$24 Underwear, Anthropologie? Bitch Please.

I stake my shopping reputation on being right oh, I don’t know, all the time. There are, however, select cases in which I’m only MOSTLY right: Like being dead in the Kingdom of Florin, there’s a big difference between being only MOSTLY right, and ALL right. And cheaping out on things your layering obsessed ass wears 24/7 (i.e. camisoles) is not ALL right. I learned this the hard way when my Two-For-$12 Mandee Camis proved too poorly made for even the Delicates dryer cycle. Holes and loose threads everywhere within a month, shit you not. And no, I don’t do the wash-by-hand thing – it puts a serious dent in my Sudoku time.

After concluding that camis were one of those items where quality couldn’t be scrimped on, I stopped by Anthropologie intending to purchase my old standbys: Seamless Camisoles by Eloise, a.k.a. the Best. Camis. Ever. Except this was the first time I’d be buying said camis with my own dough. I found them; I petted them; I tried them on for size. Then I looked at the pricetag.

Twenty-Four Effing Dollars for a glorified undergarment. If I gave in to buying one, I was leaving with five, and on my way to being $120-plus-obscene-NYC-sales-tax poorer than I already am. Camis are like crack that way – one needs multiple hits. There had to be another way.

So I Googled Eloise Camisoles hoping for a deal of some sort. No dice. They’re basically the only item that goes on sale NEVER, and for that crime against humanity, they do not deserve my business. A well-made, well-priced layering alternative to this $24 bullshit had to exist. It does, and I found it on the exercise apparel racks at Daffy’s this very morning. (When hunting for daywear camis, check the workout stuff in addition to the lingerie section. Little tip for ya there.)



I’d never heard of the brand Marika, but it fit and felt just as fab as overpriced Eloise, and it cost all of $7.99. That’s not even the best part. More Googling revealed that, while the exact style and price of my find was unlisted, Marika’s almost-identical Go Red Seamless Tank Top (same 92/8 Tactel Nylon/Spandex Blend and everything, I tag-checked, scout’s honor) retails for…wait for it… $34. I’m assuming my tank was similarly priced. And this time, I think I’m ALL right.

Kiss my ass, Anthropologie.