Anthropologie Fall Discoveries

I've got a seriously precious cat sitting on my lap, arrogantly perched so that he will fall the second I take my supporting arm away and confident that I would rather eat my own elbow than disturb him.  He is eating my buttons.

What buttons is he eating?  He is eating amazing buttons.  It's been awhile since I've spent serious money on clothes (that whole graduate student thing), but this fall season at Anthropologie has been so breathtaking that I couldn't help myself.  I've got to say, there are few materialistic things that tug at my heart more than fall fashion, especially when it incorporates an equestrian/British tinge.  So, after dreamily collecting a shopping bag of items I wanted (yeah, over $1000), my boyfriend's mother took me to Lenox in Atlanta, where she lost herself in Ann Taylor and accidentally left me in Anthropologie for three whole hours.  I tried on everything in that shopping bag, and, oh, boy.  Oh, my gosh.  I have been back to school for a week and I have never, NEVER received so many compliments as on the clothes I bought.  I've got to post pictures:

The buttons Simon is chewing on belong to the Rutledge Sweatercoat, a long sweater with the most stunning diagonal lines that flatter you in every way--making you look long and lean while thinning your waist and accentuating the hips.  The back is laced up and provides for some really pretty gathers--although there are two floppy bits that look like wings that looked pretty huge from the side, although all that took was a few stitches on either side and the whole look is stunning.  And apparently the buttons are yummy!

This next one has at least three different ways to wear it.  The Best of the Bunch Cardigan--it's comfy, it's great for southern climates (so even though it looks like a coat, it really is a sweater), it's fitted to the waist, and it might take you a few tries to figure out how to button it up, but I feel like a pretty little stylish French woman in it.  I love the ruffled space between buttonholes!  It's breathtaking, let me tell you, and sweet with jeans and knee-high boots, black or brown.  If I want to turn heads, either of those two sweaters is a no-brainer!

Either you can wear it this way, buttoned all the way up, half-buttoned and swinging like they show you on the website, OR you can keep the left side totally buttoned underneath the right shoulder seam and undo the right side halfway down, so you get some beautiful drapes hanging down attractively from your shoulder.  Either way, this sweater is brilliant!

The Eze-sur-Mer top is more of a basic, but I was in love with the navy/brown stripe combo from the very beginning and I found out when I tried on half the things in the store that the orange is beautiful on pale brunettes with a yellow undertone to their skin...in other words, if you can pull off Clinique spiced apple lipstick, this shirt will be stunning on you (that lipstick is my go-to in winter, fall, and summer; it seems to work for all three beautifully!  Don't let the website fool you; it's a gorgeous dark orange tint that has enough pink in it to still look natural on lips).  Slightly sheer, though, if you pick the more tightly fitted size, so with the XS I just don't wear a black bra and try to keep Simon-cat away from the gold buttons at the shoulders.  (I really don't know what it is with him and buttons . I think it's because they wiggle.)

The Two-by-Two Shorts are gorgeous.  They're soft wool, feel amazing, and are lined with some pretty quality lining.  However, they're on sale, and for a reason.  When I tried on the size 2, the shank of the top button just came right off the top of the button.  Luckily, the shorts come with an extra button, and the lovely people at Anthro gave me an extra $5 off, but...well, thank goodness I'm a seamstress; I'd have hated to leave these in the store.  They're pretty cute with boots and a blazer.  

The long and the short of it is that I spent waaay too much money and really wanted to spend more...just check out the River Tyne Tee in neutral, the stunning wine-colored Draped V-Neck, the adorably polka-dotted Coming and Going Skirt, the truly British Made to Measure Skirt, the gorgeously decorated Paisley Paths Skirt, the online-only (aaack!) Everything-In-Place Cape, with a fun splash of reddish-yellow plaid lining inside the hood, and the amazing, amazing Craftsmanship Capelet, which I totally would have bought had they had a size smaller than a Medium.  (For anyone considering this gorgeous capelet, DON'T SIZE UP.  I'm usually an XS/2 and the Medium felt like it had a foot of extra fabric around the waist.)

I'm officially in love with Anthropologie, the only place I've found in Georgia that sells clothing designed by people with creative minds who appreciate that we ladies want to look sexy, daring, classy, and gorgeous without being shunted into either the preteen section or into the boring country-club department!  Anthropologie, thank you for existing.

Also, please stop making your buttons so tasty.