Anthro Reviews and Body Image Introspective

So first off, I decided to go ahead and post the outfit that I did not wear yesterday. The point is to discuss the mixing of patterns, not the fact that I'm not wearing shoes. Or the fact that I look like total crap from the neck up after a full day at two different courthouses, including finally completing the neverending trial (which began back in December '08). Sometimes I look at the picture and it seems to work and other times I think, "Woman, have you gone blind?" Opinions?

Check out my guest post over at Roxy's blog where I reviewed the Fragrant Valley Dress, the State Fair Dress (which I keep wanting to call the State FARM Dress), the Vittorio Epaulette Tank, the Followspot Tank (*shudders*), the Magnified Geranium Blouse, and the Skybound Button Up (which I bought!)

Lots of people have commented about the Followspot Tank which is so so pretty and yet looks so so awful on me. The general idea is that I'm pretty brave for posting the picture online (especially on Roxy's blog which has many many more daily readers than I could ever dream of!) I have to be honest: a few years ago, I wouldn't have posted this photo online.

But I'm happy to say that I've reached a point in my life where I'm happy with my body. I run 15-25 miles a week and do yoga. I eat ice cream. I eat lots of ice cream. About six years ago, I was a size 6 on top and 10 on the bottom. I exercised constantly and lived on salads and salmon. Life wasn't particularly fun.

I was also still pear shaped and I've come to accept that I'll always be. No matter how little I eat or how much I exercise, my bottom half is never going to be smaller than a 10 so why freak out about it?

And you know what? This blouse looking so freakish on me (like a funhouse mirror as RedLeslie said and I completely agree!) is just that: the blouse looks freakish on me. It's not a commentary on me or my body. Obviously I have looked nice in clothes before and I will look nice in clothes again, but this particular blouse just didn't work on me. There's no reason for me to be embarassed or upset about that (other than the fact that the blouse is really pretty!)

In my mind, my willingness to post these pictures of me not necessarily looking 100% awesome will help other people learn to love and accept their bodies too. Someone who is a size 0 doesn't look great in everything she tries on so why should us size 8+ girls expect that we should! It's crazy!

On to more reviews (of things that I am pleased to report looked slightly better on me)!

Botany Lesson Tank ($68), size Medium

I actually tried on this top with two separate bottoms to give it the benefit of the doubt. First, I had on the Alena Skirt, which flared out quite a bit (and frankly did my hips no favors). The extra fabric of the skirt was making the bottom of this tank flare out as well so I put pants on to see if that made a difference. It did, but only slightly. This top is a t-shirt which means lightweight t-shirt material. The lack of structure around the bottom of the top makes me look a little bulky. It also seemed a bit on the big side to me - usually a Medium is much more fitted than this on me. It's not really the kind of top that I'd tuck in (because of the pretty pattern on the bottom) so if it doesn't work untucked, it's really not going to work. This and the Followspot Tank are about the same length which is just a bit too long for me. Too bad because I was excited about this tank when I first saw it online. Very pretty but not for me.

Blue Book Blouse ($68), size 12

This blouse came in two color choices - white with a light blue pinstripe and a cornflower blue with a navy pinstripe. Because I am physically incapable of buying blouses in any color besides white, I tried that one on. No 10 available so I grabbed the 12 which fit fine. The blouse itself is pretty sheer and I'd need a white or nude tank to wear underneath, but that's not a huge deal. The ruffles are subtle and the princess seams give the blouse a nice shape. This blouse was a little long for me to imagine wearing untucked (but I rarely untuck blouses anyway), but the length would be perfect to tuck into a skirt or pants for work. Overall, I did think this was a pretty blouse that looked nice on, but since it is a work "staple" I didn't want to buy it before evaluating what I already have. It's on my wish list.

Shoofly Trench ($198), size 10

Since there was no Two Paths Trench available to try on, I grabbed the Shoofly Trench for sizing purposes. The 10 fit me perfectly so that's what I ordered in the Two Paths Trench. I liked this trench on, but it seemed a little plain for $200. The belt was also really short (only 2-3 inches excess to buckle). The material is a nice weight and I could see getting away with this well into the New England fall. I'm a total sucker for jackets with a belt or cinched waist because that's the smallest part of me - if it has a belt, I'm probably going to like it so I did really like this. I'd consider it if the Two Paths Trench is a nightmare on, but the details on this are a little boring for my taste.

Blooming Sapphire Wrap Dress ($148), size 8

The largest size my store had was an 8 so I grabbed it since the skirt seemed relatively full. This dress has a lot of interior structure going on to keep the wrap closed - there are buttons and a wrap that tucks through the side and stretches around the back. I wasn't able to get the buttons fastened so I just have the dress tied in these pictures - I definitely would have needed the 10 if I wanted to buy this one. This dress was a little weird for me - the bottom was bulky and then the surplice top was small. That's terribly unusual for me - if anything the bottom is tight and the top is big. The front was also really low cut - I don't know how much difference being able to button the buttons would have made. This dress is very pretty but I wasn't in love.

So I ordered the Drifting By Dress and Two Paths Trench on Friday (and I may or may not have thrown in the Blooming Brushworks Cardigan). See what free shipping does to me? I lose my freakin' mind and start ordering stuff like a crazy person. Ann Taylor, take note!

I have visions of wearing the Drifting by Dress to afternoon tea at my father-in-law's wedding weekend in a few weeks so I'm hoping it works. When my purchases arrive, I'll put up some reviews!

Enjoy your weekend, everyone!