I wish I could start this with a long story about how much I wanted to ride horses, but the truth is: I needed to find an interest and a hobby apart from fashion, and I didn’t really want to play beach tennis.
I thought horseback riding was a good idea, and I ended up actually booking a class at a Show Jumping and dressage school. It’s now officially been two months since my first lesson, and although I wanted to find an interest outside of fashion — my attention, ironically, has now shifted towards equestrian style.
Now, looking back to my first lesson, I remember doing some rather specific people watching and realizing you could spot small nods to personal style even within the uniformity of training gear.
While researching where to buy everything I needed to finally start horseback riding, a fear I didn’t realize I had popped in my head. What if I don’t look like myself?
When developing your personal style you will find that some things just look like you. Whether that is a specific pairing that makes sense for your lifestyle, a shoe that fits just right, or a color way that feels synonymous with you. I didn’t think anything about horseback riding was synonymous with me, until I started seeing it everywhere.
Quickly my mind went back to the Stella McCartney photoshoot featuring Kendall Jenner. I mean… how hot has horseback riding been this entire time?
I noticed horses and anything equine related, and my brain developed a pattern. Where there was a horse, there was definitely style. It begged the question, why didn’t anybody tell me about equestrian style? The truth is, I just didn't have an eye for it. I felt as though if I couldn't enjoy it, it didn’t exist.
Style goes beyond what we get to wear, it’s in everything we do. It’s in your demeanor, the way we live, what we watch and what we listen to, who we speak to and how we speak to them. Style is subjective, which is the best part of developing your own. Just because you can’t enjoy it, wear it, or even understand it, doesn’t mean that it isn’t there for others to enjoy.
Riding boots were my first purchase, later came the pants. But before I even hit “complete order” my inspo board was filled with Hermés SS 2011 by Jean Paul Gaultier, and lots of Gucci.
These things, clothes, and brands are not entirely equestrian, but their designs from some specific collections gather some of the aspects of equestrian style I’ve been fascinated by.
The many shapes and lengths of the riding boot, the skin-tight breeches, the Demi-Saumur riding pant, and the trousers tucked into knee-high boots are just some of the things I’ve spotted while attending my first couple of equestrian lessons.
I kid you not… after a couple lessons these things have also been spotted on my Pinterest, my local mall, and my browser history. It’s the yellow car phenomenon all over again!
Equestrian style seems rather easy to emulate, so in case you’re interested in diving in, I’ve made a little shopping guide for you!
And you can find it by clicking here!