Adventures In On-Line Shoe Shopping

I've decided that it was time for me to buy some new shoes. Inspired by Material Girl, and much to the annoyance of my husband, I spend a couple of hours on-line browsing through shoe websites. I've made some very interesting discoveries, created a few wish lists, and bought a pair I've had my eyes on for a long time at an amazingly discounted price.

Here are the shoes I bought, Hush Puppies Silhouette in light brown.

I am on my feet most of the time at work, and so I'm always looking for comfortable yet feminine shoes. I've tried these on in a store a while ago and they perfectly meet my requirements. The cool thing about them is that they're made to look like flats, but inside there's 1 and 1/4 raised wedge. The original price was $69.95. I got these at ShoeMall.com for $29.99. Boy, do I feel good! These shoes are also available in, silver, gold, black, ivory and beet, however light brown is the only color on sale.

My next exciting discovery in shoe browsing are these Nina Dolls Button Up Shoes from Shoebuy.com.

They look very Anthropologie without the Anthropologie price tag. I love the retro feel of these shoes and the inside lining that looks like wallpaper. Here is the description from Shoebuy: "Delightfully demure yet with plenty of style, the Nina Dolls Button Up accessorizes any with flair. Stacked wood offers modest height to the heel, and buttery soft leather adds sophistication throughout. Topped with a dainty double-strapped bow, and you've got a winning look for any workday or weekend event. Padded foot bed. Leather upper. Nonskid outsole. 1" stacked heel. Available Colors: Cream Leather, Erba Green Leather, Black Leather." The price of these dolls is $49.95. Shoebuy also takes $20 off of $50 orders if you pay with paypal. These shoes are just 5 cents short of the promotion so you'd have to get another pair to be eligible for the discount.

I went to check out Nina's web site and lo and behold I found the shoes bellow that Anthropologie calls Dashwood Wedges and sells for $88. Nina's price? $79.95 + FREE shipping.



Here is another shoe I was taken with, Women's Life Stride Jan II for $38.95. A steal!

Whimsy Abundant

Don't we just love things that make us smile?

Chickadee Egg Cups

Giraffe Family Measuring Spoons

Moomins Mugs: Moomintroll, Love

Expedition Dessert Plates


Owl Shakers

Outrageous Anthropologie Shipping charges

I am thoroughly annoyed at Anthropologie's shipping charges. They calculate the charges based on the price of an item and not it's weight. A very backward system in my opinion. I guess they figure if you don't mind paying their prices for the clothes they might as well overcharge on the shipping too. Point in case: I ordered something from the website which had a shipping weight of 2lb (It said so on the box) and even that was an exaggeration. Since the price of the item was $145 the shipping charge ended up being $13. That's insane! I don't understand why stores like Gap, Ann Taylor, Loft, Banana Republic, Old Navy and many others can offer their customers standard $5 or $6 shipping with occasional Free Shipping promotions but Anthropologie feels above such practices? It's not enough that the clothes are overpriced, the shipping must be too?
Amazon ships everything for FREE! Overstock charges $2 on shipping. Need I go on?
I know Anthropologie is a niche store, but despite it's boutique appeal it is still a huge franchise and it wouldn't kill them to offer their customers compatible shipping rates. If other stores can do it, I don't see why Anthropologie can't.
To be fair, Anthropologie does a lot to endear itself to their customers. For instance, they have an amazing return policy and pretty good customer service. Still, it would be nice if there were no glitches in their appeal. Am I asking for too much?

Here is a chart of Anthropologie's shipping prices.

Anthropologie December Catalog

The December catalog has some interesting stories, promising items and beautiful photography. The cover photo is especially refreshing. I like the winter garden on the model's head. Thank you Anthropologie for giving me something out of the ordinary to lay eyes on.


Two stories unfold in this catalog. The first is of a lady who looks clearly out of place living in a fisherman village (Maybe she's just visiting?). She dresses in Bohemian fashion, does not brush her hair, and hangs out with a retarded looking lad (A husband? A brother? Both?)



The second story is more optimistic in my opinion . A beautiful red-head in a wall-papered house without furniture but with plenty of flowers sprinkled on the floor. There's something surreal and whimsical in these images. They make you feel like you've landed in some kookoo wonderland. I love the vibrant, happy colors. Whatever it is, at least it's not boring like some catalogs we know (I won't mention any names).



What about the clothes? We all know that Anthropologie is in the market of selling a "Feel". By the time we're hooked on the feel we don't even care that the clothes are unwearable and Anthropologie is damn good at getting us hooked on that feel. Still, at the end of the day Anthropologie is the only place where I can find something I like, something unusual and girly and well made. There is no other store that sells clothes that are "special" in this price range. It's true that not every single Anthropologie item is a hit (Will post more on this topic soon), but where else can I find a skirt with embroidery on it or a retro yellow jacket without the retro smell? Do we all want to be wearing retro-looking yellow jackets? That's another story.
Anthropologie is designed for ladies who have some imagination. Usually they're in a world of their own, but occasionally they run into other ladies or gentlemen with some imagination and then they get complimented on their yellow jackets and embroidered skirts.

Sandwiched in between the "Fisherman village" story and the "Red-head in her own happy place" story are home decor and accessories pages. Some nice items here....
The iron scroll bed is a work of art. Nice peacock pillow. Is it worth $148? I guess it all depends on what you're making....

New and Noteworthy

Here are some new styles to drool over.


I love the Baker's Dozen Blouse, it's so delicate and has such beautiful feminine touches like the tea-stained lace, the silver trimmed blossom and the ivory appliques. Denim pencil skirt is very classy and versatile, it can go with almost any top in your wardrobe. Garnet Hill sells a similar one but I think I like this one better (Maybe it's psychological, I just get more gratification out of leaving my money in Anthropologie).

The Star Grass Dress is another stunner. It's perfectly romantic and flattering to the figure. Definitely in my wish list.
The Corsage tieback is lovely and comfy. It's a top that can be worn anywhere and yet it's not just a plane 'ol t-shirt.




Cute Cardigan...though I wonder if all those ruffles around the mid-rift will create that "Pregnant" look.

Eye Candy

Photo of SOHO Anthropologie window display by Hubert J. Steed. Doesn't it look like a boutique in Paris?

Cookie Magazine Agrees With Me....

Here is a page from Cookie magazine showing Anthropologie tin mugs and teapot for kids (See my previous post on these mugs).

Anthropologie Customer Service

I received a call from Anthropologie customer service today regarding the Soft Focus dress mishap (See previous posts). The rep apologized for not getting in touch with me sooner and told me that they investigated the matter and found that I wasn't delusional.
They will update the picture on Anthropologie.com to show the new version of the dress. In the mean time I was issued a full refund, including the shipping charges. She also told me that a $30 coupon was mailed out to me as a compensation for my trouble.
Ok, I have to admit I am now pacified. That is what I call Customer Service. It helps to know your favorite store cares about it's customers. So, Anthropologie, we're back in business! It's just as well, since my wedding anniversary is coming up in December and where else would I send my husband to shop for my gift but Anthropologie?