So Espoir is an interesting company. Firstly…they produce some of the most unique and interesting prints on the market. I love that (as a print girly and an artist I appreciate when someone goes a little different). I’ve had some shirts from them I LOVE! The loose button ups from last year are one of my favorite styles in my closet (not just horse stuff…but ALL my closet)…and I just noticed it looks like they have some on super sale…so off to shop! BRB.
Okay. Back…sorry! Now onto a bit of a disclaimer here: I have been on a journey trying to figure out Espoir for a while. I’ve tried a few of their different shirts over the last couple of years and some are great and some haven’t worked so well. I’ve had shirts from them that I’ve had to send back because they’re too tight in the arms…or too tight in the shoulders (or both). I’ve got a size medium from years ago that fits great. I got a size XL not long ago I couldn’t put over my shoulders at all. So it’s REALLY variable on fabric and cut. But I’ve figured it out finally I think. I need to avoid the “sport” quarter zips with the mesh panels on top. Every one of those I’ve tried…I can’t get on. That particular shirt cut with the mesh they choose to use is too tight for someone with muscular arms or shoulders. So, unfortunately if you don’t have thinner arms, the “Sport” quarter zip might not work for you either.
However, I do HIGHLY suggest the button ups (both the regular and loose ones…and some are on major sale right now…). I can also recommend the regular Quarter Zip (you can tell which those are by the curvy seaming in the front without mesh panels). Going back through my Espoirs of this cut…they fit in a more expected way. I have one in medium that fits great, just a bit tight. I have one in XL that’s WAY too big that I got because the experience with the Sport version had me so confused. I just got this new one in Large and it fits perfectly. So I’d say for the regular Quarter Zip…your regular size will be perfect.
The new one released this year has a different fabric which I much prefer as well. Lets talk about this for a minute. The older Espoir quarter zips featured a few various fabrics, each with limited stretch to them. This new one…well imagine your coziest, stretchiest “bamboo” style fabric pajamas you have…and this fabric is very similar in feel. The fabric is SO soft and so stretchy it’s almost like it’s from a totally different planet than the other Espoir shirts. I absolutely love the new fabric. And it’s been great in 40 degree weather…and 75 degree weather so far. The fabric is very lightweight and breathable and is really lovely to ride and go around the barn in. So comfortable a fabric…indeed…it feels like cozy lounge-wear in a good way. So the new fabric is an excellent upgrade in terms of comfort and performance for sport in my opinion. Love it!
Now back to style for a minute. As mentioned…I’m a fan of the Espoir prints…and this one is no exception. The print is well done with no “WTF is that AI looking nonsense” that’s happening with a lot of prints these days as brands try the newest thing… It’s clear a human made (and I appreciate that). The colors are beautiful and so easy to style. I’ve been able to pair it with navy, purple/wine, brown and tan with ease.
The gold zipper pull and the Espoir stripe tag on the back are subtle and beautiful branding that add to the style of the shirt and don’t take away any bit of class. I love how…even with the MANY panels of fabric going on…they line up the front seams so the design looks seamless on the front of the shirt. Because of this seaming, the cut is very pretty and flattering on the female body.
The only thing I can knock on this version of the shirt, is because the fabric is so soft, the collar is floppy even when brand new. So the collar could maybe use a stiffer material as a backer to keep it more upright…but honestly it’s such a minor thing to me because I usually have it zipped down a bit anyways. Speaking of zipping down… I did mention to a friend of mine that this is 100% breastfeeding friendly as the zipper goes WAY lower than you’d ever actually want to unzip it (unless breastfeeding…or maybe trying to find a new husband or wife). LOL. So that’s an extra bonus use on this one if you have a new baby you’re toting around to the barn.
Care-wise, it’s just as easy as anything else on the market these days. I am so happy we’ve gotten to THAT point with modern fabrics. I’m not having the breakdown issues I used to have with things 10 years ago when I started this website. So far it’s held up well to wear and washing (other than the floppy collar…which was floppy from the get go…so no change). It does have a matte look to the fabric…but it hasn’t faded at all. It’s just because the fabric has a bit of fuzz to it that in certain angles in certain lights it looks a bit more washed out than others because the light catches the nature of the fibers a bit differently.
The price is fair (and pretty on par with other popular print sun shirts on the market these days or just a touch more expensive). However if you really want something and you can wait, usually you can find the styles on sale eventually. If you were wanting to try Espoir, but haven’t…this one is a good one. If you’ve tried them before but not loved the fabric, I think you’ll like this fabric much better!
My good impressions of Espoir have only increased with this shirt…and now that I’ve figured out what shirt style I need to completely avoid (“Sport Quarter Zip”) as to not make myself feel like The Rock wearing a child’s t-shirt (ha)! I’ll have a much more comfortable time shopping with them knowing what styles and sizes will work. Looking forward to trying more in the future!
