The espy Experience

Style isn’t an object bought but a sensibility created.  Many of us frugal fashionistas live by this mantra but few boutiques actually apply this theory to selling their clothes.

Until espy, the stylish little boutique nestled in the heart of Inglewood’s shopping district. Espy is a reminder that the finer things in life don’t have to cost a fortune.

Headed by Megan Szanik and Lisa Marie Sikina, the women of espy are bringing Calgary a sampling of beloved brands, without the characteristic sticker-shock of brand name shopping.

To top it all off, the sales associates are personal stylists with a flair for attending to the specific needs of each customer. When I visited the shop on the hunt for new jeans, the gregarious sales associate Atu (the shop’s “XY connection”) pointed out that Theresa, a.k.a. the Queen of Denim, would hook me up with a great pair of jeans.

Like most women, I feel like shopping for denim is the equivalent of speed-blind-dating; it’s uncomfortable, exhausting and you never leave with anything that actually fits.  It can put a girl off jeans entirely. Theresa got me back in the saddle, consulting me on my size, style and favourite fits, allowing me to stand-by while stock was set aside for me to try on. With Theresa’s great eye and attentive personality, I breezed through the pairs that were obvious “no’s” and left with two great pairs of dark-wash, fitted Mavis (saving $50 total from the original retail price).

Anyone accustomed to boutique shopping knows that achieving this level of service while keeping the price tags so low is practically a retail-Fairytale. I assure you it’s true, and it’s all because of the retail superpowers of Szanik and Sikina.  Combining Szanik’s business-savvy and Sikina’s eye for design they are literally joining forces to make espy the hottest little shop in town.

Szanik’s drive and vision have seen her skyrocket through the fashion business.  Starting as a sales associate when she was 21 at Calgary’s Aluminum Planet  (with now-partner Lisa Marie), she was doubling the store’s sales at the time. Szanik moved to Montreal and began a high-octane life in the fashion marketing and merchandising business. She’s the woman who brought 555 Soul and Fidelity to Canada and has significantly increased sales of every brand she’s been behind.  She’s touched nearly every corner of the earth during her 20s … and then something happened.

“It was time to come home”, says Szanik, “I turned 31 and I just really wanted to be with family”.  So she packed up her bags and her career – the prodigal daughter returned.

Hunting out key pieces from those she’s worked with; items that may not be selling at full-price somewhere else, Szanik brings to espy at a reduced cost for us lucky Calgarians. Which is also why the list of labels in the shop varies so often: it’s based on Szanik snagging the best brands at the best price on any given day.  When I was in the shop, I was snooping out lots of Ben Sherman and mens Penguin tops – faves for those of us who like modern twists on classic cuts. I can’t wait to see what’s in store the next time I visit!

Budget boutique shopping in a sweet little shop with stylists at your fingertips – that’s the espy experience.

espy

1217B 9^th Ave SE

Hours:

Mon & Tues: 11 – 6

Wed – Fri: 11 – 7

Sat: 11 – 6

Sun: 12 – 5

Words by Amy Lynn Strilchuk

Photos courtesy of Alix Broadway with AERA Creative Inc.