My Tibi seasonal wish lists tend to be quite long. Longer still, if I’ve had time to tune into any Style Classes. Usually, I’ll hold out for end of season; taking a risk on whether the item will still be in stock, and on the fit and feel of the item given it’s final sale. But every now and then I’ll spring for something full price. Usually preceded by a waiting period of 30 days (or as close to it as I can manage), and asking myself the question, would I be truly disappointed if it got to sale and this was no longer available. And so enters my latest acquisition; the Tibi Crispy Nylon Winslow Pant.
I often get asked questions about my Tibi pieces, which I can appreciate given the returns process can be quite costly if you’re based outside of the US (like me), so I’m hoping this will be a helpful resource.
Sizing
I think of Tibi sizing in one of two ways. First, how the brand intends for the item to fit. Usually chilled out, relaxed, not too buttoned up. And then I temper this against how I want the item to fit. For trousers, it’s always going to be high on the waist. I have a long torso, so I’m always seeking to create some sense of balance for my proportions, and have learnt through trial and error that a low rise does me no favours. Mid rise is okay.
These are designed to be worn as a mid-rise, so to achieve that high rise feel, I went down one size.
For reference, I am 172cm tall, and wear an AU8/US4, size S or jean size 26 in other brands.
I ordered the Tibi Crispy Nylon Winslow Pant in a size XS (regular).
Waistband laid flat, unstretched, measures 33cm across. The waistband is firm but stretchy, and doesn’t seem to cut in the way some elasticated trousers can. There’s also a tie on the inside of the waistband so that you can adjust the fit. So, if you were someone who did want to seek versatility from this piece, buying your usual size would give you options; to wear it lower on the waist, or high on the waist, fastened with the tie. The rise is 13.5 inches or 34cm so no need to worry about these being tight in the crotch.
Inseam on the XS measures 30 inches or a little over 76cm long. A full length pant, which should puddle a little over the foot. What’s handy is the snaps at the back, by the heel. You can snap these as desired to “hem” the pants while still retaining all that chill and ease at the front (often lost when tailoring something straight across). On the shortest setting, this allows you to raise the hem at the heel by 13.5cm (or 5 and 1/4 inches). You’ll see on the side view that I’ve adjusted the fit, using the second snap up to shorten the hem slightly.
Overall thoughts
At this point, I’ve offhandedly mentioned a number of times how much I love Tibi’s crispy nylon. For me, a large part of how I shop is centred around functionality, wearability, and ease of care. The latter becoming a bigger priority for me since having kids. If it’s dry clean only, it will rarely make it out of the closet.
And here lies the beauty of Tibi’s nylon pieces. It’s lighter than you’d expect so feels comfortable to wear, even on a 30 deg day. Though in all truth, anything above that, and I’m ditching the nylon for something cotton. My assumption is that it’s the volume; the way these pieces fit on the body. Not tight or clingy, but relaxed giving space for air to circulate. It feels comfortable. But most importantly, I’m not precious about it around my kids. Which, if you have young children, you’ll appreciate just how carefully you sometimes need to select your outfits. On a bad day, I can expect to be have grubby fingerprints on me before we’ve even managed to leave the house.
Oil-based marks do tend to settle, but come out with ease when rubbing a little bit of Dawn Dish Soap into the stain (even ones that have lasted through multiple washes). I was able to track this down at my local CostCo so I’m not sure if all dish soaps will have the same impact, but to put it simply, the way it works is that the mix of ingredients separate the oil from the fabrics, effectively removing the stain.
Ease of care aside, these pants are cool. They have an exaggerated barrel leg shape, which creates an interesting silhouette, but one that doesn’t feel difficult to style. I think in part, down to the slouchy nature of how the fabric falls (similar to the active knit version).
I love the ability to adjust the fit at the heel so that the hems don’t drag on the ground. While I don’t think that wearing out elements of your items is a bad thing (a sign we’ve truly loved our clothing), anything that assists in preserving an (expensive) item for longer is a welcome touch.
Overall, the Tibi Crispy Nylon Winslow Pants get a big tick from me, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t now tempted by the matching blazer…
