Story

When I first started designing the pants for this collection, my initial thought was "HIGH -WAISTED, WIDE LE —" and then I stopped myself. I always gravitate toward the exact same style of pants, and I'm so over (okay, somewhat over) wide-leg pants at this point. I wasn't sure what I could do besides cropped, high-waisted wide-leg pants, though, so I went for inspiration to where I usually go when I'm stumped: the annals of fashion history.

Once I came upon 1950s-era cigarette pants, I immediately knew where I was going with the Caspar Pants. I designed the tapered leg and side zip to be decidedly retro, and I couldn't help myself but add a few fun details like split hems and button tabs and a notched waistband. When I was done sewing the first prototype of the Caspar, I knew I was on to something — the style felt so fresh and new and looked a lot better with flats than (cough, cough) wide-leg pants do.

The Caspar Pants are named after Caspar David Friedrich, whose moody paintings inspired a lot of our FW17 collection (including the name of our collection, Above the Sea of Fog). I like to think that the subject in a modern-day Friedrich painting, a rugged adventurer surrounded by vastness both beautiful and harrowing, would be wearing these pants. I like to think that those of us not in such surreal and melancholic situations would wear these pants as well, though!

Design Details

• 100% organic cotton denim from India
• Designed, cut, and sewn in Arkansas, USA
• Cigarette-style pant with tapered leg and split hem
• Side zip with side button tabs
• Front slash pockets, back patch pockets
• Unlined with interior contrast bias trim
• 10" rise
• 13.5" leg opening (on size 4)
• 27" inseam
• Hand wash cold, line dry, warm iron as needed (learn more about garment care here)

Materials

These pants are made of 12-ounce GOTS-certified organic cotton denim from India, hand-dyed in our studio with eco-friendly fiber-reactive dyes to be a dark, reddish eggplant. I've stayed away from sourcing denim in the past simply because I couldn't source what I was looking for, but I finally found it: thick, durable, substantial, but still soft.

The rich purple color of this denim pairs well with basically every autumnal hue: mustard, fawn, evergreen, red, black, the list goes on. I especially love it paired with our Mocha Khadi and Saffron Dot fabrics, though.

In addition to the fabric, these pants use recycled polyester thread, an organic cotton YKK zipper, two vintage plastic buttons, organic cotton labels, organic cotton interfacing, and handloom cotton bias tape/pocket lining.

Fit

Take a look at our Size Guide to find your size.

The Caspar is fitted in both the waist and the hips, but the sizing corresponds most to your hip measurement, so I suggest choosing your size based mostly on your hip measurement (you can always take the waistband in; the hips, not so much). If your hip measurement is in between sizes, I recommend sizing up since the denim fabric doesn't have much give.

Sarah is wearing a size 4 and is 5'9" with a 33" bust, 24" waist, and 35" hip.