Oh gosh do I remember the days of the blingy GPAs when my oldest daughter was showing! She did not do much EQ. She mainly stuck to the straight h/j classes. But those bloody GPAs with the blingy belts were all The Thing.
I spend A LOT of time at the bigger shows and near the hunter and eq rings, so I see the juniors all wearing the Equiline tan breeches with the black triangle. That seems to be the going trend in the eq and jr hunters.
The coats vary⊠as they get more ingratiated in the A circuit and are doing the bigger A Shows and 3â3-3â6 classes, you see a lot of Charles Ancona coats. Their price point is heart-stopping, so I would highly recommend looking on Poshmark, OnCourse (the wellington second-hand store) or Ebay for pre-worn options before buying a new custom coat for a growing teen.
Shirts⊠everyone is doing white. Can be Essex Classics, Dada, or Samshield.
Helmets⊠Samshield and Kask seems to be front-runners⊠a lot of it has to do with who sponsors the trainer/barn and if they have a round or oval head. Charles Owen still is in there too, but I see less of them.
Belts⊠varies. Iâve seen a ton of designer belts quite honestly. Usually plain leather with the logo. Aka.Gucci black belt with the GGs. LV with just their signature print and an LV, Hermes with the H, etc.
Yes, the shiny look overall and the sparkle just seem⊠too much to me. But I thought I would ask.
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I was a preteen or early teen when the rhinestone stripes were a thing. Young enough that saving up my own money to have it done wasnât really practical. My mom wouldnât let me get a rhinestone helmet stripe. She has always been wise.
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Right now she is in a Kerrits show coat, and it looks great + boy do I like how you can toss it in the washer!
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Thanks for the tip on Poshmark for show clothing. Never occurred to me to look there!
I never heard of such a thing either, I feel like such a dinosaur.
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I donât know about the Samshield 2.0âs but, with the 1.0âs, I discovered the premium liner suited my oval head better than the standard one that came with (I got my first Samshield from a European site either Fundis or Equishop).
Old ammy, re-rider here to absolutely second and third the advice to check Poshmark and eBay. I evangelize on this to my barnâs pony moms all the time.
Chagrin Saddlery has a great consignment section that you can shop online. You might also try Facebook Marketplace, though I tend to fall down a rabbit hole perusing the truly odd things that end up there.
I was a junior pre-internet and with limited options, consignment-wise. I still canât get over how life (and wardrobe) altering online shopping is.
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I live in the western half of the country, and wide brims are really popular here because they do help a lot with the sun. Itâs too windy for visors a lot of the time. The most popular Samshield and Kask models for women seem to be the wide brim. But itâs not a requirement. I find the brim flattering on my face but a friend did not feel the same way regarding her face shape and bought a Kask with regular brim. Trying on is definitely helpful.
I think some contrast is ok with the trim but I would tend to avoid much sparkle outside of jumpers or dressage. Especially if she might ever show indoors under lights.
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To me this is a childrenâs jumper helmet or flashier dressage queen (hi former neutral sparkle dressage rider here - brown and black glitter and rose gold were my JAM 10 years ago), and even on the objectively more relaxed West Coast this would be considered too flashy in the Hunters/Eq - especially juniors.
I like the versatility of the more plain Kylos, but even as a devout CO/ TraumaVoid user, this model and the Halo just didnât fit my head just like @fivestrideline.
Wide brims are something I see out here on the West Coast and mostly it is adults who are aware of sun damage & children of adults who are concerned about their skin and sun exposure.
I donât LOVE the look / feel personally of wide brims, but I ride in sunglasses (Rx) because I am visually impaired and sometimes a wide brim actually makes it âtoo darkâ for me since I even wear tinted lenses on overcast days. I also wear sunscreen 365 days a year especially on my face and donât ride in anything other than long sleeve UPF shirts, very occasionally a polo shirt.
If she wears glasses not sunglasses to ride sometimes a wide brim helps with glareâŠ
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So my thoughts about bling and unnecessarily expensive gear.
Horses are expensive enough overall that itâs smart to be budget conscious on everything. Itâs easy to start blowing cash on gear when you just have a half lease because you arenât spending money on core expenses.
As far as gear. At every level you want good condition, well fitting, appropriate gear. But I think itâs a bit silly to be trying to copy the top level riders brands when you are just starting out.
I think itâs silly to spend $1k on a flashy helmet to ride a lease or lesson horse in the cross poles. Also teens grow.
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@HJECG - FYI if you do decide on the sparkly CO Kylo get it soon. CO just changed their colors and the rose gold is being replaced.
Rose gold is now being touted as âoutâ on the YTube adult women fashion videos so it may end its run in equestrian fashion eventually too. Equestrian fashion lags mainstream fashion by a few years, for instance with low or high rise breeches, or specific colored fabrics. Rose gold has had its run in jewelry so I expect it will fade out of helmets too.
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So you would say this is a helmet that is one itâs way âoutâ
Then? And I should likely go with the plaiin One K Defender (no rose gold piping)?
I am also looking at the Charles Owen Kylo for her. That sure seems like a very attractive show helmet, with good safety certifications, at a very attractive price point. The plain one - not the shiny sparkly one.
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Well I am not in hunters and I also dislike bling in general and I donât like rose gold in jewelry, so donât totally trust me. Ask the coach.
Also you will likely need to replace the helmet in a year or two (growth, a fall, or moldy ick smell), itâs not a longer term investment like a saddle.
So a little trend isnât the end of the world if the coach approves and itâs in budget
I completely agree! Not that I didnât find this thread riveting, but it needs saying!
This reminds me of the time I discovered âThe Preppy Handbookâ on a college friendâs bookshelf and was simultaneously enthralled and repulsed that anyone would devote so much energy to analyzing sartorial detail.
Iâm trying to think how to word this⊠I feel like this is one of those things where, as a parent, itâs important to temper rather than indulge the impulse to have âall the right things.â
Having said that, I get there is a distinction between having no idea whatâs in style and feeling out of the loop, versus knowing and voluntarily doing oneâs own thing.
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I wouldnât flinch at this OneK tbh. But ask your trainer, they tend to have Opinionsâą 
Howâs this: I like the OneK better because it doesnât have a dial fit and is sleeker. It comes in oval and round, regular and wide brim, and MIPS. Get the CCS and you can customize to your heartâs content. Iâm VERY sad they donât fit me 
The Kylo is nice too. The dial fit adds some busy-ness BUT itâs so helpful if she wears her hair down to school and up to show. I have a dial fit because itâs what fits me, and as much as I prefer a regular harness, the adjustability is nice. The price point on the Kylo is very attractive!
As a kid, I remember AGONIZING over helmets and bridles and breeches and having the ârightâ gear. Tempering that is important as a parent, I think. Buy quality, well-fitted, classic gear that wonât look outdated or TOO trendy (micro trends are a thing), and maybe let her earn for the fashion stuff or splurge on one or two things for a holiday/birthday.
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I showed in that exact OneK with the rose gold, and often got compliments on it. But Iâm an adult ammy and wear what I like and what fits 
When I fell, I went and tried on a ton of hats, including that black matte Kylo. The fit between that and the OneK are very, VERY different so absolutely go someone you can try on, or even better, be competently fitted. I actually ended up with a different CO after trying on quite a lot of hats.
Versus when your elder daughter was showing, I think thereâs a lot more variation to what is acceptable and In these daysâeveryone doesnât have to have a GPA and Tailoreds anymore.
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I wish I could say I canât even believe there is such a thing. But I guess I can believe it. 
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