I’ve been out of the show world for a bit. I hate to date myself, but last time I was paying attention, it was GPAs with the glittery center stripe, navy & grey COs, and coats with fun linings. What’s the latest & greatest? I’m in the jumper ring but would love to hear about the hunter and eq rings as well. Rider AND horse fashion! Are TS still the go-to breeches? Fleece half-pads still in? I have noticed the show shirts with the fun cuffs/collars and love them - those are new to me. What else are you seeing?!
Lots of people still wear TS breeches in the hunter and eq rings but there are A LOT of new options to pick from, many made from more athletic appropriate material that people are going to instead (also TS shot themselves in the foot by having their owner be an idiot on social media and in general I hear they treat vendors poorly so less people carry them now). Breeches have really become an anything goes game in terms of brand popularity, there’s a ton of great choices that all fit the bill appearance wise and come in a range of prices from $80 to $400. A new development I enjoy is breeches with silicon grip knee patches (or full seats in the jumper ring). The extra help is nice.
GPA’s are still popular but the speed air style is what’s in now, the titium style with the stripe isn’t worn much (frankly the speed air style is way more comfortable). Tons of helmets out there, we’ve gotten better about pushing people to wear the helmets that fit their heads best over what might be considered “stylish”. Samshield’s are really popular though (and comfortable…if it fits your head). Charles Owen is still a good helmet choice. The latest in helmets is removable and replaceable interior liners which is great because it helps with the stink (which, last I checked, CO was not doing that which I think is unfortunate). There’s a lot of great helmets at lower price points like OneK also.
Anything goes coats wise in the jumper ring. Lots of fun colors being worn. I have a purple coat from smartpak that I really enjoy. Lots of bling on coats and helmets in the jumper ring also. The hunter and eq rings are still more conservative and probably always will be. Some people have coats in hunters with subtle piping or collar colors. The eq ring not so much.
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What does fashion have do do with anything over the substance? I’ve shown in the same boots and brands of breeches helmets etc for 20 years. Same goes for the horses. Ride in what you have and focus on riding damn well.
Riding fashion is a way to separate people from their money, not to improve their horsemanship skills or to make horses/riders safer.
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Fashion is a lot of fun for us though! Even my schooling stuff is super fun.
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Fleece half pads aren’t really in anymore. Saddles that fit are very much in. For jumpers, Ogilvy memory foam pads with matching baby pads are a cool option. You can get a matching bonnet as well. You will see a lot of neoprene girths as they are effective. If you have a sensitive horse you can still use a fleece girth if needed). Basically, whatever is best for your horse.
For helmets, @hairystockings nailed it - what is in is what fits your head the best! Also, visor-style helmets for women, including GPA First Lady, Samshield Miss Shield, or Kask Star Lady. CO makes a visor-styel but it’s not as popular as the others. There are even some cool rose gold options available. For jumpers, the GPA First Lady has some really cool customization options that you should look into (especially if you don’t plan to cross over into hunter or eq).
Boots have also gotten more fun. Even some hunter riders now have an accent on their boots - patent is popular yet classic. I have six different pairs of field boots and my favorite are Parlanti - they are popular now but are probably not the best every-day boot. If you go this route, the less expensive Essential line actually seems to hold up best - bonus is that they are canvas lined and cooler in the summer. I have found them to be the grippiest of all my boots, and they are great for no stirrup work.
When it comes to clothing, everything is about moveable, breathable materials. Coats that stretch. Mesh fabrics that breathe and are wearable in the heat. Show shirts that are stylish yet functional - I have some that are so gorgeous I wear them to work. Some shirts even incorporate lace and are quite pretty! I will tell you, though, that I still wear TS breeches. The Trophy Hunters low rise are the current breech. You can go with side zip or front (side zip seems to fit hourglass figures better and keeps your buckle to the side where it can’t scratch your saddle when mounting/dismounting). I have tried the other manufacturers but I can tell you that TS does the best job at hiding the giant dent in my leg, as well as other lumps and bumps that we get as we age. They really smooth things out and I haven’t found another breech that is quite as successful in smoothing and supporting. I think they will be around for a while for this reason, regardless of what kind of social media blunders the owner has made. We all age eventually and they have the fabric that best supports.
Some fun brands to check out include Cavalleria Toscana, Animo, Alessandro Albanese (awesome mesh jackets), Equetech, and Equiline (their breeches are really beautiful).
For jackets, some designers, like Charles Ancona, even add a small white cuff to the jacket sleeve so you don’t have to wear long sleeves for “the look.” Since the new jackets are technical fabrics, the lining doesn’t stick like the old school jackets. But that is of course a bigger deal for hunters/eq than jumpers. Burgundy coats have made a come back this year in jumperland. They are really gorgeous!! Wishing I was playing in the jumpers so I could partake in the burgundy revolution! Enjoy your shopping!!
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This! Same reason I wouldn’t wear an 80s power suit to work - I want to look like I belong/not stand out for the wrong reasons, and it helps me focus better if I’m not feeling self-conscious.
Plus a lot of the newer apparel is more comfortable, especially in the summer heat.
I don’t think you have to get the most expensive brands, but make sure if fits you well.
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I wore my pull on boots and a ratcatcher a few years (like3?) and still managed to get 6th at Devon out of 30 ish. Maybe if I had my zips back then I’d have been 1st…
Long live 80s power suits.
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I’d agree as far as fashion is just about colors and sparkles.
But the new tech fabric shirts and jackets really do look like a comfort and perhaps safety advantage (if they save you from heat stroke).
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That’s fine of course but fashion is still fun for us ladies.
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Well, people ride for different reasons.
My guess is that the more you tended towards pro, especially at the middling levels where money and time are tight, the more pragmatic you’d be about not spending money on frills and concentrating on the quality of training and riding. Also I have to say that excellent quality older gear on an experienced rider looks honorable in that you figure they’ve put a lot of hours into those boots or that saddle or bridle.
Juniors and ammies that are more about the dressing up and presenting an image are however extremely important too because they keep me going on great barely used consignment store and CL treasures.
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Yeah- I am a lady. :encouragement: my comment was in jest about the power suit :rolleyes:
And I looked pretty good and well fitted. Trust me- I did not stand out one bit unless you looked at the back of my boot. And looking at the Devon hack shots- you could not tell who had what on their necks.
If you like the trends that’s great -nothing wrong with it, also nothing wrong with kickin it old school. 
( god bless zip up boots- amen). My pin (yes intentionally wore a pin) was one my trainer had given to me when I was 13 ish. He was with me to walk me in the gate on my mare at 88 yrs old. I was 43 at the time, all old stuff, all old school, Devon ribbon, sentiment: priceless. All I needed was purple eyeshadow :winkgrin: ,frosted lip gloss and a perm.
And Scribbler- I loved your " Also I have to say that excellent quality older gear on an experienced rider looks honorable in that you figure they’ve put a lot of hours into those boots or that saddle or bridle. "
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You should try on a pair of Struck breeches - I may not be old but have a little more fat on me than I’d like. They’re athletic material and hands down the most flattering pair of breeches I own - they even beat my TS. And they have a wider waste band which is great. Sorry to derail the conversation but I love sharing my love of Strucks 
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Looks lovely and like every other rider (albeit on a saddlebred?) that I see at the hunter non breed shows- except maybe the jacket is lighter. Sorry- I don’t see it as particularly “style”. Relatively classic look.
So by style are we talking brand name or what?
I have tried them, but unfortunately I can hardly tolerate the size of the Trophy Hunter waistband - even low rise fit me like midrise as I’m so short waisted. The waistband is too big! But I’m glad they work for you! I also didn’t think they covered the giant dent in my leg as well as the TS (the dent is from being thrown on the backside of a rolltop by a naughty, naughty horse and it’s a very prominent and deep dent). I prefer the more compression feel of TS given this dent. I also don’t like the grippy knees. But hey - different strokes for different folks! If we all liked the same thing, the world would be a very boring place!
Style you have to own it…style it’s not just brand names.
Love this! Thanks so much for sharing. I am thrilled to hear that comfort seems to be the name of the game right now, especially since I am in the deep South and m-e-l-t-i-n-g this summer!
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Great post! I will add that I love Le fash shirts and any with decorated cuffs and collars.
When I think of style in relation to riders, I think first of how well they ride and how good they look on a horse, which is a matter of skill and talent. Are they an elegant rider or just kind of blooping around?
Beyond the fact that no one looks their best in gumboots and a tank top, as long as the rider is within the parameters of appropriate, what they are wearing has absolutely no impact on how good they look on a horse, IMHO.
Watching warmup for a big hunter jumper show a few weeks ago, the pros were unmistakable when they came into the ring. Wearing everyday schooling gear they outshone all the juniors and ammies even when those were show ring ready.
In riding, style and elegance are built on competence and talent. The clothes do very little towards this and really matter very little which is why everyone wears iterations of exactly the same thing.
Well, maybe Arab Costume Class is an exception.
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Hello!! Welcome to COTH!
I’m an adult amateur who rides at A shows on basically a shoe string budget. I have a blog that predominately chronicles the journey with my horse, but I also try to do product reviews as I need to purchase things, which include lots of photos of the actual product on an actual person.
I GREATLY enjoy the wide variety of show apparel these days- I no longer feel pressure to have the “in” brand like I did as a junior (but could never afford). There are all different wonderful products out there now at all different price ranges. The materials are much more comfortable, and the apparel finally seems to be designed for ATHLETES, like it should be!
I have reviewed several different brands of show shirts, and one on the new mesh AA MotionLite coats. Personally, I love reading reviews from fellow riders when deciding what to ourchase, sk I hope reading mine might help someone out. Please feel free to check them out my blog if you are interested in learning more about some of the current trends and what I liked/disliked about them. Hope you find it helpful!
(You can divide the blog into categories- all the apparel reviews can easily be found in the product reviews category! If you’re kn your phone you have to scroll to almost the very bottom of the page to find the categories.)
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So do I! Those are the ones I wear to work and everyone at work thinks they are really beautiful!
