Elizabeth Suzann Cecilia stretch cotton pants | size 6 regular (gift from Elizabeth Suzann to review)
Everlane silk square shirt | size 6
Emerson Fry core bra | size medium (gift from Emerson Fry to review)
Emerson Fry slides | a couple years old (gift from Emerson Fry to review)
I told you I had some good reviews for you this week! First up, Elizabeth Suzann’s Cecilia pant in black stretch cotton, cut and sewn to order in their studio in Nashville, TN. (In case you missed it, I’m working with Elizabeth Suzann this season to review some pieces from their revised signature collection)
The company was kind enough to send me two sizes to try and see which one fit best, and the size 6 regular fit me PERFECTLY. If I was ordering, I know I’d choose the “short,” but it turns out the regular length is just fine on me (I’m 5’3″ and have a 26.5″ inseam). They were a bit of a challenge though, when I was first trying on these pants – I didn’t even get them up all the way, in either the size 6 or 8; I could NOT zip them up over my butt (the zipper is in the back)! I may have even tried the zipper in the front, because I couldn’t figure out HOW to get them on.
I almost gave up totally, but figured out that if I zipped the zipper up a little before putting them on, it was much easier to zip them all the way up. I still had to wiggle around a little bit and hold the seams together to get it zipped, but once these pants are on, they’re ON. They fit really well, and the super high-waist is so exciting (it’s the little things)!! As you can see, they’re a slim pant, but not a SKINNY pant; the leg is slightly tapered, but with some room in the ankle, which actually feels more modern right now.
The stretch cotton fabric is mid-weight – probably a bit warm for the depths of summer, but excellent right now – stretchy, and comfortable. It does hold me in a little and smooth things out a bit, but doesn’t feel tight at all. Honestly, even with my bigger legs, there’s still some room and the pants don’t look super tight, which I appreciate. They do bunch a little my knees (all pants do on me), but they do on the model at Elizabeth Suzann also, so I’m not concerned.
If you’re used to wearing nice black pants for work, then you’re probably familiar with a back zipper, or a side zipper at least, but since I work from home and live in elastic pants or jeans, having a zipper in the back is taking a little getting used to. I was sort of concerned about sitting down at first, afraid of busting the zipper (have you seen my ass??), but Chelsea from Elizabeth Suzann assured me I’d have no problems, and I haven’t. Phew.
I’ve only worn these once and for not very long, but I can happily already recommend them as a fabulous, simple, but well-fitting and high-quality pair of black pants. They’d be wonderful for work, either in a conservative environment with a blazer, or a casual one with a sweater or cardigan. They’re also not supposed to wrinkle (so far with my minimal wear they haven’t), so they would be great for travel, long-haul flights, or packed in your suitcase. And of course, they’re great for super-casual everyday wear since they’re easy to move around in, and go with everything. They’re hand or machine washable also: bonus!
In this shipment from Elizabeth Suzann I also received the Marlena midi dress in black, raw silk, which I’ll review on Friday, but if you’re in a hurry, let me just say that if you could only buy one dress for summer, the Marlena midi should be it, and the Florence pant in silk crepe, black, size medium short. I’m passing on the Florence pant, since the medium was much too small on my hips/butt (but the length was great), and everytime I try a wide leg pair of pants, I sort of like the look on me, but then don’t, and end up not wearing them. If you have a more straight body type, and longer, slimmer legs, I think the Florence pant would be a wonderful silk pant for you.
I’ll also be getting the Clyde work pant and the Harper tunic in another order since they were waiting on the fabric to come in. I’m really excited about both of those!!
Have you ordered anything from the Signature collection yet? What do you think? Also, take a look at the new SS16 collection if you haven’t already – I love that she’s working with hemp this season, it’s such an important sustainable fabric.
Really looking forward to your review of that midi dress (the description contradicts itself, saying “Hits a few inches above the knee.” and then hits mid-calf. I’m assuming the first should be “below the knee”. Also interested in comments on bra “wearability” (with either neckline – that vee is low so I’d worry about the bra whether it’s front or back)
I like those pants but I hate side zippers – I can’t even imagine how awful a back zipper would be multiplied by the amount of water I drink a day/number of bathroom visits I make. They look so good and I love a narrow ankle pant (my favorite profile!) but….I need more ease, I think.
they have different versions of the marlena dress, maybe the description was just hurriedly copied & pasted…it’s definitely midi length.
you’ll see, i have no problem with my bra being covered at all, either front or back, but i have a small bust, as you know 😉
i will say, i tried on the small and the medium and the medium fit me much better at the bust/shoulders than the small, and it just felt better overall, so maybe sizing up would work well for larger busts.
honestly, the zipper is no problem at all, now that i’ve got the hang of it. and i have to pee ALL THE TIME (TMI, sorry!), so i would definitely consider them easy. i might also sew in a hook & eye closure at the top just to make it a whole lot easier, but for right now, i’m not bothered by it.
What beautiful pants! Thanks for the review, Grechen. Now you have me interested in them since I do sort of need another pair of slim work pants. I am still a little afraid of that back zipper, though. I’m afraid I would bust it! I’m also a 6/8 in pants and like slim cut pants but hate the feeling of anything tight around my thighs and the crotch area since I do have fuller hips and thighs, so still unsure what size I’d get. I’m about 5’6″ and prefer my ankle pants to hit somewhere between the middle and top of my ankle bone, so I’m also a little unsure of the inseam length if there’s about a 2″ difference between the lengths. Also, the Emma kimono and Keaton duster have also caught my eye since they’re both so beautiful and great ways to dress up the causal tees I tend to wear at work. I’m doing some travel in Europe in August, and the Emma kimono might be the perfect versatile layering piece that I’ve been searching for! 🙂
i forgot to add my measurements but my waist is about 30″ and my hips 40″, my upper thighs/saddlebags area is about 41″. the size 8 technically fit also, but gaped at the waist and in the hips. as far as the inseam goes, i think the regular would work for you?
love both the kimono and the duster, and i agree, the kimono would be wonderful for late summer travel – i always have to have a layer for air conditioning/museums…
I’ve been waiting for this 😉 I ordered the clyde pants way back before you announced this. I got them shortly thereafter and they did not work for me AT ALL. I am a size 6 as well (different shape than you – we are all unicorns I guess) very consistently across brands and could barely get them past my hips/ass too! I am an hourglass shape – small waist with big hips/ass, but this has never been an issue with pants for me, in any brand. I wore them around for a few days and realized that even if they did stretch (which they did not), they were just completely unflattering on my figure, so back they went. I’m expecting the cecilia pants this week as an exchange. I kinda knew the cecilia would be more flattering, but I was tempted to try something a bit more unconventional than black slim pants. I really hope I like the cecelia’s ( LOVE a high waist) although I am kinda worried they’ll be too straight and not skinny enough for my liking (and I ordered short and I’m 5’4″, so hoping that’s not an issue either). I appreciate that everything is custom and everyone is so friendly, but things just take forever (email responses and shipping turnaround, and i am too impatient). Also, now I see they have a newer version of the cecilia with a higher waist – perhaps I should have waited?
Excited to see the marlena dress on you. I wish it came in gray. Black seems to formal for everyday given the material and white too difficult to wear…
oh…now you have me worried about the clyde pant 🙁
about the cecilia’s: if you want skinny skinny, these may not be what you’re looking for, they’re definitely more straight on the leg.
here’s my thing about the inseam – i sold my eileen fisher ankle pants recently because the inseam was “perfect” for an ankle pant on me, but since my calves are “larger” and things tend to “stick” to them, they always looked too short, if that makes sense. especially when i was getting up and down a lot. drove me CRAZY. so i’m wary of very short inseams now. for me, 2 inches shorter might be too much. i could see maybe shortening them an inch, maybe, but 2 inches would be too much.
honestly, the black raw silk marlena dress is NOT FORMAL AT ALL, especially if you wear it with birkenstocks 😉 it’s the raw silk, i think, the texture and matte fabric makes it look/feel/wear sort of like cotton, so i don’t think it’s formal in black at all. it’s so good…
Thanks for the insight Grechen! Very much appreciated and super helpful comments! I think the 6 regular might just work. These pants and the kimono are so tempting now!
I’m excited to see the dress on you (as opposed to a model on the website). If the cecilia pants don’t work for me I’ll be looking for yet another item to exchange.
I hope you’re luckier with the clydes than I was – I should also mention that I ordered them prior to the new launch, and the material does seem slightly different now so maybe you will be pleasantly surprised.
I love this outfit on you. It looks fabulous ! Makes me want to buy the blouse !
Cute pants! Very classic – and classy. I like a little air around the ankle too – I always have, especially for a dressier pant. Alas these wouldn’t work for me – on my freakishly short torso, the high waist would come right up under my boobs. I really envy anyone who can wear a high waist because you have so many nice options. I’m in skirts and dresses 99% of time now because lower-rise pants (and I’m really talking about what would be considered mid-rise, just a hair below the natural waist) are virtually gone from the stores. Sigh.
From Signature, I have an artist smock on order, in black. Got that with a credit from a return this winter. I think that might be it for me from ES this season unless I’m really swayed by the Marlena dress 😉 I too am skeptical about the neck being able to cover a bra on me.
I’m really interested in hearing a little more about the Florence pant. Is the waist as high as on the Cecilia? How does it compare? Any way you can be persuaded to post a picture of them?
I should have said a picture of YOU IN them.
haha. well….perhaps.
I really, REALLY love this whole look on you. It confuses me a bit as to why the pants were so hard to get on, tho, because they don’t look oversight tight at all. Comment on that?
I can’t wait to see the dress!
I’ve had the Cecilia pants for about 9 or 10 months now. When I first got them not only did I have trouble with the zipper going up but I was unsure if it went in the front or back (I had to consult the website just to make sure)! Now they are my very favorite pair of non-jean pants. They don’t wrinkle and I’ve had no problem machine washing them. I do always hang them to dry though. I also got the regular length (they didn’t offer the shorter length then) and I am also 5’3″. I like that they hit at my ankle or I can roll them up for a more cropped look.
I’m anxiously awaiting the Clyde work pants (in olive) and I did order the shorter length. I hope I wasn’t wrong about that!
I love the regular (shorter) Marlena dress in the raw silk. It’s a summer staple. I also love the Vera dress (I think that has been replace by the Marlena midi). I have that in silk crepe but would have probably gotten the raw silk had it been available.
The Elise dress is on my wish list now that it’s available in the shorter length. I’m waiting on my Clyde pants though to confirm the sizing before ordering another piece.
Those look like an excellent pair of pants to own.
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Laurie – I have the Elise dress and am also 5’3″. I do find it a little too long (it covers my entire calf) and would have ordered the shorter length if it were an option at the time. I may try to have it hemmed a bit but I haven’t yet. The slit in back is a nice length itself and I think it would look awkward truncated. Taking it farther up the dress would be difficult because of the way it’s finished in the back – hard to describe unless you’ve seen the dress. But I do love the style – especially the high neck and armholes – and the fabric. My regular size 8 fits like a dream – seriously, like it was made for me. I know that I’d get more use out of the dress if were a couple inches shorter, though.
Just in case that helps 🙂
Oh – and just to add that the hem on the Elise is very generous. If you ordered the short and wished, say, that it were an inch longer, I think you could make that happen.
I think it’s all about the zipper. Speaking for myself, it’s hard to get the right kind of leverage to manage the back zipper on a fitted pant. You’d almost need a third hand – one to anchor it at the bottom, one to steady or crimp together the fabric along both sides of the zipper, and another to pull it up. I don’t have these ES pants but I have the J Crew Pixie pants with a back zipper, and it was quite a task to get the hang of putting them on, even with the hook and eye at the top. Definitely takes some getting used to.
yes, what christine said…it’s hard to explain, just that you have to wiggle into them, basically. and you think they can’t possibly go up. but they do!!!
laurie, i did the SAME THING. i honestly thought i couldn’t wear either size, which was weird, so i checked again on the site to see where the zipper went and tried again.
how do you find the raw silk holds up? washes? i can’t wait to be able to wear it…and honestly, i might consider ordering the shorter version, just to have a shorter version, but maybe i’ll wait until next spring for that. i don’t wear short dresses very often, but i also don’t have many that i love!
I feel so much better knowing someone else had the same trauma with the pants!
The raw silk is holding up great! I machine wash it in cold and line dry it (like I do almost all my clothes). I wore it all last summer with sandals or brogues and then in the fall/winter with boots.
I should mention that I did take the shorter dress to a tailor and have the shoulder seams taken up to make the v-neck a little higher. I didn’t have to do that with the Vera or the Marlena tank. Weird that.
thanks for the feedback on washing laurie!
that is weird, about the neckline. but maybe since the dress is “heavier” or longer, it pulls the neck down a bit more? or maybe there’s just a subtle difference in the length of the v…they could just not be exactly the same across different styles.
i love the v and don’t have a problem with my bra showing at all, even when i wear a “real” bra LOL
I’ve had these pants for a few months now, and they’re great — as I mentioned on IG, I just recently had them taken in around the thigh, and it really improved the fit for me (I have larger calves for my size). I also had a tough time with the zipper at first!!
PSA however: before I took them to the tailor, I (foolishly) thought I could shrink them a bit by putting them in the dryer (which I never do, ever, for anything but pajamas). Nope. They didn’t get any smaller, and they faded noticeably, even after one dry on low heat :/ You guys are probably wiser than me anyway, but never ever put these guys in the dryer!
Has anyone tried the Elizabeth Suzann Jolene Pant? I’m debating between ordering a pair of Jolene and Cecilia pants. I like that the Jolene pants have no stretch, but they seem to be describing them as cotton jeans, so I’m wondering if they are a more casual look in person than the Cecilia. I’d hope to be able to wear them in professional or semi-dressy environments if I had to.
Everyone’s feedback is so helpful as I ponder my virgin order at ES. Thank you all so much! Made to order, sight unseen garments is no easy task to figure out.
The short was still too long. I don’t mind the Vera dress (now the Marlena midi) coming to mid-calf because it’s loose and swishy and has a side slit. However even the short version of the Elise was too long. 🙁
If it helps, they do gladly accept returns for store credit. 🙂