James Perse casual tee | size 1 – made in the US
Elizabeth Suzann Clyde work pants (gift from Elizabeth Suzann to review) | size 6 regular – made in the US
Birkenstock Arizona sandals (mine are James Perse exclusive – sold out)
In May, Elizabeth Suzann sent me these pants to review for you as part of our partnership and launch of the new signature collection, and I sent them back. I wasn’t sure I loved them enough to find a place for them in my wardrobe, and frankly, had a hard time getting behind the hip-enhancing silhouette. BUT. I thought about them all summer, wishing I had them as an easy pair of non-black pants with POCKETS, pants I could wear around the house, to walk the dog, and then run errands, and that I wouldn’t have to “worry” about.
So about a month ago, I asked if I could please give them a try again, and they arrived on Friday. I basically wore them all weekend, so I could give you a REALLY good idea of how they fit, and wear. And also because they’re that good. Is it bad to say my favorite thing about them is the pockets??
I am wearing the size 6 regular, and I have them rolled up about 1.5 inches. I probably could have taken the short, because I won’t wear them full-length very often, but I did want the option to do so. The waistband is super-comfortable, and sits high up on my true waist. The pants are a teeny bit tight on my calves, which is to be expected (all pants/jeans are, really, even straight or boyfriend styles – my calves are 16″); sometimes I size up in pants to fit my calves, but wouldn’t want to in these. Anyway it’s not so bad I find it very uncomfortable, but it’s something to note.*
The cotton twill gives a little, but doesn’t stretch as much as you might expect it to. I thought the pants would stretch a LOT (as most 100% cotton does), and they have really kept their shape nicely. I haven’t washed them yet, but I will wash them on cold, and hang to dry.
If it turns out I wear these as often as I think I will, I may consider the black pair next year. But we’ll see…
Who else has the Clyde work pants? What do you think of them? Any questions about fit/styling/etc?
Oh, and have you seen Elizabeth Suzann’s updated website featuring their diversity project? Each product page for the signature collection now shows how the item fits on different sizes/body types. So beautiful.
*sometimes I feel like I’m truly a special snowflake when it comes to my wide calves. I have such a hard time finding pants to fit my 28″ waist and 16″ calves. Sometimes I can size up in the waist/pant size to fit my calves and then tailor the waist, but with some styles, I can go all the way up to large, size 31 or so, and the calves STILL don’t fit (James Perse I’m talking to you…) – designers just don’t think about disproportionate leg/calf size when designing. Maybe there are just so few of us out there it’s not even worth it, but it’s so frustrating to me. Anyway, if you’re out there, fellow wide calf/small waist body types, say hello!! I know you’re there 🙂
Oh, I’m glad you got the Clyde pants back and have grown to love them, Grechen! they look versatile and comfortable and the olive green is a great color. I do not have the Clyde pants but I have the Tilda in black linen (wearing them as often as I can b/c I love them so much), and the Florence pants in silk and in linen. I simply LOVE Elizabeth Suzann’s stuff. I also love what she’s done with her website and the diversity campaign she’s featuring…it’s pretty cool to see her pieces and designs on all types of women’s bodies and would like to see this type of thing more often with other designers.
And those round pockets are wonderful.
I feel you, but I’m the opposite!! I was just talking to a friend about my pants problems. I’m round in the middle, but my legs are thin. So when I get pants that fit my waist/hip area, the legs are really big. Even skinny jeans look baggy! I wear a lot of leggings as a result, and have only found one pair of ponte knit pants that really work for me. I’m going to keep looking though….. I’m no quitter.
Yay! I love these pants! They were the first item I ordered in the shorter length and I ended up exchanging them for the regular length though I’m 5’3″. I’ve worn the Cecilia pants in the regular length long in the winter and rolled up the rest of the year. I’ll be doing the same with these olive Clyde pants as well. Love the pockets and they are so comfortable. I also have the Florence in silk and I think these are the only three pairs of pants I need (plus jeans)!
they are my favorite part of the pants 🙂
i can’t wait to wear the cecilia pants more often as the weather cools off (how did you wear them all summer?? i couldn’t do it…)
and the florence pants too, although i fear i should have exchanged those for the large regular, instead of stuck with the medium short. if i wear them low on my hips, they fit well, and are a good length, but otherwise, they’re a little tight in the waist, and too short. i only hesitate ordering a new pair because i wonder if they’d actually work for me even in the large…
so glad you changed your mind about those. They are both sturdy and feminine at the same time and extremely flattering. I actually ordered the black a few weeks ago and can’t wait!
i’m jealous of your legs, cathy 😉
Well, okay, I mostly alternated between the Malena and Vera dresses! However I do work in an over-air conditioned office so the Cecilia pants made an appearance or two! As did the Florence!
I like this outfit! Which isn’t a surprise since I wear very similar items. I have the same JP T in black and navy, I wear them constantly. I have a similar pant by Siwy (old). I can’t wear khaki with my coloring but can wear this shade of green, in fact, it’s one of my favorite wardrobe colors. I agree that it is nice to wear something that has structure and isn’t black and denim on the bottom. Pockets are handy for walking the dog, running errands (I’d much rather put my keys and/or phone in a pocket than my purse when going in and out of multiple places) or at work (I work for an agricultural company so we wear Ts and jeans mainly and I need a place for my keys, badge, phone). In Hawaii, it’s difficult to wear pants (other than leggings) to walk the dog, it’s way too humid so I used to wear a lightweight vest over running clothes to stuff my phone, keys and doggie pickup bag. I could see wearing an outfit like this in early fall weather on the mainland. I know you don’t wear shorts and agree this looks like a comfy alternative (I could easily see this outfit with white sneakers too). I like the silhouette of the pants as well and the fact it has good pockets without being a cargo pant.
Hello! I have had these pants in my cart for the summer and am hesitant to purchase because I am unsure about sizing. I am between a 4 and a 6 and your comments have been helpful! I am still not 100% sure so any other feedback on measurements would be great!
hi nicole – can you give us more details on your “normal” sizing? what’s your body shape? how do you like things to fit?
Yes! I like things to be fitted and I also have a hard time finding pants that fit well. With Denim I typically wear a 28, my problem is I am curvy on bottom, I am slim up top but have big hips and thighs. So I usually run into pants that fit well in the waist but are too tight in the thigh area, or pants that fit well everywhere but are too large in the waist. I currently have the Florence pants in Linen and Silk Crepe in Medium and feel like they are a bit too roomy. Sorry for the lengthy response! I love ES clothing and don’t want to order the pants and wait a month to get the wrong size!
It’s so hard with ES because it takes so long to get your order! Based on my experience I think you’d be happier with the 4. But I would also suggest you contact ES. They have always been very helpful when I’ve contacted them. In fact, after I returned a dress they emailed me and asked if they could send another because the one I returned didn’t look like it was cut correctly. They wanted to give me every chance for it to work.
Favorite, favorite, favorite pants—I am so happy they’re back with you! I have three pairs of Clydes—one in a beautiful, light-grey, wool twill that was available last August, plus the cotton twill workpants in black and in olive. I bought the cotton pairs back in November 2015 (when they were still using a slightly paler olive), but both have worn *incredibly* well and are, hands down, my favorite pants to wear. In temperatures between 50-75º, I can likely be found puttering around in the cotton pairs; below 55º, I’m in the wool twill!
For the commenter above who asked about color fastness, I noticed yesterday while hanging my black Clydes that the color has faded a bit at some of the more pronounced creases and wrinkles—in what I think is a really cool way! The all-around color is still a clean black, but where it occurs, the fading reminds me of a perfect old denim jacket. After nearly a year of hard use and casual washing, the cotton pairs are definitely not crisp, but I also stretch their use into barn-chore territory (I work with horses). Now and then, I dress them up and still feel like a million bucks, but mostly I beat them up. 🙂
I could sing my Clydes’ praises all day but I’ll cut myself off here. Hope all other wearers enjoy them as much as I do!
side note: your site is beautiful, and i could look at pictures of horses all day 🙂 what a wonderful thing you do!!
so now, i wonder if she’ll do a wool pair for the cold collection?? that would be cool. although, i would probably stick with the cotton twill – i think it’s a fine weight for me to wear most of the year, except in the dregs of summer…
thank you for your input!! now i feel i must have a black pair 🙂
Agreed—I’d love to see another wool twill pair but probably wouldn’t spring for it; I’m happy with my collection for now. But I’m sure you’ll get a ton of use out of your cotton olive pair…certainly enough to tempt you towards the black. 🙂
Enjoy your Clydes and thank you for sharing so many helpful thoughts along the way, Gretchen. It’s due to your notes on them that I am also known to wear a lovely pair of black, silk Florence pants…on a clean day. 😉
(Thanks for your sweet comment about my site! I feel lucky every day to get to do what I do.)
Sorry—*Grechen minus the T! (I’m used to spelling my friend’s name that way!)
Oh I have been stalking these pants online for over a year. I don’t know what is keeping me from pulling the trigger – I still have trouble sometimes with the cost even though rationally I KNOW they are totally worth it. Also I have such a hard time finding pants that fit. I love so many pieces on her site, and the new diversity campaign is so fantastic.
Cute! I like the way you styled them this time. Out of curiosity, how do these compare to the Black Crane Carpenter pants? Maybe I asked you this before…Deja vu….I’m having a menofog moment!
I love their diversity project. I wanted to be a part of it and couldn’t get my act together in time. Typical.
they’re different pants, really – i like them both. the black crane carpenter pants have a wide leg, and smaller pockets. i loved those pants so much…just not the flannel cotton! they were the perfect length for me…
i completely understand!! i still have a hard time paying $$ for things I know are worth it. although it does get easier the more you do it LOL
I had a real hard time with these pants when I ordered them. I am a very consistent 6/28 in bottoms. – legs on the thinner side but booty + hips. I was barely able to pull them up and then once they were on, they seemed to hug my hips in an unflattering way. I wore them around the house for a weekend and then had to return. However, I got them just before the new release this summer, so maybe there have been changes. Too bad – I had been super excited for them. I then ordered the cecilia pants instead and I felt they were way too big on me, and not fitted at all. Go figure. It’s really hard to wait 6 weeks for each try on. It seems like ES has taken off in popularity, so it’s hard to understand why everything must be made to order, given that sizes are standard and not based on personal measurements.
when i first tried these on earlier in the year, i didn’t like how they hugged my hips either, but after all the Pure Barre Platform classes i took all summer, i think they slimmed down a little, and fit into the pants much better…but there’s a fine line, i think.
the cecilia pants fit oddly, i agree. the leg is sort of “big” on me, in places, which is so strange, but i think laurie mentioned that she’d had the leg successfully taken in a bit around the knee to make them more slim, so i’m going to try that as we get into cooler weather. i don’t mind them actually the way they are, but they’re sort of a strange mix of straight/slim
on the one hand, you would think that as she gets more popular and can predict volume/sales/etc. better, she’d have inventory and be able to ship immediately, but on the other, this system of “pre-ordering” has worked well for her so far, so why change?? i can see both sides, honestly, and while it’s hard to wait a long time (that’s why i never ended up ordering the linen georgia dress this summer – because why order it now and wait then not be able to wear it much, i’ll just order it early next spring), she is truly practicing SLOW fashion, and it seems to be incredibly successful!! i’m sure she loses a lot of sales this way, but the ones she gets are probably much more loyal since having to make a decision and then be patient. i don’t know…just my thoughts…
I had a sizing problem with the Florence pants as well. Found the medium (in silk crepe) too tight on my hips – they didn’t have a nice drape there. There was already too much material in the rise for me and my freakishly short torso so I didn’t consider the large at all. The turnaround time was a factor in my decision also – I didn’t want to wait another two months when I was pretty certain I’d end up returning the second pair as well. Not sure if I did the right thing, because I spent most of the summer looking for an alternative and haven’t found one that I like.
The Clydes look great, Grechen – I love the look with the fitted black tee. Love olive and black together in general.
They sound like what I’m looking for…they’d be cropped on me!!!
greetings! first time commenter and long time creeper over here! i’ve had these pants sitting in my cart for a while and have finally decided to take the plunge after this post :<) also in question are the tilda silk pants and the mules- do you or anyone else have any comments or feedback on those items? enjoy the rest of your day! -cat
oh, i’ve tried to buy the mules twice and missed out both times!! i love them!!
I think someone here has the mules though and they might comment on sizing – i think it would be helpful to look at sevilla smith’s website too for sizing guidance, she’s the one who manufactures the shoes.
hope you get some feedback on the tilda pants!
Hi Grechen! Another long-time reader, first-time commenter here. So glad you have these back in your life and happy to see a full review! Like many others on this thread, I too have had these pants in my cart for quite some time but haven’t pulled the trigger due to sizing. I am 5’7″, 125lbs with a 26″ waist and an average hourglass figure that usually wears a 2/4, 26/27 in pants. I keep waffling between the size 2 and 4 as I am always wary of a too tight a waistband and don’t want it to cut in, but at the same time don’t want to size up and have a baggy leg situation so they look sloppy. Do you think the waistband is on the tiny/tighter side or wide enough that it stretches without cutting in? Thank you!
i actually find the waistband on these to be pretty forgiving. much better than the florence pants…
i haven’t noticed it cutting in at all, and it’s a nice width.
I am torn in sizing for the Clyde pants, I am a 29″ waist and a 39″ hip with curvier bottom. Right smack in the middle of ES sizes 6 & 8! I know the cotton twill doesn’t give much, I’m in a conundrum! Any suggestions?
i’m about your size, an inch or so bigger in both measurements, and i’m in the 6 – and i think that’s the right size for me. when “fresh” they’re a teeny big snug, but definitely give and stretch a little with wear. honestly, i might be okay also with the size 8, but the size 6 is big enough in the hips for me, i wouldn’t want them to be any bigger if that makes sense…
Hi Grechen,
Just curious… what dont you like about Black Crane carpenter pants in the wool cotton?
Thanks.
they were just too heavy for most seasons in texas. i loved the fit/style though!
These look great on you! I am so glad I just found you! I have such similar legs to yours and it is so nice to read your Clyde work pant review because I have been wondering how the calves would fit me! I’ll definitely be following you and am so glad to find someone with a similar body/leg type as I never see it! Thx