Guys, do you remember when I re-instagrammed the photo of Drake wearing an ESPRIT sweatsuit? Around the time I briefly touched on how a rude and definitely now-a-townie girl in my geometry class put me down for being rather statuesque and having the confidence to wear a pair of ESPRIT chunky heel loafers?
I don’t take back wearing any of my high school ensembles. Everything I wore felt timeless and very ME. It was my freshman year of high school that my mom brought me to the newly opened McRaes in Biloxi. We shopped the Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger section of the juniors department, but more than either of those premium designers, the ESPRIT section captured my sartorial interest.
ESPRIT served my need for coordinating sets. (I wish I hadn’t give them away in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.) I had a green bias plaid skirt and heathered green v-neck knit top and a khaki, blue, and a color that could only be described as vanilla, bias plaid skirt and fair isle vanilla, khaki, and blue sweater, that I layered over a sleeveless blue knit. During a McRaes semi-annual sale, my mom bought me a “blueberry” plaid wrap skort (which I wore with a white sleeveless Gap button up) and a horizontal striped blue, purple, pink, and white spaghetti strap tank dress. Between the chunky heel loafer and the plastic clear sandals and the black bowler-style handbag and straw purse with pink gingham lining, I had the ESPRIT footwear and accessories to complete any A+ look. Guys, I have to be real when I say that I do not take back any of these outfits. I wore them then and I would wear them now.
Imagine how jazzed I was when I found out that Opening Ceremony teamed with ESPRIT for a collaboration, especially after ESPRIT pulled out of North American operations. My enthusiasm for the brand was only bypassed by a past boss and mentor. Jen, who I worked for from 2002 to 2004 and again 2006 to 2008, studied and graduated with her interior design degree from Mississippi State in the early 90s. Her then-career intention was to design ESPRIT stores. In fact she once shared with me that her dorm room was wallpapered with ESPRIT ads torn from magazines.
The second season of ESPRIT by Opening Ceremony has been marked down. There are still many winning pieces in stock. These are my picks:
I need this set.
Here is hoping for a season three!
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