#bikiniespy FAQ 2013

With #bikiniespy only a few weeks away, we figured it’s time to release the official #bikiniespy FAQ. All the answers to your questions about our Stampede fundraiser in support of Special Olympics Calgary are right here:

1.What is #bikiniespy?

#bikiniespy is a Stampede-themed fundraiser for Special Olympics Calgary (SOC) happening on Saturday, July 6, 2013. espy raises money for SOC by asking women to line up outside the store in their bikinis and cowboy boots for a free Stampede outfit with a donation to SOC. Those who wish to participate must be registered online as there are no open spots this year. Participants who have registered online will be completely styled in a western outfit, valued at $500, by one of espy’s professional fashion stylists for braving the #bikiniespy lineup.  #bikiniespy is also a Stampede Breakfast, open to the community and free with a donation to SOC.

2. When is #bikiniespy?

Saturday, July 6, 2013

• 7:30am = check in for lineup participants
• 8:00am = Stampede Breakfast is served and lineup activities begin
• 9:00am = participants get styled

3. Do I have to register to participate?

In order to be a part of the #bikiniespy lineup and receive the western outfit valued at $500, you must be registered online by June 20, 2013. There are only 100 spots available in the lineup!

4. How do I register?

Registration is all done online this year. Click here to register.

5. When and where do I register?

To register, click here. You must be registered by June 20, 2013 in order to participate in the lineup. There are no open spots available. Only those who have registered online prior to or on June 20, 2013 will be eligible to participate in the lineup.

6. Why do I have to choose a cowgirl look when I register?

espy is asking you to choose what kind of cowgirl you are so we can style you specifically to what your inner Stampede Queen desires! The espy stylists are hand-picking styles just for you to ensure you leave feeling fabulously fashionable in your western get-up.

7. What do I receive for participating in the lineup?

You will receive a Stampede outfit valued at $500 that is styled for you by the espy stylists or one of our special, celebrity guest fashion stylists – Kim Flanagan, BR Pirri, Domingo – based upon the cowgirl look you chose during your registration process.

8. Do I have to wear a bikini?

Yes! This event is about celebrating our bodies to support Special Olympics Calgary. Get in your bikini, throw on your boots – and be ready for a morning of unforgettable fun.

9. When does the breakfast start?

The #bikiniespy Stampede Breakfast begins at 8:00am on Saturday, July 6, 2013.

10. How can I attend the breakfast?

The #bikiniespy Stampede Breakfast is open to the community and free with a donation to SOC. Bring the whole family down!

11. Where is the #bikiniespy Stampede Fashion Show?

The breakfast happens in the cul-de-sac of the Art Block building on 9th Street and 9th Avenue S.E. (right next to espy!)

12. What is the Stampede Fashion Show and Fundraiser at Cowboys?

In order to put on #bikiniespy, we are raising money for the event by partnering with Cowboys for a Stampede Fashion Show and Silent Auction, Poker Tournament and Ladies Night fun on June 19, 2013. Click here for more information and click here to purchase your tickets. Tickets are also available in store! All proceeds from ticket sales will fund #bikiniespy 2013.

If you have any further questions about #bikiniespy, please click here. You can also email specific questions to Tianna (tianna@espyexperience.com).

xoxox

the espy stylists

Denim Looks for Summer!

Here are some of our LATEST and CUTEST ladies looks filled with fun denim you can use your Groupon for:

Alex looks ready for summer in her Fidelity Ace skinnies and acid yellow tank.

We’re loving the Mavi Alexa in this medium wash with lots of strategic whiskering.

This season is all about high-waisted, throw back denim like these Neux Marilyn jeans!

Here’s a twist on the classic boyfriend cut: a minty green color!

Spring is meant for floral prints! Hurry in for these Mavi’s before they’re gone!

Spring blouses look perfect when tucked into these high-rise skinnies by Mavi.

Did we mention florals for spring??

Try the dip-dyed trend on your skinnies (not just your hair!)

90′s grunge is in! Try the trend out in a great pair of acid wash denim.

xoxox

the espy stylists

Girls Night Out in Inglewood

Just in time for Mother’s Day, Inglewood is hosting the 4th annual Girls Night Out on Thursday, May 9, 2013 from 5pm to 9pm. For a full list of the deals offered around the neighbourhood, click here!

Here is what espy is doing as a participant of Girls Night Out:

espy is so excited to welcome Irene Arefeva back to do some skin analysis on Girls Night Out! Irene is a clinical esthetician with over 15 years of experience. She is an active member of the Society for Investigative Dermatology and an amazing trainer and teacher for the Dr. Spiller skincare line and in the esthetics business. Irene is full of life and knowledge and can’t wait to share her experience with you while improving your skin at the same time. And we are even offering a Buy One Get One Half Off on all Dr. Spiller products!

espy’s new makeup artist, Michelle, will be doing a Lash and Lip Bar. With any skincare or makeup purchase over $40, Michelle will do a Lash and Lip application for free!

espy also has some great Mother’s Day promotions with skincare and makeup going on – including the following gift with purchase (limited quantities available):

Make sure you stop by espy on Thursday, May 9, 2013 to say hi and get the down-low on everything espy!

xoxoxox

the espy stylists

Conscious Groove Fashion Show

espy was happy to participate in Conscious Groove – a fundraiser for the Alberta Children’s Hospital – on Thursday, April 18. espy teamed up with our favorite local designer, Aleem Arif of Bano eeMee, to put on a super cute spring fashion show featuring Aleem’s leathers and espy’s clothes. It was a great night to support the Alberta Children’s Hospital through fashion and art. And also a fun opportunity to show how espy likes to style Bano eeMee.

All of our models dressed and runway ready!

espy stylist and visual merchandiser Amelia and Aleem pose with 2 of the models backstage.

One of our sweetest looks from the runway…the ever popular polka dot peplum dress with a cognac leather jacket by Bano eeMee.

We love this lace dress paired with an over-sized tuxedo jacket by Bano eeMee and a bold, statement necklace.

Hands down our fav look of the whole show! This boyfriend leather jacket by Bano eeMee and a simple, black t-shirt dress gets styled up with a fedora and chunky necklace.

Tianna, Aleem, and Amelia pose in front of the banner

espy stylists backstage – dressed to kill of course

 xoxoxox

the espy stylists

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

New Spring Styles

Although Spring has only peaked out a couple times – it has fully sprung inside espy! Check out some of our newest favs in store as of this week:

You might find a couple of the espy staff members sporting this new, very sexy, slinky black dress! We all love the length because it gives a bit of the maxi feel, but shows off enough leg that it steers away from boho. Here it’s been styled with a great collar necklace and chunky waist belt. Dress: RD Style, $43. Necklace: $23, Belt: $28.

One huge trend for S/S ’13 is the bomber jacket. This new Desigual bomber is a perfect layering piece in a great color with a cool print. There are so many ways to style a bomber, but we love pairing this feminine print with a bold, graphic tee and super distressed skinnies. Bomber: Desigual, $229, Tee: Oxmo, $39, Jeans: GSUS, $189.

There is something about this Desigual top that reminds me of the Salsa! Tucked into high-waisted pants and a bright skinny belt – this is exactly what I want to wear to the patios this summer. Top: Desigual, $127, Jeans: Fidelity Belvedere, $219, Belt: $29.

With quite a few shorties on staff, the espy girls love to wear maxi skirts instead of full maxi dresses. Tucking in a pretty tank and defining your waist will add some length to your body and won’t drown you in too much of one color or one print. Maxi skirt: Kersh, $59, Tank: Mia Melon, $69, Belt: $29.

Here’s a super cute way to wear black differently! This new black blouse has adorable details like a sparkly neckline and layers of light grey and pastel yellow chiffon. Top: RD Style, $39, Pants: RD Style, $59.

Who needs accessories in a dress like this?! So many great patterns in classic colors! Dress: Desigual, $137, Shoes: Desigual, $83.

xoxoxox

the espy stylists

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

Cute New Merch at espy!

Here’s a couple great ladies looks to try out:

Alex is wearing mint green Mavi’s in the Lindy style with a black and white Supreme Being tank and grey leather jacket from RD. There is lots of fresh spring inspiration in this outfit, but it’s still warm enough for our current chilly temps!

Our latest inspiration wall at espy! One of Spring 2013′s biggest trends is Black and White. And we LOVE our very visual representation of this trend thanks to espy’s visual merchandiser Amelia!

Every season we seem to see nautical themes! Try pairing a great navy and white sweater (like this one from Supreme Being) with distressed jeans (Amelia wears our brand new Mavi’s!) and a pair of classic cognac boots!

Weekends should be about relaxation – but of course, we still wanna look super adorable, right? Alex wears a cute color blocked knit from GSUS with a printed tee, dark skinnies from a new denim brand to espy, Dear John, and super comfy Desigual flats.

We desperately want to bust out our spring dresses – so we say, just do it! All you need is a great blazer and maybe a spray tan. Mix up some prints for even more trendy spring fun! Dress by Desigual and blazer by Yumi

Floral prints are always trendy in spring. We suggest a great floral printed pant like these Neuw ones! Pair with a neutral sheer blouse and knit sweater for LOTS of interesting texture mixing.

If you’ve ever shopped at espy, you know your stylists are BIG fans of high-rise denim! Check out these brand new high rise Mavi’s paired with a freshly printed top and neon pink skinny belt.

Happy Shopping and Happy Spring!

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