Elizabeth Suzann Review: The Petra Crop in Linen

As I said in the past, I really love getting my slow fashion items secondhand.  Not only does that make them more affordable but since slow fashion items are meant to last, this means the items have a gently worn in feeling that I love.  In this case, this linen Petra crop from Elizabeth Suzann has some slight fading on the edges, which makes it look like a well taken care of and loved garment.  It gives the item character!

I purchased this on selltradees on Instagram, and it was the first time using this platform for buying Elizabeth Suzann.  It was such an easy process that I would definitely do it again.  The only drawback is that it's a lottery system so there are no guarantees.  But if you do get chosen, it's an easy Paypal transaction and you can find items quite reasonably priced.  To be honest, if I hadn't seen this on selltradees I probably wouldn't have purchased this because I'm not really into crop tops.  But when I saw it, I thought why not just enter my name (actually most people enter their zip code to get their name into the drawing) and see how it goes.  But now that I have so many high waisted items from ES (the 2 clyde pants and the clyde skirt), I find that this Petra crop is the perfect pairing item!

{Wearing: Elizabeth Suzann Petra Crop, Elizabeth Suzann Clyde Skirt (reviewed here), Everlane Day Heel Mules (reviewed here), Celine Nano Belt Bag (similar here)}

I got the Petra crop in a size small and it's the perfect fit (I'm usually a size 4 on top with a 36 bust).  The arm holes and neck hole are the perfect size and I love that my bra straps don't peek out anywhere.  This top reminds me of a cropped muscle tank, which is perfect for the summer (yay to no farmer tan lines).  Also I know I've said in the past I like tops that hide my chicken wings (my flabby triceps), but I've decided to stop caring about it and just embrace them.  You know, they're my arms, they're strong and serve me well.  So what if they're not model skinny?  They never really were and they for sure will never be, so it's time to stop caring and hiding them.

{Wearing: Elizabeth Suzann Petra Crop, Everlane Denim Skirt (reviewed here), Everlane Day Heel Mules (reviewed here), Celine Nano Belt Bag (similar here)}

The Petra really is quite cropped (about 16" from shoulder to bottom hem) so it works best with high-waisted bottoms.  Even my Everlane chinos are a bit too mid-waisted to work with this top (unless you want to show some belly but I'm guessing most of us here are probably a bit too mature for that).  But if you're looking for a well-made but simple crop top to last you through the ages then I don't think you can go wrong with this Petra crop!

Elizabeth Suzann Review: The Bel Skirt in Flax Linen

So you know how I was saying I'm at my enough point with pants?  Well I've now moved onto finding that point with skirts.  I think I've been watching too many of Jamie's Provenance Insta-stories over at AnnStreetStudio because I'm jonesing for a long linen skirt, which is a style that I've never even contemplated before.  Plus I'm a huge fan of skirts in the summer (who doesn't want to go pants free when it's hot?) and seeing as I'm now in my mid-thirties, I'm now looking for skirts that cover up my legs (plus this means I can prolong not shaving for even longer).  But at the same time I don't want to look Amish, which is why I've stayed away from long skirts most of my life.  

Since I had so much success with Elizabeth Suzann's linen Clydes (reviewed here), I thought I would try out their line of skirts as well.  I ordered the linen Clyde Billow Skirt in flax (which will probably take another several weeks before that's shipped).  But in the meantime I found this ES Bel Skirt in linen on eBay and snatched it up right away to try it out.  Like I said before, finding ES secondhand is seriously the best (it's a tad cheaper and there's none of the wait!).  This skirt is Gen 3 and a size small (for reference I'm 5'4" and usually size 4-6).

So what do you think?

{Wearing: Jamie+the Jones Blank Canvas Top in slate (reviewed here), ES Bel Skirt, Everlane Day Heel Mules (reviewed here)}

I probably could have style this a bit better by wearing a fitted top instead of this voluminous J+J top, but I was going for that easy country look.  My husband called this a "maid" look lol.  To me, this skirt definitely went into Amish territory.  First of all, the length is a tad too long for my 5'4" frame (but the current Gen 4 line comes with variable lengths, in which case I probably would have ordered a short small).  I could probably hem this and it would be more of a midi length on me and more flattering.  However I'm not going to bother because I'm also not a fan of the fact that there are no pockets on this skirt.  Pockets are a must for me at work (which is why I'm such a fan of the Clyde pants), and for any bottom to earn their place in my wardrobe it must have a pocket (unless it's like a fancy-ish item meant for going out, then pockets are just a nice-to-have).  But since I'm looking for a skirt I'll be wearing weekly if not daily, I'm going to need pockets. 

The outfit does look better with the top tucked in, so I would probably make an effort to keep the waist defined whenever wearing this skirt.  And though it doesn't look so voluminous here, the skirt definitely felt really bulky at the hips.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm more pear-shaped so the skirt feels bigger around there or if it's just how the skirt is made (I looked at some of the reviews on the ES site and it seems that I'm not the only one who feels like it's too big at the hips).  I also can't take wide strides in this skirt, though I can still take medium ones.  The reviews on the ES site says the new Gen 4 skirts allow for slightly larger strides than previous iterations.  I think if this was a bit more of a true midi length for me, I would be able to take larger steps.

What I do like about this skirt though is the beautiful flax linen.  It feels thick and substantial and even though the flax is a really light color, the linen is 100% opaque.  You can't even tell I'm wearing black underwear here, but it also helps that the skirt falls away from the body. 

I do think this is a beautiful skirt, but this one just isn't meant for me.  The no pockets thing are a deal breaker for me.  But I think this would definitely work better on someone who is 5'6" or taller.  You can find this skirt for sale here and in the meantime I'll be pinning all my hopes on the ES Clyde billow skirt to fill my daily skirt needs *fingers crossed*.

P.S. Here are some pictures with a more fitted top.  I'm still not in love with this even though a lot of you guys voted it as a 'keeper' in my instastory.  And that made me pretty conflicted, but in the end I decided if I don't feel like myself in this skirt, then it's totally ok to let it go to someone who will love it more.  So yep, still decided to sell it.

Elizabeth Suzann Tilda Pants Review

Since these Elizabeth Suzann Tilda linen pants were one of the 6 items I used in my Spring 10x10 challenge, they got used quite a bit and in all kinds of ways.  Up top you can see I tried rolling them up, and I also tried them under dresses (pic below).  These are my first ever linen pants, and my second item from Elizabeth Suzann (the first one was the Georgia Tee, reviewed here).

To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of how wide the pants are in the hips and the general bagginess in the butt.  I know that's how they're supposed to look, but after decades in fitted jeans, it's hard to get used to the ballooning butt look, lol.  I'm wearing a medium short here, and I feel like I probably could have gone with the small (for reference I'm 5'4'' and usually wear a size 4-6, or about a 27-28 in jeans).  

I'm also not liking the fact that these pants don't have pockets.  It makes my daily life a bit more difficult when I don't have a pocket to stuff my keys or phone in (though by wearing the Grana silk sleeveless blazer, it gave me pockets for the day).  But I did like that the ankles flared a bit, and the pants look especially cute when layered under a dress or a similarly long tunic.  Basically, I like the pants best when I hide the butt and hips area.  

Also the linen fabric is thick and a tad on the scratchier side.  But they feel heavier and more substantial than the linen from both Grana and Everlane.  Plus the black linen is fully opaque.

So for now I'm still a bit undecided about these pants, though I'm leaning towards letting them go.  What do you think?