion: I'm putting out feelers for the AG Stevies in the green and red in 27 or 28, if anyone sees them, and perhaps the Fluted Ponte Dress in a small. Please do get in touch if you might be able to help!

That's all! Sorry for the late posting. Turns out that trying to blog and watch Criminal Minds at the same time is just not possible.

Just three sleeps til Christmas!

Style It! Way, way late...

2011-12-21T12:27:00.000-08:00

Erm. So when I promised normal posting would resume last night? That turned out to be a big fat lie! So sorry, but about half an hour after I posted, I realised I had a driving theory test that I hadn't studied for, so whoops. The good news is that I passed!

This is the Style It! for the Tempting Trellis/Polka Ride Cardigan, enjoy!

Sarah has finally gotten back into my good books with an affordable bag, and what a nice one it is! Also, I think these trousers are on sale now!

Breezy polkas and pants by thatdamngreendress featuring antique handbags

Liz is looking as chic as ever, accessorising not only with this lovely blue number, but also a seriously cute pooch!

Christiane has found a novel new way to wear her Two Wheeler Dress (making me want it more than ever!). Loving it!

Wildflower has given me another reason why I must have the Rodna Dress! And how did I ever miss those boots?

Now, I'm being a bit lazy here, but here's how I've worn the Tick Tock Cardigan recently, in case you missed it:

And I shall upload a Polyvore set for the Breezy Ride Cardigan!

Hope that helps! And I want to hear what you've all bought in this mad sale! I'm slightly annoyed I missed out on this last sale, but at least I can ring the New York stores and try and get a PA on pretty much everything I bought!

Winter Warmth Style It!

2011-12-20T04:17:00.000-08:00

I'm back! In one piece, if a little jet-laggy. And cross about missing this latest Anthro promotion! Last week's issue of Style It! will be going up later today (plenty of time for you to submit still!), but I wanted to open submissions for the Christmas edition.
The votes are in and it looks like "Winter Warmth" as a theme won out, so submit your outfits or Polyvore sets that encapsulate this for you and send them on in. This post will go up on Christmas Eve! I'm looking forwards to seeing what snuggly looks you all come up with already.
Regular posting will be back tonight.

Notes to Self:

2011-12-15T20:55:00.000-08:00

The beginning of my mental notes to self, which I'm sure I'll update as I go. Unfortunately I don't seem to have time to post fully yet, so Style It! will have to wait until the end of this weekend - which means, ahem, plenty of time for submissions to keep coming in!

Oh, and all tips/recommendations for NYC are welcomed!

1) Remember, traffic is coming from the opposite direction! Do not get hit by a cab - particularly since they're allowed to keep creeping around corners - even though the blasted light is red.

Impending doooooom.

2) There is a language barrier. Bill = check. Chips = fries. Jumper = sweater.

3) People might talk to you! This is normal here. If someone makes eye contact, this does not mean you have necessarily pissed them off, or that they think you would look nice handcuffed to their radiator.

Style It! Submissions

2011-12-15T05:39:00.000-08:00

I'm in New York! Exciting news over with: I need more submissions for this week's Style It! post! Your outfit or Polyvore set should include the Breezy Ride/Polkas Cardigan or the Tempting Trellis/Tick Tock Cardigan. Get sending, and I'll have a post up tonight!
As for NYC readers - do get in touch if you're around! I'm heading out in a minute to have my first wonder (and first search for Anthro!).

"I think this line is mostly filler..."

2011-12-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

Quick outfit post! I'm afraid this is all for today, as things have been a little crazy today (mad rush to get everything done before my flight on Wednesday!). To tide you over until tomorrow, though, I have a quick outfit post for you. I'm not sure that I've done one with the Tick Tock Cardigan before, so this is its debut on the blog.

Amarena Dress, Tick Tock Cardigan, Looping Lanes Belt and Bertie Heels.

Remember to submit your entries for this week's Style It! Thanks to some confusion, it's now being opened up to the Breezy Polkas/Ride Cardigan and the Tempting Trellis/Tick Tock Cardigan - so nearly everyone should be able to take part!

Christmas Dreaming

2011-12-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

Taking my lead from Sara, here are some things about my Christmas that you might like to know (and I'd love to see your answers too!):

(And to listen to during:)

2000 Miles by The Pretenders on Grooveshark

Favourite Christmas film/television programme?

Favourite film is, without a doubt, the Muppets' Christmas Carol. It's legitimately the best ever adaptation of Dickens' book. As for television, I'm going to be watching the Doctor Who Christmas special as well as The Snowman (and yes, I will cry). For Americans (just watch the first couple of minutes, please!):

Favourite Christmas drink?

Hot chocolate is my from the hip answer, but that drink I was babbling about the other night is already in contention (found out you can buy it from Amazon here - going to get my order in for Christmas!). I find the older I get, the more appealing mulled wine gets too, maybe it's one of those things that grows on you?

When/how do you open presents?

We never open presents on Christmas Eve! I find it shocking that so many people do - is this more of an American thing or have I just been in the dark for ages? When I was younger we always had to do presents in the morning, but now we tend to do it just before or after Christmas dinner, which is about 5pm or or so. Sometimes, though, I will admit we have a present around noon to 'tide ourselves over'.

And stockings?

Love them! We're really into our stockings and it used to always be a tradition that my brother and I would grab our stockings and then (once they were awake) get into bed with our parents and all open them together. But: last year my brother and I hopped on (me being 22 and my brother 19) there was an awful crack and then the bed collapsed! Not sure we'll be allowed to do that any more. Oh, dear.

Favourite Christmas song/carol?

In terms of hyms, I've always loved "Once in Royal David's City", no idea why! When I'm in Bermuda we always go to church on Christmas and that song invariably comes up. As for lighter fare: I've been singing "Twelve Days of Christmas" under my breath non-stop. I also have the She & Him Christmas album on my Christmas playlist as well as Robert Downey Jr.'s "River" and The Pretenders' "2000 Miles".

How do you feel about the wrapping?

I love it! I've been planning how I'm going to wrap my presents for weeks (in large part to procrastinate from work). I'm sticking with brown paper this year, and decorating with some really cute gift tags that I've bought from Etsy (here):

They were really cheap and they're just so nice in person. I heartily recommend them! I'm using polka dot ribbon (brown with cream, white with black and purple with white) to tie them and lastly some paper butterflies, all from Etsy as well. They haven't gotten here yet, but when they do, I will post one of my finished 'products'!

Christmas food:

Unlike in the States, Christmas tends to be our 'Turkey Day', though some people have goose or duck. I'm cooking again this year, which I'm excited about (probably will be less so when I actually have to get started and everyone else is in the living room already drinking and watching The Snowman, again).

On Christmas Eve we go and pick up the Christmas ham and turkey, and all the trimmings, from our 'local' farm - it's not really local, it's 40 minutes away, but it's on the way back from mine and Mom's horse riding lessons and we've been stopping there since I was about seven. We're not going to look v. glam this year, doing the pick-up, as we're going to go there straight after having jumped off the horses!

I'm also going to make my usual chocolate Christmas cookies! I will post pictures and the recipe if anyone wants it. I don't like to ice these, though I do cut them into the usual shapes. I was thinking I might try and be adventurous and even make coconut or cinnamon ones this year too. I don't like the traditional iced ones, blech. My Mom does, for the icing if nothing else, I think, so we may have some of those hanging around too. Obviously we're going to have a surfeit of baked goods in this house this year...

What colour lights on the tree?

This is a constant source of argument in this house! My Dad and I are traditionalist and like to have the white lights on the tree, whereas my Mother and brother, Ben, like colourful, blinking ones - I hate them! I keep thinking I'm seeing something out of the corner of my eye! Alas, I think Dad and I won out last year, so it'll have to be coloured ones this year. Sigh. First world problem, much?

That's all I can think of for now! If you have any other Christmas questions, ask away, and I'll whack it onto the list.

I'm off to have a bath. I want to say, before I go and prune up, a big thanks for the tip-offs I got about the jumpers I was looking for! I did finally get both, after slightly more than two hours of ringing around (and a 40 minute phone call to Greensboro). They're being shipped to me in New York and I will definitely be doing outfit posts with them soon.

Please let me know your answers, I'm intrigued!

Style It! De Chelly

2011-12-09T14:58:00.000-08:00

Ladies, get ready to pull your De Chelly Dresses out of the cupboards (or scour eBay for it) because we've got some great new ways to wear it!:

De Chelly Style It! by britishanthropologiest featuring high heels

Mine! Was going to take a picture once I handed in my essay, but having only had fifteen hours of sleep over the last three nights, got back to room and passed out face first on the bed, so you get this instead!

Leana's making me really regret not having tried to chase that specs necklace! And the Field Game Cardigan works perfectly here, pretty much a colour match for the blue in the dress.

De Chelly plays Field Games by leanakk featuring a stripe dress

I'm just loving WildFlower's sets! The boots give this dress a functional edge, perfect for this winter, and the gorgeous socks and tights mean you don't have to worry about catching a cold!

Plum Cardigan by Loft
Anthropologie De Chelly Dress
AEO Cabled Tights (cream) - found here
AEO Clog Booties - found here

Sarah asked my forgiveness straight away, so she gets a pass this week for including another gorgeous, hideously expensive bag - you get extra points for it being Mulberry, after my pining earlier in the week. Got to love that bag... The best thing about this outfit, though, is that belt! Love.

Emeraldine De Chelly by thatdamngreendress featuring oxford heels

Elizabeth has managed to dress up this dress for a (presumably spectacular) night out - the filmy cardigan would pair fantastically with smoky eye make-up. And earrings like that make me regret never having had my ears pierced!

Style It - De Chelly Dress by etanin featuring a striped dress

Vikki only has this snap of herself looking tremendous in this dress, in a changing room, alas, but this is how she would usually complete the look, and I've got to say, I'm loving the boots and hat - kick up your spurs, cowgirl.

Loraine has come up with a gorgeous outfit which is just setting off my imagination. If Anthro had released this dress in the winter catalogues, I can imagine one of their models being photographed (looking distressingly undistressed) amongst the tall snowy trees in this outfit. Gorgeous.

Style It- Featuring The De Chelley Dress by lorainedana featuring a black pantyhose

That's all for this week! Thank you everyone for taking part, and I hope that gives you some ideas on how to style your dress! Next week we will be doing the Breezy Ride/Polkas Cardigan (both colourways), so get your thinking caps on! The week after, i.e. the week before Christmas, I think we're going to go for a theme - what do you think?

APB!

2011-12-09T04:23:00.000-08:00

APB by britishanthropologiest featuring oversized tops

I'm on the hunt! You're probably all stick about hearing me bleat about this, if you've been on the EA boards, and I'm promised, I'm this close to being tapped out.
I'm looking for the Cashmere Boatneck (s) and Blanched and Buckled Cardigan (xs) - reviewed here and here, for those interested.
If you see these anywhere, particularly stores which might be able to do a charge send and have it arrive in New York before I leave next Sunday (I'm guessing that limits it to East Coast stores), then please let me know!
Depressingly, I'm going to be in class when the stores open (10am there = 3pm here), so I think I may end up being unlucky, but you never know.
Email any leads to BritishAnthropologiest@gmail.com or leave a comment here.
Thank you!

Reviews in a pinch

2011-12-07T16:28:00.000-08:00

Just a two uber quick reviews before I dive back into trying to finish writing my paper! I'm so close, I can taste my freedom.

Incidentally, this is my 200th review post. Wow. Time flies, when you're spending time in front of a mirror, that should be spent working on your dissertation.

Obviously, Style It! is going to be up tomorrow instead - so keep sending your sets, as I haven't received as many as I'd like ;)

Nicoleta Blouse by Maeve

Colourblocked Skirt by Girls From Savoy

The top is in the EU online store, but the skirt is not, whilst both are (obviously) available instore. Clear? Think I've confused myself.

There's something about a white blouse that's just so tempting, isn't there? I'm always screaming at myself internally when I pick them up, because there's so nearly always something wrong with them. The principal crime, at Anthro, is sheerness.

I'm wearing a UK10/US6 here, and I would size down, as the blousiness (particularly through the arms) was overwhelming me a bit. The buttons did gape very slightly over the bust, but if I bought this I'd be inclined to just stitch it shut - this can be pulled on over your head and this isn't the sort of top to wear undone.

The panelling/frilliness at the front and centre of this top does help the sheerness factor slightly, but you're still going to need to wear a nude bra/cami underneath, for the sides are still quite see-through. Why, God, keep doing this? The mind boggles.

I think this shirt worked better in theory than in reality, on me at least. The sleeves just never looked quite right. I'd be interested to see how the orange looks on, but otherwise this is a pass for me: cute but not outstanding.

I didn't get what all the fuss about this skirt was about when it first popped up in the grey and blue colourways, but clearly it's a case of the Field Game Cardigan all over again - eventually, if you keep switching up the colours, you're gonna get me eventually! This is a great bright, versatile red in real life and the tan waistband is a nice touch. You can play it up by pairing it with black or red, but with anything else the red and black will negate the effect.

I'm wearing the small here, which is probably the right size on me. I found there was a good deal of stretch in it, though, so in a pinch I could size down. The movement of the fabric was great and it was nice and warm and soft - I didn't detect any itch factor. This is on my 'on sale, you will be mine' list. Maybe for the Boxing Day sale? Please?

That's all for now, but stay tuned for outfit ideas for the De Chelly Dress tomorrow! The poll will reset tomorrow, too. Wish me luck with this paper!

There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow

2011-12-06T16:50:00.000-08:00

[Send in your De Chelly Dress outfits/Polyvore sets, please!]

Just a lightning fast post tonight as I got home much later than I anticipated from seeing the production of Hamlet at the Young Vic, starring Michael Sheen - love him! Hamlet is probably my favourite of all the Shakespeare plays but I always forget how long it is - we got there at 7:15 and left just after 11, so unsurprisingly I'm about to keel over.

The production was really interesting. It's not the best one I've seen (Tennant's in Stratford was) but it's up there. Sheen was amazing, so high energy that you wonder how he does it eight times a week. Claudius and Gertrude were also outstanding. It made me think a lot, but I wasn't sure that the concept worked consistently. Still, I recommend going if you can, for the staging which is incredible, if nothing else.

One of the interesting things about this production was that they make you walk through a specially set-up back stage area before you get to your seats, to set the mood. This adaptation of Hamlet is set in a mental asylum, which is an interesting spin and the backstage area experience was great, really quite sinister. I managed to snap a few photos before anyone of the ushers (dressed as asylum staff) spotted me!:

My brother took this one of me as we were waiting to get in. What I want to know: why would he not tell me what the frick was happening to my fringe here?!

Oh, and this is the best winter drink. Ever. It's called Krupnik and we had it at the restaurant right before we had to sprint to make the show. That was an interesting run. It's called honey vodka but there are other herbs that go in there too. It was just too perfect for words: sweet, slightly sticky, hints of apple and cloves before you get the honey aftertaste. If that weren't good enough: it's served hot. Gah. It's also about 90 proof. Hence it's served in the shot glass. I've actually emailed the restaurant to find out whether or not it's available to buy by the bottle. I sense there could be an addition to the Christmas wish lists...

Sorry that that's it for tonight, but wanted to keep up my good streak of posting! Tomorrow is the last day I have to work on my essay, so I can't guarantee that the Style It! will go up. If it doesn't, I'll post reviews and do Style It! on Thursday.

Off to crash with my peppermint tea, hot water bottle and 85% chocolate. Good night!

Disneyland

2011-12-05T13:26:00.000-08:00

The last of my Paris picspam! This is is of course Disneyland Paris.

A couple of points before we get underway: send in your submissions for Style It! It should be running Wednesday (maybe Thursday if I'm still flailing on the essay front) and it's centred on the De Chelly Dress this week. Also: vote for next week's item in the poll on the right.

Main Street, USA! I was so shocked by how much of the park layout and routes I remembered from my childhood. Defining years, I guess!

As you can see, it wasn't a particularly nice day, which was a little frustrating - it was sunny for about two hours in the middle of the day, when we were eating lunch, so we missed it!

I've noticed in this picture that I have really point ears. That's not going to haunt me...

We overslept/got bogged down in breakfast pastries, so we ended up getting there when pretty much everyone else did. Luckily they seemed to get distracted by Goofy, so we managed to snap some photos before plunging in.

You must be so sick of seeing this coat by now! I have to say that even I was feeling a little coral-weary by the end of this trip, but it's the warmest coat I had with me at university, so what can you do. This coat definitely looks better undone, but it was freezing. Bah, humbug.

Frog Princess! We decided to splurge and we had lunch at the Auberge de Cendrillon, which is the most expensive restuarant in the park - the upshot being that the princesses are there and come round to the tables to take pictures with you, which is nice. Hilariously, we wanted to go for dinner but we were told that on Sunday's "the princesses go home at 3:30" which Cath and I cracked up about.

Cinderella was absolutely stunning she really looks the part, doesn't she? She kept trying to pull me closer for the photo but her damn hoop skirt kept nearly knocking me over - I'm so lucky I didn't end up on my arse amongst the clamouring children.

I cannot for the life of me, remember the mouse's name, but I have a soft spot for the 'characters' who are dressed in the furry suits. I guess I associate them with good childhood memories (omg. walking, talking, hugging teddy bears!).

Ariel had a prince (as well as the most ridiculous hair bump-it thing ever, but we won't get into that) which none of the others did, which made for an interesting dynamic. At one point I think Cinders was trying to pinch him - and who can blame her?

Obviously, Cath and I opened ourselves up to a whole load of jokes in the "your prince has come!" vein - but: it. was. worth. it. They had v. good English accents but there was a surreal moment when the Prince was trying to light the cake with a lighter, couldn't do it, turned to us and said: "can you make fire?" I'm sure there's a joke about all men being cavemen here...

And this is the long unseen Cath! I don't think she'll mind me posting this one (particularly since she forgot to take a picture of me with Mickey, harumph). He was SO tiny! Are Mickey's always this small? I swear they used to be bigger, but then I suppose I used to be smaller...

May I redirect you to my comment about "walking, talking, hugging teddy bears"? Actually, I don't think these ones do talk, but you know what I mean.

Now, the next couple of pictures I am showing you just for the humour factor. Do not judge me. I'm doing this because I love you. And because it's that funny.

I WILL EAT YOU!?!?!

Possibly the best thing of all is that small child on the side's really horrified expression. In my defence, I wasn't acutally trying to take a bite out of him. I actually just pecked him on the cheek and Cath managed to catch the worse part of the motion! In my defence, his reaction:

This is pretty much here so my cousins can see this and realize how cool I am (they're 4 and 6 - so I am). They're Toy Story nuts. As are we all, lets face it.

My brother quite cruelly said that something seems to have gone a little awry with this interpretation with Jamine and you can kind of see his point - it was just a really, really unfortunate coat. She doesn't really wear much, generally, does she? Suppose a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do in the colder months.

Crappy iPhone picture so you can see my rollercoaster face - Big Thunder Mountain, best. ride. everrrr. I look about twelve here!

As a grown-up (sort of) I now realise how amazing the sheer amount of detail in Disneyland is. There were numbers and names of all the residents in this 'apartment building'. It's this odd, ideal of small town America, Main St. USA, at least.

I was completely out of energy by this stage, as you can probably guess, and I could barely walk, having to pull my bum leg out behind me like some lame donkey. Cath was like: "pose like you're in Singing in the Rain!" and I'm like: "duuuude" because that's what you do in Disneyland. And look how pretty the castle is!

I'm also carrying a bag full of Christmas baubles so how this didn't end in disaster, God only knows.

That's it! I hope you've enjoyed my mini/not so mini photo diary of my trip to France. I'd love to do some more when I get back from New York but I'm going to be on my own, so I don't think there'll be many pictures of me in there, alas.

Speaking of New York: I am going to be in Manhattan the 15th, 16th, 17th and 18th - and I plan to hit all the Anthros! Are there any New York readers/almost New York readers that want to meet up? Let me know via email or in the comments.

That's all folks!

Dear Santa...

2011-12-03T12:28:00.000-08:00

In my 'downtime' from trying to write my paper, I've been going a little Polyvore crazy. I did a set for someone looking for ways to style the Dromedary Dress (found here) and haven't been able to stop since. In an attempt to be (mildly) productive, I channelled the Polyvore craziness into my wishlists for the season:

Clothes and Accessories Christmas List by britishanthropologiest featuring pullover sweaters

I've actually caved and bought the Spotted Satchel for myself, as a Christmas present, but I wanted to bung it on here next to the Polka Rounds Satchel which I've been dropping hints about/outright begging for since it went on sale in the EU yesterday for £50 down from £100. No such thing as too many polka dots, am I right? Am I?!

Both jumpers from Anthro will be mine, though I might have to wait until the Boatneck goes on sale because I don't want anyone spending that much money on a full price jumper, even if it would be a gift.

I just adore the Henry Holland jumper, even though I shouldn't (it's less of a mustard and more of a taupe tan in person). The zebra is really fluffy! It's on sale at the moment (need a 10!) but I can't get the damn checkout at Debenhams to work for me, otherwise I might just cave and buy it for myself.

Anthro gift cards are always gratefully received! While it's nice to get specifically chosen presents, it's a relief to be able to not spend my own money on Anthro for a while. I'd probably put the money towards the Layered Column Dress, which must be about to go on sale. Surely?

This bib necklace is long gone now, I think, but I just adore it. Take it as inspiration, people!

Beauty Wishlist by britishanthropologiest on polyvore.com

Most of these are fairly self explanatory: I'm running low on Dermalogica and MAC Penultimate. I tried the Porefessional while I was in France and was really amazed at the effect, so I'd love to get my hands on some of this.

I'm starting to play around with eye shadows more, probably thanks to my new glasses, which show off more of my eyes, and these Urban Decay sets are what I've been recommended - anyone have any views? I recently bought the 'They're Real' Mascara by Benefit which I'm loving, but I'm a little thin on eye shadows...

The concealer is another thing I've heard about but never seen - feedback much appreciated on this one!

Stocking Stuffers by britishanthropologiest on polyvore.com

I always have an Anne Taintor calendar, I just can't get enough of them. I love her humour so much, I have lots of old calendar pages stuck up on the walls of my dorm room!

Having a DSLR has made me realise, for the first time, that I really need a tripod if I want to take self portraits which, duh, I do.

The Body Shop hand cream is hands down the best I've ever used, the only one that works for me, and my last tube which lasted about a year is ghosting on me. Body Shop are running a good promotion too, for the next few days, if you want to stock up on stocking presents (see what I did there?).

R. Nichols stationery is my favourite, I have about four boxes of his notecards lying around at any one time. I like to write (and receive!) hand written letters, and these are my favourite. I'm feeling slightly inspired by Paris with regards to these ones.

Charbonnel et Walker Pink Champagne Truffles! Best truffles ever. You can buy the two tier boxes of these, but I couldn't get a good picture of it - don't skimp on the truffles, people. Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Days are off the books, so far as healthy eating goes, so bring on the truffles!

Lottery Handbag List by britishanthropologiest featuring satchel handbags

Daddy, in case you're reading this: don't freak! I am NOT expecting a Mulberry handbag! I've been on the prowl for a Mulberry bag for what seems like yonks now. These are the ones at the top of my wishlist, though I'm contenting myself looking on eBay for now. There was a fantastic coral/pink Bayswater which I loved, but haven't seen one since. Sigh. These would more than make up for it, though! (Honestly, it's okay, Daddy!).

Last thing on my wishlist that I could not force onto Polyvore in any way shape or form (grr, agh) is this Letts' of London Duchess Diary. I've had these for the last couple of years and I still can't get over how beautiful they are - you can't see here, but the edges of the paper are bright silver, and mine has my initials embossed in the same colour. Beautiful and functional! What could be better?

Am going to eat and then I suppose I'd better resign myself to my fate and crack on with the paper. Just five sleeps until this paper is done and I'm freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Snapshots of Paris

2011-12-02T14:34:00.000-08:00

Doesn't the Eiffel Tower look spooky here?! For the first two days the whole city was shrouded in a really dense, slightly sinister, Conan Doyle-esque fog. I'm afraid that most of these pictures aren't nearly as pretty as yesterday's ones of Versailles becase a) it's hard to top Versailles and b) most of these were taken with my point and shoot, rather than DSLR.

For our 'big meal' of the trip we went to a place that my parents (and aunts and uncles) have been raving about near incessantly. It's called Relais de l'Entrecote in St Germain, and I have to agree with everyone, it was fan-fricking-tastic. I didn't think to take any photos of the food, alas, I was too swept up. When you're sat you aren't given a menu, just asked how you like your meat cooked and whether or not you'd like any wine. Then they bring you out (frighteningly quickly) a green salad with walnuts and the best mustard vinigraitte I've ever had - I'm really not a salad person, but I couldn't get enough of this. Almost the second that you finish, your plates are whisked away and your mains is in front of you about thirty seconds later. I had to actively pace myself, I was sure I was going to get indigestion.

The steak is just cooked to perfection (and they cook to the same standards as you'd expect, re: doneness - no mooing meat here) and with their famous secret sauce, which you can read all about on the net. There are pomme frittes galore, they just keep piling them on you. Just fab, fab, fab!

At the end of the meal you do finally get to exercise some free will and order dessert (if you have room) and their profiteroles were to die for. Most impressive of all is that the entire meal (salad, mains, two desserts and a half bottle of bordeaux) came to 75E which is really reasonable for what you get. If you're going to France soon, you must go!

I'm not sure if you can see the enormous queue behind me (probably distracted by the atrocious wrinking of my dress - eeee!) but that was the queue to get into the restaurant! I can't recommend this place enough, so long as you're not a vegetarian! We got there at 7pm and had to wait about twenty minutes to be seated, I think some people after us were waiting closer to an hour - get there early!

Bloody Bordeaux had kicked in by this stage! Seems that no matter where I go in the world, I can't escape the tube! These are the expensive Wolford tights that I was ranting about a while back on Twitter. I was undecided when I first got them, but I kind of love them now. One of Catherine's (my friend/host) charges looked at me goggle eyed before exclaiming to her father: "she's painted her legs!"

Does this dog not have the biggest, most doleful eyes ever?! We found this adorable little girl in the street across from the apartment! Luckily I had seen what gate she had slipped out of so we were able to take her back where she belonged (though I wish I could just have kept her!). The man we took her back to was obviously an idiot, which was a bit worrying, but he was only looking after her until her family came home. Let me ask you: if you put the dog you were looking after in the yard, while you had a shower (bearing in mind this is an apartment complex with no secure garden), and then two girls brought said dog back, when you hadn't even realised she was gone, wouldn't you be really, really grateful/effusive/praising the heavens that they had saved it from being smushed? This chap was none of those things. Craziness.

Word to the wise: the Musee D'Orsay isn't open on Mondays. Unfortunately we weren't able to go on Saturday or Sunday, so I thought I might finally be able to see one of my favourite paintings just before I went home, but alas it was not meant to be.

I have to note here, that I start to look peakier and peakier in all of the photos now! This is because I seem to have managed to do something wretched to my Achilles tendon and it hurt so badly I could hardly walk on this last day! The pain's not quite so intense now, but even having stayed off of my feet for the last couple of days, it doesn't seem to be getting any better, which is panicking me with regards to my upcoming New York trip - help!

I only had time to swing by one place for a quick sightsee before getting the train home, and I chose Notre Dame, which I prefer over the Eiffel Tower - it's just so gorgeous.

"Fringe!"

The damn fringe was driving me a bit barmy during this trip, it kept 'splitting' for lack of better word, making me look v. strange. I don't suppose anyone has any good tips for keeping your fringe a bit more together?

Disneyland pictures, in all their glory, will be up this weekend or on Monday, depending on how many people are around!

I'm a thousand words into a two thousand word essay, though most of them are completely disjointed, and unstructured, so wish me luck this weekend as I try and get it ready to hand in on Thursday. After that, I have a couple of lectures and then it's New York and the Christmas holidays! Doesn't time fly...

Versailles

2011-12-01T14:59:00.000-08:00

Warning! This is a picspammy post, I'm afraid! These are my photos of my day in Versailles (photos of Paris and Disneyland are still to come).

What's one of the first things that comes to mind when you think of going to France? I don't know about you, but for me 'patisserie' is right up there! I was actually good and didn't get any of these gorgeous confections, though I did allow myself (again and again) the luxury of...

Pain au chocolat! I love these pretty much all the time, but it has to be said that you just cannot get a pain au chocolat this good anywhere outside of France. I've read that it's the French butter. Whatever it is, I'm kind of grateful. If I could get one of these this good every morning I'd be the size of a whale, and I'd probably think it was a good trade off. We had traditional pot au chocolat with it, it was essentially melted chocolate (does it remind anyone else of the river of chocolate in Willy Wonka?!).

There was an amazing food market on the way to du Chateau de Versailles, which I couldn't stop snapping pictures of. If I hadn't known I was going to be out for ages, I'd have been all over the cheeses. And are those not the barmiest mushroom you've ever seen?

Chateau de Versailles! I guarantee you, you've never seen such a gilt building as this.

This kid was adorable (and totally hogging my limelight with his adorableness).

This is the Hall of Mirrors, where the Treaty of Versailles (which ended the First World War) was signed. Can you imagine the balls that must have taken place here?

Marie Antoinette's bedroom! To say this was plush would be a pretty serious understatement. Felt a real pang of (odd) jealousy - so, so gorgeous.

The grounds of Versailles. They were really incredible, even in the downcast weather. You can't really see it here, but behind me is the Grand Canal which we decided not to go see since it's something like a 7km walk around the whole thing - that gives you some idea of the scale of all of this.

The 'back' of the Chateau. I have to say I was completely dumbstruck by the whole experience - I really recommend anyone going to Paris to take half a day to come and look at the Palace of the Sun-King. Wear flat shoes, you'll walk for miles. I have to say, it's easy to see why the working class French were horrified - the expense that went into this is just unbelievable. But, I can't help but wish that I could zap back in time for a day, so I could see Versailles in all its glory.

Style It!

2011-11-30T15:14:00.000-08:00

Stuck for ways to style your Sugar and Cream Dress? Have no fear, Anthro community to the rescue!

Terrie has come up with an amazing and inventive way to wear her Sugar and Cream Dress, and I'm thrilled she's shared it. I don't own this top, but I might have to take a look and see if any of my tops might fit the bill.

If that weren't enough, Terrie has come up with even more ways to wear it!:

Sugar and Cream Ideas by anthropologist featuring party tights

Creme dress, $40
Striped top, $90
Silk top
Red hosiery, $13
Tight, $13
Tight, $13
Party tight, $9.95
Polka dot stocking, $16
Peeptoe shoes, $118
Mid heel shoes, $218
Seychelles teal shoes, $50
Peeptoe shoes, $188
Wrap shoes, $118
Stackable jewelry, $36
Woods Wallpaper, $198
Pave Posts, $24

Leana has winterized this dress fantastically, and I'm suddenly longing for that coat! This outfit is putting me into a decidedly Christmassy mood - She&Him Christmas album, here I come.

Cream and Sugar by leanakk featuring taupe shoes

Creme dress, $40
New Arrivals - Clothes - Anthropologie.com, $198
HUE Classic Rib Tights with Control Top (Army), $14
Taupe shoes, $50

Allyson is looking gorgeous in my favourite 'where-the-hell-is-it!' sweater! Doesn't she look lovely here? And seriously, where the hell is my cardigan?!

Sugar and Cream Dress

Precious Materials Cardigan

American Eagle Necklace

Slinking Frills Pumps

Vikki had me at the hat. I seem to be in a hat funk at the moment.. Anyhoo, black is one of those colours that I never seem to be able to pull off with my dress, despite the sash, but Vikki does it impeccably - I think it might be time for me to take another run at it - and use your styling as an excuse for a new black hat, of course.

Kristin has put a great modern 1950s spin on her outfit here - she's got the amazing glasses (v. jealous) and bouncy 50s do to prove it. Accessory I'm also loving? The bottle of wine on the table. Thattagirl.

Sugar and Cream Dress

J Crew Jackie Cardigan

Hue Tights

Seychelles shoes

Anthropologie bracelet

Sarah is not only inspiring me but cracking me up - that teacup kitten! However, Sarah's on my naughty list for introducing me to this gorgeous orange patent bag which is more than half of my student loan!

Sugar and cream and all that is nice by thatdamngreendress featuring wool scarves

Anthropologie dress, $40
Cardigan, €207
Tall leather boots, $130
Valextra genuine leather handbag, $2,300
Heart jewelry, $38
Wool scarve, $30

Little old me:

Sugar and Cream Dress

Darling Willa Blouse (taupe version of Wispy Cirrus)

J Crew Spencer Mary Janes

And if that weren't enough, I've added a few of my latest lust haves on the Anthro site to it to come up with a fabby winter outfit for it!

Sugar and Cream Winterwonderland by britishanthropologiest featuring an oversized cardigan

Anthropologie dress, $40
Oversized cardigan, $148
Slouchy beanie, $48
Glove, $198
Central Park in Winter, Manhattan, New York City, New York State, USA..., $49
Sweaterknit Ankle Boots - Anthropologie.com, $228

A big thank you to everyone who submitted this week! Lets see if we can get the numbers even better next week, when we tackle the De Chelly Dress! I think closer to Christmas we might try a 'themed' week, rather than an item based week, i.e. polka dots, how does that sound?

What do you think of these outfits? Any help!?

Oh, and for those of us in the EU: Anthro is offering 30% off of winter accessories online!

Last Call for Style It!

2011-11-30T08:38:00.001-08:00

You have a few more hours to submit your Polyvore sets or outfit photos for this week's Style It post, revolving around the Sugar & Cream Dress. Entries are a bit thin on the ground at the moment, so come on! If you've posted them on your blog before, that doesn't matter!
BritishAnthropologiest@gmail.com

Brushed, Sprayed, Embroidered and Unfettered: all in a day's work

2011-11-29T14:23:00.000-08:00

Please send in your Polyvore sets and outfit photos for tomorrows Style It! featuring the Sugar and Cream Dress! I only have one submission so far, which is a poor showing!

Paris photos are still being twiddled with - I vastly underestimated how many photos I took and overestimated how many good ones there were of me, so bear with me. In the mean time, more lovely-jubbly reviews!

Sparkle Sprayed Dress by Rohit Gandhi and Rahul Khanna

I usually hate these style of dresses - they nearly always make me look like I'm wearing a muumuu (a la Homer Simpson) - but I got kind of stuck on this one. The material and beading is just gorgeous. My two favourite colours at the moment are mustard yellow and dove grey, and I haven't seen much of the latter lately.

I'm wearing a small and I think I might actually need to size down as it felt a little big across the back for me, and the armholes were a little too deep - I hope sizing down might fix that. I found that this dress looked less tent-like than usual, from the the front. I'm not sure that the beading stops at a flattering part of my chest, but it does seem to minimise it a bit, which is a plus! From the side, though, I had the usual muumuu effect, which was kind of heartbreaking. I didn't have any jackets/shrugs with me in the changing room, so I don't know if that would help matters, but I can see this being worn with a black jacket, tights and heels for a good office party look.

The material was surprisingly lovely, quite soft and not at all sheer. The beading was gorgeous and seemed to be quite sturdily attached. The pleated material stops this from venturing into nightie territory.

Love this, but probably won't get it as I don't think it suits me, but it comes highly recommended!

Embroidered Mirabilis Dress by Lil

Let me start by saying that this broke my ten second rule for clothes - the slip took an age to get on and then the sleeves have to be pulled on just right, so that the sheer panels are on the top.

I'm wearing a UK10/US6 here and whilst I found it too big in the waist (you can see where I've tried to cinch it in) the shoulders were borderline too small on me. The length hit me just on the knee, a good length, and kicks out slightly for a more flattering shape.

I thought this was a 'very Anthro' dress when I saw it on the hanger, but not necessarily a very 'me dress' and I think I've been proven right. I know some people are going to love this but it felt really matronly on me. The sleeves were driving me a bit bats, as they were slightly restrictive and neither half sleeves nor three quarter length. A pass for me, though the construction is really high quality.

Brushed Lace Pullover by Eloise

Unfettered Maxi Skirt by Moulinette Soeurs

I won't bother doing a long review of this jumper, since I know plenty of reviews have been done. In short: I love it! I'm kind of kicking myself for not buying it with the friends and family discount that I had over the weekend, but I spent a fair amount last week on other things, so I'm going to keep waiting until it goes on sale. I'm wearing a small here, which is the size I would buy. I had room in it to wear a thin top underneath and I think a medium might drown me. Lovelovelovelove.

This skirt has gone on sale in the States today, and I highly recommend it, though I'm going to have to wait for it to get marked down again (is anyone else feeling really spoilt by the Black Friday prices?). Both times I wore this skirt I felt like an elf or some kind of magical creature - it moves fantastically.

I wore a small both times I wore this which fit nicely, but the waistband is entirely elastic so I could probably go either way if need be. It looks as though the red is a better length, but I think that the grey was just hiked a little further up my waist - it was around my ankles. The best thing about the waist is that if you want to wear flats and don't want to keep tripping on the hem then all you have to do is yank it up!

I'd forgotten that I'd tried the grey on before, seen below. The grey was particularly ethereal but it was also more sheer than the red (yes, I'm wearing green knickers). This might be fixable with nude knickers, but otherwise you're going to need to wear this with tights or a slip. The red wasn't completely opaque - you can see the pattern of my tights continuing up even through the material! But, you had to squint. And, let's face it: if you can see this, then you're too close!

Wislisted for second markdown, come on Anthro, indulge me! Probably in the red, so I don't have to worry about wardrobe crises.

In sale news: I'm slightly gutted that the Bowed Lacerta Mary Janes and Many Folds Dress have gone on sale today, after the extra markdowns of last week. My final sale haul from this weekend comprised of the Spotted Satchel (thank you JewishGirl!), Lepidoptera Dress (thank you Diem!), Countdown Heels by Seychelles - I'd been looking for these forever and given up all hope, but Neiman Marcus Last Call are selling them! - and two great finds on the EA selling boards, the Fifth Form Shift and Tiny Windows Dress! I'll do a round-up post when I get everything, post-New York. Hence, no Lacertas or Many Folds for me. I figure the latter might yet make it to second markdown, though I'm most certainly doomed with the former. Ah well, you win some, you lose some!

That's all folks! I'm off to try and write a 500 word plan for a paper due next week before I try and figure out how the heck I'm going to style my Sugar and Cream Dress for tomorrow.

Romance in Winter

2011-11-28T12:33:00.000-08:00

I'm home! Before we get started, the usual reminder to please submit a Polyvore set or outfit to this weeks Style It! feature - I can't run it, if you don't submit it! This week is focusing on the ever tricky Sugar & Cream Dress. Also, you can vote for next weeks item in the poll on the right.

Two dress reviews tonight!:

Raspberry Jacquard Dress by Maple

Let's start by restating that this dress is raspberry coloured, not red as the Anthro site would, bizarrely, have you believe.

This dress seems to be the same design and fit as the Tupelo Dress, so I think that whatever size you took in that would best suit you (I sized down to a UK8/US4, thanks to the elastic back). However, I wasn't able to try on the right size! The photos you see here are of the UK6/US2 which is what the sales assistants bought me when the UK10/US6 was ridiculously big on me. This is definitely too small, though, so just one size smaller than your usual, or it starts to look a bit smock-like.

The material of this dress is much thicker than the Tupelo, more of a thick party satin. The material is raspberry pink with red dots (as you can see in the last photo). I liked the material a little less than the original, but I can see it being versatile for Christmas and Valentines.

I know I shouldn't like this, but if it gets to second markdown I'm going to make it mine so I can wear it with red heels!

Graphic Flutters Dress by Heyhoe

It feels like an age since we've had a great silk print dress, don't you think? We had a particularly bountiful period last year with the Violet Gloaming Dress and the...erm, other colourful one. It'll come to me.

To start with, I found this ran big, I'm wearing a US4/UK8 here and it was still a tad too big. The shape of the dress is fab, though, and the material doesn't cling in any unflattering ways. The waist cinches in nicely and the colourful waistband acts as a built in waist-attention-seeker.

Remember how gushy I was about the colour of the Gathered Lace Dress? Well, looks like I may have found a replacement! I loved the look of this colour against my skin, the purple is almost glow-y. The print of birds and butterflies manage to be both 1960s-esque and modern at the same time, so I can see that this could be dressed with a vintage cardigan or metallic platform heels for two very different looks. The print is quite original, so it might be hard to wear it often, but I'm just in love. Ah.

Wishlisted and hoping to get it on sale!

So! Paris was fun! I have lots of outfit and out and about photos to post, but I only got back a few hours ago and I have work to do and miles to sleep off. Forgive me if I wait until tomorrow?

Style It! (Plus a Review!)

2011-11-25T09:35:00.000-08:00

Slightly low turnout for this week's Style It! feature, alas, but the outfits we do have are gorgeous. Next week will be focusing on the Sugar & Cream Dress, so get creative!

Liz is (again) looking gorgeous in her submission this week. I love the grey and purple element she has here, perfectly set off by those ever so versatile heels.

Waffle Weave Dress

Cattleya Cardigan

Snakebite Belt

Dotty Cluster Tights

Slinking Frills Pumps

Chris took the time to send me this lovely dressed down take on the Waffle Weave Dress - I'm loving the hat!

Waffle Weave Dress

Precious Particulars Blouse

Anthro Belt

Wound Barra Boots

Accessorize Hat

This outfit from Jenn is the first one to make me genuinely think that I'm missing out, not having the Noon & Night Dress - stunning.

Old Navy Top

Noon & Night Dress

Gap Belt

Target Boots

Style It! Waffle Weave by britishanthropologiest featuring mary jane shoes

Corset dress
$60 - anthropologie.com

J.Crew mary jane shoes
$228 - jcrew.com

Braided leather belt
$44 - anthropologie.com

Antiques on Old Plank Road - Stunning Original Paint Antique French 4...
antiquesonoldplankroad.1stdibs.com

And, as a bonus: I tried on the monochrome Basket Weave Dress, or the Twist & Refresh Dress, as its properly known, this week:

Twist & Refresh Dress by Ganni

I've managed to avoid falling for any of the waffley dresses that Anthro's put out so far, but I think this might be the closest they've gotten to winning me over.

I'm wearing a small, which fit but I would say it runs a smidge small. The longer sleeves on this dress make this the most wintery incarnation of this style yet. The sleeves stretch but I found that though you'll get your arms through them, they felt quite tight and I was constantly aware of them.

The material of this dress feels slightly thicker than the Noon & Night, but that could be my mind playing tricks on me. I found the material to be too thick for my taste - I actually felt slightly claustrophobic, as though someone might suddenly pop out behind me and go "ta-da!" and it would turn out to be a straightjacket. Frankly, my mental health is fragile enough.

A pass for me, but I think if you liked these dresses so far, you'll love this one, as there are so many ways you could wear it. Do bear in mind, though, that snug cardigans might have a hard time over the sleeves.

In terms of Black Friday: started on a high by getting the Spotted Satchel for $65 and then the Lepidoptera Dress for $40 but then came down with a bit of a bump when the bag was cancelled. I'm ridiculously gutted about it. My trusty handbag is giving out on me (and leaving big stripes of red on my clothing) and I thought that would be the perfect replacement. Drat. How did everyone else do?

Right, I've got to dash! My train to Paris leaves in two and a half hours and I've got to bung in some socks and another pair of shoes into my suitcase. I will take some outfit photos, if I can, so I can have some gorgeous OOTD photos for you!

Style It! Postponement

2011-11-23T16:07:00.001-08:00

Tonight's post is being bumped til tomorrow, so I can rest up. Sorry! Upside is that there's time for a few more submissions! Send your outfits and Polyvore sets to BritishAnthropologiest@gmail.com

Lacy Shifts

2011-11-22T14:51:00.000-08:00

Remember to submit something for tomorrow's Style It! It's going to be a slightly sad post if more people don't something in! If you don't have any of the dresses needed (remember it's the Basket Weave/Waffle Weave/Noon & NIght Dresses this week) then you can still enter a Polyvore set, like me.

Last couple of reviews from my last trip, tonight. I'm hoping to get into store tomorrow for a quick try on session, but fate might be intervening, alas.

Veiled Alder Dress by Yoana Baraschi

This dress was v. popular when Roxy first unveiled it on her blog, but it took what felt like ages to make it into stores over here.

I'm wearing a UK10/US6 here, and I would say that it runs true to size. I found it slightly big in the waist, but it's nothing a belt wouldn't fix. The slip underneath is a great touch and it pretty much eliminated the risk of flashing too much side-bra.

The scalloped hem was my favourite detail on this dress, giving it a surprisingly flattering edge - I think it somehow makes your legs look longer! The material was softer than I expected but the colour was a little greyer than I was happy with - I think it washes me out. Those with darker skintones than me are going to rock this dress. The saddest thing? I'm going to get paler than this. Way paler. If only that dress came in another colour, another colour like...

Gathered Lace Dress by Maeve

This colour! I love this! I didn't expect to, judging from the product photos, but this is one of those rare colours that goes brilliantly with a fairer skin colour. The colour has more pink undertones in it than I see online, and it's just gorgeous. I can see this pairing really well with neutrals, metallics (grey Field Game Cardigan!) and you might be able to try throwing in a pop of colour (Remaining Lilies Cardigan?).

I'm wearing a UK10/US6 here and I would say it runs a touch big, I would have been happier with the size down - I think you can see in the first and last photos that there's just too much material around the waist and hips on me. I was having trouble with the zip, though, which was very sticky on this one. Hopefully just a one off, but bear it in mind. The cotton was nice (and non-sheer!) but not terribly wintery. I also can't understand why they've made this dry-clean only - that's pretty much a deal killer for me.

Really cute, but I'm not sure that it's practical for me as it's not quite the right season for this plus it's expensive for what it is (factor in future dry-cleaning costs too). Maybe if it made it to second markdown.

Soooo. I'm feeling really quite ill, but hopefully it's just a 24 hour thing, and I'll be as right as rain tomorrow. Having said that: if I sort of disappear tomorrow, I'm fine!, just recovering. Will try and post Style It! if I get enough submissions, or at the very least let you know when I'll be posting it. I really need this bloody thing to go away as I'm supposed to be in Paris on Friday! My friends think it might be some weird virus that seems to be going around. Headache, congestion and massive dizziness/faintness. Sound familiar to anyone?! Sigh. Hypochondria attack, over.

Fingers crossed that we're going to get a satisfying sale tonight! When I actually wrote out the things I want on sale I realised my wishlist was slightly bigger than I first anticipated. Hopefully not everything will go on sale at once, otherwise I may have to cancel Christmas! In all seriousness, though, this is probably my last splurgey week (holidays aside) until sometime in January. I have Christmas coming up, Grandmother's birthday, New Years Eve, Mom's birthday, best friend's birthday and Dad's birthday all before mid-January! Ouch. How about everyone else: have you started buying Christmas presents yet? I've been trying to start early - bought first ones at the end of last month!

Dissertation Drowning

2011-11-21T17:59:00.000-08:00

Sorry! I know I've been absentee blogger the last few days! In my defence, I wasn't just bumming around (well, okay, I was one night) - I've been trying to complete my dissertation draft. This actually doesn't mean I'm that far along - I just had to hand in 2-3000 words that shows I've started working on it. I managed to do a huge plan, so I'm feeling quite virtuous now!

Anyhoo, I've got a lightning fast review for you and a big reminder: submit your Polyvore sets and outfits centred around the Waffle Weave/Noon and Night/Basket Weave Dress! You have until Wednesday evening. I'm going to be doing a Polyvore set this time around, as I don't have any of these dresses, so don't be shy!

Blanched and Buckled Cardigan by Angel of the North

You might have noticed my sudden onset of obsession with oversized and chunky knits lately, so it's no surprise that I was clammering for this.

I'm wearing the extra-small in the jumper, since you need the buckles to do up fairly tightly, otherwise there'll be quite a lot of flapping about. This fit nicely on me, but I suspect that means that teeny girls (0s and 2s) are going to be sized out of this one.

I've seen some complaints about the fit of the sleeves on this cardigan but I didn't run into problem (and arms are usually my trouble spot. You know, along with all my other trouble spots!). The material has enough give to them that I don't see this being a real problem. I would say that this will probably stretch out over time, which is another reason to size down.

The buckles give this cardigan its edge but might hamper functionality a bit, as it's a little tricky to wear open thanks to the straps. The material is so warm and snuggly, though, that I envisage this being a cardigan solely for cold weather, so I think you're probably always going to want it done up. I found the material really soft and not at all itchy.

I'm so in love with this and it's going straight on the wishlist, hopefully in time for Christmas, so I can wear it over something slinky. Yay! Also, for those like me who've been spoiled by Anthro: pockets!:

That's all. Fingers crossed for a big sale tomorrow so we can reap the benefits over the next few days in the States. I have my suspicions that Anthro UK might cave and run a promotion (maybe 25% off?) but I'll keep you updated. The sale items are back on the EU website now, though you have to look in the specific sections for them now (i.e. clothing, shoes, etc).

Night night. Submit for Style It!

Style It!

2011-11-16T15:36:00.000-08:00

And we're off!

Me!

Vintage Trilby

Wind-Rippled Tee

Field Skirt

'Tobacco' ASOS tights

Arezzo nude/gold heels.

The lovely Kristin! I'm just dying over that top! And how green everything looks there!

J Crew Top

J Crew Jackie Cardigan

Great Escape Skirt

Shoes (out of shot) by Dansko.

Olga's getting a head start on the rest of us by winterizing her outfit with boots and really, really cute boots to boot:

Anthropologie Top

Victoria's Secret Cardigan

Field Skirt

Hue Tights

Fitzwell Edeen Boots

Necklace was a gift.

Sarah's not only rocking the awesome look here (love me some tweed!), but also the 'King Kong' esque shadows - her words, not mine!

Perdita Blouse

J Crew Donegal Tweed Blazer

Great Escape Skirt

Ash Booties.

Amy is looking adorable in stripes! And red. I haven't been brave enough to try pairing the yellow with red, but I think I'm going to give it a go now! Also: this top is on sale now, move fast, ladies.

Snape Stripe Turtleneck

Field Skirt

New (and mysterious!) Tights from Anthropologie

Nine West Boots

Necklacke from 1LuckySoul (Etsy).

The ever chic Liz is looking particularly gorgeous here (damn you!):

Firewing Blouse

Breezy Polkas Cardigan

Field Skirt

Veronica Spectator Pump

Soft Bow Belt

Kay Jewelers Journey Necklace.

Liza is looking cute in a whole different palate than the rest of us! I'm loving the pop of pink in this outfit:

Pleated Yoke Tee

Scribbled Bouquet Cardigan

Feild Skirt

Textured Dots Tights

DV Booties from Nordstrom.

And if that wasn't enough to get your creative juices flowing, Leana sent in this Polyvore set:

Malbec with Cord by leanakk featuring a boat neck t shirt

J Crew knit top, $40
J Crew boat neck t shirt, $15
Skirt, £68
Anna Sui navy blue tight, $6
Platform shoes, $80

I'm desperate for more ways to wear my Malbecs, so I'll be taking inspiration from this!

And the legendary Roxy submitted these two ideas:

Great Escape Skirt option 1 by roxyturtle featuring a canvas tote

Cardigan, $98
Floral tank, $98
Skirt, $98
Tight, $18
Anthropologie shoes, $358
Marc by Marc Jacobs canvas tote, $74
Earrings, $32
Necklace, $48
Making Memories Spellbound-Glitter Dot Black, $1.12

Great Escape Skirt option 3 by roxyturtle featuring genuine leather handbags

J Crew j crew sweater, $90
Forever21 knit shirt, $16
Skirt, $98
Tight, $38
Genuine leather handbag, $228
Earrings, €73
Necklace, $48
Brushed Gold Background, $5.75
Lucky Brand Marie - Free Shipping, $203

I'm just dying over the owl tank in the second set. I may be a little owl obsessed at the moment...

A big thank you for everyone who submitted and I hope that you all enjoyed seeing these beautiful outfits (and then mine!) - and lets face it, you don't really have a reason not to dust off your skirt now, do you?

Next week's item is going to be... the Basket Weave/Noon and Night/Waffle Weave Dress! I'm making an executive decision, so everyone can have a full week to get their submissions for next week in. The poll that's about to go up will be for what we'll be featuring the week after. I don't have any of these pieces, so I'll be using Polyvore next week, and I encourage those others who don't have it to do the same! Look at it this way: I am justifying you spending time on Polyvore. You're welcome.

Hope everyone enjoyed this! Feedback is appreciated! Though, not about the size of the images, ugh. Working on that...

Last Call!

2011-11-16T06:38:00.000-08:00

Please send in your photos/Polyvore sets, to BritishAnthropologiest@gmail.com, please! Style It! will be live later today.
Let me know if you have any last minute questions!

Mystery Skirt? Mystery Dress?!

2011-11-15T15:02:00.000-08:00

Firstly: send in your polyvore sets and outfit photos for tomorrow's Style It! feature!

Back on topic: the title pretty much hits this post on the head here, though I stand ready to be corrected if they're on the site and I'm just being a bit thick - I'm not particularly great at this, I will admit! There's actually one further mystery skirt to come, but I'm rationing that out a little longer.

Mystery Pencil Skirt

You know how every store tends to have a mannequin that you nearly walk into everytime you turn into the store? It's the one that they always put the staff's pick of clothing on. I can tell because as soon as I picked this skirt up, about four sales assistants egged me on to try it.

I'm wearing a UK12/US8 here, my usual size in pencil skirts. I found it was a little tight across my hips (lovely creases across my pelvis point that out!) but not too tight across the waist or below the widest point of my hips. I think this is just an annoyingly straight cut pencil skirt - those whose hips aren't zigging too far out from their waist will be fine, those with a bigger ratio may need to size up and belt the waist if necessary.

The material was a lovely pink-ish gold, if that makes any sense whatsoever, brocade. The material is thinner, and if I'm honest, a little cheaper feeling than it first appears to be. However, I can see it being a great winter favourite, and I don't recall it being hideously expensive (I reserve the right to do a total u-turn if I get proved wrong).

A pass for me, but I can see this being a holiday season favourite for a lot of people. The colours in the skirt, as well as the cute leaf design, seems to lend itself to a wide range of colours to be paired with.

Melba Dress by Leifsdottir

Firstly: this dress reminded me hugely of the Drifting By Dress in material and colour. Obviously, though, the style is really quite different.

I'm usually terrible at remember mystery item designers (because it never occurs to me that they might not already be on the site!) but I do remember that this was Leifsdottir, because I remember looking at the price tag and immediately thinking 'it's got to be Leifsdottir'.

I'm wearing my usual UK10/US6 which fit, to the point of being slightly generous on top, which is unusual as I usually find this brand to run small if anything. However, running slightly big is not, alas, synonymous with being flattering. I must love you, to post these photos, frankly. As you can see, the dress was kind of clinging to my stomach, but nothing else, which was really odd. And hideous. The back of the top portion of this dress is entirely sheer, so I'm not quite sure how you're supposed to wear this, apart from bra-less (not gonna happen).

The best thing this dress had going for it was the great nude colour (which looked fab with a big chunky knit that I'm going to be reviewing later in the week) and the skirt details, best seen in the last photos, which set it apart from all of the other midi dresses I've seen this season.

Alas, the top portion of this dress lets it down, so I won't be getting this one. Skinny (i.e. those lucky enough to be both skinny and able to go without a bra) girls might like this, but I think for those of us with curves might be in trouble here, unless they release a skirt version.

My wallet breathes a sigh of relief.

That's all, folks! I'm back on campus and I'm going to have a mad cleaning session before I curl into bed to read... yet more Reagan biographies. Ah, joy. I'm having that sense of being on a treadmill and not getting anywhere at the moment. My first deadline for my dissertation is looming (Monday) and I'm still not moving quick enough - I still don't seem to have The Fear. Eep. I do have fear of The Fear, if that counts?

As I mentioned earlier, please do send in your submissions for tomorrow's Style It! post! I'll post one more reminder in the day tomorrow, but you essentially have until 8pm GMT to get them to me, or it's going to be a short post!

Night all.

Valp(a)raiso for Dulcie Chardonnay

2011-11-14T14:51:00.000-08:00

Reviews! And before I forget: send in your Polyvore sets/outfit photos for Style It! which will be running on Wednesday!

Dulcie Dress by Weston Ware

This dress has been getting rave reviews, so I could hardly ignore it, could I?! In all honestly, it caught my attention on a mannequin in the window and I was instantly smitten with it's soft tones and textures.

I'm wearing a small here, my usual size in in sweater dresses and it fit quite nicely. However, we had an immediate fit problem: a) I could barely fit my head through the opening! I do not have a big head! (Despite what others may say). b) I'm not sure how apparent this is in the photos but my boobs, I think, were causing the dress to sit higher than it ought. The effect is that the waistband wasn't sitting in the right place and the skirt was shorter than I would have liked.

The material of the top half of the dress was much softer than I had thought it would be, not itchy at all for me, though I know some have found it so. It was ever so slightly sheer, but a light coloured bra will be fine to wear with it. The skirt was cute and reminiscent of a tutu but it does take a while to get it to lay right, see below.

Overall: cute, but not far me, alas. However, Sara looks fab in it here (v. jealous) so it all comes down to how it fits on you. Try before you buy.

Chardonnay Sheen Dress by Maeve

My yellow radar pinged this as soon as I stepped into the store. It's more of a gold yellow than mustard in person, though the product shot is pretty accurate. What didn't come across on the Anthro site is that this is bordering on mini in length, making it more late 60s than I originally envisioned.

The material of this piece is nice and sturdy, though the promised sheen means that this will be a harder piece to dress down - it's more appropriate for the parties of the season coming up. This will look fab with an Audrey-esque updo, choker pearls and catlike eyeliner.

I'm wearing a UK10/US6 here which was the best fit on me, though that doesn't necessarily mean it fit well. There was poofing over my stomach, though it fit well over my hips and chest. If you're straighter up and down, then I recommend sizing down in this one. Alas my boobage meant that the cute cutout details weren't sitting properly across my chest. I think this is probably going to look better on those who are less busty.

The other really adorable detail worth mentioning is the oversized buttons at the nape - these alone warrant the updo.

Cute, but not on me.

Valparaiso Dress by Maeve

Maeve certainly seems prolific these days, don't they!

I immediately thought, when I first saw it, that it was a solid version of the Many Folds Dress and it is similar in many ways - the only real difference seemed to be the sleeves.

Like with its printer counterpart, I sized down to a UK8/US4, which fit really nicely. The dress skims really nicely and doesn't cling at all. The front tie under the bust means that you can cinch in accordingly, so there's no excuse for feeling frumpy in this frock. I would say that this runs a little big, but there's room to tighten up, so if you're nervous then order your true size.

The green was nice but definitely a greener green than it appears here or on the Anthro site, for some reason I just could not get the real colour to come though.

The sleeves are the stand out detail on this dress, voluminous without being too much.

Nice, flattering dress which is work appropriate. If I have to choose this or the Many Folds Dress, though, I choose the latter, I'm afraid. Got to go for a little bit of quirkiness (that's all for you, Roxy!).

That's all for tonight. I'm back at university tomorrow night, so I should have some more reviews for you before I launch Style It! on Wednesday - that's if anyone sends in their submissions! Come on, people!

Style It!

2011-11-12T09:17:00.000-08:00

Well, I can officially announce that the first featured item of the Style It! feature is the Circle the Globe/Field/Great Escape Skirt, with a whopping 50 per cent of the vote! You now have until Wednesday noon (GMT) to send me your entries, either in picture or link form, to BritishAnthropologiest@gmail.com.

Please do get stuck in, as I'd love to see how everyone's styling these great skirts.

The new poll will run with the submissions on Wednesday and will include: Sugar and Cream Dress, Basket Weave/Noon and Night Dress, De Chelly Dress, Last Blooming Skirt and the Whisked Away Cardigan.

The original post, outlining the basics of the new feature, is here.

If you have any questions, just email me or leave a comment here.

Can't wait to see what you do!

Dulce et Decorum Est

2011-11-11T13:36:00.000-08:00

Just a quick outfit post tonight. Also: showing off my poppy for Remembrance Day! This is about my fourth one, I swear I lose them at a rate of knots.

Windsor Scoopneck, H&M loose pleat skirt, Anticipation Heels and Line Me Up Jacket.

Remember, I'm going to close the poll tomorrow, and officially announce the featured item for Wednesday's Style It! post. Though, I think we can be pretty sure already, what's going to win! I will start the new poll on Wednesday, and the write in suggestions will be included in it. That means that from tomorrow you need to start sending in your outfits or Polyvore sets! Don't make me chase you!

And to end, one of the best, in my opinion, memorial poems:

In Flanders Fields, the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing fly,

Scarce heard amidst the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe,

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch, be yours to hold it high.

If you break faith with us who die,

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,

In Flanders Fields.

Snuggalicious

2011-11-10T15:07:00.000-08:00

More reviews! I figure the more I do, the more I'll do, if that makes sense? Making it a habit again seems to be the best policy. We've got a few more pieces that I'm just adoring at the moment. Now if only they didn't all cost a bomb...

Cashmere Boatneck by Sparrow and Hand Dyed Pleated Skirt by Norblack Norwhite

Firstly: it it me, or is Anthro getting a little lazy with their naming process?!

This skirt is more eye catching than either my pictures or those on the Anthro site would have you believe. There splotches of colour were much more vivid in person, which, weirdly, might actually make it easier to pair things with, as you can try and match them. Whilst this top and bottom combo is certainly not going to win any awards for subtlety, it went together surprisingly well.

I'm wearing the small in this skirt and it just about fit, though I would volunteer that it runs a little small, so if your waist isn't on the smaller end of your usual size, size up. This skirt does up at the back with a series of hook and eye and (I think) button closures, but no zip, so you won't be able to bluff a smaller size - if in doubt, buy the size up! Can't stress this enough.

The skirt was made from luxurious wool and silk which helped make it feel extremely high end (and at a whopping £230, it better!). I didn't find the wool itchy, but those who are extra sensitive might want to pass on this one. The shape was really nice and flattering, accentuating the best bits of my figure without poofing out too much.

This skirt is certainly eye catching, and I can imagine that you might actually get a tonne of wear out of this, thanks to the hodge-podge of interesting colours and classic, trend-proof shape. I'm not sure if I'll buy it, but I won't be able to afford it until it gets a second markdown, so a non issue at the moment!

I feel like I've been waiting forever to get my hands on this sweater. I've loved it from the first moment I saw it online. It's simple, but looks like something that Bardot might have worn, with the bright orange colour, 1960's style raised boatneck and cuff slit details.

I'm wearing a small in this sweater and that's the size I would stick with. This sweater is pretty much the softest thing I've ever tried on, definitely at Anthro. I feel all shivery with longing just thinking about it! Whilst the material would be nice and snuggly for this winter, it wasn't overly warm, so I imagine you could wear this as a transition piece in spring and autumn. Perhaps my only nitpick is that it wasn't entirely opaque, though it's not sheer enough to cause me worry.

The length of the jumper was good on me, though it wasn't too long, so if you're long waisted, you may want to bear this in mind. The fit is cute, neither shapeless nor uber-fitted. The (oh so snuggly) material isn't too thick, which means that it'll tuck into skirts well, which is usually a problem with sweaters for me.

I can't say how much I want this! I can see Zooey Deschanel wearing this in the New Girl at some point, can't you? Unfortunately, I'm going to have to wait until this goes on sale, as I can't afford $150 on a sweater, boo, hiss.

Winking Sky Cardigan by Jane Wheeler

It feels like an utter age since I reviewed any cardigans for the blog! To be fair, it's been a while since Anthro's produced any cardigans worth a double take. I miss their quirkier ones - didn't we use to get at least one quirky print cardigan a season? Tick Tock, Tempting Trellis, Cartography, Button Bin, Love Letters...?

This creation caught my eye on a mannequin, so I hurled it in with everything else. I'm wearing a medium here, my usual cardi size (thanks to boobage) and it fit well. I don't have a picture of it closed, but there didn't seem to be any pulling worth noting.

The material of this cardigan is much filmier than it first appears to be, you can clearly see my skin tone underneath, if that makes sense? I do worry about the long term durability of this piece, as it feels as though it might snag easily. At the back of the cardigan, some of the little beads had 'popped through', easy to push back to where they're supposed to be, but it might drive some of you mad.

The material was nice and soft, and this will be a great way of dressing a jeans outfit up for an evening, but I like my cardigans a little hardier than this.

Okay, that's all I can face for tonight! I'm off to watch the rest of Ringer before reading some more on Reagan *head-desk*. I foresee the next few months getting a little tougher, dissertation wise, so I'm going to try and enjoy the nice upswing we're having in the blogging community while I can!

That's it, class dismissed, let me know if you have any questions!

Winter Brights

2011-11-09T13:24:00.000-08:00

Reviews! I got into the King's Road store at the end of last week and managed to fling some great clothes on for some hasty reviews. Here we go:

Slung Sash Tee by Bailey 44 and Lamb Wide-Legs by Elevenses

Contunuing my likening my Anthro changing room outfits to Disney characters: I think this has Princess Jasmine written all over, don't you?

The pink/red version of the Slung Sash Tee has arrived in stores and I was thrilled to see it in person. It's definitely more of a corally pink than it is a red - it's a really great versatile colour that's going to go with a ton in my wardrobe. This is definitely my favourite of the Slung Sash Tee colours, though the brighter colour might make it slightly less work friendly than the dark ones. Come sale time, at least one of these tees will be mine.

I'm having a moment with two things at the moment: oversized cardigans and wide legged trousers. I hadn't found another pair I love as much as my polka-dot ones, but these are in the running now! Firstly, these are seriously long widelegs: I'm wearing my Anticipation Heels and the hem of the trousers were still touching the ground. At 5 "5, I'm can just about get away with these, but if you are shorter than that or have shorter legs, then you might need to get them hemmed.

I'm wearing a UK12/US8 which is my usual size in trousers, and I found they ran a little big, so I'd size down one. One of the best features of these is the shape of the waistband which dips down in the front (for that extra Arabian princess look!) which is really flattering and lengthens the torso. Being shortwaisted: I'll take all the torso lengthening I can get.

The trousers had great movement, the colour was outstanding and they had pockets: what more could you ask for? Well, actually: it'd be great if they weren't dry clean only, but I might be able to live with that. Buying on sale!

Horkelia Lace Skirt by Moulinette Soeurs

I nearly died when I saw this skirt in this colour online. Remember me ranting about my autumn leaf fetish? Well the upper skirt layer is the perfect autumnal colour, so needless to say: my expectations were high.

This skirt is really heavy when you first grab it off of the hanger, though it's not so obvious once it's on. The downside of the weight is that it pulls the line of the skirt a little straighter than it would be otherwise. I'm wearing a UK10/US6 here, and it's about the right size, though I could go down one, I suspect. It's worth noting that the whilst the hips are free, the waistband is quite thick, so you're going to want to try this on in store to get the best fit around your waist.

Unfortunately: whilst the lace layer might be shade perfect, the underskirt is not. The slip-like skirt underneath is an odd tan/yellow (more yellow than the photo below) colour which I thought distracted from the fantastic lace. Sadly this is a pass for me now, as the underskirt was such an unpleasant colour. School boy error, Anthro!

Feathered Village Skirt by Maeve

This looks a bit more like the old ANthro style that we know and love, doesn't it?

I'm wearing a UK8/US4 and this fits best, so this runs a bit big, so I'd size down. The colours of this skirt are muted enough that you should be able to wear it with a range of colours (pretty much any that are in the skirt, at least. The colours really reminded me of illustrations in a children's book, though I'm struggling to come up with a name.

The material feels really luxurious, smooth and silky without feeling in the least bit fragile. The pleats fall really nicely as well, neither too rigid or falling open. It is dry-clean only, which is a bit of a nuisance, but it almost feels like it will repel grime. Please let that be true.

This is way out of my price range at the moment, but I'm going to be hunting this come sale time.

I'm thrilled about all of the feedback I've gotten for the new Style It! feature! I'm going to announce the 'winner' for the first round on Saturday so everyone will have five days to get their butts in gear for Wednesday!

Roxy is reviving the Reader Outfit posts, which will be running on Sundays from now on. With all of these exciting activities going on, there's no reason not to get involved and into the spirit of things!

New Feature!

2011-11-08T14:02:00.000-08:00

Okay! It's about time, but it's finally here: the new "Style It!" feature! This is, I admit, an idea adapted from the mustnotbenamed blog, but I feel we're missing some of her more interactive features. The idea is that we'll focus on one Anthro item a week, one that a lot of people own, and people can submit different ideas on how to wear it. I'm sure I'm not alone in getting into a rut with some pieces! This is how it's going to work:

The piece will run once a week, probably on a Wednesday (mid-week cheer up and all that!).
We'll decide on a piece a week, decided by the poll on the right there. The piece of the week should be a fairly common piece that lots of members of the community own.
The piece will (usually) be announced the Wednesday before and contributions must be in by noon (GMT, people!) on the Wednesday of posting.
Submissions can either be in the form of an outfit picture (no worries if you want to, or already have, posted it on your own blogs!) or in the form of a Polyvore set - so even if you don't own it, you can chip in!
If you could send your submission picture (ideally in the body of the email, though you can send as an attachment if all else fails) or Polyvore set (in html or link form) along with a summary of what you're wearing and a link if you like! If you want to be referred to as something particular, then let me know. Likewise if you want to add a comment to your outfit.

For the first round, I've put on the poll: Great Escape/Field/Circle the Globe Skirt, Tempting Trellis Cardigan and the Sugar and Cream Dress. I can add something else to the poll, but I wondered if there were any requests? Please do write in below, if you do have any suggestions!

Does this sound like something that you'd all like to take part in? I'm open to ideas and suggestions! I'll announce this weekend what the first round will centre on. The ever-lovely Roxy is all informed and hopefully we'll find a way to link up on this.

Firework

2011-11-07T16:37:00.000-08:00

I am aware that this photos makes it look like there are fireworks coming out of my head! Only one I had with me and fireworks together, though.

This weekend it was Bonfire Night in the UK (now best know alas, thanks to V For Vendetta) and I went with my family for our usual ritual of heading to the local cricket ground for their firework show and then to our local Italian. Good night all round - particularly since I found this vintage hat of my brother's, which he's lost interest in, which means it's mine now!

Twinkle, Twinkle Dress, Spring Shelter Cardigan, Hunter wellies (my mother's!) and vintage Trilby.

I'm pulling a face in the second picture because the usual drag announcer (there's ineviatbly a man dragged up as Marilyn presiding over these things in my hometown) was counting down to the fireworks.

In the latter picture, you can see some of the smoke that we were dealing with. We were forecasted bad weather, which thankfully never came, but we did have a fairly strong wind which threatened to choke us all at one point. My eyes were streaming the whole time, which I'd never had before - but I wasn't being a wussy, loads of people were wiping their eyes - honest. As the wind picked up, we ended up actually having to sidestep bits of flaming debris. But what's Bonfire Night without a little taking your life into your own hands?

I decided to throw myself into the festivities with a tonne of green/glittery eye make-up and the big star you can see! I do know how to let my hair down!... Occasionally! I do, though, look like I'm eating my hair here, but oh, well!

Come on, Layered Column Dress! I not only need you to go on sale, but I need you to hang around for Black Friday! Maybe you'd best hold off until next week or the week after, in that case?

In other news: I'm working on a new blog feature. Has anyone else noticed a downturn in community participation recently? I think it's time to kick things up again!

Jumping in the Leaves

2011-11-02T14:50:00.000-07:00

Firstly: 300th post! Wow. Will see about holding a giveaway next week to mark it...

Okay, so I'm slightly obsessed with the huge number of gorgeous autumn leaves that have suddenly blanketed the campus. I've always been a little OCD-ish about stepping on as many of them as possible - as a child I used to be vehement that the sound of dry autumn leaves crackling was the best sound in the world. Think I may even have written into Blue Peter to say so. I don't seem to have lost much of my zeal.

I'm trying to make the most of my new camera, but alas it doesn't have a great self timer. I need to order a remote but apparently most don't work with this camera (a Nikon D3100) - argh. The one I've found that might work is this one on Amazon. I don't suppose anyone has any knowledge of these things? Until I get this sorted out, I'm having to pay a friend to take pictures with drinks. Lots, and lots of drinks.

Unveiled Tank, Peppered and Striped Skirt, Lass and Laddie Oxfords, Line Me Up Jacket.

On the way back to my dorm, I found this. Quite a sad sight, really, but I was amazed at the detail inside of the piano. I wanted to get a picture with/on it (!) but there was no where to rest the camera, alas. Another thing for my grocery list: a gorilla pod.

I couldn't resist 'pinging' it. Still sounded great.

Eeee!

Oh: and for my EU readers: there's quite a lot of second markdowns on the EU site, but the sale button's disappeared. You can access the most recent markdowns here. Managed to snap up the Antaresia Heels for just £30!

By the way, I don't suppose any British (or European if they're in the area!) readers fancy an Anthro meet up sometime before Christmas? Let me know!

Bailey 44 for the win

2011-10-31T17:11:00.000-07:00

I feel like it's been ages since I've done reviews. Has it been? I'm too lazy to check, alas. Tonight we have two pieces with two things in common: a) they're by Bailey 44, one of my favourite brands and b) I must have them both (along with pretty much all the other pieces they have out at the moment). Does that count as spoilers?

Slung Sash Tee and Scully Pencil Skirt

They didn't have the pink/red colour that I really wanted in store, though it's since popped up online, so I went with the moss colour. It's coming across as slightly teal-esque here, but it was less blue in person, so just ignore that. Don't though, ignore how amazing it makes my chest look! Yeah, I've definitely still got boobs, but they felt nicely minimised. I've seen a few comments that those with bigger boobs might not get away with this, for fear of being indecent, but I disagree. The neckline isn't too low, and the sashes do a good job of keeping things modest.

My only complaint is one I often have with Bailey 44, despite my love for them, which is that the tee is too long. It's not an issue that will stop me buying it, but it's hitting me under the butt almost, which makes it hard to layer under form fitting skirts (like the ones you make!) and gives an odd effect if worn out.

I'm wearing a size small which fit like a charm. Stick to your usual size. As for the price: way too expensive. I probably will buy it on sale, but I won't be happy about it (I doubt very much it'll last to second markdown). The mossy colour was nice, but not my usual style. The red/pink is in my sights and if that's not appealing/available then I'll take the black. Can you ever have too many black tees?

The skirt! I was so excited to see this that I nearly brought the whole rack of them crashing down on me. Serious lack of cool points. Again, I'm wearing a small here and would stick with it, which is surprising as I usually have to size up in snug skirts. I'm chalking it up to the huge amount of give the skirt has.

The skirt falls just below the knee which is both bang on trend and, I think, really flattering - particularly if you're wearing heels. The length lends it a slightly vintage factor which is usually missing from Bailey 44's quite modern pieces.

Thanks to the jersey, it's terribly comfortable even whilst being a pencil skirt, which should be a contradiction. This is a must have on sale for me. But I need Bailey 44 to stop making things that I must have. Seriously. Just stop.

Are we hoping for a sale tomorrow? I feel as though we haven't had a week without markdowns in forever. I haven't bought anything the last few weeks so I'm okay, but some might welcome a reprieve! I'm still hoping for the Layered Column Dress which I'm hoping they'll phase out as the new versions come out. Come on, you know you want to, Anthro.

In other news, I think this is new:

It's listed as a dark orange which would be amazing (slightly less dressy than a true red) but the downside is that it means that this dress is probably never going on sale, is it?

Queen's Got Nothing On Me

2011-10-28T15:22:00.000-07:00

I was going to change the post title to "The Queen's..." but kind of love that it might be misread as "Queens". This was taken not far from G-A-Y but those guys probably do have something on me. I'm referring, of course, to my somewhat excessive number of birthday celebrations. Last night was the fourth and final one. A slightly obscene number, but I must admit it'll be sad going back to normal service. Upside is that blogging will now recommence as usual!

The gorgeous brooch I'm wearing here was given to me by my cousin last night and it's vintage - she knows me so well! I don't usually wear a lot of brooches, but as I'm really loving the chunky knits at the moment, they're going to be factoring more than usual as they don't leave so much of a mark plus it's a nice way to keep them nice and feminine.

Verdant Slip Dress, Cairngaan Point Cardigan, Eastward Dress Coat, Soft Bow Belt and Carvela Bethany Slingbacks.

I'll admit: the shoes are clashing with the dress. But separately they worked really well. I got a tonne of compliments on the shoes, from strangers no less. That's a big deal over here! I remember going to Balthazar in New York a few years back and I got no less than seven compliments on a dress I was wearing which was such a great buzz. That's probably more compliments in one night from New Yorkers than I got in the last ten years (from strangers, mind) in the UK!

Going to (hopefully) be booking my flights to New York this weekend. It's looking like the 14th-18th. Anyone going to be around? And any recommendations for cheap and cheerful places to stay?

Hometown Glory

2011-10-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

I'm back after my long weekend at home. I had a great time - plus, she said somewhat conceitedly, I got a great birthday haul! I got some new perfume (Lady Million), some cute notebooks, make-up and a clutch. I also got: th Tick Tock Cardigan! Huzzah! Outfit with that will be coming soon.

My other, 'big' present was a camera. A gorgeous new Nikon D3100. I'm still trying to get to grips with it and will be trying to get some photography lessons at some point, but I've been having fun just trying it out. I decided (particularly as I'm looking a little too scruffy for an OOTD) that I'd show some pictures that I took of my hometown. Hope you enjoy!

This area of Brighton is quite famous, known as the North Laine. It's full of weird little shops and flea markets. Lots of stalls and vintage shops too. The place most like it in the States, so far as I've seen it myself, is in Austin (TX) on South Congress, where there are tonnes of eccentric shops with great signs. A bit like these:

Thankfully, it was one of those perfect autumn days, which meant that the outdoor markets were open. Gotta love a disco ball.

Despite having lived in Brighton my whole life, I still find new places every time I venture down to the Laines, like this flea market that I've snapped some photos of. It was jam packed in there, with no real order to anything, but I spent about half an hour rooting around in there.

Yak! Why, oh why, didn't I take this little guy home with me? I think I may have to sneak back when I'm home again and see if he's still there. I don't know why, but I think I'm in love.

My friend Jenna fell in love with this book from the 19th Century - cute, huh? Guess that's what they had before Cosmo.

They had some really nice 'upcycled' (am I the only one who hates that word) furniture mixed in with the antiques including this1960s chest of drawers fixed up with maps. It was £200 which is fairly reasonable for what it is. Please let this place stay open until I'm shopping for a flat next year!

This table was vintage and whilst I would hope that it would hang around until I need it, I think my Mom might go and buy it from underneath me as it fits in with her slight bird fetish.

Love that October sky!

Even in the UK, Halloween is becoming more and more of a thing. It's even creeping into our bakeries:

They were actually a little too realistic looking for my taste. Ick.

And of course, when all else fails when trying out your new camera, what better subject than your cats? Who, incidentally are house cats and therefore cannot escape.

This looks like a lolcatz picture to me:

"Why U do this to me?"

Hope I haven't bored you!

Brandy Alexander Birthday Girl

2011-10-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

Here I am, with my usual cocktail in hand. This is just a very quick post as I won't have time to later on (yay!). As you can see, I did end up going with the Quintessential Shift. It served me well. But, my hold-ups did not. Usually I have a policy of not wearing tights until I literally can't bear to go outside without them (made it until December 10th last year!) but I've got so many mystery bruises on my legs at the moment that I needed to wear them. Boo, hiss.

As for the film: The Ides of March was amazing. Bear in mind that I am a politics geek, but the whole package was just fantastic. Clooney was superb, both as the too clean candidate and director and Ryan Gosling was out of this world. Amazing. That good. The writing was really fantastic too, with some brilliant lines which I know politics-heads are going to be quoting for years, including: "You can lie, you can cheat and steal... But you don't fuck the intern."

Ooh, and we saw Clooney! So hot. No words.

Afterwards we went for an early birthday drink at a Browns Bar. We couldn't resist sitting at the piano for photos. And yes, that is my hold-up you can see. This dress rides up a bit when you sit down, but the hold-ups were just annoyingly low. Feel betrayed as I usually like them better than tights but this is my second bad experience with them this autumn. We'll see how tonight goes.

So, I'm off to a lecture then I'm decamping to London for dinner tonight and then back to Brighton for my birthday. Hope everyone has a great weekend - I plan to!

A Return to Cruella

2011-10-20T16:04:00.000-07:00

How could I resist pulling a face when I'm wearing what appears to be a reverse dalmatian coat? I mean, really.

Draconid Coat by Elevenses

This coat caught my eye as soon as it hit the website (as my slightly overexcited tweets will attest), particularly since I've been looking for a faux fur coat for a while (ever since that gorgeous Friend or Faux one slipped through my fingers last year). The black base is great since it's likely to be a little more city of grime friendly than some of the lighter interpretations on the high street at the moment.

I'm wearing a UK10/US6 here. The buttons all did up, even over my chest, with minimal gaping, but like with the Eastward Dress Coat I think I would size up to maximise the a-line shape of this coat, which is being lost in the print a bit in this size.

The busy print did make it hard for me to work out whether or not it was flattering, but I felt nice and warm, like I was wearing one of those god-awful slankets. On a side note: who the bloody hell thought to themselves one day, "man, wouldn't my life be easier if this blanket had sleeves?"!?

In some ways I felt that the grey fur collar was overkill, as it doesn't really match the rest of the coat and, frankly, the coat is dramatic enough even without it. Having said that, this is adorable and I haven't seen anything else like it. I won't be paying full price for this, particularly since I've already got one slightly impractical three-quarter length sleeved coat for the winter, but I might have to have a rethink at sale time.

Many Folds Dress by Moulinette Soeurs

I didn't anticipate loving this dress, really I didn't. I'm not usually a fan of black dresses as I like to stand out a little more (even if it's in nudes, perversely) and I originally thought the print was some kind of maths thing, like on a chalkboard. It's taken me this long to get rid of maths, the last thing I want is it following me into my cupboard!

I'm wearing a UK8/US4 and this is the size I would buy. Again, I don't know if this is because the dress runs slightly big or if it's, ahem, me. It's really quite fitted around the middle but roomier in the chest and the hips, if that helps.

The sleeves were quite unusual in that they were quite boxy, but teamed with the fitted bodice managed not to be unflattering (see last photo). The tie waist allows you to do some extra cinching, though I found that the dress was so nicely shaped that I probably could have done without.

The print is adorable, once you realised that it's origami and not your worst nightmare realised. The length of the dress is work appropriate and I can see this being a great day to evening piece. I'm not sure how it'll look with a cardigan, I may have to check that out next time I'm in store.

I love this piece, now I'm just hoping it makes it to sale!

New Layered Column Dress - in purple

Like with its sleeveless twin, I'm wearing a small here and that's the right size for me - stick with your usual Bailey 44 size.

The sleeves on this dress didn't distract from the overall outline of the dress like I feared it might. I do wish, though, that they were full length sleeves. What is with Anthro and three-quarter length sleeves? Drives me mad.

The colour is a dark purple, aubergine is probably the best way to describe it, and the stripes are white as opposed to the tan ones on its predecessor.

I'm so excited. I know that I have to have the original, but I think this one will be coming back with me too. I read an article (by Caitlin Moran, for those interested) recently in which she summed up most women's attitudes to fashion and clothing as: 'we don't really care about trends, but what makes us look skinniest', and I have to say I agree in a lot of ways. Not so much about skinniest but just good. Don't you think?

Would you look at that? I've been twenty-three for three minutes now. Ho hum. What an anonymous number. Boo.

I'll be running a post tomorrow about the film premiere I went to! Mainly just what I wore, as I'm going to be out having the first of a few celebrations for my birthday in Picadilly.

As for you, dear readers, comments are the best gift a blogger can have ;)

Mwah!

Impromptu

2011-10-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, these photos have been taken in a bathroom. Sorry about that! This is what I wore for a family/business dinner on Saturday in Chelsea. It also, of course, marks the blog debut of the fantastic Trampoline Skirt! This is one of those pieces that I saw on Ms Pilsbury and have been obsessed with ever since.

This H&M top is lovely and, I think, still out in stores. It matches the shoes perfectly, with a black satin bow on one of the shoulders (though I think my hair is covering it here!). This outfit might not be as adorable as Emma's, but I'm still loving it!

H&M bow detail tank, Trampoline Skirt, Final Flourish Heels.

In other news: I did a Zumba class this afternoon and I've literally pulled a muscle in my back so badly that it's hard to breathe! I can't say that that's a ringing endorsement of Zumba. I'm not sure how I feel about it, in some ways it was great (though I could not stop laughing for the first ten minutes) and every time I got a stitch I kept thinking: this is what happens when really white girls try to dance latin. It was definitely a work-out so I'll give it at least one more try next week, otherwise I might try yoga.

I'm massively competitive so I'm struggling to find exercise classes to make up for the gap that PE lessons have left in my life. Nothing gets the blood pumping like team sports. Don't really have the time, sadly, to commit to a team this year at uni, which is sad. Everyone always tells me to try yoga but the only real experience I have with it was the classes we had at school where I, of course, was at the back with my friends. Our instructor was very sweet but not quite equipped to handle twenty, for the most part sceptical, teenage girls. I did make an eejit out of myself, though, when I burst out laughing whilst in some backwards, crab-like position, pulling every muscle in my torso. Inga made me go lie on the grass outside to meditate through the pain. I never did live that down. Is it any wonder I'm not a yoga fan!?

Lastly: I've managed, it seems, to get my hands on some premiere tickets for the Ides of March! No idea what the heck I'm going to wear. The Quintessential Shift is a possibility, but I'm always wary of wearing black at these things, in case I fade into the background! I'm not sure the Sugar & Cream Dress is dressy enough, and most of my cocktail dresses are at home - eeeeek! Help!

Coral in the Blue

2011-10-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

My new coat! Admittedly, I'm not showing it in the best light here, as I didn't have enough juice in my camera to take a second set of pictures showing it done up.

I had the dress tailored (cost me a fricking bomb) but this way you can't see my bra at the sides - so worth it. It was actually not cold enough to wear this dress out so I ended up switching it for the yellow Whirl and Wind Cardigan, a la Sara.

Strappy Dandelion Dress, Kimchi Blue Coral Slingbacks, Eastward Dress Coat.

I love the slight 'WTF' face that Jack (the cat) has in these pictures. I've been home the last couple of nights and he's been insanely needy the whole time, which of course is making me feel tremendously guilty for leaving my fur baby.

Does anyone else here watch Downton Abbey? I'm catching up with last nights episode and we're only halfway through and I feel like I've been blubbing the whole time. That is most certainly not a good look on me. Ugh.

Any hopes for the sale? The only thing I'm desperate for is the Layered Column Dress, surely that's got to go on sale soon? Particularly since there are these other versions coming out, please Anthro Gods? That's the only thing I want for my birthday *wheedles*.

Birthday Binge!

2011-10-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

I am, of course, referring to my caving and going on a bit of an Anthro splurge with my birthday discount. The actual cake binging will come next Friday/whole weekend when it is actually my birthday. I had a great time instore yesterday with my Mom for company (did manage to get some reviews done amongst everything else) and managed to limit myself to just sale items. Of course, now that I've used my discount, I'm completely convinced there'll be an amazing sale in the last two weeks of October. Hmm. Possibly premature.

Anyhoo, this is my haul!:

Unsurprisingly, it might be slightly hard to work out what exactly I have laid out here! Alas, my camera battery had about three seconds left when I took this, so I didn't have a chance to get a better picture. For clarity:

Quintessential Shift

I did try the size down in this (UK8) but whilst it fit slightly better in the waist, it was sliding up my hips like a total nightmare. The UK10/US6 was a better look in the end. What do you know, a new Little Black Dress for just £34!

Mushroom Picking Chemise

I had no real designs on this until I saw Spencer wearing it in Pretty Little Liars with a tweed jacket and boots. I'm not sure I'm going to be brave enough to wear it out (it does look vaguely like I'm wearing a tent) but the print is adorable and it's really soft. For £10 I figure I can wear it as pjs if nothing else.

Bilberry Dress

I had tried this on ages ago when it was still at first markdown and liked it, but not enough for the price it was. It's now on second markdown and has been for weeks. There are still tonnes left instore so I'm hoping that it might go down one more time and I can try getting a price adjustment in the UK for the first time. I'm having a bit of a crisis with how to style it, I will admit. For those thinking about this dress: I pulled the tie belt out altogether. It hits me really low, almost mid-hip which is really unflattering. Without that it's much nicer! Still, a possibly return if I don't reach for it.

Eastward Dress Coat

I really liked this coat when I tried it on but it really grew on me over time and while it was still unobtainable at first cut, I knew it was worth at least another try on when it got to second markdown (£70!). I sized up to a medium to maximise the a-line shape and I'm loving it. The only thing I don't like? The fact that the collar sort of curls in on one side. Both the mediums instore seemed to do it. I might try ironing it, otherwise a damage discount might have to be haggled. I feel v. 1960s in this, though, so it's not going anywhere. Outfit with this in will be up tomorrow.

Malbec Heels!

If you follow me on Twitter, you'll know that I: a) been sale stalking these forever b) was enraged when they were initially only marked down by about 30% and c) was gutted when they sold out of my size online. Well, I walked into the sale room yesterday and there were my shoes in a US6! Slightly smaller than the size I was looking for (6.5) but I think they're going to work! Again, I'm going to wear them around the house and make sure I'm not just being a sale loon, but I'm still on a high from finding them!

That's all for now. It's midnight and I now have to go study the European Union for an hour. Happy times. What do you think of the sale haul? Am I going to regret using that discount so early on?!