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Elizabeth Suzann

Traci

Veteran

https://elizabethsuzann.com/co.....5823467590

Want to join me in virtual window shopping? I've been looking at Elizabeth Suzann's items for a few months now. Yesterday I started fantasizing about which item I would indulge in if I decided to bite the bullet.

My first thought was the Marlena raw silk dress linked above. The hand of the fabric really strikes my fancy and it seems to be such a versatile cut, with the option of wearing it with a scoop, or deep Vneck. On the negative side, there's no shortage of simple, black dresses in my closet. I even have an Everlane silk dress that this would be such a duplicate of I'd likely not really wear both. Enter, the same dress in luxurious silk crepe, in Moss.

https://elizabethsuzann.com/co.....5823469510

Lovely color, but does the richness of the fabric take this away from being a dress that I'll wear every day? While we're on that topic, do I really have enough spring/summer dresses anyway and what I really need is a top? And, oh, that price is pretty painful. Look there! an inexpensive starter piece that could be used as a layer to change the sillhouette of my other simple tank dresses.

https://elizabethsuzann.com/co.....5823459974

Black or cream? Hmmm, not sure. The angle of the strap/sleeve may not be the most flattering on me. I've had tops that knot in the back and the knot bugs me when I'm sitting in a chair or riding in a car. Would I really wear it? I don't know. Maybe what I really need to look at is a nice, versatile top.

https://elizabethsuzann.com/co.....5823458182
Lovely, versatile, seasonless. Will the black be boring? Will the cream be coffee stained in seconds? What about the other fabric options?

https://elizabethsuzann.com/co.....5823458566
Lovely in Moss again. Hmm...cropped? How cropped? It looks a reasonable length on the models, but some shots I'm finding of it online it looks very short and very very low cut.

So, now that you know how I've spent my morning. Thoughts or inputs? I'm going to play in my spring closet later today and I hope that might bring me some sort of eureka moment of clarity on this topic.

Shopping

23 replies

Latest reply was from dakotacheryl

rachylou

Veteran

I like the look of the dress a whole lot and the second outfit. I have a feeling I wouldn't like wearing them; I run very cold.

LaPed

Veteran

I window shop Elizabeth Suzann all. the. time. And while I totally appreciate why her pieces cost what they do, I still balk at $300 garments. The only wardrobe items I've come remotely close to spending that much on are down parkas and waterproof gear jackets (and I don't buy $$$ gear jackets anymore, because they wear out too fast to justify the pricetag).

Lately I've been eying the Clyde Billow Skirt, and I'm looking for a budget alternative since it would be a new silhouette for me. But honestly, there's not much out there that compares... I keep coming back to the silk tanks and pants too -- seems like they'd be very versatile separates. I like that everything she does is intended to dress up or down. Unfortunately for me, my lifestyle is not very accommodating of using dressy clothes as part of my everyday rotation -- I do in fact destroy clothes on a somewhat regular basis. :-/

My plan is to experiment with more affordable silk separates (probably Grana -- which I think you already have!) to see if this is a wardrobe category worth expanding.

Traci

Veteran

LaPed, have you explored Etsy for a full skirt stand in? Silk is harder to come by. I've bought a few linen pieces I love from Etsy, but silk is more rare.

Traci

Veteran

+1 for impulsiveness! I ordered the cream, knotted top. It was the most inexpensive of the lot, and possibly the most versatile of the lot. Now to wait 3-4 weeks for it to be created and shipped to me.

jill58

Veteran

Traci, I think your style is well-suited to Elizabeth Suzann. I love the simplicity of the clothes. There are many things on the website that appeal to me. The knotted top seems like a great choice.

Traci

Veteran

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Jill. I'm a little bit silk obsessed at the moment. The nubby texture of that top just calls to me.

Anonymous

I recently ordered the Georgia tee in navy linen from this site in the OS- size. (It was a post from La Pedestrienne that brought this brand to my attention). Nice cut and drap and quality when it arrived, but too short in the torso. I did not realize it could only be returned for store credit! Not sure why I didn't notice that as I am usually very careful regarding free shipping and free returns. Also, I decided the linen would be to wrinklely for me, I normally avoid linen for this reason. So now I am waiting another 3 weeks to see if the next size up (OS) will be too big in the chest or not. The simplicity of her clothes appeals, as well as the sustainable manufacturing, but figuring out sizing with a new brand with the constraints of 3-4 weeks before product is shipped and the return policy makes these clothes challenging for me.

Emily K

(website)

Veteran

I've just learned about Elizabeth Suzann and I LOVE the way the pieces are shown on different real bodies!

Traci

Veteran

Zoie, the return policy definitely factored into me choosing the cheapest of the items I was considering.

Caro in Oz

Veteran

I love silk & theirs looks like a nice weight & quality. Hope the top works out

Staysfit

Veteran

I noticed the return policy right away! I love the look of the styles and the beautiful fabric. I hope your blouse works out! I wish they had a color that I would wear!

Style Fan

Veteran

I love the styles and some of the colours are just right for me. I really like the simplicity of the cuts and the fabrics are so beautiful. I am working of a wardrobe that will be very functional, small and timeless. Her pieces fit the bill. I do worry about the return policy. The tops are very forgiving but still for the price I would want perfection.

LaPed

Veteran

Yes -- the return policy is my main sticking point as well. Their CS is very helpful and responsive for specific sizing questions. There are other small designers that offer free return shipping... I wish she would move in that direction.

Traci -- I've found a couple skirts on Etsy that might work. The Chinese shop Xiaolizi has some amazing billowy linen skirts. I think I want the silk, though, because it's seasonless and a bit dressier than linen...

kkards

Veteran

love the idea of elisabeth suzann...love the way they show on different body types and sizes....but that they only give you 2 weeks to return when it takes over 3 weeks for them to ship to you, and than only for store credit....kind of off putting IMO. and sorry, i'm in a mood today, but why can't they offer expedite shipping? i'd think that if they were cutomer centric, they would say something like, becuase of the way we produce and manufactor we ask all customers who need something by a specifc date to contact us so what we can work individually with you....

Traci

Veteran

kkards, it's definitely complex. I think we're at a weird place in time where we're wanting to move away from mass production, but we've also become accustomed to so many of the benefits we all get out of mass production. I'm not sure exactly how I'd set it up if I set up my perfect system. I will admit when I was researching ES I thought a couple of times that I'd trade the hand written note and wrapped package for a quicker turnaround or more lenient returns. I did think I read they cover the return shipping, but I might be wrong on that.

Interestingly, the production time and quality seem to have resulted in a pretty strong resale market for ES's clothes. If I'm ever in Nashville during a sample sale, I might need to mortgage my house.

kkards

Veteran

traci...yes, i'm ok with and totally understand the small batch ideal (which takes me back to an economics book that was popular back in the early 70's Small is Beautiful, which just proves that nothing is new, but that's a whole different conversation)...anyway, i don't see why you can't be small and customer centric.....i don't think they need to change their manufactoring, but offering some ability for the customer and company to communicate seems to me to be a natural benefit of small....

Sal

Veteran

I hope you love it Traci, I really like these simple quality pieces... Timeless and beautiful. And I can see this with simple denim jeans, or black pants, or a stunning skirt in the evening.

I have in the past put more time into not buying excess pieces, and avoiding pieces I will tire of quickly, rather than items with ethical fabric or manufacture. I have put some effort, but could have done better.

vintagemck

I have never posted before but I had to jump in on this one.

Elizabeth Suzann ships everything two days - just wanted to clarify that - the duration it takes (3 to 4 weeks sometimes) is that they are making each and every garment AFTER you order. They stock mostly nothing.

The current linen that they are using doesn't wrinkle much at all (I have an older piece that I love but use mostly as lounge wear which I am ok with as I have had it for years and wear it a few times a week).

The silk crepe is amazing, as is the raw silk and the linen. The raw silk falls in my thoughts more casual, and the crepe a bit dressier. Linen just looks great for everything.

Her pieces are wearable art - I have Georgia pieces (dresses and tops), Harper Tunics in various fabrics and Marlena dresses. I can wash at home on gentle, line dry, pack in packing folders and can wear them to anything from hiking the Grand Canyon to a five star dinner in NYC.

They do not fit into my business formal capsules or my black tie capsules BUT they do essentially everything else - semi formal, completely casual on the beach or camping and my normal business wear.

The price on her items are fair wages for her staff and giving them a good place to work and the beautiful fabrics. They also last RIDICULOUSLY well. So if quality is not something you are looking for - totally get it but her pieces are worth every penny. I also love the fact I know who is making my clothes - I can't find anything similar for suits and black tie events but I am looking!

As for the return policy - I have not had to return anything but I do know depending on the piece eBay is a great place to list items - they are bought quickly more often then not - and close to full price - I have a few pieces I have bought from eBay as well - small business have to make choices to survive and truly ES has the best customer service I have experienced hands down - and the wait makes each piece I order that much more special -

vintagemck

Oh! And someone mentioned they run cold so they wouldn't wear silk (I think silk?) - silk and linen for that matter are temperature regulators - if it's good quality they will cool you when needed and warm you when needed - AND the raw silk feels like flannel but doesn't look like flannel! It's amazing! (there is a reason why they make silk long underwear - it does both functions!) - in the winter I wear my marlena and georgia dresses with a silk jersey slip type thing from Eileen Fisher, tights and boots - I live in the mountains so we get cold temps here!

And noone mentioned the Astral Dress - that's my next purchase - and I am going with silk crepe in moss:

https://elizabethsuzann.com/pr.....silk-crepe

I need something for summer functions and while I could wear black or navy year round I tend to get "looks" outside of a big city -

Traci

Veteran

Vintagemck, do you have any of the pants? I was discussing the Clydes in another thread, here http://youlookfab.com/welookfa.....sted-pants

vintagemck

Not yet. The Florence is more my style though. I'd love the pants in raw silk. I have currently wide leg pants in a very shiny silk (vintage DKNY) from the 80s and a cheap linen. So when I need to replace those I'll probably go w Florence. And I'm really intrigued by the new cotton. So I should say. No Clydes but probably Florences sometime. Great post on the Clydes. I adore Grechens closet for her reviews.

Style Fan

Veteran

Style Bee (The Blog) has some of Elizabeth Suzann's pieces. She shows some outfits with them. She does great reviews. That is where I got pushed over the edge for the Jesse Kamm pants. I am now thinking about Elizabeth Suzann again.

dakotacheryl

Veteran

I have the Clyde pants in black twill and LOVE them..the pockets are amazing, the elastic waist is comfortable and the quality is superb...should last for years. Crop tops or high hip tops are the perfect match.

I also have the Harper tunic in ivory linen (they call it mid weight but it is heavy and substantial), and I'm just waiting for warm enough temps that I can wear it outside. It is a very cool top, and again, a great pocket.

I have a Georgia Midi dress in flax linen that should be here on Monday, and a Georgia Tee in ivory linen that is in production..and also a pair of Tilda pants in ivory linen in production.

Love her concept, the pieces fit right in with my Eileen Fisher. Speaking of EF, I have her new straight leg crop pants in what she is calling heavy linen. They are nice, but not as heavy linen as ES mid weight linen.

by dakotacheryl

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