Why does Anthro hate bras? And other practical concerns

So, I've managed to get my first round of review photos together for the first time in months. Frustratingly, though, Anthro seems to be becoming entrenched in certain clothing pitfalls. Four of them are seen here. Hear me roar:

Length

The Donkey Silk Shift (Charlotte Taylor) has been on my radar for months, so I was thrilled to see it as soon as I walked into the store. The colour hasn't translated perfectly here, but the background is a perfect minty green and the donkeys are a nude colour. I'm wearing a US8 here, as there was no 4 or 6 - I would definitely need to size down, as there was way too much material for me, particularly in the shoulders and stomach areas. The material is silky and expensive feeling, without feeling delicate. The only hitch, besides the $190 price tag, is the length. At 5 foot 5 inches, I'm pretty much bang on for the average height and this is made for a woman about four inches shorter than me, at least. If I kept my arms down, the dress was passable, a slightly daring mini, but nonetheless:passable. The problem arose whenever I lifted my arms up, as seen in the first photo. This isn't even a question of whether or not it's flattering, more whether or not I'm going to get cited for indecent exposure. It's so frustrating! I love this dress otherwise, but unless I can figure out how to shorten myself or figure out if there are any thick tights I could wear with it, this is unworkable. 

Cut 

Looking at all of these photos, I keep thinking how proud my father must be of me flashing my bra and thighs on the net - hi, Dad! This next dress is the Rolo Crossback Dress, in a different print, if I'm not mistaken. Let me start with the negative this time, so we can end on a high note: I'm wearing a small in this dress which fit most excellently everywhere but two places: the edges of the back straps could be seen from the front on me, but this might be true for everyone. The more fatal error: the neckline is a very low scoopneck, exposing the tops of my bras (making it look as though there are two hairy caterpillars trying to get to one another, across my chest) - this is not a hugely high cut bra, but maybe if you wear a lower cup size you might avoid exposing yourself. The positive is that this is the first dress I've ever tried on that has a cut out back that actually lets you get away with wearing a regular bra: an engineering miracle. The material was quite thick, but I think you could get away with wearing it in summer. 

Straps

The Acropora Dress by HD in Paris caught my eye with it's bright coral print, making me think it would be perfect for an island holiday. The different shades of blue contrast nicely with the orange and it's not too quirky as to be distracting. I almost thought from the front that we might have another Traced Twirls style dress, adapted to summer, but alas it was not to be. I wore a US4 which was the perfect size, particularly thanks to the elasticated sides - if you're borderline with regards to sizes, size down. The material was cool and crisp and perfect for lazy, hazy summer days, though you might feel like you're not getting much for your money. So, all is well and good until you turn around and remember: Anthro hates bras. The criss-cross (am I the only one who struggles to use that word seriously after seeing James Marsden on 30 Rock?) back is unnecessary at best, infuriating at worst. The sales assistant suggested that I could have the straps moved, but the last thing I want to do when buying a new dress is send it off to the tailors! If you're comfortable without a bra or with wearing a strapless, you'll be fine - otherwise, back to the rack it goes.

Sheer!

This one is fairly self explanatory but I felt I should throw this in to round out my rant, as it's one of those issues that we've been bemoaning for a long time. The Capeside Top by C. Keer is the latest to suffer from too thin/too sheer material. I took a small in this top and found it to run a little big. I'm still a sucker for tiered ruffles, but the fact that I could see not only my bra and trousers through the material but also my belly button (eliciting an eternal scream of "eeeeeeeeee!" - I like to forget I have one) nixed any chance I had of liking this. 

So, that wasn't my most optimistic, cheerful post! But, I have some nicer reviews in the pipeline, and it feels good to get some of my grievances off of my chest. Does anyone else agree with some of these issues or have any they think I missed? This isn't so-much Anthro bashing, as just venting about some quality issues that have been bugging Anthroites for a while.