In going down the rabbit hole of sustainable fashion and all the various practitioners, I found that Elizabeth Suzann was a consistently mentioned brand. Like Only Child, Elizabeth Suzann is a slow fashion brand that makes items to order. They’re based out of Nashville, TN and have their HQ and production facility in the same warehouse.
Their pieces have clean, simple lines and drape beautifully, especially their thicker silk crepe items. At the start of December, a work trip to Nashville coincided with the ready-to-ship date of my very first direct purchase – the Cocoon Coat in heavyweight wool. I emailed their team and arranged to pick it up directly from their warehouse.
When I arrived, they gave me a mini-tour of their warehouse, and I was able to try on a few of their most popular styles as well to get a general sense of sizing. It was fascinating to see the behind-the-scenes operations behind the business – all of their sewing, packaging and shipping take place in the same building.
Ordering Process
Elizabeth Suzann (ES for short) has a unique approach, in which their online store opens for orders each Monday from 9am CST until they reach production capacity for the week. Lead time for orders is around 4 weeks, which they maintain by only accepting a set number of orders each week.
Note: during periods of popular releases, such as their most recent Cold Weather Collection (CWC for short), that purchasing window was as short as 5 minutes!
Elizabeth Suzann Pieces I’ve Tried or Purchased
Pieces that I tried on:
Pieces that I own / bought:
- ES x AC Eva Long Sleeve Shirt in Cotton
- Florence Pants in Rayon
- Cocoon Coat in Heavyweight Wool
- Georgia Tee in Silk
Georgia Tee
I tried this on in both silk and midweight linen in different sizes. According to their sizing chart, I could be an OSM (One Size Minus) – however, I preferred the looser fit of the OS (One Size regular). You can see that the silk has a softer shape than the linen, though the latter is by no means stiff.
For their silk crepe, they use a 23 momme silk which has a nice weight and is opaque. You can read more about momme weight in my post here. Between the two, I preferred the silk – as an added bonus, their silks are machine washable as they pre-launder the fabric beforehand to prevent any shrinkage in the wash.
I ended up purchasing a nude silk Georgia Tee secondhand via @selltradeslowfashion (you can read more about them in my online selling guide here) for only $80 – which is a steal compared to the retail price of $175. If you are interested in some of ES’s more popular pieces and are not too picky about color, I highly recommend checking out @selltradeslowfashion (STSF for short).
With some patience, you can usually find good deals (15 – 25% off) on lightly used pieces. If something doesn’t fit, ES items have a strong secondary market so you can typically post it back onto STSF at the same price that you bought it.
Clyde Work Pants
The Clyde work pants are one of their most popular styles, and I can see why. The flat elastic waistband is very comfortable, with the perfect amount of stretch that won’t feel constricting. Huge pockets on the side add some interesting shaping to the style and fit a ton!
I tried these on in size 4R in linen, which was a little bit on the looser side. I think a size 4S or 2R/2S may fit me better – I will update this post if I do get / try a pair in that size. For reference, I normally wear a 26 in jeans and am 5’4”, right on the cusp of their short and regular sizes.
Elizabeth Suzann x Alabama Chanin Eva Long Sleeve Tee
(pictured above) This was a collaboration top that I purchased during the November – December online sample sales. I love the thick, cotton material – it reminds me of my Everlane heavyweight tee (sadly discontinued), which I wear frequently. I don’t find the higher neckline bothersome at all, and I think it provides an interesting structure to the piece.
Florence Pants
This was the first ES item I purchased and received, secondhand from someone at @selltradeslowfashion (see a trend here?) at a great price of $100 compared to $195 – $235 at current prices for linen and silk.
These are from an older collection in which they used rayon, instead of silk and linen like their current line-up. I haven’t been a huge fan of rayon in the past (hello shrinkage), but they did a really nice job with these. The material is a thicker rayon with an almost silk-like sheen – and they didn’t shrink in the dryer.
These are a size Small-Regular, which fit perfectly. However, looking at website measurements, I think I would need to size down to an XS-Regular or XS-Short in newer styles.
Cocoon Coat in Heavyweight Wool
Last but not least – the fabulous cocoon coat in heavyweight fawn wool. This piece was a gamble, as it was the most expensive piece in their Cold Weather Collection (CWC). The reason for the price difference between this and the Clyde Trench is the shape – the cocoon coat requires more raw material due to the shape and the added wool and silk crepe lining.
I ordered it directly at the beginning of November, just in time for the colder months here. There’s something about three quarter length sleeves that is just so elegant! Thankfully, California winters are mild so I can layer this over a sweater and still be warm. I love the way it drapes, how warm the material is, and the versatility of wearing it casually or for dressier affairs.
After several wears, I did notice a little pilling on the shoulder where I carry my work bag. However, this isn’t anything that can’t be taken care of with a sweater comb. I’m so happy I got this before they ran out of their fawn material – it’s just a lovely, classic camel coat.
Verdict
Overall, I really like the quality and craftsmanship of Elizabeth Suzann pieces. And as a bonus, the fact that they are made locally in Nashville. Their pieces don’t come cheap, but they last even with multiple owners – as evidenced by the strong secondhand market. I hope you find this helpful – would love to hear any experiences you’ve had with ES pieces, or any other questions you may have.
