I just can’t resist a blog hop like this one.
Hillary of Equestrian at Hart asked:
I want to know about what you ride in and why? Show us your Equestrian Fashion choices and tell us why you wear them!
Riding clothes are my favorite. Breeches, shirts, boots, helmets, gloves, socks, boots, belts… all the best things. Functional is important but I also want to look well put together and nicely turned out.
First, breeches. As we all learned last week, I’m obsessed with Animo. My second favorite is Tailored Sportsman, and these are the only two brands in my closet. I have navy Animo, french blue TS, charcoal TS and hunter green TS for schooling, then a pair of tan TS and a pair of tan Animo for showing. Since I do jumpers I am usually not limited to only tan for shows and some of my other breeches have been known to make an appearance. I’m fairly satisfied with my breeches collection except it needs more Animo and I feel like I’m in dire need of some Redwood or dark brown (or both).
For shirts we’ve also already covered my love of Kastel. I have 4 of those (with plans for more) in peach, white, gray/tan and royal blue. I also sometimes ride in a few old Essex show shirts or, if I’m feeling particularly fancy, a Le Fash – although I usually save those for shows. I also have a long sleeve Animo polo that I love but it only comes out in the winter.
As far as footwear I’ve got brown Mondoni tall boots and black Ariat Monaco’s. Generally the Monaco’s are for showing only but I’ll whip them out every once in a while for a lesson or something. I’m digging having brown boots a lot though. Whenever the Mondoni’s die I want to order Eiki customs in chocolate brown with navy piping, because I’m a little obsessed.
My GPA Speed Air is one of my favorite things, although I have a little Ovation Schooler that I use during the summer to prevent the GPA from developing The Funk. Both have their own Personally Preppy monogram of course.
I have to give a mention to hairnets here too, since I consider them essential and I’m honestly a total snob about them. I do proper “hunter hair” every single ride and having the right hairnet is really important. Aerborn heavyweights, all day every day. None of this fancy one knot or no knot or whatever other modern day voodoo they’re trying to bottle these days. No bobby pins, hair clips, double hair nets, panty hose, or what have you. If you know what you’re doing, an old school Aerborn heavyweight and a hair elastic is all you need. I’ve never once been unable to get someone’s hair done properly with just those things. And it takes less than 30 seconds.
As you can see, I’m a Roeckl-only girl when it comes to gloves. Nothing else lasts as long or looks as good or works as well for me. I absolutely love those things and need them in every color.
For socks I’m a little different – I really hate the “boot socks” sold by most equestrian manufacturers. Those thin little slippery things were great when everyone was still suffering through pull on boots but in our modern day zip-up boot era I mostly just find them annoying. They’re too thin and wear out too quickly. Instead I buy socks mostly from Sock It To Me . These things wear like iron, are thick enough to be comfortable, but at the same time they’re not too thick as to be hot or alter the fit of your boots. Plus they have some awesome ridiculous socks and I love ridiculousness. For how majorly stick-in-the-mud I am about hair, I’m the total opposite about socks. Be crazy, have fun.
Last but certainly not least… BELTS. The Mango Bay obsession is real.
Plus I’ve got a wide navy Equine Couture quilted belt, a couple of plain leather belts and a Peruvian belt on the way.
You’ve probably noticed by now that Hillary and I seem to have a lot of the same stuff. Mutual awesomeness, that’s the proper term for it…
breedrideevent.com 
We be twins… And terrible influences on eachothers wallets…
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Haha as soon as I saw this blog hop, I knew you would be all over it! Love everything, and I really love that wide navy EC belt, so cute! I’m sure Henry appreciates having such a equestrian fashionista for a mom 🙂
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Love the Equine Couture belt – me wanty *grabby-hands*
Those boots in chocolate and navy will be fab, although I do have a boot crush on Hillary’s La Mundials *swoon*
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Nice, I have one knot hair nets and I love them, just 1 hair net and it comes with its own hair elastic and there is no fuss or muss with hairspray or bobby pins either (goddamn those days were awful)
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I’ve never had to use bobby pins or hair spray, even on other people. I’ve been doing my hair with one hair net and a hair elastic every ride since I was a kid, so my mastery of hunter hair is pretty great by this point lol.
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Can I just have your entire riding wardrobe…..
I have a couple of TS that I cycle in and out because now that I’ve turned to the dark side, no other breeches will do. I am afraid to try on Aminos because I can only imagine the damage that will occur to my bank account 😉 I’ve loved Le Fash since day one but hunters is super boring so I guess I’ll stick with my white cotton 😦
I also just ordered my second pair of navy roeckls with white piping, I receive compliments on them all the time!
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I love the Sock it to Me socks for winter, but they are too heavy for me in the summer! Plus… they don’t fit under my show-quality tall boots.
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They for great under my super right Monaco’s, but some of theirs are thicker than others.
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*tight. Damn phone.
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Those Van Gogh socks are awesome. You definitely need the brown boots w/navy piping in your life.
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Those Redwood TS are going to end up in my closet one day.
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No, they’re going to end up in MINE.
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I agree with you, you need those redwood TS. Especially with your brown boots.
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See? You get me.
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I need forrest green ts and brown boots.
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I agree 110%
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Holy crap. Those socks. I’m in love!
I used to do hunter hair for every ride, even after switching back to eventing and then to straight dressage. But my hair is ridiculously thick, and I got tired of having helmets not fit properly because of my long and ridiculous hair. Now I go the dressage route of a pony tail out the back of the helmet, neat braids, or a snood. It was a change, but I figure if a ponytail is good enough for Adelinde Cornelissen, it’s good enough for me! 🙂
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I am going to have to try “Sock it To Me!” And agree- hairnets for every ride!
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want to know more about the Eiki boots! what a find!
(also, we ride at the same barn. i ride with lisa! we should hang out!)
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Hey Brandy! Eiki’s website is here: https://www.eikishow.com/us/ prices are pretty good for custom. And yes we should hang out! 🙂
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i must be an idiot, because i can’t see how to customize!
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They don’t give a lot of options there, you have to contact them. If you like their Facebook page (eiki botas) you can see lots of cool examples.
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Love the TS Redwoods! Many thanks for all of the PR and photos!
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The gray and navy belt would look sharp with the Redwood, too! Or the ebony/gray, or the burgundy/ebony, or or or or… 😉
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So jealous all the Kastel!
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I am a hairnet/hunter hair every ride too- hairnet and hair tie only for the win!! 🙂
Def gotta join this hop!!
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Love the long boots and socks….I want those boots!! I too love brown riding boots….I’m very jealous…Im a male long boot lover from the UK. I wear them as often as I can
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