Let’s Try On 9 New Anthro Pieces To See How They Look On A Regular Person Vs The Model
by Audie Metcalf
We are so often transfixed by the wildly gorgeous and statuesque models in product photos, we fool ourselves into thinking pieces will also look good on our regular person bodies. Though Anthro uniquely features a range of models including plus size, which is so lovely, it’s difficult to know if something is cute because it’s on someone who looks perfect, or if it’s cute because it’s cute.
So today, I’m taking you along into an Anthro dressing room (which admittedly has the best lighting of any dressing room on earth) with 9 gorj pieces for winter/spring, and we can decide together what looks flattering on mere mortals, and what absolutely does not.
Lets begin.
1. The cloud sweater
WHAT: Pilcro Cloud Mock-Neck Sweater Vest* and The Rylan Relaxed High-Rise Flare Jeans by Pilcro*
The moment I say anything remotely positive about myself on the internet I get 147 trolls in my DMs reminding me that I’m hideous/fundamentelly unlovable, but I think this sweater slaps! Do people say that still? It’s designed in such a way that it creates an hourglass even if one doesn’t naturally exist. And I know you’re scared about showing your arms but so am I so let’s just do it together. Also, I should have just talked about those truly excellent jeans* because they fit like a dream.
Takeaway: Just as cute on a non-model! Unless you tell me otherwise and I fall into a deep depression!
Price: $128
2. The blazer that feels like a sweatshirt
WHAT: Avec Les Filles Double-Breasted Knit Plaid Blazer* and The Rylan Relaxed High-Rise Flare Jeans by Pilcro*
If you haven’t experienced this brand of blazer you really must run not walk to purchase. It’s stretchy and therefore doesn’t make you want to rip it off your body from blazer-claustrophobia. It’s very oversized and would be great on an apple-shape because it gives a lot of structure but is also quite roomy.
Takeaway: Just as cute on a non-model though the outfit itself on the model is both gorgeous and impossible to wear for most people.
Price: $148
3. A true maxi skirt which is the chicest thing imaginable
WHAT: The Jacie Printed Poplin Maxi Skirt by Maeve* and Cloth & Stone Shadow Pocket Denim Buttondown Shirt*
If you’re 5’8” or below, this is a true maxi skirt, which is so hard to find, and full skirts to the floor are impossibly chic. This pattern is gone already (sad!) but there’s a neutral pattern* that I might love even more. It has a smooth front and an elastic waistband in the back, which is my ideal type of skirt waist—it always looks clean and crisp.
Takeaway: Just as cute on a non-model, possibly even BETTER because on a shorter person the maxi-length looks even more chic.
Price: $158
4. These jeans which make me a little bit afraid of barrel jeans again
WHAT: The Jules Mid-Rise Relaxed Straight-Leg Jeans* by Pilcro* and The Keira Blouse by Pilcro*
We’ve written about the complexity of barrel jeans HERE and about our realization that we were mostly wrong about them HERE, but if you have a long torso, these will slice you right in the hoo-ha. But that that top* is truly dreamy, and I bought it.
Takeaway: Not nearly as cute but mostly because of torso-length discrepancy
Price: $148
5. The unsexy non-pants non-shorts that go with nothing and everything at the same time
WHAT: Maeve Wide Leg Cargo Culotte Pants* and The Shrunken Bennet Buttondown Shirt by Maeve*
These are truly for a woman’s gaze. I can already hear my husband’s confusion about what these pants are trying to “be.” But I love them. They’re wildly comfortable, I think they’d look great with tall boots and a blazer for an equestrian-adjacent look, and they feel like pajamas, which has increasingly become the goal of how I select my clothing post-40.
Takeaway: These look just as weird and unsexy on the model as on a non model!
Price: $128
6. The dress that seems impossible to wear but it’s actually quite flattering
WHAT: Celandine Mosaic Strapless Maxi Dress*
I am a big proponent of strapless anything because it’s actually more flattering than most sleeveless things. The model’s waist is shockingly tiny, and since hitting peri-men, my overall shape is becoming ever more rectangular, but if you wriggle into some shapewear that feels good (we love THIS) I think this dress works on a regular gal. The only real hurdle is whether you want to feature two gigantic birds in flight prominently on your torso.
Takeaway: Def better on the model but also wearable for non-models alike.
Price: $138
7. The trousers we always write about now in the happiest color ever
WHAT: The Avery Wide-Leg Pleated Trousers by Maeve* and Maeve Lace-Trimmed Three-Quarter Sleeve Top*
We devoted an entire article to these pants HERE because they fit and drape so well. They also run quite large (I’m in a size small) so if you’re in between sizes, definitely size down. They come in black* of course, but you have 47 pairs of black pants. These go with MORE of what’s in your wardrobe and will make you look fashiony even if you aren’t.
Takeaway: I think I give the model a run for her money!
Price: $148
8. The other pants we write about constantly, this time in a stripe that will terrify you
WHAT: The Colette Striped Knit Crop Wide-Leg Pants by Maeve* and Cloth & Stone Shadow Pocket Denim Buttondown Shirt*
The shape and construction of these pants is unmatched. We write about them near daily like this and this and this—they just have a very specific way of holding in the tum while making the bum look pert. But this time … it’s in a stripe. And for the first time in a very long time, I don’t know my own feelings. I love stripes and we also write incessantly about stripes like THIS, and I know you’re thinking about the old adage of stripes making us look “wide” (thanks mom) but while I don’t think it actually makes me look wide, it might just be weird. Though the comfort is wild.
Takeaway: Unclear. Help required.
Price: $138
9. The least realistic pair of shorts I’ve ever tried on
WHAT: By Anthropologie Petticoat Shorts* and Pilcro Cloud Mock-Neck Sweater Vest*
I operate under a strict no shorts policy because my knees are atrocious, but because this length softly brushes the knees, I thought I could get away with it. I actually ordered these myself and brought them into the store to have continuity with the rest of the photos, but here’s a look at how I styled them in real life which I think we can all agree is both a very fun, big swing and also a raging, unwearable nightmare:
Takeaway: 10,000,000% better on the model but also, unless we’re living on the prairie, perhaps not entirely realistic.
Price: $138
Audie Metcalf is the Editor-in-chief of The Candidly, and lives in LA with her family. You can find more of her articles here.
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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