Anthropologie and the problem of uniqueness - YouLookFab Forum

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Anthropologie and the problem of uniqueness

Fruitful

Veteran

Sometimes I see Anthropologie dresses while traversing the internet. Some I want. But something has held me back stalking them so far.

It's the problem of uniqueness - that is, I won't have it if I wear these dresses.

They are so recognisable, so distinctive in their prints and shapes. And so well known - by style name, which isn't that common for clothes. I've even seen web postings of Anthro outfits as seen on Glee. (On the upside, their ubiquitousness means reviews and pics are abundant, making them a safe online shopping bet).

Uniqueness, or the illusion of it, adds a lot of enjoyment to my wearing of a garment. So I'm unsure if I should pass on Anthropologie, or if I should try it and see if I love it anyway.

Does anyone else share my dilemma and how have you resolved it?

Shopping

29 replies

Latest reply was from Aida

Deborah

Veteran

Fruitful, I prefer not to wear something everyone else is wearing, however I like to think that we add our own little something to the outfits we do wear. The search for uniqueness is an interesting one. I think of punks, new romantics etc ( am I revealing my age:) all individuals wanting to be unique and different and yet drawn to others who dressed like themselves and listened to the same music...so no longer truly "unique". I say wear what you like, add your unique touches and enjoy:)

anne

Veteran

But it there an Anthopolgie in Australia, where you are?

Sharon

Veteran

Yeah, I'm kinda with Deborah on this one. I shop very mainstream, in what I have heard referred to as "High Street stores" (which I think translates to "common chain stores") and since my YLF conversion I regularly receive compliments on how I dress, even though I'm sure they must have seen the same item on at least 10 other people.

I love Cue and have several of their pieces. I think the style and items are very recognizable, but I hope that by wearing them with unexpected items and accessories people think "Wow, she looks great" rather than "Oh yeah, I remember seeing that jacket in the shops". I guess it's about you wearing your clothes instead of your clothes wearing you.

rachylou

Veteran

You know, it's very hard to look like someone else, even wearing the exact same thing. I'd go for an Anthro dress. You might be in the same genre as a number of other people, but I'm betting it would be hard to mistake you for anyone else.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I have several Anthro pieces, and I have only seen someone IRL with the same piece i own exactly once -- and it was a different color than mine! Not to mention that we styled the piece completely differently.

Each person makes something their own. Granted, some pieces are especially distinctive, but I don't let this stop me from buying and wearing something I love. If I see someone else in it, I think, "hey, she has great taste!" and note any styling touches that I might admire.

Fruitful

Veteran

Deborah, I love that you remember punk and new romantic rather than showing your age it shows you are in the know! I remember the images but was too young to understand them. A slightly older boyfriend took it upon himself to educate me about the punk ethic and the New Wave movement when I was in my early twenties and I think they were amazing, creative turning points...

but I digress. You are right that the point is to wear what we like

Anne there's no Anthropologie in Australia that I'm aware of - but I haven't done serious brick-and-mortar shopping in over 3 years so I really don't know I don't expect there is and that would be no obstacle

Sharon, I love Cue as well! I think the difference between wearing Cue that others are wearing and Anthro that others are wearing is scale. Anthro stuff has names (like "The Refined Cord Shirtdress" (ok lol I've come out - that's what I'm thinking of stalking on Ebay). There are a gajillion Anthropologie-dedicated blogs, with a gajillion people modelling the Refined Cord Shirtdress. There are captions of Rachel on Glee wearing said dress. I could take a Cue piece and make it my own easily, I'm just hesitating at the feeling "I'm wearing the Refined Cord Shirtdress". It's a bit different to "I'm wearing this cool dress I found at Cue". Not saying you're wrong, just thinking out loud...

Rachylou, thanks for the positive nudge. I may end up getting one. I'm just a little cautious because of the above. And the dresses (in particular, as opposed to other garments) have strong personalities it seems

Janet, you're right that I probably won't see someone IRL wearing it - hard to separate my consciousness from this virtual reality where I am seeing it all over the place!

You are right to think "she has great taste" and learn from it - there's definitely a little arrogant edge to wanting to be different I don't mind admitting that but it's an attitude worth reflecting on and challenging, even in a spiritual sense. Thankyou for showing me your perspective.

Janet, have you posted WIW with your Anthro pieces?

Deborah

Veteran

Fruitful, just looked up THE dress you are stalking. It's a great shape and a little different to what I'm seeing in the stores. I like it!

Astrid

Veteran

I really like the dress you are thinking about! I say go for it and make it your own...

Anonymous

I think we are somewhat perturbed by the phenomena of the loud minority. The bloggers and the arty hipsters covet anthro. You see their pieces featured with a vintage belt and scarf, and it's like , oh, I'm no rich person, i'm more like a frugal hippie but this is the decadent chocolate of my life. Don't worry they are not that recognizable outfits IRL. Not that widespread for sure ( the price is sure to prohibit that). Even in the US, a regular folk from the mall is not Anthropologie Clad. I live in Europe, and here even less likely. I bet Australia is the same. Don't shy from something you like!

Vildy

Veteran

When we are so interested in fashion it almost becomes as if a virtual community
is our real life social set. So, yes, "everybody" that you recognize online will probably
recognize your dress. How many times in your own daily bricks and mortar life have
you recognized an Anthro piece on someone?

Jjsloane

Veteran

I have only recently started shopping at Anthropologie and had never considered it maistream. But of course now that Neiman's is copying them with Cusp maybe they have reached that point. I think the internet has escalated things at an unusual pace (or I'm just late to the game) as I had never heard of Asos before this board and this month's Marie Clare is loaded with their items. I find what Anthro has to seem unique to me than other chain stores (maybe because it's all different brands, not really their own). Maybe it's more regional, but I do not see anyone else in my world wearing it. I do not shop Ann Taylor Loft or Banana Republic except for certain basic pieces for this reason as on any given day my office can be full of the same dress/top. I also like to think I make the outfit my own.

anne

Veteran

What I meant by my too brief comment on there being no Anthro in Australia was the same point that others are making - not much chance of actually in RL seeing someone in the same dress!

Lynne

Veteran

FF, do you think that the pieces are instantly recognizable by you, because you've been looking, but probably not by the majority of people you would ever see IRL? There are several pieces duplicated by numerous forum members - a red H&M jacket and a Nine West dress come to mind - that look so different on different people. I vote yay, go ahead and buy, make it your own, and upload pics for us to enjoy :).

Vildy

Veteran

To my eye, and I'm old enough to have seen a lot of styles come and go,
this is "just" a traditionally styled corduroy shirtdress. It would have looked
glaringly old-fashioned in the mod 60's but otherwise this style is always on
offer somewhere. There's nothing about it that makes me instantly think of
Anthropologie. What color are you planning to get? Over on the British newspaper
Guardian they are making much of what they call boozy colors: wine, claret,
burgundy.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/fash.....x-burgundy
Also a short video and a ten item slide show.

mrseccentric

(website)

Veteran

hi Fruitful! first, that dress is wonderful and very classic - esp. compared to Anthropologies' traditional fare!

but i will buck the trend on this thread and say that i thought you put some of my own concerns about uniqueness quite nicely in your original post. it's hard to feel 'yourself' when you are wearing a heavily branded and recognizable piece. and i find very distinctive dresses can be difficult to style in a way that makes their distinctiveness 'disappear'.

if you have THAT strong of a reaction to this issue, you may want to pass on the dress. or order it in a way that allows returns or find something very similar that is not 'branded unique'. what i end up doing is sewing a fair amount of my own clothing. choosing different fabric, making certain changes to a purchased pattern or drafting my own, getting the fit just where i want it - all these aspects make me feel actually 'unique'.

as an aside, i find that finding classic pieces with some thought put into the design details (interesting zipper treatment, textural trim, nice buttons and holes, etc.) with impeccable fit tend to be easiest to style in a way which shows the person's unique, intrinsic style. these pieces tend to draw the eye towards the person wearing the clothes in a subtle way. when i think of anthropologie dresses, i think of pieces like the ones in the pictures - very unique and very difficult to mistake for anything else!

good luck with your dress (or not), have fun! steph

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Vildy

Veteran

oh yeah. That second dress reeks of Anthropologie.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I truly think that YOU add uniqueness to the garment and not the other way round. Fashion unites us, but style sets us apart.

I wouldn't worry about wearing a BR, AT or Anthro dress. You will wear it your way and that makes it plenty special.

bj1111

Veteran

fruitful, i'm with anya on this one...it's the ubiquity of anthro on bloggy fashion sites that many of us read for inspiration (or boredom) that we overestimate the prevalence of these items in the general population...in my case, the midwest, that hotbed of bleeding edge fashion.

beside the fact that i'm not attracted to the anthro aesthetic (boho with money), i find the sameness of the offering on the fashion blogs a bit tiring and less inspiring than the real women i find on this site integrating trends into their own very functional lives.

anyway, i'm off to go stalk rick owens (for aging punks who have to go to work in the morning but still pretend they can hang with sid).

lynne

Veteran

I love Anthropologie, and recognize many of their pieces, but I don't think that's the norm. If you like it, wear it.

Diana

Veteran

OK, so first off I will say that I started a thread here a few weeks ago about feeling awkward/annoyed when I passed by a random girl wearing the same skirt I was. It WAS an Anthro skirt, btw - in fact, it's the skirt that I wore in my Wed. picture perfect outfit.

That said, I still wear and buy things from Anthro a lot, because the style is right up my alley, and, objectively speaking, that girl and I had styled the skirt quite differently and we did not look like we were wearing the same outfit at all. It does make me feel weird to see someone wearing "my" skirt but in the end it's not going to bother me too much and I'm not going to stop buying it. I think it's kind of inevitable with any unique piece that you *might* see someone else wearing it. My only exceptions are probably my handmade pieces, but I can't handmake my entire wardrobe.

mrseccentric

(website)

Veteran

bj1111: "(for aging punks who have to go to work in the morning but still pretend they can hang with sid)." oh man, you are busting me up!!!!

and Diana, that's funny you have the exactly perfect experience to share on this thread!

Vildy, their current offerings are much more classic - i was glad i found a couple of typical examples! at the same time, i'd love to wear that second dress to the opera (swoon)

getting back on topic, i do think that (provided it fits you) the refined cord dress fits the "classic pieces with some thought put into the design details (interesting zipper treatment, textural trim, nice buttons and holes, etc.) with impeccable fit" definition from my earlier post. it's a very nice dress, i wouldn't mind it myself!

at the same time, for me anyways, i find that some things are just easier for me to wear (psychologically) than others. i look pretty nice in strong pinks and corals, but i don't wear them that much because i'm just more comfortable emotionally in newtrals. and past a certain point i don't see the sense in forcing myself to do so, especially as i am very happy in my current style (aesthetically and practically).

We have limited time, money, energy, days in which to wear clothes, etc. so there will always be things that we don't choose to explore. If you just choose not to wear anthro dresses because the uniqueness issue makes you feel weird, and you are perfectly happy otherwise, more power to you! but if you are dissatisfied with your wardrobe, think that dress would be great and you'd joyfully wear it to death, but you have this idea in your head getting in your way.........then i'd take a hard look at that idea.

hope this helps, you started a very thought-provoking thread Fruitful!!! steph

fern

Veteran

"Boho with money" - bj, that's so spot on. I am not ashamed. The price point keeps me away from anything that's not absolutely perfect, so that's ok.
My cousin wore a beautiful dress to a family wedding last summer and I happened to know it's the "Southern Chorus". But my first thought was how awesome it looked and how perfect for her, and then, oh, it's from Anthropologie. After the first two reactions, if the third is "oh, Anthro", I could live with that.
You can also make up names all your clothing, so wearing the named Antho piece doesn't feel so different. I'm kidding - sort of.

ironkurtin

Veteran

If you love it, wear it, and it becomes yours.

My issue with Anthropologie is that the pictures are darling but the fit and the fabrics sometimes aren't so nice. Am I alone?

bella

(website)

Veteran

I personally wouldn't recognize an Anthropologie dress on the street, because I never look at their website or the catalogue. But perhaps someone who does, would. Would that bother you? It seems like it would. In that case, I would say pass.

lynne

Veteran

Or, think of it as a small club, where members nod and smile at each other. In the US drivers of British cars wave at each other as they pass. ; )

ibbi

I came across this on the internet and it reminded me of the anthro dress:
http://www.reitmans.com/3/4-sl.....efv1=Women

Fruitful

Veteran

Wow, so many amazing replies I can't yet form the words to respond! Thankyou YLFers for your diverse and rich perspectives; I will be back to comment coherently later

Marvel Girl

You've gotten so many astute replies already but I will add just a humorous anecdote. When I was in college, I had this graphic tee from Express. It was just a basic black fitted tee with a huge yellow X on the chest. I think it cost about $40, which for a broke college student was large money, but I loved it so much that I splurged on it. I didn't have as many wardrobe choices back then so I styled that tee in a bunch of a different ways and I basically wore it into the ground.

One day, I met up with a friend of mine on campus and she commented that she saw a fellow student wearing my shirt. Her actual phrasing was "She was wearing YOUR shirt." She then explained that it was the Express tee and that when she saw it on someone else, her immediate reaction was "What are you doing wearing that shirt? That's MG's shirt!!" So I think the lesson is, even if it's a mass produced item, you can always make it your own.

Aida

Veteran

Great replies already here, I just wanted to add an additional thought. You commented "And the dresses (in particular, as opposed to other garments) have strong personalities it seems". I think if that personality matches yours, this shouldn't be a deterrent. If anything, it'll really make that dress more yours

(High fives to Debora and bj1111 for the punk references, made me grin!)