I was thrilled to be recently introduced to Espoir Equestrian last year and since have acquired quite a few items for my wardrobe from them (shirts and scarves both). I reviewed one of their tops earlier this year (the regular button up) with lots of good things to say about the brand. Namely…their prints are fantastic and their attention to details is wonderful. I’ve had some issues with a few of their styles/fabrics not fitting me the best…however both button up shirts have been fantastic. When I say both, of course I’m also referring to the shirt that is the feature of today’s review: Island Horses on Navy Loose Fitting Button Shirt.
Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately (for my bank account), I adore the Loose Fitting Button Shirts…I’ve already purchased another one in a different print and will be keeping my eye on new print releases in this style.
What is it about this particular shirt that I love…several things. As with all of the Espoir items, the prints are fantastic and fun. Not all prints will be for everyone, but they have such a range of styles with the prints changing vastly from collection to collection you won’t have trouble finding something you like. This particular print is I think my favorite I’ve seen from the brand so far (in all of it’s color variations). I love the fresh holiday feel this shirt brings me. I do live in California…and I know many people would absolutely LOVE to be here for their horse riding as we really are lucky to have great weather, great facilities, great shows and great trainers…however we ALL want to be in Florida in the winter don’t we? This shirt makes me feel like I’m someone that winters at WEC… I love that. I’ve gotten tons of compliments on this shirt from both riders and non-horse people alike and I think the print has a lot to do with that. The sketchy, but realistic horses are fabulous and I love a good floral/botanical.
I also love that the loose fit feels very classic. It feels very rich girl. It feels very “I just came from shopping, now I’m going riding, and later I’m meeting my friends for wine.” It’s very flattering and works well with breeches or with slacks or jeans. I’ve worn this as street style at least as many times as I’ve ridden in it…honestly probably more.
However style isn’t everything! Especially with sportswear. The most important things for sportswear for me are fit, fabric and comfort level. This shirt happens to deliver on all three. The fit of this shirt is MUCH more forgiving than any of the other Espoir shirts with quite a blousy look. I got this in a medium and it fits quite relaxed…where as in their other shirts I need a large. There’s plenty of room in the arms, lats and shoulder which is where I usually struggle (because I gym too much…and I’m naturally thicker on the limbs). This shirt fits me beautifully…and I think it will look good on a variety of body shapes and sizes from thin and willowy to muscular to well endowed. I think the cut of this shirt is a real win for the brand.
The fabric of this one so far is my favorite of any Espoir fabrics. It’s incredibly lightweight and silky feeling. It’s very breathable as well. It’s not stretchy…but with the fit it doesn’t need to be. When the wind blows, it has a nice flow to it that makes it feel almost like you’re wearing a silk blouse. I love the fabric.
For performance in the saddle the combo of the fit and the fabric is great. It’s super on hot days…especially on hot days with a touch of a breeze. No overheating. It’s also great down to about 60 degrees…then it starts being a little too thin for comfort. There’s no restriction or discomfort during riding at all.
It has the same ease of care (at least to me). Cold water wash, hang to dry and it’s perfect. It doesn’t hold wrinkles and I’ve not had a bit of fading. Quality of the sewing and materials is good. I think that for the price, this shirt is a better deal than the other button up or their quarter zips as the material and fit makes it feel like a much more luxurious item.
As I mentioned on the other shirt, their attention to detail on the patterning is really good. While this one doesn’t line up in the front from one side to the other…I actually like the way it seems like the shirt pieces were cut to feature the horses. There are horse heads on both cuffs. A horse cut out perfectly on the pocket. And the way the print is layed out across the front, the horse images are perfectly featured. I can’t imagine this is by mistake. I feel like it was purposely cut to feature the most important parts of the print as many times as they could. I love that. I also think that the single gold button really stands out and is quite stunning against the navy blue of this particular print. Adore it.
I honestly have nothing bad to say about this shirt! I’m looking forward to seeing them release more prints in the future I can add to my closet. I HIGHLY recommend this style of shirt from Espoir. It might be…it’s VERY close…but it might be my favorite shirt in my closet right now (horse clothes or otherwise). I love it.
