Alémais Pants and Shorts: Silk, Linen and Denim, and How to Size Them

Alémais pants and shorts are mostly relaxed, high-waisted pieces in silk, linen and organic cotton, many with an elasticated drawcord waist and a print that matches a shirt from the same collection. Alémais, the Sydney label Lesleigh Jermanus founded in 2020, sizes them on the AU/UK ladder from 4 to 16, and the brand’s advice is your usual size. Shorts are the most searched piece of the two, ahead of the pants, and this guide covers both, plus how to wear them as a pant set.

The label is often typed as “Alemais” in search, without the accent. Whichever spelling you use, the full range sits on the Alémais brand page, and all women’s trousers across our designers are in the pants edit.

Alémais shorts: the piece people search for most

The Alémais shorts range is wider than most labels at this level, because the brand designs for a long Australian summer. There are three broad types. The first is the relaxed pull-on short in linen or cotton, such as the Jude Linen Short, which pairs with almost any shirt. The second is the embroidered short, where the craft is the point: the Wanda Embroidered Short belongs in that group. The third is the dressier short in silk, cut a little longer and fuller, such as the Porcelain Silk Short and the Arnie Silk Short.

Then there are the outliers. The Paula Corset Short has a structured, corset-style waist and is cut lightly fitted, so it sits close at the waist and hip. The Oasira Embellished Corset Shorts add beading to the same idea and work for evening with a plain silk shirt. For denim, the Boa Denim Micro Short is the shortest and most casual in the range.

Alémais pants: wide, relaxed and easy to wear

Most Alémais pants share one silhouette: high on the waist, straight or wide through the leg and long enough to skim a flat sandal. Many have a drawcord waist, which forgives a size either way. The Lilah Pant is a good benchmark; the brand calls it a regular fit, and at an AU 8 it measures 69 cm at the waist on the published garment chart. The Margo Cuffed Pant adds a turned-up hem, and the Lana Flare Pant kicks out below the knee.

The exception is the Lucky Pant, which has a fly front and is cut lightly fitted. Our Alémais size guide flags it as the trouser to check most carefully against your hip measurement. For prints, the Dahlia Floral Linen Pant is the day option, while the Players Embroidered Pant and Pegasus Embroidered Pant carry handwork down the leg.

Alémais silk pants for evening

Searches for Alémais silk pants are steady, and they are the trousers that justify the brand’s reputation for print. Silk falls more fluidly than linen, so the wide legs move as you walk. The Wilson Silk Pant is the cleanest of them. The Liana Silk Palazzo Pant and the Monkey Dance Silk Palazzo Pant are full palazzo shapes, and the Ace Tapered Silk Pant narrows to the ankle for anyone who finds a palazzo too much fabric.

If you are new to the brand’s silks, read our Alémais silk guide first. It explains the difference between twill, satin and sandwashed silk, and how to care for each, which matters more on a trouser than a shirt because the seat and knees take the wear.

The Alémais pant set and how to wear it apart

An Alémais pant set is a shirt and trouser cut from the same print. The brand does not always sell them as a single item, so you buy the two halves separately. The Bath House Silk Pant matches the Bath House silk shirt, and the Hotel Lamu Spliced Short has a patchwork shirt to go with it, the Hotel Lamu Spliced Shirt. Our Alémais co-ords guide lists ten more sets and shows how to wear each half with plainer pieces.

The shirts that go with these trousers are covered in detail in our Alémais shirts and shirtdresses guide. As a rule, pair a busy print trouser with a white or cream shirt, and save the full matching set for occasions where you want the print to carry the whole look.

Alémais denim and jeans

Alémais makes a small denim line, which surprises people who know it only for print. The Akia Straight Leg Denim Jean is the everyday choice, and the Delany Embellished Denim Jean carries the brand’s embellishment onto a straight leg. Both suit the oversized linen shirts, which need a cleaner bottom half to balance their volume. For outfit ideas across the range, see how to style Alémais.

How Alémais pants and shorts fit

The brand’s fit model is around 175 to 177 cm and wears an AU 6, so full-length trousers are cut for her height. If you are under 160 cm, expect a wide leg to pool at the ankle, which looks fine with a flat sandal and less so with a trainer. Drawcord-waist styles are the most forgiving; choose on the hip measurement. The corset shorts and the Lucky Pant are lightly fitted, and Alémais suggests the size above on those if you want more ease. For a comparison with another Sydney label, our Aje pants and shorts guide shows how a more tailored brand handles the same pieces.

Alémais pants and shorts around the world

Australia

Australia searches for Alémais more than any other country, and the shorts make most sense there: linen and silk shorts are worn from September to April. The summer collection lands as Sydney warms up, which is why so much of the range is short.

United States

The US is close behind. Take four off the Australian number to convert: an AU 10 is a US 6, and Alémais prints the US size on the label. The silk palazzo pants suit East Coast summer evenings, and the denim gives the brand a year-round option.

United Kingdom and Europe

UK sizes match Australian sizes exactly, and EU sizes are the AU number plus 28, so an AU 10 is a UK 10 and an EU 38. Because the hemispheres are reversed, the Alémais summer drop reaches Britain in autumn; the silk trousers work for the party season with a knit, while the linen shorts are best kept for holidays.

Alémais pants and shorts: common questions

Do Alémais pants have an elastic waist?

Many Alémais trousers have an elasticated drawcord waist, which allows for a size either way. Some styles, such as the Lucky Pant, have a fly front and a lightly fitted cut instead.

What size Alémais pants should I buy?

Take your usual size, as the brand advises on every style. Choose on your hip measurement for drawcord styles, and consider the size above on lightly fitted pieces like the Lucky Pant if you want more ease.

Can you wear Alémais shorts in the evening?

Yes. The silk shorts and the embellished corset shorts are cut for evening, and look best with a silk shirt or a plain fitted top and a heeled sandal.

Does Alémais make matching pant sets?

Yes. Alémais regularly cuts a shirt and trouser or short from the same print, and you buy the two halves separately to wear together or apart.

How long are Alémais pants?

Alémais cuts full-length trousers for a fit model of around 175 to 177 cm. On shorter frames the wide legs will sit longer and may need a heel or a hem.

What size is an Alémais AU 8 short in the UK and US?

An Alémais AU 8 is a UK 8 and a US 4. The brand labels in AU and UK sizes, with the US size printed alongside.