How to Wear PATTERN!

What is the most difficult trend to wear this season?

PATTERN! Even more challenging is mixing those patterns.

Wearing a print on it’s own can be a tad scary for some – so moving into the territory of prints on prints is verging on a style panic attack. So how do you try this daring spring trend without causing anxiety or looking like a total mess?

espy is so happy to share these looks with CTV’s Aisling Tomei on CTV Morning Live. Follow @espyexperience on Instagram and Twitter to see some behind the scenes shots of the espy stylists and their modeling adventure in spring patterns!

Here’s a list of espy’s tips for how to wear PATTERN:

1. When doing pattern on pattern, keep each separate piece in the same color palette. For example, in this outfit, we’ve paired a navy and white striped Yumi dress with a white and ice blue damask Desigual coat. The finishing touch is a polka dot scarf in a deep blue. The patterns are clearly different in each piece, but because the color story is so nicely matched, the prints actually compliment each other.

Desigual jacket: $189, Yumi dress: $139, Deluxe Accessories scarf: $29.

 2. Pick one bold pattern and keep the other patterns more neutral. For example, the pattern on the scarf in the outfit below is extremely vibrant thanks to it’s white background. So we paired the scarf with a printed, Desigual bomber in a light fabric. The bomber jacket is perfect because the print is obvious but it doesn’t overshadow the scarf. We finished this look with a cute, cut-out summer dress from BB Dakota and a sparkly, gold collar necklace.

Desigual bomber jacket: $229, BB Dakota dress: $109, Deluxe Accessories scarf: $29, Necklace: $23.

 You can also tone down your pattern on pattern by keeping the rest of your outfit super simple. A white tee and distressed denim are the perfect blank canvas for a couple splashes of print.

RD tee: $27, GSUS jeans: $189.

 3. Graphic tees are really easy pieces for an added layer of pattern with printed pants. We also love the idea of anchoring a pattern on pattern outfit, like the one below, with a black leather jacket. A black jacket helps to balance out the patterns and actually becomes the focal point. This keeps your patterns from competing with each other.

Bano eeMee jacket: $359, Desigual tee: $109, Mavi jeans: $119, Necklace: $19.

 4. Sometimes patterns are just not meant to be mixed! If you’ve got a really bold, outrageous print, it is most likely better left to speak for itself. If you’re desperate to pair a pattern with it, do it on the shoe. We love to pair bold patterns with plain tanks and fun accessories like the skinny red and gold embellished belt below.

Desigual skirt: $133, RD tank: $19, Belgo Lux belt: $29.

5. Go with your instincts. You can do pattern on pattern on pattern if you absolutely love it! Style is all about confidence. If you feel great in it, more often than not, you look great too. Be your fabulous self in all your fav patterns!

Desigual jacket: $293, Mavi jeans: $119, Striped tank: espy vintage!

xoxoxox

the espy stylists

CTV Morning Live

espy will be featured on CTV Morning Live on Friday, April 19, 2013.

Check us out at 8:05am! We’ll be showing you how to wear pattern on pattern…

Happy Easter Weekend

Quick reminder of espy’s hours for the long weekend:

Good Friday (March 29): Regular Hours (10:30am to 8:00pm)

Easter Sunday (March 31): Open from 1:00pm to 4:00pm

Easter Monday (April 1): Regular Hours (10:30am to 7:00pm)

 Looking for a little inspiration for what to wear this weekend? Check out some of espy’s newest styles, which have arrived just in time for the long weekend:

Stella wears the Fidelity Stevie Capri with an RD spring sweater and Bano eeMee leather jacket. We love the casualness of an outfit like this for the weekend. It’s a welcome change to a week of dress pants, blazers and pencil skirts.

This super cute Desigual dress is the perfect color story for Easter! Paired with this brand new Mystree blazer, you even have some pattern on pattern action with this outfit.

This is exactly the outfit you should wear for an Easter egg hunt! Pink, yellow and turquoise – you will match all the hidden eggs.

In keeping with the Easter colors – check out these brand new tie dye GSUS skinnies!

This is a great way to incorporate printed pants into your work attire. Pair with a bright blouse, a fitted blazer and cute flats.

When it’s spring, our favorite color to color block with is orange! The work is already done for you with this pretty dress.

Try something unexpected this weekend! Check out this amazing printed GSUS blazer. We paired it with a striped light blue tee from Publish and Fidelity Slim Jims.

Happy Easter everyone! Have a safe and happy holiday weekend. We hope to see you out shopping this weekend

xoxox

the espy stylists

The Ultimate Spring Denim Guide

With yet another Denim Groupon expiring on Monday, April 15, 2013, we thought it was about time to share with you some of espy’s NEWEST spring styles and brands in our denim department.

But first…let us remind you about the Denim Groupon Procedures:

Expiry Date:

If you purchased a denim Groupon in October of 2012, then your Groupon is expiring on Monday, April 15, 2013. Please review your expiry date so you know how long you have left to use your denim Groupon.

How does the math work?

• You paid $39 to purchase a denim Groupon to use at espy. The Groupon gets you $100 worth of denim. Which means – when you come to espy to redeem your Groupon, $100 will be taken off your purchase of denim. The $39 you have already paid, and the remaining $61 to bring your total discount to $100.

Any rules??

• the Groupon can only be used on JEANS!
• no other sale or discount can be applied to the jeans you are purchasing if you are using your Groupon.
• there are NO RETURNS, EXCHANGES, or REFUNDS on jeans purchased with a Groupon. All Groupon sales are FINAL.
• the Groupon expiry date is also FINAL.
• denim is not to be put in the dryer…EVER!
• Sizes for women range from 23 to 40.
• Sizes for men range from 28 to 40.

New to our Fidelity Collection:

We’re really excited to introduce a Spring color – baby pink! This color definitely isn’t for everyone – but if you’ve got slim legs and love PINK, then these Fidelity Stevie Pastiques ($219) are for you.

The Fidelity Stevie is one of espy’s most popular styles of denim for the Ladies! It features a mid-rise, skinny leg, and just the right amount of pocket detailing. Stevie’s can be dressed up or dressed down and look great on just about everyone.

We are also excited to have our newest crop jean from Fidelity! Also in the Stevie style, these jeans rest just above the ankle (depending on height). This is a great style for petites – no hemming required!

The Fidelity Stevie Capri in Super Vintage ($219) is a great alternative to a boyfriend jean. You can still cuff the leg for that casual feel, but you get the slim fit to elongate your gams!

New to our Mavi Collection:

Brand spanking new from Mavi, espy is introducing the Ashley. A mid-rise, slim boot cut. A perfect everyday jean! This is the Mavi Ashley Indigo Kensington ($129) and we LOVE it.

It’s not too often the espy stylists get excited over a mid-rise boot cut…but when it looks this good, we can’t help but gush!

One of our favorite low rise styles, this Mavi Lindy is adorable in a sagey, mint green ($119).

We love that this Mavi Lindy is a thicker fabric when the color is on the paler side. No need to worry about your thighs when you’re nicely and neatly held in by a skinny colored jean like this.

An espy stylist fav already – we are so excited about the latest Mavi Alexa. The distressing is exactly what we’re looking for in a summer jean. The mid rise and super skinny leg make the jean super versatile for boots, flats, wedges or heels.

The Mavi Alexa Blue Rustic ($129) fits so great in the bum! We love to style these with spring sweaters and graphic tees.

Another trend all the espy stylists are coveting this season are printed skinnies. These Mavi Serena Indigo Tribal jeans ($119) are great because the print is subtle, which means they’re easier to style and legs look slim.

The Mavi Serena is a low-rise, super skinny style.

Ooooo we are so happy to introduce this NEW Mavi style we are DYING for you to try. If you’ve shopped at espy before, then you know how the stylists feel about super high-rise denim. The new Mavi Alissa Mid Nolita ($119) is just a lovely addition to our Mavi denim collection.

If you’ve got a small waist and a bit of a booty – these Mavi Alissa’s are a great way to solve any waist gaping issues you may have.

New Denim Brands we’ve added:

Everyone needs a great pair of casual denim! And so we can’t wait to tell you about a new denim brand, Taverniti. The Taverniti Fatigue ($199) is a relaxed skinny with a mid-rise.

Flat bums rejoice! The Taverniti has amazing back pocket detailing for a little extra lift. Taverniti are only available for a limited time! So make sure you get here before they are gone…

Dear John is another new denim brand to espy. The fit is relaxed and comfortable. They come up slightly higher in the back than in the front (‘cuz no one needs their undies hanging out). Dear John are also super affordable – starting at $119.

The back pockets have subtle detailing that are great for the less voluptuous bottoms out there. Dear John also has really cute marketing with a little love letter attached to each pair sold <3

The Neuw Denim line has been doing so well at espy! We love the high-rise and vintage feel to these. The Neuw Marilyn ($169) has amazing stretch that makes them oh so comfy.

To avoid the “mum bum” look – Neuw denim has slightly over-sized pockets that have a great slimming effect. The Marilyn style is so nice for all us curvy girls. And who doesn’t love a good throw-back denim style?

 Our Favourite Men’s Spring Styles:

Washed out colors like grey and rust are the espy stylists top picks for men’s denim this season.

This is the Mavi Zach Rust ($119). Rust is the perfect color to introduce yourself to colored jeans because it’s not too wild and it goes great with all shades of blue.

You will love the Mavi Jake Ash ($119) if you’re into super skinny jeans.  The color is great for Spring and can be easily dressed up or down. These are screaming Casual Friday!

This is the newest men’s style from Fidelity. The Fidelity Torino Lennon Dark ($219) is on the skinny side and comes in the Lennon Dark wash, which has just the right amount of grit to it.

The Fidelity Slim Jim Voodoo Ghost ($229) is our absolute FAVORITE new wash for Spring from Fidelity. You will love the light weight feel!

Every guy needs a pair of spring chinos! These are the brand new 34 Heritage chinos for $159.

What we really like about these chinos is the slim fit and simple pockets for a clean look.

This is a new men’s jean from GSUS. The GSUS Newton ($189) is a great wash with a relaxed, but slim fit.

The lower pocket placement is a good alternative if you’re looking for a trendier fit.

Check out another great pair of grey skinnies! These are the GSUS Divinchy – brand new for $187.

And our last bum shot of the post! Thanks for reading!

Happy Groupon Days! Don’t forget to redeem your Groupon for denim at espy. Once again, it expires on April 15

xoxox

the espy stylists

Groupon for TOPS!

That’s right –  espy is going on Groupon for TOPS! We know you’ve been asking and asking and asking (and asking) us to take our infamous denim deal and translate that into what goes on top, and Megan has finally decided to do it! It’s Spring and we want everyone looking as fresh on top as they do on the bottom. We also have a fresh new team at espy who are excited to meet you. So let’s celebrate everything FRESH for the new season by giving you one of our best deals yet!

So what exactly is this fresh new Groupon deal?

For $29 you get $60 toward ANYTHING that covers the top half of your body!

This means blouses, button-ups, jackets, sweaters, vests, blazers, coats, t-shirts, and tanks can be purchased using our latest Groupon. The ONLY items that this Groupon excludes are: dresses, bras, and anything meant for the lower half of your body (ie. this is NOT the denim Groupon!). The only requirement is that the item you want to use this deal on completely covers the top half of your body. So we’re sorry – but no, you cannot use this deal on bandeauxs.

Groupon for tops officially goes on sale Wednesday, March 20, 2013.

Click here to purchase our latest deal!

Here’s the boring part…the rules:

• You can purchase 1 Groupon for yourself and 1 Groupon as a gift.
• You can purchase a maximum of 2 tops with this Groupon.
• No other sale or promotional deal can be applied when using this Groupon.
• This Groupon cannot be used on any item other than one that covers the TOP HALF of your body.
• This is a shorter deal than we normally do – you only have 3 months to use it. So keep the expiry date in mind when you purchase, as once the Groupon has expired, you will lose the deal.

The other boring part…the math:

• You purchase the Groupon for $29 to get $60 toward anything that covers the top half of your body. That means, when you are redeeming your deal at espy, $60 will be taken off your bill when you present your printed or digital copy of the Groupon.

The Groupon for Tops is ONLY on sale Wednesday, March 20 and Thursday, March 21. There are limited quantities available, so make sure you get your’s ASAP!

Make sure you are following @espyexperience on Twitter and liking espy on Facebook for all store updates and to check out some of our latest styles and favorite looks we cook up each week. Click to see some looks for men and women from espy!

Once again – let’s get Grouponing and celebrate the Spring fashion season with the best deal ever and your new espy styling team.

xoxox

the espy stylists

What happens in Vegas…

What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas – but in espy’s case, that’s always a good thing!

Each year, twice a year, a few of us here at espy head to Las Vegas for one of the biggest retailer tradeshows in the world to accomplish some very serious work – BUYING for the store. This year it took 3 of us to man the major tradeshow floors to find the latest upcoming styles to hit espy over the next few months.

So…what did we find? Here’s a little recap of the trends we saw, we loved, we bought, and we were inspired by:

Spring 2013 styles for the Ladies (coming to the store soon!)

We’ve got our How to Wear Spring 2013 Trends blog on it’s way, but here is a sneak peak at what we’re digging for all our espy fans as the weather warms up, the parkas are put away, and our toes are squirming out of our socks for flip flops and wedges.

Most fashionistas die for Fall – but personally – Spring is my ultimate fav season. So I can’t help but list some of the best trends you will see over the next few months at espy:

• Dots and Checks:

• GREEN

• Festival Influence

• Florals

• Peplums (they are here FOREVER and we’re excited about that – thank you Kate Middleton)

Fall 2013 styles for Men (hitting the store just in time for “Back to School”)

Fall 2013 for men at espy is all about gorgeous color stories, amazing fits and twists on the classics to add some excitement and interest into your wardrobe.

• Polka Dots (not just for the ladies!)

• Textures

• Unexpected Patterns

• Green and Purple (move aside blue!)

Fall 2013 styles for Ladies

Fall 2013 for the ladies is looking so fresh with strong influences from the spring trends, lots of beautiful messaging that suits espy’s Spread Love mantra, and…what we’re really excited for…the sexiness of leather and subtle rock ‘n roll elements.

• LOVE and HEARTS

• Leathers and “Leathers”

• Black and White

• Stripes

• Sweaters, sweaters, sweaters to go with Boots, boots, boots (I mean, we do still live in Calgary)

• Peplums and critters – the Cutesy Stuff

Until next time Vegas…

xoxoxox

Tianna, Charlotte and Stella

Denim GROUPON is EXPIRING on Tuesday, Jan. 22!

It’s time – yes – it’s time…

It’s time to redeem your denim Groupon purchased in May of 2012 because it EXPIRES on Tuesday, January 22, 2013! All you late Grouponers – all your espy stylists  (including some new members – welcome Kelsey, Emily, and Valentina!) are waiting for you to get your cute butts in here so we can send you on your way with denim and, of course, an espy experience.

To clear up some confusion – please make sure you check and double check the expiration date of your denim Groupon.

If you purchased a denim Groupon in May of 2012, then it expires on Tuesday, January 22, 2013.

Some of you will have purchased a denim Groupon in October of 2012 and will therefore have an expiry date of January 23, 2013. THIS IS A MISTAKE! If you purchased a Groupon in October of 2012, then you actually have until April 15, 2013 to redeem your denim deal.

Again, please check your Groupon expiry date and date of purchase:

• If your Groupon says it is expiring on Tuesday, January 22, 2013 – then get down to espy ASAP because we cannot redeem Groupons after the expiry date!

• If your Groupon says it is expiring on Wednesday, January 23, 2013 – you actually have until April 15, 2013 to redeem.

How does the math work?

• You paid $39 to purchase a denim Groupon to use at espy. The Groupon gets you $100 worth of denim. Which means – when you come to espy to redeem your Groupon, $100 will be taken off your purchase of denim. The $39 you have already paid, and the remaining $61 to bring your total discount to $100.

Any rules??

• the Groupon can only be used on JEANS!
• no other sale or discount can be applied to the jeans you are purchasing if you are using your Groupon.
• there are NO RETURNS, EXCHANGES, or REFUNDS on jeans purchased with a Groupon. All Groupon sales are FINAL.
• the Groupon expiry date is also FINAL.
• denim is not to be put in the dryer…EVER!
• Sizes for women range from 23 to 40.
• Sizes for men range from 28 to 40.

Please be patient with us over the next week! We are super busy and trying our very best to get you jeans you LOVE and feel AMAZING in!

xoxoxox

the espy stylists

REFRESH your Wardrobe for the New Year!

Out with the old and in with the….already owned?

Maybe you don’t quite catch my drift. It’s a new year which always means it’s a good time for changes, resolutions, new inspiration, and starting the year off on the right foot in all aspects of life. And at espy, of course we believe that includes style! However, the New Year also usually includes a lot of holiday bills…so how do you update your look while staying on budget?

Turns out the answers are probably already hanging in your closet, you just don’t know it! Our closets are usually filled with amazing pieces that can be reborn. But those pieces also hang right next to pieces that perhaps need to disappear. And then, of course, we’ve all got our fat clothes…our skinny clothes…our sweat pants…our pajamas…our work-out wear. In other words – your own closet can be as difficult to navigate as a messy department store. Things get lost and forgotten about. And then you get into the habit of wearing the same things over and over and over again because not only can you not find anything, but you have no idea what to wear with what. So how do you get out of this perpetual closet nightmare that is contributing to the frustration of feeling like you’ve lost your style?

Luckily you can hire people you already know to help you – the espy stylists are amazing style consultants and experts when it comes to clothes. And your favorite espy stylists are available for Closet Interventions.

An espy Closet Intervention is all about working with what you’ve already got. Of course your stylist will make suggestions on what you could add to your wardrobe, but the main goal is to work within your existing closet. Your stylist will be able to help you sort your wardrobe into appropriate sections based on your lifestyle and show you how to put effortless outfits together for every occasion. And the best part? You don’t have to go to the mall! It all happens in the comfort of your home and closet.

Start your year off with a fresh outlook and a refresher on your wardrobe. Let an espy stylist show you how stylish what you already own can be!

The espy stylists are available for you to start booking your Closet Intervention today! Click here for more info on how to book.

xoxoxox

the espy stylists

Holiday Gifting for Men

Men. Whether they will admit it or not, they are hard to shop for.  Their non-committal shrug to the question of what they want for Christmas is definitely misleading; the espy stylists know from in-store experience that they do indeed love receiving presents from their hunnies.  We also know that our men love getting the whole look put together for them.  So in order to make the espy men happy this holiday season (and help the ladies tick someone else off their shopping list), we have put together 5 looks that are sure to turn that shrug into a holiday hug that gets wrapped around you!

1. The Bow Tie

As we saw in the fall trend reports and at our very own #nakedespy2012, bow ties are back.  This bow tie completes this classic Palenzo button up with the functional and fashionable outerwear piece from Lief Horsen; the bow tie adds fun and a pop of colour to an otherwise basic outfit.  Our men seem to want to stand out a little bit these days and the bow tie is the perfect way to add personality to his wardrobe. We have a new shipment of bow ties on their way from Montreal just in time to get them under a tree or into a stocking!

2.  The Vest-ive season

The vest, while pictured semi-formal here, is no longer restricted to the 3 piece suit.  The above outfit could be paired with a blazer and trouser for a formal holiday event but could just as easily be put together with dark denim for a sauve look for a drink or two at the neighbour’s house. We have played around with print in this look by combining a subtle stripe in the button up with the neutral plaid in the vest contrasted against the colourful tie.  Scared to combine two prints together? Just ask your espy stylist to do it for you!

3. Sweaters are best

The “chunky-cozy-sweater-look” is not only for the man to look and feel good, but is also nice for us ladies to snuggle into.  This Zanerobe sweater is paired with a Matinique vest to create interest (yet another way to wear it!) and is finished off with a basic tee from G-sus (get this tee for only $9!!). The perfect look for sitting by the fire with a rum and egg-nog in hand!

4. The Layered Look

Layering is the secret to creating the ultimate “I didn’t put any effort in but damn I look good” look.  By gifting your man this whole look, you may just turn him into a style guru once he sees how good he looks and how comfortable he can be!   We have put together a Desigual blazer, a Marshall Artist sweater, a JACHS button-up, and a G-sus basic tee.  The combinations available at espy for the “layered look” are endless, so give us a favourite colour, texture, or piece and we will give you a complete outfit!  We want to see men looking like this all over the #yyc, don’t you?

5. Brown is the new black

Softer than black but still rich and luxurious, brown is the new black for mens fashion this holiday season.  In this look we have a soft suede Lief Horsen Blazer, layered with a fisherman sweater from Zanerobe, finished with a Matinique brown stripe button up.  Accessories are from Canadian company Deluxe Accessories and completes the look by tying in all the brown tones.  The warmness of this brown look is sure to turn up the heat on any date this holiday season!

Now that we have the top half of the espy men looking fabulous this holiday season, make sure you get your hands on the next denim Groupon (on sale from Dec.09-13) so the espy stylists can take care of the bottom half too!

xoxo

espy

style credit:

Amelia

Charlotte

Jaclyn

espy’s Holiday Gift Ideas!

Christmas and holiday shoppers are out in full force! So – do you know what you’re looking for this season? The holiday season can be a tad stressful to all the Mr. and Mrs. Clause’s out there. We always want to give those we love something meaningful and unique – but it’s not always that easy to figure out what those gifts are!  Sometimes you just need a little inspiration – so here is espy’s 2012 Holiday Gift Basket:

What’s in this AMAZING basket??

1. Lenny and Eva Jewelry

• This jewelry line is very special because it’s designed around sentiments. Quotes about life, love, faith, laughter, lessons, and dreams that sit right on your wrist. Lenny and Eva salvaged sentiments attach to earthy leather bands in various sizes. It’s a keepsake and a bracelet that never goes out of style.

• Affordable, sexy, and she will actually use it! Miss Martin micro-fibre hosiery is made by a local designer and the packaging is just perfect for the holidays.

4. Cuff links

•  Man-ccessory! Cuff links are great keepsakes for the business men or style guys in your life. These ones from Bugatchi are stylish and interesting.

How can you give someone the “espy experience?”