INTRODUCING THE NEW BLOG + OUR STORY
Hey #smashtessgirls,
WELCOME to our new blog, a place where we can not only share, but chat with YOU!
We’re so excited to share glimpses behind the scenes at Smash + Tess, our fashion inspirations, and things that matter to us as women, business owners, wives and mothers!
If you’ve been loving our loungewear and rocking your Rompers for some time now, perhaps you know it’s been a wild ride since we started the business 1.5 years ago. As a mother-daughter- bestie team, we’ve had tons of fun, giggles, wine and challenges along the way! So, we want to share a bit of our journey with you.
Teresa & Ashley | Mother-Daughter Founders
Smash + Tess was born from my most treasured memories as a child. I grew up wearing matching PJs with my mom. On Christmas, it was a special tradition to open one gift on Christmas Eve and it was always a new pair of matching pajamas for my mom and I to wear on Christmas morning! As I got older, we would dream and scheme about which PJs to get and why... but it started to be more and more difficult to find cute, high quality sleepwear for women. We began dreaming of doing a sleepwear line ourselves and the rest is history! I’m so lucky to work with my mom who is a savvy business woman and has been a mentor my whole life!
What’s in a Name?
Coming up with a business name or fashion brand name is so difficult! If you’ve gone through any kind of brainstorming session, you know how impossible it can seem for two business partners to agree, especially a mother-daughter team! We wanted something feminine but with a modern edge. My mom’s name is Teresa but we call her Tess and “Smash” was actually my nickname growing up! My dad and brother called me “Smash” because I would play rough, wrestle with my brother and would “smash” the ball when I played competitive softball. And that’s how Smash + Tess was born!
Mercedes | Bestie & Principal
Mercedes and I have been besties since we were 5 years old! We always shared a love for comfy loungewear and Mercedes had a lot of retail experience. When my family and I decided to move to the U.S, we wanted to ensure we had someone on the ground in Vancouver running our production, sampling process, general operations and holding down the fort! Mercedes was such an obvious choice for our Principal and Director of Operations. She started just before our big launch and has truly helped shape the aesthetic of the brand!
Evolution & THE Romper
We started in pajamas, now we’re here! We have evolved from sleepwear to loungewear over time and are blown away by how popular our Romper has become! We came up with the Romper when we were planning our very first Fall collection. It was the first loungewear Romper on the market! We noticed how much our #smashtessgirls seemed to love transitional loungewear that can be worn in and out of the house. Women are busy multitaskers and something that went from lounging, to working from home, to 3 pm school run, to groceries was a missing piece of a woman’s wardrobe. We loved the idea of something comfy and effortlessly chic; a core piece that you can accessorize and add your own stamp to. Most rompers at the time were fitted or had a draw string, but we wanted to design something that every woman would feel comfortable rocking! Women’s fashion for real women is what we wanted to create, and so we did!
Our Biggest Surprise
Our biggest surprise since starting the business is how uplifting and supportive other female entrepreneurs can be! We continue to be amazed by the support we receive from other local female entrepreneurs. Vancouver is buzzing with strong, female business minds - it's super inspiring!
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We’re also blown away by our community of women that have surrounded us since the beginning… cheering us on, buying our loungewear and sharing their opinions with us. We try to listen to each and every one of you so thank you so much for following our journey!
Please comment below, sign up for our newsletter and join us over on Instagram. We love seeing pics of you rocking your Rompers! Oh, and don’t forget to let us know what YOU want to see on our blog so we can deliver awesome content for you!
#rompsohard
xx
Ashley