Ladies and gentlemen, I am wearing pants. Now, before you start to think that the fabric of the universe has started to unravel, I must assure you that I am of sound mind and body and that, although this is an anomalous occurrence, it does in fact happen. Generally, it happens when I’m in the field chasing sharks, on a 36 hour flight, or, as in this case, when a pair of pants is just too cute to pass up….
Part II of my “Anything But Basic” series with Joanie Clothing found me going where I rarely venture: to the trousers section. Although I almost always automatically peruse dresses and skirts and leave the other sections where I found them, I couldn’t help but click over to the Bottoms tab over on the Joanie Clothing site, unsure of what I’d find. And there they were: the most perfect cigarette pants; tapered at the leg and covered in blush pink polka dots. These Brigitte Cigarette Trousers were calling my normally-dress-clad name. And though it’s usually against my nature, I answered the call…
While I know my dress size down to the mm – I have to admit I struggled a bit on which size to order. I mean, pants?? This was virgin territory for me. I ordered my normal dress size (UK 10) in the Brigitte Cigarette Trousers initially, which is 29 1/4″ waist and 36 3/5″ hip according to the size chart, though they had stretch. Silly never-buys-trousers me prioritized my waist measurement. This ended up being too tight on the hips on me (my UK10 measured 29 1/4″ waist and 35 1/2″ hip before stretching). I have a proportionally small waist in comparison to my bust and hips (36-27-39, a true hourglass), so if you’re shaped like me you may want to size up in these. There was also a perma-wedgy situation happening, as the inseam was 10.5 in the UK 10 and this Amazonian gal needs a bit more length. If you want to pounce on these, I’d recommend basing your size on the hip rather than the waist – these sit a bit lower than your natural waist, so the hip is definitely the most restrictive measurement.
With a super easy exchange, I ended up receiving a replacement size UK 12 within 7 business days. The UK 12 was 31 1/9″ and 38 4/7″ hip according to the size chart (and yes, the size chart is seriously that specific). Mine were incredibly true to size, measuring 31.25″ – 34″ at the waist and 38.25″ – 42″ at the hip. Note these pants also have a good amount of stretch of stretch (97% cotton, 3% elastane), so it hugged my curves beautifully. The UK 12 also had a longer inseam at 11.5″, which was much more comfortable on my 5’9 frame. The Brigitte Cigarette Trousers close with a side invisible zip – while I wished they had a hook and eye at the top to assist with closure, I was able to zip ’em up with minimal trouble.
Okay, I’m not a big pants person so my basis of comparison is not broad, but HOLY GOD I LOVE THESE. They felt snug but not restrictive and hugged my curves in all the right places. I came bounding downstairs, feeling like I might go rock climbing or do something in a wind tunnel, so enamored was I at the thought of not having to worry about having my skirts billow up around my elbows. This was a completely new feeling for me and I performed more than a few kung foo moves around my kitchen. My husband informed me I had legs for days and I decidedly channeled my inner Pink Lady in my styling. I don’t think I could have felt more like Rizzo if I tried, as evidenced by the smirk fixed permently to my visage…
The Brigitte Cigarette Trousers retail for £30.00 (~$38.50 USD) and can be ordered from the Joanie Clothing website. They come in sizes UK 8-22 to help you find your perfect fit. As above, I found they ran on the small side, but not knowing my trouser size well I can’t say for sure if that would be true for everyone.
Between my 2-Part Series, I was really impressed with the quality of the three items I received from Joanie Clothing. They were unique, with the right mixture of classic and sassy (my perfect mixture if I ever heard one). You know they have to be something special in order to get me into pants. I think my husband is still reeling from the shock of it all….
Now, I’m off to go shock the pants off of just about everyone I meet (seriously, everyone from my colleagues to grocery store clerks have come to expect a certain level of poof from me). Our falls semester starts next week (gah!), and there’s a lot to do to prepare. But, I may have to stop and scale a tree or kick down a door or something on the way…
Seriously, I’m unstoppable in these!
xoxo
Outfit Details:
Top: Unique Vintage
Pants: Brigitte Cigarette Trousers c/o Joanie Clothing
Sunglasses: Gift (similar)
Necklace: Betsey Johnson (similar)
Handbag: Besame (similar here & here)
Shoes: DSW (similar here & here)
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