Keep or return? Talula Camdale pant in darkness/oak from Aritzia

Talula Camdale Pant in Darkness/Oak
purchased online from Aritzia

 I can count on one hand the number of items I own from Aritzia, though my younger sister is a big fan. It really has more to do with the fact that they style behind the clothing line never really suits my taste in that it tends to lean more towards boho chic.

And then there's the price that is normally associated with said items. Aritzia is a freaking expensive brand to be buying distressed jean shorts from.

But I came across these Camdale Pants while searching for a decent pair of 'tweed-ish' grey dress pants with a loose, tapered leg that I can roll up. And I will admit, it didn't take me that long to whip out the credit card to buy them because the look on the model was more or less what I was looking for when it came to a summer/fall transitional piece.

Firstly, boy was I glad I went and bought the size 2 alongside the size 4 that I originally speculated "was my size" because as it were, it wasn't. I guess Babaton and Talula run different with their numbers, because while a 4 Babaton pant is pretty much a perfect for me, the Talula was most definitely not. So the size 4 version of the pant is most certainly being sent back.

But the size 2? Well, I discovered that even that wasn't a perfect fit. With a 32" waist, it was anywhere between a half inch to an inch too big where the waist was supposed to fall on me, it being a mid-rise. And when I allowed it to drop and sit on my hips, it instead gave me a saggy crotch (which is 11" long) and ruined the shape of the pockets. 

All of these sizing issues basically resulted in a very serious fashion as someone who has a distinct lack of height can suffer from for these style of pants: hobbit legs. That is to say, the pants made me look like I was dressing for a jolly ole trip to the Shire. BAD!

Needless to say, I really wasn't sold on them when I first put them on and had more or less decided to return both of them when I went to bed the night before. But then I came to realize that I really didn't give them a fair shake to see what they could be like with other pieces of my closet and should at least give it a look before dismissing them outright. So I threw on a black top and belt and my sky-high Nine West platform black heels.

Camdale pants paired with black belt (old); H&M
jersey top; Nine West black heels (similar here)

First things first, the black belt did a heck of a lot to push the pants up to where they were supposed to sit on my waist. A wider belt also did a better job of defining that hip area as well, which I liked.

The heels also helped to lengthen the leg and lessen the 'hobbit pant' effect I couldn't seem to get away from the night before, but I did eventually try it out with flats and found that with the belt raising the pant and my hips to begin with, the hobbit look was mostly not there, although the heels were a big impact nevertheless.

And they were super soft, comfortable and warm, all big selling points for me as someone who spends quite a bit of time sitting at an desk.

Verdict: I'm leaning towards keeping them because I do really like how they feel and look (well, look when I style them right), but with a caveat. I would like to try on and see how the size 0 fits compared to the size 2. While it isn't available at the mall closest to me, there are other stores in this city that had them, so hopefully they won't be out of them when I go seeking them later this week.

Needs to be done soon in any case. Aritzia only has a two week return policy on their items, before it being restricted to a 30 day exchange policy, so if I decide they're not for me in either size, I only have a week left before I won't be able to get my money back.


UPDATE: Apparently, while the pant is being sold online, it isn't quite yet available in stores yet! Or at least, they're in store, just not yet displayed on the floor yet (I suspect they will be trotted out after Labour Day weekend here in the Great White North)

Nevertheless, the one store I stopped by in which I told had my desired size 0 thankfully brought it out from the backroom and allowed me to try them on, And I loved the fit so much better than my size 2.

So I promptly exchanged my size 2 for the 0. And now I happily own a pair of loose fit trouser pants in a tweedish look from Aritzia.