If you’re like me, when it comes to travel clothing you want clothes made of quality fabrics, is fashion forward, fits perfectly, washes/travels well and is age appropriate.
Hit the brakes…Yes, you read that correctly – Can that be? Is it possible?
I see the blog articles all the time where girls – and I do mean girls – say that they pack a sarong and wear it as a coverup or as a dress and that it looks great in any occasion…Or there are the articles where they pack one pair of zip-off khakis and wear them the entire trip – zip off the legs, and you have shorts – add this piece, and you have a skirt…
In my travels (and at my age) – I’m too old to wear a sarong away from the beach because it looks like I’m wearing a table-cloth to dinner and I’m not usually on safari so I can’t wear the transformer pant-a-skort to dinner in the cruise ship dining room.
Anatomie Wear: fashion-forward designs, well made and well-travelled
I was super excited to try Anatomie Wear. Their website says it all when it says “In a nutshell, it is designer wear that you can actually wear.”
In a nutshell indeed!
With headquarters in Miami, Florida – initially, the clothing line was focused on high-end workout wear for athletes and designed for style and function. It was only after some of their clients said that they were wearing their clothing on holiday instead of at the gym did Anatomie change their focus to travel. Using the latest French and Italian performance fabrics, each season the Anatomie team goes to Milan, Paris and New York for inspiration to ensure that their designs are always on-trend.
Here’s what their website says about their clothing.
- Virtually indestructible, made from the finest French and Italian fabrics
- Chic, feminine, stylish and versatile
- Never need ironing
- No dry cleaning
- Machine washable, wrinkle free, and never fade
- Ultra-light weight
Anatomie Wear sent me two items for review purposes
PAOLA ANATOMIE DESIGNER ACTIVEWEAR STRETCH BLACK
Price: $189.00
Product ID : AS4651B800
Weight: 6 oz
Sizes available: XS to XL
Colours available: Black, Navy, Grey
Stretch woven, fitted cut, mid rise, slim fit city pant, three front closure snaps with zipper, front side pockets, wide waistband with belt loops. Super-light-weight Nylon / Lycra, Micro Fiber moisture wicking fabric.
Sizing:
I find that every manufacturer has a different interpretation of what a small, medium and large is. With that in mind, whenever ordering online from ANY manufacturer, I always refer to the sizing section for actual measurements before ordering. Thankfully the Anatomie Fit Guide not only provides a sizing chart for their pants but they provide a guide for each STYLE of pants.
For pants in the US, I usually wear a petite size 4 to 6. In referring to the pant fit chart and using a measuring tape, the measurements indicated that I was in-between a Small and a Medium! Keeping in mind the “slim fit” description – which translates as tight versus loose-fitting – I opted to go with a Medium. So be warned, if you don’t want the pants to be super snug, you may want to go up one size.
When I received the package:
When the package arrived, my first impressions after I did my (first) happy dance was WOW! The pants are packaged in a very nice simple clear ziplock bag placed inside the shipping box. The package was so thin and light that I wondered if there really was a pair of pants inside the bag. Perfect for a one-bag carry-on traveller. (wink)
I put them on and honestly was surprised that they fit me perfectly (happy dance #2)– other than that they are long, which is the norm for me when it comes to pants because I’m short. They are incredibly lightweight and feel like you have nothing on. I wouldn’t recommend wearing them to Alaska in the winter but for spring, summer and fall they are perfect and if it gets a bit cool just wear a pair of tights underneath. I did, however, find that you do have to be careful because the fabric is soooo thin that you have to watch for the dreaded visible panty line.
There are no back pockets leaving a clean look, and there are two deep front pockets. At first, I felt the waist was too high with the three snap buttons, but now I love them because there is full coverage in the back. They also have a lot of stretch in the fabric which is fantastic.
I’ve washed them twice now and found them to be fast drying and wrinkle-free with no fade as promised.
The style is very unassuming, and you can wear them casually or dress them up. I’ve worn the pants to the movies, to a travel industry event and even to a funeral. They are the perfect black go anywhere pant.
DIANE JACKET GREY
Price: $265.00
Product ID: AS721B810
Weight: 1 lbs
Sizes available: XS to XL
Colours available: Black, Grey, Navy and Khaki
Sizing:
Unlike the pants fit guide there is no fit guide specific for each jacket, and this is where I had some trouble. Using the general measurement guide at the top of the screen and assuming from the photo that the jacket was loose-fitting and not “slim fit” as the pants are I ordered a size Small. Mistake. After happy dance #3, I tried on the jacket, and the fit was so tight I looked like a burrito. I could barely zip it up or breathe. I danced too soon.
I quickly contacted Anatomie and fast as can be, I received return instructions, shipped back the Small Jacket and received a new Medium Jacket. Now that’s customer service.
Regroup a few days later when I received the package:
Happy dance #3.5, open the ziplock bag and perfection…almost.
Made from the same super-light-weight Nylon / Lycra, Micro Fiber moisture-wicking fabric as the pants, the 3/4 length jacket has a collar so that you can “style it up” and wear a stylish jaunty scarf. The waist detailing gives the jacket some style and shape. The back of the coat has a decorative flap at the top and gusset detail at the bottom. The sleeves have a cute cuff with 2-button detail, and the grey is a good neutral go with anything colour.
I wish the jacket had a 2-way zipper so that you can unzip from the bottom when you sit down. It only has 1-way, but it does have the addition of a flap over the zipper that snaps shut to hide the zipper which is great. Also, the pockets are nice and deep, but I do wish there was a snap or velcro closure provided.
One other thing, with a jacket in this price range I wish that even though the jacket is not lined, that the inside seaming was finished as opposed to just serged – It would make the inside of the jacket look cleaner.
Almost Perfection? AKA Alterationists are always your friend
As I said before, I always have to get my pants hemmed so this is not a big deal but because I moved up to a size Medium in the Jacket – the arms of the jacket were way too long. You the reader may be thinking what? You had to get alterations?
YES, but this is where a good seamstress makes the item look like the item is custom made for you! I knew I was onto something with Anatomie when the first thing my trusted seamstress said to me was “Wow, nice fabric…where did you get this? I’ve never seen this before!”
In a nutshell – try out Anatomie Wear – you won’t be sorry.
I’m thrilled with the pants and the jacket and with the fit and style. I can see myself looking less like a tourist and more like a local on the streets of Europe or New York. Their pieces are on the higher end price wise, but that translates into high style, quality, durability and most importantly travel-ability.
They also carry dresses, tops, and leather jackets as well.
Let the happy dance begin!
Thank you to Anatomie Wear for providing the Paola Pants and the Diane Jacket for review purposes. This had no bearing on my review of these items. As always, my opinion is entirely my own.
