In the wise words of that viral TikTok sound, “If I like it, I’ll just grab it in a different color.”
When I stumbled across the Anthropologie Tobie Dress, which completely took over my TikTok feed at the start of summer, I couldn’t get it out of my mind.
I knew that as someone with a smaller waist than hips, the structured pleating and cinched midsection would be super flattering. I loved that the buttons and collar made it something I could easily dress up for work, but also pictured how I could dress it down with sneakers for a weekend outing.
It wasn’t until I realized the garb shared a name with my beloved late Yorkie that I decided to bite the bullet and place an order for the plum version, which I could wear into the fall; boy, am I glad I did.
Not only was it absolutely gorgeous and flattering on, but it felt amazing.
The fabric is thick, but not too thick that I feel suffocated in the hot NYC summer weather. Soft, but not too soft that it loses its shape throughout the day. Stretchy, but not too stretchy that it ends up being the wrong size.
When I wore it into the office for the first time, people literally wouldn’t stop complimenting me (#HumbleBrag). I quickly realized this was going to be a problem; I needed more!
Over the next few weeks, I perused the various color, fabric and pattern selections and ultimately decided to hit buy on the denim version — another staple I could see myself wearing throughout multiple seasons.
As you could probably tell given my obsession with the Lanolips 101 balm, which I own multiples of, I could feel myself starting to hyperfixate on the Tobie Dress; I literally wanted to wear it every single day.
But, because I’m a responsible adult who has bills to pay, I couldn’t justify spending another $200 on a dress which I already owned in multiple colors.
I then decided to do some digging and ultimately discovered two awesome alternatives from Target and Amazon that give me the same look without the hefty price tag.
They both retail for around $35 and give me a look that is incredibly close to that of the Anthropologie version.
Target’s Ava & Viv Pleated Midi Shirtdress, which I got in black, feels the most similar to the Tobie, but is structurally a little off.
The Amazon version, which I have in striped green, looks more similar (in my opinion), but doesn’t feel quite as high quality.
You know what they say — you get what you pay for. And while I love that I could expand my pleated-dress collection with more affordable lookalikes, my favorite still is the original.
And as much as I just said I can’t buy a third version of the same dress, I fear I’ll be on the Anthropologie app tonight.
(Editor’s note: If you noticed my shoes, which you can tell I’m also obsessed with based on the above photos, they’re currently on sale at Target.)
Shop the Anthropologie Tobie Dress in more colors and lengths below:
