Anthropologie Win

I have an announcement to make. This is what I'm wearing today:



After last week's post, my generous, thoughtful, and sweet boyfriend surprised me with the Anthropologie pencil skirt I was drooling over. It fits like a glove and I am so excited to pair it with all kinds of colors and textures! Just wanted to share my happiness with you all.

{pardon the messy chaos that is my bedroom and my poor self-portrait skills}

Apologies to Anthropologie

I have always had a little bit of a chip on my shoulder about Anthropologie. Sure, the dresses often make me swoon, and if I'm passing by a store, it's a treat to stop in and browse. However, I have never purchased anything there. Why? Because to me, the clothing is a poorly made, slightly more pretentious big sister to the hipster threads at Urban Outfitters (the two stores are owned by the same company), and nearly every item comes with a jaw-dropping price tag. This isn't to say I've never shopped at Urban (I have) and I do own one item from Anthropologie that I wear constantly--the lovely earrings at the bottom of this post that my boyfriend got me for a gift.

Cut to a couple of weeks ago when the January 2010 Anthropologie catalog turned up in my mailbox (addressed to my apartment's previous tenant). I decided to flip through, not expecting to see anything too extraordinary. Boy, was I mistaken. The catalog is chock full of lovely photographs, beautifully styled outfits, and unexpectedly wearable pieces. Here are just a few of my favorites:

If only I could pull off the jaunty scarf, skinny capris, and snappy oxfords look.

Love the innovative bodice on this one.

The SKIRT. The blouse goes gorgeously, but oh that skirt....

This is probably the dress I would get the most wear out of from the catalog--here's a closer look.

The perfect springtime ensemble. It makes me yearn for sunshine.

I wasn't the only fan of this season's catalog: Check out what A Cup of Jo and Jezebel said too!