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Spring is officially in bloom and this calls for Edition 09 of the Optimist’s Outlook — our quarterly communique with updates on how Optimism is coming to life in our design studio, across our shops, and within our community.
Warmer days and lighter layers create a sense of newness, but Spring cleaning isn’t complete without a reflection on the last few months that led us here. Read on for a recap of the last quarter and a sneak peek of what’s to come.
THE TALK OF TIKTOK
We love the creativity of our shop team members and continue to share it with you through our TikTok channel @kitandace. Keep watching for ongoing styling segments, shopping tips, and a first-hand glimpse of the action on the shop floor, featuring the people who know it best.
PANTS FOR THE PEOPLE
To celebrate the March launch of our Better Than Ever Navigators, we recruited 20 of our community friends to star in our Spring campaign and put the upgraded version of our signature Navigator fabric to the test. The dynamics of real people on shoot day always makes for an upbeat vibe, and their energy and enthusiasm for the pants designed to be new closet favourites was so inspiring.
From the studio to the social channels, fans of our signature collection had an opportunity to get into these high-performance pants. We ran an Instagram giveaway upon launch to share the love, and gifted a pair of new Navigators to one lucky winner and a friend.
SHOP, SHOP, SHOPIFY
This quarter has brought with it the much-anticipated launch of our new website. In March we transitioned our biggest shop at kitandace.com over to the Canadian-owned platform Shopify to bring you a better online shopping experience, with smoother browsing and faster checkout. Not only can you now check in-shop inventory before visiting your closest shop, but the new site is better optimized for shopping on mobile and brings with it the flexibility of more payment options. We accept Apple Pay, Discover, Google Pay, Shop Pay, and Paypal in addition to AMEX, Mastercard and Visa, for fast, easy, and secure transactions. And you can opt for buy now, pay later plans with partners like Klarna and Afterpay to split your purchase into four interest free payments. We think flexibility and ease is as important for payment options as it is in your clothes.
SUNNY WITH A CHANCE OF STRIPES
Summer is around the corner and our talented production team is hard at work to showcase the styles that will drop in time for the hottest days. The first of our Summer campaign photoshoots took place at Isetta Café Bistro in West Vancouver last month. Nestled between the ocean and the North Shore mountains, this gem of a neighbourhood spot is awash in natural light, and it set the perfect scene for our breezy styles, new colours, and patterns that pop. (Hint, think stripes!) We can’t wait to share this Summer collection with you. And if you’re on the lookout for a North Shore hangout, check out Isetta (@isettacafebistro on Instagram).
BETTER THAN EVER
We hear you loud and clear when we receive feedback about how important sustainability is for you. And we’ll continue to make sourcing and design decisions that move us towards a greener future. Like the recent fabric update to our signature Navigator collection. Aptly named Better Than Ever, this collection of pants features an upgraded version of our signature Navigator fabric — made with more sustainable raw materials, like organic cotton for extra softness, an eco-friendly Teflon finish for water repellency, and the strength of recycled nylon for durability. We've also reduced our carbon footprint by moving our fabric production closer to manufacturing, cutting thousands of kilometers from the transportation process. Our Navigator pants have long been known for advanced comfort thanks to their extra stretchy, quick-drying, and moisture-wicking superpowers. Now just imagine them even Better Than Ever!
IN THE DESIGN STUDIO
With Spring in full bloom, our shelves are stocked with versatile styles like lightweight sweaters, cardigans, and polos, in breathable new yarns like organic Cotton Lyocell and our favourite Merino Wool.
Many of our guests have been heading back to the office this year, and more recently, planning for Spring break travel. Similarly, the late January launch of our Office Refresh capsule collection segued into a focus on suitcase-ready styles to take on any getaway. Our secret to packing light? A carefully curated collection of versatile pieces that are easy care and look fresh upon arrival.
Looking ahead to Summer, we’re keeping it light. Available in shop and online, you’ll find elevated office-appropriate styles in lightweight Cotton Suiting fabric for all-day comfort, responsibly sourced TENCEL™ Woven styles, and cooling shirts and shirt dresses in wrinkle-resistant poplin fabric made with temperature-regulating brrr° technology. Bring on the sunniest days!
If you follow me on LinkedIn, you know that our team culture at Kit and Ace is rooted in self-development and striving for goals at both the individual and collective level. Spring is a season of refresh and renewal, and fittingly, we’re working on some updates to the Vision + Goals document that we use internally to guide our goal setting. Keep your eyes peeled, as I’ll be releasing a version of this workbook on LinkedIn, available for download. I’d love to hear from you if it helps you in your planning for a brighter future.
Until next time, keep connected via our social channels @kitandace and our email list. And if you have any feedback, questions, community partnership ideas, or dad jokes, drop me a line at optimism@kitandace.com.
Enjoy the brightness and lightness ahead,
George
Chief Executive Optimist