Anthropologie on a Forever21 Budget

June 10, 2013 5:13 PM

So I'm sure this doesn't really exist, but in case it does and I've missed it, is there anywhere I can find Anthropologie-esque clothing more in the neighborhood of Forever21 prices? I'm a size 4/6. It doesn't have to be quite as cheap as Forever21, but no $200 tops please! I'm quite gentle on clothing and I can sew basic repairs, so super well made isn't *terribly* important. If their clothing is good for tall women and/or uses natural fabrics, that's a super bonus! I already know about eshakti. Thanks metafilter!
posted by skjønn to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (16 answers total)

Ruche
posted by kitty teeth at 5:19 PM on June 10, 2013 [3 favorites]

Sosie
posted by 41swans at 5:22 PM on June 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Libby Story
posted by shesbookish at 5:22 PM on June 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Modcloth
posted by mchorn at 5:54 PM on June 10, 2013 [2 favorites]

Just a tip, but check out the sales at Anthropologie regularly...I never buy anything there full price but have gotten some pretty amazing deals in the sale section. What seems to happen is that weekly(around Tuesday at this particular store) they would mark stuff down, and then mark it down again, etc. I walked by the store everyday on the way home from work so almost every Tuesday I popped in to just to see what was new/newly marked down in the sale section.

I've seriously gotten plenty of stuff from Anthro for cheaper than it would likely be at Forever 21.

Online sale section is good too.
posted by fromageball at 5:55 PM on June 10, 2013 [8 favorites]

Tulle, especially when their stuff is on sale.
posted by gingerbeer at 5:59 PM on June 10, 2013

2nding Ruche. They have cute stuff slightly cheaper than Modcloth(? sometimes), and they seem slightly more skewed toward "classy" than Modcloth.
posted by stoneandstar at 6:13 PM on June 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

Their sizes tend to run small (no vanity sizing) for example a 6 is generally a "large" and the shipping can take awhile, and quality can be hit or miss pay extra attention to see if the model is holding her skirt or blouse in a weird way. But I order a lot of stuff from Asian sites and have had a lot of good luck. Sometimes you have to dig around a little/wait for season changes because the better looking stuff tends to move quickly on some sites. Also, Amazon has some great sales/bidding wars/distributing wars, but you really have to keep an eye on the items that you want. Some sites that I use/have used are...

Yes Style
Sammy Dress
Ami Clubwear
15 Dollar Store
Ali Express
Wholesale 7 (love the under $4 section...usually some cute things)
Asian Korean Fashion
YF Mart
Tasha Apparel (Wholesale but still inexpensive)
Orange Zone (Wholesale)
Korean Jaman Clothing
5.99 Fashion (everything 5.99 or less)
LnL Clothing
143 Fashion
G Stage

(If you want specifics about any particular site, memail me!)
posted by AnneShirley at 6:31 PM on June 10, 2013 [4 favorites]

Consignment shops in the rich part of town are good for this.
posted by Comet Bug at 6:36 PM on June 10, 2013 [2 favorites]

I quite like Francesca's.
posted by radioamy at 7:10 PM on June 10, 2013 [1 favorite]

is there an H&M near you?
posted by sexyrobot at 7:23 PM on June 10, 2013

I don't know where in Texas you are, but if you're near a big city, thrifting might be your answer--I've found tons of straight-outta-Anthropologie stuff at thrift shops in the San Francisco Bay Area and in the Twin Cities. For a while when I had more time, I was even buying and reselling stuff that originally came from Anthro that either didn't fit me or wasn't to my taste, because it's such an eBay goldmine.

Look at thrift stores in upscale neighborhoods or suburbs, it's pretty incredible what people will unload, and because the labels from Anthropologie are a little arcane (ie, they won't say "ANTHROPOLOGIE") they don't get marked up and put on the "Better Quality" racks.
posted by padraigin at 7:39 PM on June 10, 2013

If you're tall, Francesca's & Modcloth are out (for sure). Probably most of the stores listed are out because cheap + waistlines that fit a tall woman's natural waist just don't exist... Even (especially) Anthropologie doesn't do a good job of fitting tall women. There are a few brands that I love but no reliable stores.

(I say this as someone who has finally come to terms with the fact that all my lovely anthropologie dresses are consistently too short waisted; I'm now selling my collection on eBay. So there's eBay to check also.)
posted by Kronur at 12:12 AM on June 11, 2013 [2 favorites]

I asked a very similar question last year and got some good answers.
posted by jbickers at 5:25 AM on June 11, 2013

Ebay is where I would look. I get a lot of clothes from there, and there always seems to be a good collection of Anthropologie stuff for sale there.
posted by backwards compatible at 10:36 AM on June 11, 2013

If you don't mind previously owned, I enjoy ThreadFlip. The idea is sort of like ebay, with sellers directly selling to buyers, but only for clothes.

I haven't actually purchased anything through the site, but they have a pretty decent selection of Anthropologie stuff.
posted by forkisbetter at 12:07 PM on June 11, 2013