Elizabeth Suzann clyde culottes (or wide clydes, as they’re known…) | size 8, short
James Perse wool sweatshirt (few years old)
Vince Warren sneakers
Transience Swing Bag (gift from the designer)
I am not wearing this out of the house (or in it, for too long) because it’s too cold for ankle pants, and I don’t like to wear socks or boots 😉 But I wanted to show these pants to you, with an outfit, in case you were considering ordering a pair.
I really like them. They are cotton canvas, which is stiffer and makes more noise than cotton twill (seriously – they make a lot of noise when I walk!), but appropriate for this pant and the more structured look. I have no idea how the cotton canvas will wear, but I believe the reason they switched to it from the twill is that it should hold up longer.
I’m surprised that the size 8 fit me (my regular clyde pants – old style – are size 6 regular, and they’re big on me now), but I followed the size chart and went with recommendations that these run slim at the hips. Which they do. I have to shimmy them over my hips, but once they’re on, they’re good. They have a little room in the waist, but not too much. I have worn them quite a bit at home, and they have stretched a little, but not enough to size down I don’t think.
I am keeping them, because I love them, but I wonder if I’ll get enough wear out of them. They’re heavy cotton, so not great for mid 80’s or above, and they’re too cool for the frigid weather we’re having now. And I don’t know why, but the silhouette is a bit of a hurdle to get over. The wide legs and wide hips along with structured fabric make them different from anything else I have tried. In a good way, I think, the more I look at them, but maybe they’re a bit too short? I always try to show the slimmest part of ankles, and/or my wrists to balance out any oversized or heavy shapes, but perhaps there’s too much ankle here?
Ah…too much thinking!! They’re such a great pant, and I really appreciate having them in my wardrobe, thanks to the wonderful generosity of my mother 🙂
Does anyone else have a pair of wide clydes? What do you think of them?
“but not enough to size down I don’t think.”
My too-quick read saw this as “SIT” down and I wanted to know why on earth you’d keep pants you can’t sit in (I know you’ve talked about that with some of your higher waisted 100% cotton pants in the past). I will not EVER again suffer for fashion. I put a cute pair of shoes in the goodwill basket this morning because they’re still in great shape (hardly worn…) but not comfortable. Anyway, I like that look on you but struggle with when you’ll wear it if it’s too hot/too cold?? (it was 9 at home this morning and I didn’t wear socks – I *planned* to wear socks, but when I didn’t like the shoes I intended to wear, I switched to a comfy padded insole ballet flat – no socks 😉
Cute! I like them on you and the added structure may even make them more versatile in terms of tops you can wear?
I finally caved and ordered the cotton canvas florence pants last week (I already own them in silk and linen) in the new clay color. Although I am on the shorter side, I ordered regular length and even considered tall because I see them as winter pants and would prefer them un-cropped. I live in cold temps so I absolutely wear socks, and don’t mind them peaking out from chelsea boots. I know they will be more dramatic than my linen or silk pants, and I hope it’s a good thing on me. We shall see!
haha. no, they’re easy to sit in 🙂
i just don’t wear socks. if i have to go out, then i just suck it up. i mean, i wear footie things (the smartwool ones) so i have a little warmth, but i do NOT LIKE socks showing above my shoes, or on my ankles. honestly, i don’t have to be “out” much in the weather, so it’s not a problem for me, but if i lived in a city or something and had to walk everywhere, then yes, i’d probably wear socks, and boots….
but yeah i’m really picky about how my shoes look with pants and with socks. REALLY PICKY.
yes and no, in terms of tops. in warmer weather, it’ll be easier to tuck things in , and wear cropped tops, but with bulky sweaters, it’s not so easy, and they’re really best with short tops. the pants are great with my rhodes sweater, and my new ilana kohn top, but it’s so hard for me to find tops that are actually cropped on me, so i don’t have many…
i now want a pair of florence pants in every fabric 🙂
Grechen, this silhouette looks great!
I’ve put these out of my mind– cropped and a heavier fabric means I also won’t get enough wear out of them– but I am planning on ordering some linen Florence pants in the spring. But, this comment from afro me has me wondering– are they really cropped too? I kind of want my sweeping linen pants to, well, sweep if not exactly the floor, at least the top of my instep.
For those of us getting a bit tired of everything being cropped, this article is a delight:
https://www.thehairpin.com/2017/11/why-dont-pants-go-all-the-way-down-to-the-floor-anymore-an-investigation/
The ankle situation is killing me, LOL. It seems that all of my jeans and pants are ankle length, which works great for most of the year. I’m like you and don’t like wearing socks or boots, but it’s been too cold lately to get away with bare feet and flats. I’m not properly prepared for this weather. I’ve finally just decided to say, “Eff it!” and wear black socks and flats with my ankle jeans and pants. Black socks, black loafers, and black pants or dark wash jeans look pretty seamless together. But I can’t wait until I can go without socks in public again.
I think the length is perfect and wonder if the cotton will soften up with time and washing , leaving it with a soft but still structured shape for warmer weather. I find this happens with many of my natural fiber pieces. Cold temp wise, I could see this with calf height boot that has a skinny/slim fit on the leg but you’ve indicated that’s not your thing.
That said if you’re on the fence and have to think hard about it, it may not the best piece for you. It is good to get out of the box and brainstorm how something new could change things up but also important to listen to the red flags on why something is not making your heart sign straightaway.
I’m curious about the Florence pants in silk vs. other fabrics…please report back!
And wondering if the Florence in canvas is a good alternative to the Clyde Culottes–you get the wider leg but it’s not as extreme…other than the pockets, what is the difference?
yes, i think they’ll soften up a bit with washing/wearing.
i tried the pants with my rag & bone ankle booties, and they’re not bad, i just don’t like the look of booties or boots on me, even when i can find a pair to fit my wide calves…to my eye, my legs are “too” thick for them to look like i want them to.
i’m not as on the fence as it seems LOL – i really do love them, they’re just another style/silhouette for me to get used to! i haven’t worn them in front of my husband yet, but i can just imagine that he’ll ask me if i’m going to the dojo …
haha.that article…
i love cropped pants, because if i buy cropped pants they are usually a good ankle length on me without needed to be hemmed LOL – but i wonder if i really need ALL my pants to be cropped, you know? maybe for summer i’ll get the linen florence pants in regular length…just to see.
obviously i haven’t tried the florence in canvas, but yes, i think they will be a good less wide alternative to the culottes. and the waistband seems to be more narrow, which would allow them to sit a little lower, and be more “casual”/ less structured i think?
I love that article!!!!!
My theory is economic. If everything’s cropped, you can offer more inventory to a wider base. Same reason so many ethical options are boxy and all clothing has become less tailored. It either stretches, or you drown in it. Jeggings and pillowcases.
I worked at Abercrombie & Fitch in college (late 1990s). I’m 5’3 with a 28.5″ inseam. I celebrated the introduction of boot/flare jeans in lengths — 28/31/34 or 29/32/36 depending on cut. But that also meant that a lot of product had to be cut too short for some buyers.
Cynical, perhaps. But.
According to the website, the Florence pants are wider than the Clyde Culottes.
I love these pants on you Grechen. I bet you’ll get loads of wear out of them.
I sized up one size from my twill Clydes and the fit on my Clyde Culottes was spot on. I got them in Clay and love the color. I just ordered another pair in the Natural color. I find that I just don’t love wearing jeans anymore, and I like having pants up to my natural waist.
I live in the very cold Black Hills of South Dakota, and ankle boots with nice wool socks work very well for me with these pants.
Actually I think the Florence is wider than the Clyde culotte, but I only have the Florence so I can’t say for sure; the Flo is a few inches longer. I personally prefer the fit around the hips/waist of the Florence pants to the Clyde. The rise is a little higher on me and without the pockets have the look of a true high waist pant. They sit at my natural waist and I can wear them with cropped shirts or with something fully tucked in. With the clydes I have a pucker right below the waist elastic. I have a pair of cotton canvas Florence pants coming this month. I’m not sure I’ll like the structured canvas as much as the linen but we’ll see. I definitely want a second pair in linen when it starts to warm up.
I got the clay culottes and I love them. They remind me of designer carhartt work pants and I fully intend to treat them as work pants – garden in them and wear them until they’re worn and ragged 🙂 I also don’t think I’ll wear them in the winter, but I will wear them a lot in the spring and fall, and since I don’t live somewhere super hot, in the summer with a tank top. Love this outfit on you – and you’ve also been tempting me to get the silk florence pants…I haven’t caved yet, but I really love the look and the fact that they seem to be lounge-y and comfy. Thanks, Grechen.
I love that outfit on you! It looks fantastic. Something about the casual look of the sweater, which looks really warm btw, with the structured pants really makes the whole outfit look nicely put together.
thank you!! and oh my gosh…this sweater is so amazing. i’ve had it forever, and it was really splurgy, but it’s one of the warmest i have. the sleeves are lined and the body left unlined, so all i need to do is wear a tank underneath. i wish the neck was more turtleneck-y instead of cowl-y, but c’est la vie 🙂
i’m really enjoying your blog btw…i just (selfishly) wish everyone i read posted every day lol 🙂
yes, they’re exactly like carhartt work pants! the fabric feels the same even…i feel like they’ll be really good for “working” in – haha…and they’ll look really cool when they’re worn in.
the silk florence pants are so amazing, i can’t say enough good things about them. i just can’t wait for it to warm up a bit more here so i can wear them again. and justify ordering another pair LOL
I just got culottes in natural ( 8 reg) and am wearing them today for the first time. I tried 8 tall in clay first, but they were just too long and the rise was too high – I’m 5’7″ with about a 31″ inseam. I didn’t notice before ordering that the rise in tall was an inch longer! Something to note if you’re on the fence about length. I think I’ll like the shape once I wear them a bit and get used to pants that are a bit loose in the hip area. It feels nice, but they look so different from my other pants. I agree they are quite loud!
I like the cowl look of the sweater. It’s not a huge cowl, but big enough to look proportional to the rest of the sweater.
Thank you! I’m trying to post more, but all of a sudden my boss asked if I wanted to work more with the customer base (he’s kinda recruiting me for a different department) and now my time disappeared and the last thing I want to do is sit in front of a screen when I get home. That was a sort of goal though for this year – to post more in general. 🙂
i keep checking for new posts LOL – no pressure 🙂
it’s just so refreshing to read a blog i really want to read…!
My 2 cents, before I even read your thoughts: “Wow! Those are cute. They look great on her. Even tho they’re wide leg with an elastic waist, they really make her butt look cute!” So, I love them!
thank you!!