Funnily enough, I had a dream last night where someone stole my Elizabeth Suzann credit (from my return of the Clyde Jacket). Well it was more like a nightmare, lol. Anyway I wonder if my subconscious was telling me to finally do a review of these Clyde work pants, which I've had my eye on since January of 2017 (when it was still made out of cotton twill instead of these current cotton canvas).
These pants were the first thing I ordered after the official end of my shopping ban. Were they all that I dreamed they would be? Yes and no.
{Wearing: Grana crop cashmere sweater (similar here), Elizabeth Suzann Clyde work pants, Sevilla Smith Terilyn booties}
But first a note on sizing. Having tried out the linen Tilda pants in a medium and following the ES stories on Instagram I knew I probably should go with the smaller of my two sizes (usually I'm between a 4 and 6 on the bottom). So I got this in 4 short (I'm 5'4" but have the legs of a person who's 5'1"). And I have to say it fit perfectly in how I wanted it to look, which was more fitted than baggy. But I do have to shimmy these pants over my hips/butt area because it's really tight (I have to stretch the elastic to the max). But once they get over the hips, they fit perfectly in the waist and hips. The elastic also loosens a bit over time so it's not as difficult for me to get them on now than when I first got them. And to take them off I just hook my thumbs over the wrap-around crescent-shaped pockets and pull down (super easy!). I didn't take my measurements because I'm a lazy blogger but I absolutely recommend measuring yourself and using the ES detailed measurements to find your right size.
{Wearing: Grana striped pima tee (similar here), Everlane wool-cashmere rib cardigan, Elizabeth Suzann Clyde work pants, Everlane modern loafer mules, Saint Laurent Universite bag}
So onto the pros and cons. First the pros:
- I love the look of them because they're neither fitted nor baggy. Kind of like my favorite Grana silk ankle pants but better.
-The crescent pockets are awesome. Since my pants are more on the fitted side, they don't fit as much stuff, but because they go from front to back, it's pretty easy to fit even the bulkiest of items.
- I love the front seam because I think they visually help to elongate my short legs.
- I love that they sit right at my natural waist and so are a bit more high-waisted than my usual jeans (and so I can wear all my cropped sweaters with this without showing the midriff area).
And the cons:
- I'm actually not a huge fan of the stiff cotton canvas. It does soften over time but it's quite thick and rough, and since I got it on the fitted side, sometimes the seam that runs along the front of the legs will rub against my knee (especially when sitting down for long periods of time) and irritate the skin in that area.
- Also this cotton canvas picks up dog hair like a mofo. I am constantly lint rolling to remove it.
- Also now that the elastic is a bit more stretched out, I find that sometimes walking in it will start bringing the waistband lower because my knees are pulling it down (essentially making these pants sag a little like harem pants).
So yes, these weren't exactly all that I dreamed they would be, but I still really like them and wear them often. Oh and don't wear them when you know you're going to eat a lot since the elastic will only stretch so much and the canvas only stretches a bit too (so wear instead some stretchy denim). That was the only time I regretted wearing these pants.
But since these weren't my 'unicorn' pants, I've been looking at the Clyde work pants in linen. Especially since San Jose in the summer is going to be HOT and I probably won't be able to comfortably wear the thick cotton canvas version of these pants. I already ordered them with my ES credit (along with a silk Georgia tee so then I can do a Everlane vs. Grana vs. Cuyana vs. Elizabeth Suzann silk review post). So I'll do a comparison of the Clyde work pants in canvas vs linen and see which one I like better. I might just end up having a winter version of these pants (the canvas ones) and a summer version (the linen ones).
Anyway if y'all have any questions about these pants shoot me a comment below.
Update: Here is my review of these Elizabeth Suzann Clyde pants in linen.