Anthropologie

I was enamoured with Anthropologie from the moment I stepped in; the shop is bright and uplifting and the displays are interesting and inspiring. Whether you’re looking for a special gift for a friend or an indulgent treat for yourself, Anthropologie can surely help you out.
As I wandered around, my thoughts were just ‘WANT, WANT, WANT’ as it’s just all so pretty and desirable. Of course, for this, you will pay. And that’s why Anthropologie is an expensive shop. But there aren’t many shops with such an extensive range of unique gifts available. For me, it was the homeware, stationery and accessories which I loved browsing most. The clothes were lovely too but it was the beautiful array of teacups, jugs, vases and bowls which caught my eye; with such delightful prints and colours.
After first visit, I already love this shop!

Toutes les boutiques Anthropologie sont jolies, mais je n’ai jamais vu mieux que celle-​là !
La décoration est vraiment soignée, on se croirait dans un magazine. Résultat: on s’y balade presque comme dans un showroom ou musée plutôt que pour acheter (de toute façon les prix né sont pas donnés).
Et personnellement, tout m’émerveille: que ce soit les vêtements ou la décoration, cet esprit bohème chic est à ravir !

She and I, we have a strange friendship. She invites me into her home on occasion — she never comes to mine. Each time, I am quietened. For example, I will pick up a cushion, and she will casually mention its value. I’ll quickly replace it, blushing. «Sorry,» I say. «I’m just… it’s really pretty.»
She smiles — laughs actually — not a tinkling, vanishing laugh, but a proper laugh full of sparkle and fun. «It’s fine,» she says, with a wink. But I’ve put the cushion back too straight. This is not a house of straightness. As she bends to re-​skew it, back to the perfect angle, just so, I notice the way her dress falls. It’s elegant. It’s quirky. It’s colourful. Oh, for a dress like that.
The coffee table is laden with enormous books: Berlin. Photography. Seasonal Pies. Spaces… Spaces? They’re beautiful, and they don’t look like they’ve ever been opened. They are there to be on the table. The table, likewise, is there to bear their unread weight. A candle in a tin, too, wide, with three wicks, which have never been lit; a fresh, fruity aroma hovers around it all the same.
I turn to comment on the beautiful smell but she’s pulling on a patchwork apron over her beautiful dress. It messes up her hair a little bit, improves it somehow. «Let’s make a cake!» she laughs — that laugh again — and pulls me out into the hall by my arm, starting to make for the kitchen. I wonder vaguely if she ought not to perhaps try making one of the Seasonal Pies instead. I nearly trip over a padded fabric doorstop on my way out, a paisley and polka-​dot letter «A». Ah. Her name stops doors from closing. Of course.
«I’m — I’m sorry,» I stammer, un-​straightening the A, checking it for a mark where I’ve kicked it. No. Thank goodness. «Actually, I — I have to be heading off again pretty soon.» I seem in danger of knocking everything, and yet there’s so much room here. Spaces.
«But you never stay!» she cries, with a playful pout. «I’ve got these pecans to use up, you know…»
«No, really, sorry, I know, ha. Um.» I shrug. I’m trying now not to be standing on the rug. Has anyone ever stood on this rug? She probably stands slightly above it.
«Oh, spoilsport,» she grins. «Ok, off you go then. See you next time, Cressida!»
«Thanks. Bye. Thanks. Bye, Anthropologie.»
She waves to me from the door, an embroidered oven glove on her hand, as I walk out into the street, holding nothing in mine. Already I regret leaving — already I want to go back in — already I will visit her again. I turn to wave back, but the door has closed.

An absolutely beautiful store completely full of amazing gifts, homewares and fashions that you probably won’t find anywhere else, and all set out in very attractive and eye-​catching ways. I visited yesterday and spent quite a while looking at everything, especially the china and glass. I would be more than happy to stock my kitchen with many of these gorgeous and colourful designs not to mention the rest of my house with the other things, from fabrics to ornaments. I do think that most things (certainly according to all the price tags I looked at) are ridiculously overpriced. I imagine that, being in a capital city, lots of wealthy people shop in this store regularly without question (it would, of course, be the same in the centre of London or any other capital) but the average person, including myself, couldn’t possibly afford to shop here.

I would like to move in here please…
…I promise I will look after all the gorgeous clothes and, if I try them on, I promise to hang them all back up where they just look so lovely!
I promise to wholeheartedly appreciate the design of the store and all the original artwork, photography and sculpture that’s displayed so marvellously!
I promise to drink tea from the gorgeous, hand-​painted cups and juice from the chunky and wholesome Mexican recycled glass glasses!
I promise to bake cupcakes and tasty stews in all the pretty, and functional, ceramic dishes and bake-ware…and then serve it on plates decorated with furry animals and blossom trees!
I promise to read all the interesting books lying around whilst lounging on the comfy looking sofas and bed in the downstairs area… and I’ll even put them back in the right place and straighten the gorgeous throw that I know Jen wants so much!
I promise to look after the sparkly, pretty jewellery and wonderful bags that are in the accessories section… and wear them to the best of my abilities!
I promise that when I win the lottery you will be top of my list for the glorious spending spree that will ensue…
…can I move in here please? :)

When word spread that Anthropologie were opening in Edinburgh, all of my American friends (who had the pleasure of shopping there across the waters previously) told me I was going to *love* it. All of them. Individually. They actually said «Jenny, you are going to love it.» They also warned me that it would cost a pretty penny.
Correct on all fronts.
It was perhaps for this reason I had totally and utterly ignored it until recently. It opened a wee while ago but I just never went out of my way to go. But now I’ve been in I can’t help but imagining my life with more Anthropologie in it.
A beautiful quilted duvet in mist-​matched Indian fabrics on my bed perhaps? With the cutest porcelain drawer-​handles to replace the old ones on my desk drawers? And the delicious smell of vanilla candles to compliment the equally vanilla perfume on my dressing table? And a beauteous mug full of fresh lemon and ginger tea on the desk, sitting beside the completely unique and individual hand-​made leather-​bound notebook, containing all the notes for my latest upcoming novel. And beside the gorgeous cup and beautiful notebook, a mismatching (yet so mismatching it matches) china plate that I made using the most stunning yet still practical of kitchen utensils (like a pink spatula, floral bowl, hand-​carved wooden spoon) spread with a layer of butter from the pottery butter jar.
You get the picture. My life with Anthropologie in it would be look better, smell better, taste better, be better (and I would be an author on the side, FYI) –in the most fabulously earthy, boho hippy chic-​meets-​Betty-​crocker type way. It’s just… me…in a store.
Sadly, my wallet and pennies do not afford me the luxury of living in a home that looks as if it just happened to all fall together like that in the most mismatching and ear-​worn of ways. (That Indian-​material quilted duvet? Close to £300). If you could kit your home out in Anthropologie it would look effortlessly cool. Like even cooler than Monica’s apartment in Friends (cos that was so at least 10 years ago… God I’m old.)
They also have clothes. And accesories. And fashion things. An amazing hat that I wanted. And the cutest little aardvark toy. See, all pointless things I don’t need but that my life now feels imcomplete without. The clothes aren’t quite so *me* but the homewares… ohyes.

One of the most beautiful stores you’ll ever see.
It is just like the Anthro. s in the States: colorful, original, and tempting!
Unfortunately I thought it was to expensive there, so to come here where the prices are the same, just in pounds (as in, an 80 USD skirt is 80 GBP) it’s crushingly expensive. I will save my pennies and scour sale racks.
Still, I walk through Anthropologie just to feel inspired.

Beautiful store with fantastic collection; but the prices are ridiculous. We’re talking about £30+ for a very basic t-​shirt.