Broke Browsing

I'm broke. Anthropologie has new inventory. I'm convinced because I am broke, this inventory is cuter than anything they've ever had before. This is probably not true. So I will take a look at the sale items I cannot afford.

Um, whut?

Whether you're dressing them up with a silk blouse or toning them down with a chunky sweater, this billowy pair from Elevenses is up to the task. 

Anthropologie shouldn't be hiring Elves to make their clothes. A silk blouse and chunky sweater? How about  pair of tights and curled shoes to go with that. And juggling lessons.

I like this, but I can't stop picturing it with the above Elf pants.  The green color doesn't help matters. The sleeves are neat though, aren't they! It's on sale.

Let's see what's new over at Modcloth, shall we?

This is adorable. It's a lightweight coat, $84.99. Look at those buttons! If only we had a fall up here in Minnesota. We had one for about 2 days.

 

I love this dress. The Cezanne dress.  Love the detail. 

So cute! $99.99. Nice, you get to save tax on that last penny!

Anthropologie party dresses

I just stopped by Anthropologie and I see they have a new section of party dresses. Sadly, I have no parties coming up that would require a fancy frock. Or happily, because I couldn't afford one right now anyway.

I like a lot of these dresses, but if I had to choose one, I would probably pick the Spirited Away dress:

I have to say, a pet peeve I have about Anthropologie (and a lot of catalogs) is that they don't always have someone modeling the clothes. This dress doesn't (although it is shown on a hanger, which is pointless). I understand that this is an added expense for them, but sometimes I have trouble visualizing how something would look on an actual person. Clothes look different on a dress form or a hanger than they do on a real body. The styling and accessories can also sell a dress, because whether or not you want to buy those extras, it can help you visualize yourself wearing it - not to mention help those who don't know how to put an outfit together.

Case in point: the dress below is beautiful, but it looks a little over the top and prom night to me on the dress form. The length is a little odd too...is it above, at, or below the knee?

Once I saw it on the model, though, I was sold.

Maybe it's because she's in the snow, and waving her arms around because she's delirious from hypothermia. I don't know why, but this picture makes me want the dress. It looks flowy and not stiff. No huge pettycoat-like hoop skirt. It's silk, not taffeta, which is what I thought it looked like on the dress form. You can see the length that it's meant to be (slightly above-knee, or at the knee), and that it looks great with black tights. A suggestion of a coat might be nice here, but I guess she just stepped out...or in...the door. What a weird photo. Is she inside, and it's snowing inside?! Or is she going outside, and left the door open rudely so everyone inside will freeze to death? Why is she all alone here? Was she assaulted? Is she drunk and waving her arms around?

Anthropologie photos...who knew they could be so fun to deconstruct?

I like the Midnight Wanderer dress too:

Let's see if they show a model wandering...

Hm. She's not wandering, she's wondering where the bathroom is! Looks like the party food was tainted. That's why I hate buffets, too many people getting their germs all over the food. Gross.

I know it's a couture pose to look hunched over like you've got scoliosis or some other spinal problem (I learned this from Christian on Project Runway), and this looks like an attempt at that kind of pose. Why is it attractive to look like Gollum from Lord of the Rings? I don't get it. There are other ways to emphasize your hips. I'd like to see models and their photographers get more creative with props and poses. 

You want to be taken seriously? Stop dressing like a little girl.

Joan! I love Joan on Mad Men, and I just happened upon Urban Minx, that has a celebrity style page. There was Joan! And I clicked on Joan, and there was Joan's dress! For sale, a mere $156! As my mother used to say when I pointed out the "low" price of something, "Let's buy two!".

Seriously, that dress is HAWT. It's by a company called Stop Staring. Well, I'm sorry, but I Cannot Stop Staring. If I could just suck my gut in some more, I could rock this dress too. It's perfect for the lady with curves.

I dig the other dresses by Stop Staring too. None of them are quite as awesome as Joan's though. Joan can really sell a dress!

And now, an ode to Joan Holloway (played by Christina Hendricks).

 

Joan is a brick house. I love her curves, no offense to the thinner ladies, I just love to see women of a different body type being celebrated. Woohoo Joan!  

Joan and her awesome clothing in motion:

It's not easy being green

It would be easy for me to love this green dress and call it my own. So pretty! $89.99 at Modcloth.

Fantasy fall outfit

I added a bunch of links on the side for places to shop, help with shopping and other blogs I like. While doing so I remembered eShakti. It's been awhile since I've drooled over their custom (optional) clothing. Some of it is a little bit Mrs. Roper from Three's Company, but mostly it's very Anthropologie-esque. Vintage, pretty designs with embroidery and ruffles and lace and such. They also make clothes in a wide range of sizes, 0-38W and custom, so most women can wear them, yay! They are more affordable than Anthropologie overall, even with customized sizing. The overstock section has some significant discounts. I've heard mixed reviews about their clothing though, and that's made me hesitate to order. One of these days I'm going to take the plunge though, and just try something out. Something like this cute dress:

Another site that I revisited is Sock Dreams. I have never purchased any socks from them, but I have dreamed about it (har har). I recently bought a whole bunch of socks from Target on sale from $1.50-$3.00, quite the cheapo score (they used to cost around $8-$12). I love that they have thigh highs at Sock Dream, those can be hard to find. These could go with the above dress and give it a casual autumn feel:

 

 

Oh, that would be so cute with a red cardigan, like this one from Anthropologie...

  

 

I only wear synthetic shoes, unless they're vintage or hand-me-downs (I'm a vegetarian), and I have wide width feet, so my shoe choices are sadly limited. I do have these Mary Jane pumps from Payless though, I'd just have to order them in brown so I could complete this imaginary outfit:

If I start looking for accessories now I'll be here all day, and I have stuff to do!

Chai Latte Dress-Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes

Chai Latte Dress-Mod Retro Indie Clothing & Vintage Clothes


This is so ridiculously gorgeous and detailed and sweet in a "this has been sitting in the attic for 100 years and now I found it and washed it and OMG I can't believe this is free!" kind of way, but it is not free. It is $117, which perhaps isn't that bad for a dress but when you have student loan debt, it might as well be $17,000. Maybe if the price goes down...