What No One Tells You About Wearing Samuel Zelig
I was not prepared for the paparazzi-level of fame that came with wearing these pants.
I don’t remember exactly when I discovered Samuel Zelig’s embroidered hoodies, but I do remember how I felt upon discovering them: awe. It was the Le Tourment 1/4 zip and I immediately started doing the math on how I was going to justify spending $365 on a sweater. Since then I’ve found myself back on their site more often than I’d like to admit and two weeks ago the stars aligned as their Gallery Pant went on sale — it was purchased within 30 minutes. These are the most wonderful pants I’ve ever owned.
I mean, look at what I see every time I look down:
I spent the first few minutes with them scanning every single design that was embroidered on them. The snake, the hare, the sun, the VW bug, the freaking sculpture, the —
“Hey, excuse me! Did you make those?”
What? No. Sorry, no, I bought them.
“Oh okay, they look really interesting.”
Yeah, thanks so much. Sorry, where were we? - OH YES, the wrestler mask. It’s just insane that they managed to fit so much over the front and rear panels. It feels like every time I look at them, I find something new.
I’ve worn them 4 days straight so here are some general thoughts:
In terms of sizing, I chose the XL and they fit really nice and baggy. Part of me things I could have sized down to a L, but I really love how big they are.
The inner drawstring gives me security in knowing I can always tighten them in needed, but even in the last few days of wearing them I’ve had no issues with them sliding off.
They’re sturdy, but not heavy which was one of my initial fears. I’ve worn them in 30 degrees and in 60 degrees and I didn’t feel like they were out of place in either temp.
I think what I enjoyed the most about them was that every time I wore them, I was constantly interrupted in my day-to-day by —
“Are those drawn on?”
Huh??? No, no, they’re embroidered. I’m sorry I’m just trying to finish this thing real quick. Do you mind?
“Not at all, just wanted to say that they were cool, that’s all.”
I appreciate that so much. Hope you have a good day. Again, sorry about that, the interruptions — they were nonstop. At one point I was leaving a coffee shop with my daughter and as I'm walking out, the tattooed barista complimented me. As I walked to my truck, two guys in varsity football jackets said my pants were ‘sick’ and ‘steezey af.’ And as I finished putting my daughter in, this older wasp-y woman said they were very interesting and that they fit me well [Note: Unsure if she was being sincere tbh]. None of those people had anything in common with one another other than the fact that they liked my pants — I was single handedly bringing peace to people in completely different walks of life by wearing these pants.
My favorite interaction was with a close friend of mine. He would describe himself as someone who ‘does not understand the whole fashion thing,’ and he’s constantly poked fun at me in the past for what I wear. When he saw me wearing these over the weekend, I was expecting jokes and comments about how strange they looked. Instead, he looked at them, looked at me, and asked with all sincerity “So how much do pants like that cost?” which allowed us to then have a really great and informative talk on the pants, on the artistry behind it, on the logistics of making pants that are embroidered all-over. It was a great talk with someone who wouldn't usually care about #clothing or #fashion or #menswear, but these pants peaked his interest in a way that nothing else that I’ve ever previously worn has.
And I think that’s what makes Samuel Zelig’s products so special — they intrigue everyone who sees them, even people who wouldn’t usually care about clothing. I can’t begin to explain how many times someone interrupted my day to ask me about —
“Super strange ask but…can I touch the embroidery on your leg?”
………………………….
“Is that a no?”
………………………….
“Alright man, chill. I’m going.”
…………………………. — it’s never ending. It happens over and over and over, everywhere I go, with people of different ages, genders, social-economic backgrounds — these pants make people feel things. They say that art should make you feel something, whether good or bad. If that’s the case then I’d argue that everything Samuel Zelig makes might be as much [wearable] art as it is clothing. In a day & age where it’s easy to ignore what people are wearing altogether, I’m amazed as just how much attention these garnered and just how excited people were to ask me about them.
Click here to shop from their site, or click here to read my previous Top Picks where I highlight their Track Hoodie.
They really are conversation starters. Its hard too see them and NOT ask.