The Marvel of Elizabeth Suzann

When an object feels meaningful to you, do you allow yourself to lean into the quiet marvel of it?

When a scratched, discolored skillet reminds you of your grandmother, do you allow yourself to feel her presence as you cook? To hear her voice? It isn’t silly to do so. When you hear the latest cover of Fix You by Coldplay, do you allow yourself to feel the distant, lonely grief of a high school break-up, all this time later? It isn’t wrong to do so. Maybe you play it again, to remain in that feeling a moment longer. When you notice the scuffed and battered sneakers of your three-year-old by the front door, do you allow the tears to fill behind your eyes? “My God, I am so lucky.” “My baby.” “His shoes.” “This life.”

Do you allow yourself to lean into the quiet marvel of an object, one that is bigger— far more meaningful—than it appears? Than it is?

This is a brief essay about an object, a pair of pants to be exact, made by Elizabeth Suzann. However, it is not possible to write about Elizabeth Suzann clothing without first writing about my personal experience of womanhood, a participation in the world that can be angtsy, uncertain, detailed…beautiful.

It is not possible to write about Elizabeth Suzann clothing without first writing about friendship, a two-way, sacred bond full of belly laughs, celebrations, and our lowest, darkest moments. They take work, and they give me everything in return.

It is not possible to write about Elizabeth Suzann without first writing about my belief that there is only one true direction to grow, and it is not upward or forward, but inward.

It is not hyperbolic to say that Elizabeth Suzann is in large part responsible for my sense of womanhood, or rather, my sense of confidence as a female navigating not only external tension day to day, but also internal tension. I invisibly face double-edged-sword experiences every day, both emotionally and intellectually. I often perceive things my husband, Jared, does not, and some of the time this is a gift, and some of the time it is a fiery burden. I often hold opposing realities in my hands, study them, and compare them to one another, without feeling a need to decide which is better, healthier, or more ethical. Some of the time, this brings forth deepened, nuanced wisdom, and some of the time, it brings forth agonizing loneliness. The ability to live with this internal tension, and to often thrive because of it (or in spite of it), is indicative of a feminine confidence, one that draws strictly from womanhood. This confidence was watered day after day throughout my employment at Elizabeth Suzann for a half-decade. When I first began working at Elizabeth Suzann, I was so creatively shy; I kept this seed of confidence stored away in a small box. Over time, thanks to my work and community at Elizabeth Suzann, this seed was taken from its box, planted, watered, and grown, and it grew into a deeply grounding sense of self, value, and femininity. When I wear Elizabeth Suzann clothing, I am reminded of this.

Not only did my time at Elizabeth Suzann help establish my personal experience of womanhood, but it also surrounded me with humans who challenged me, celebrated me, and grew in self, value, and humanhood themselves, alongside me. Many of my strongest friendships began at the lunch table or in preparation for a two-hundred-person sample sale, friendships that still make me wonder, dream, cry, and ache from laughter. These are friendships that sustain me, in equal measure to my marriage and family. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for my friendships,” I often think. These are the friends to whom I send a quick selfie when I leave my house for the first time postpartum, in a haze of exhaustion and anxiety. They are the friends who call me when their partner seems distant and mutter, “I just want him back. What should I do?” They are the friends who love Sullivan as their own, who would pick up my slack with a moment’s notice. They are the friends who display my cookbook on their countertops…just because. When I wear Elizabeth Suzann clothing, I am reminded of this.

I believe part of getting older is becoming more and more aware of not only what I have, but also what I need…what I really need. My therapist recently said to me, “You will never have enough of the things you don’t need.” In other words, if it isn’t integral to the growth of my humanity, it will never satisfy me. No amount of likes on Instagram, no amount of cookbook sales, and no amount of a tidy home will enable true growth, as they are outside of me. It is what strengthens inside of me—my relationship with approval, my relationship with money, or my relationship with control—that will ultimately create rich, restorative meaning. What is more, the question is not, “What have I created?”, but rather, “Why have I created this, and what has it taught me about myself?” When I wear Elizabeth Suzann clothing, I am reminded of this. I am reminded of this because Liz designs for the human in pursuit of this internal growth. She does not design for the flower, but rather for the gardener watering the flower, asking herself, “Why have I grown dahlias?” She does not design for the model, but rather for the photographer capturing a visual story, asking herself, “What about the human experience do I wish to communicate?” She does not design for the the critic, but rather for herself, asking, “What might I need that others might need, too?” “Where do I need support, support others might need, too?” “What part of my body need more kindness, kindness others might need…too?” She grows inward in order to move forward.

When I put on a Florence Pant, I marvel at what it represents.

I marvel.

Above and below, I am wearing my favorite pant of all time, the Florence Pant by Elizabeth Suzann, in Saffron and Pecan, both in a mid-weight, delicious linen. They are now available.

This pant serves me in every mood, every activity, and most importantly, every phase of my cycle, which is an under-discussed topic when in dialogue about wearing clothing that makes us feel our physical best and most held, as many days as possible.

The Florence Pant can be dressy or casual, sporty or sophisticated. It is such a reliable, trustworthy silhouette. I’ve worn this pant for nearly 10 years, and this has always been true. They now have visually discrete pockets, an addition I’ve used every time I’ve worn them in recent days.

I felt most inspired to wear each Florence Pant in a monochromatic way at first. Then, I styled my Florence Pant in Pecan with a bright red sweater, which I loved in equal measure.

You can view Elizabeth Suzann’s complete website here.

You can shop the Florence Pant in Saffron and Pecan here. Each are photographed and shown below.

Finally, you can read further about Elizabeth Suzann here.

This post was created in partnership with Elizabeth Suzann.