Equestrian style // Timeless & chic fashion

Hello darlings!  Today, I thought I would share a little about the side of my life you don’t often see here on the blog.

Horses have been a part of my life for almost as long as I can remember.  What started as a yearly trip to horse camp when I was young, grew into weekly riding lessons, and before I realized it I was training daily and traveling to compete in show jumping as often as I could.

Show jumping of course, is not a cheap sport, so once Steph and I got married I had to take a step back from riding and sell my horse Roxy.  Luckily, since then I’ve been able to keep riding at least a few times a week by part-boarding an amazing little jumper named Rae. I’ve probably ridden well over a hundred different horses in my lifetime, but there has only been a few horses that have earned an extra special place in my heart.  Rae is definitely one of those horses, so I knew I wanted to include him in today’s photoshoot.

I am lucky enought to ride at a barn that is right next to a provincial park as well as an extensive series of gravel pits.  While a gravel pit doesn’t sound all that pretty, it is honestly such a beautiful location for a trail ride. There are tall sand dunes to wander through, and bright blue water to gallop past along the shoreline.  We actually shot all of today’s photos in the gravel pits nearby my barn.

Equestrian inspired style is definitley an enduring trend and it seems like nearly every season designers pull hints of inspiration from classic english riding style.   Sometimes fashion designers take their inspiration a little too literally on the runway (in my opinion, spurs on boots and breeches with knee patches should be saved for the barn!) but when done well, traditional riding outfits can inspire incredibly chic designs.

When I think of equestrian inspired style I think of luxe fabrics, tall leather boots and perfectly tailored pieces.  Although my typical riding outfit is far less glamorous, today’s outfit is all about an equestrian inspired look you could actually wear outside the barn.

Here are my essentials for styling an equestrian inspired outfit.

A dark coloured tailored jacket:

If you are looking to get an upscale equestrian look, choose a pretty blazer in a luxe fabric, or crisp jacket with tailored lines. While you won’t find riders wearing capes at horse shows these days, the cape is a classic shape reminiscent of what many women wore riding horses since as early as the 1300’s.  So whether you choose a cape, blazer or coat, a dark coloured structured jacket is an equestrian fashion must-have.

Knee high slim boots:

Since, I had to ride to get to today’s photoshoot location, I’m wearing my actual riding boots.  Of course, if you are just wanting to get the equestrian look, almost any tall black leather boot will do.  For an equestrian inspired boot, the sole of the shoe should have a definitive heel (theoretically to keep your boots from accidentally slipping through your stirrups!) and be fitted close to the calf.

A button up blouse:

A button up blouse is an essential layer for any show jumper in competitions. While most shirts worn in showjumping competition are stiffly tailored, I personally prefer blouses with a little bit of movement and softness.  A pussybow blouse or a pretty ribbon tied around the neck finishes off the look.