I have covid. It sucks. I haven’t had it yet, and while I’m glad to be having a very human experience and to be part of the collective something, I am not having a blast.
I am having symptoms, and time. Lots of time to slide down the wormhole of internet sales and luxury fashion. ByGeorge is having an EXCELLENT sale, btw.
In my slipping and sliding down that deep dark waterpark of .com doom, I found this image:
It was part of a Net-a-Porter listing for this sweater by The Row, but oh my god, the trousers. They have been haunting me now for days. I tried the little chat button on NAP, but they don’t know what they are. There’s no “shown with” tab, so alas, they’re a mystery. They perfectly encapsulate everything I want to say about myself this year - extremely rich Parisian grandmother, very very horny rich and lazy. The very opposite of the dirty tank top and full-coverage Jockey brief look I’ve been donning since testing positive. They’re optimistic! And polished! The kind of thing a magazine’s Art Director would have worn on repeat in the heyday of mags, pre-net. So while I can’t find them 100%, here’s my best guess:
The official answer I got from NAP’s chat was that the pants were sold out and they “don’t have that information.” Which, I think is code for fuck off lady, how the hell would we know. And fair! But given that these have the same perfect navy, same cuff, same pleat front, slit pocket, and creased leg - and are a wool in about the same weight, I’d put my $ on these. And boy will you have to put $ on them, they’re Bottega, and they’re $1,100.
But then I thought, those aren’t quite as wide-leg as the ones I originally liked. Not quite as slouchy. So they’re probably not quite the thing. Alas. Who the fuck knows what those pants are. Well, the NAP e-comm stylist responsible does (will they please come forward and solve this mystery?), but c’est la vie! So then here are some other options that I also like, but you know, aren’t the thing. Not exactly.
These don’t have a pleat-front, nor do they have a cuff, but they’re wide-leg and cropped and navy. And, they’re under $200. They’re nice and slouchy, and styled with a white tank in the e-comm image, but they’d also be great with an oversized sweater. Raey, $190
Likewise, these are black, not navy, nor do they have a cuff, and they’re a bit lighter weight than is ideal, but then again - I’m specific! These are great. They have the pleat-front, a sexy waist-line, and are nice and slinky. And again, they’re under $200. The Frankie Shop, $196 They also come in tan, which I like better than the black, and they have a coordinating vest.
I have the men’s version of these, the women’s probably fit better, but the men’s are pretty great and are thus making me question why I even want/need another pair of the same pants? Uniqlo, $50
And how about these from Cos? More -wide legged, and slinkier, but so good. Cos, $150
And something dressy! Not cuffed, black, not navy, but a really really great pant from Kallmeyer, $475. But god, the more that I watch this video the less sure these are navy either? Hang on a minute.
So if we’re going black, these are the obvious winners - but the cuff is satin, and they’re heavier than the original. They’re also The Row, but from a different season than the sweatshirt in the original post, so it’s unlikely they’d be styled together. But maybe? Double whammy… they’re even more expensive than the Bottega! Ha! Such is fucking life. The Row, $1,600 (LOLOLOLOL)
Which brings me to an endless soul-sucking spiral of trying to solve a mystery that doesn’t actually matter. Ha-HA! I could go on forever nitpicking the weight of the material, the stitching, the cuffing (did the stylist cuff or were they cuffed to begin with?) and all this stuff that honestly, truly… is futile.
So here’s one more amazing pair, that are on sale at ByGeorge, and honestly I can’t believe they aren’t sold out, and now I want these instead.
They’re Dries, they have a built-in skirt, and they’re on sale. You’re welcome.
One last thing, the navy High Sport kick pant. The ultimate pant. My holy grail pant. My I LOVE YOU pant. Sans pocket, but still perfect. High Sport, $860
Here we are, where are we, what is this, who am I.
I love you.
You friend,
Laurel
https://justoneeye.com/the-row-marce-pant.html if you zoom in on the second Net-a-Porter outfit shot (hand in pocket) you get a better view of the fabric, looks very similar to this wool/mohair texture. Also they button on the right (you can see from the j-stitch on the fly).
I was in Paris over Christmas and ended up buying a pair of Paul and Joe trousers at the Bon Marche that hit all the points. -- they are black (can't find on their website anymore) spreading the gospel of Paul and Joe!
https://paulandjoe.com/products/pantalon-ample-a-pinces-et-ceinture-amovible
I was also going to buy a fantastic plaid jacket with a swing back, but it was out of budget and I opted to get that Alaia heart shaped bag that has been haunting my instagram for the past three months instead...