Friday, September 15, 2017

Anthropologie...For Less!

A link to this Marimekko dress from another blog led me to the Anthropologie website, somewhere I haven't been for years. I used to study that site all the time for inspiration but found that research is done far more efficiently in the actual store. I would take a bunch of interesting items into the dressing room, studying the design details and unique construction while sketching wildly and secretly taking close-up photos with my phone. Ahh, those were the days as I'm now about an hour away from their nearest store.

What I found on their site, on the first page of their dresses was surprising. Many of these dresses were very familiar to me and probably are to you too. They are perfect for replication and below some are matched to similar home sewing patterns. So here's another makeunder post for you. I mean, just look at how much money you could save!

https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/marianne-silk-wrap-dress?category=dresses&color=049
Marianne Silk Wrap Dress, $538. 

Vogue 9251

So close right? If you wanted the same volume in the shoulders as the Carolina K dress on the Vogue pattern you would only need to slash and spread the pattern piece some.

Myriam Bell Sleeve Dress, $608.

McCall's 7654

To more closely resemble the Shoshanna dress this McCall's pattern just needs a pattern piece change: add the longer flared arm flounces from views C or D to the bottom edge of the upper sleeve in view D.

Rebeka Floral Maxi Dress, $228. 

By Hand London Anna

This Yumi Kim dress seems meant to resemble this By Hand London Anna dress, and it does a great job. I wonder if they figured out how to solve that upper back gaping issue?

Olia Column Dress, $158.
Vogue 8904

See, so familiar! This Marci Tilton pattern would need no alterations whatsoever to replicate that Bailey 44 dress!

https://www.anthropologie.com/shop/rose-garden-dress3?category=dresses&color=060
Rose Garden Dress, $398

https://voguepatterns.mccall.com/v1471
Vogue 1471

I admit that this ML Monique Lhuillier dress is slightly different than the Nicola Finetti because it has a center seam, does not have a waist yoke, and they added wrist flounces (which would be an easy addition) but it would still get the job done.

It just show that as home sewists we have such an advantage, almost anything is within our means, and we don't need $600 to own an off-the-shoulder black lace dress that will fit us like a glove. Yes!I

Images: Anthropologie photos, pattern envelope art from The McCall Pattern Company and By Hand London.

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