Horses & High Fashion: Is there a better combination?


I have a confession to make. Back a long time ago (i.e. like 3 years), before I liked polo shirts, before my Polyvore even existed, before this blog was even a passing thought, I hated people who dressed up for riding. Yes, it's true. I thought it was the dumbest thing, but now I have a passion for fashion and a button down collection that could perhaps use some thinning.

As I was just beginning to find my own style, I came across a post by Style My Ride on Pinterest, and I was hooked instantly. I've never been one to dress conservatively, and their out of the box looks greatly intrigued me.

Taylor Burns for Style My Ride
I had a chance to talk with Noelle King, president of Style My Ride and Judge My Ride. Noelle has always been a lover of fashion, but the idea was influenced by then junior rider Taylor Land, who was already winning Grand Prixs in Show Jumping. Noelle says, "Taylor was one of the inspirations that helped shape the idea that had been formulating in my mind since I first fell in love with horses and fashion growing up." Taylor would sometimes even throw a tutu over her breeches just for the heck of it. For her and many others, fashion is a form of expression. Taylor's style made Noelle think about the combination of equestrian and everyday clothing to create an iconic look that tied together two worlds. Thus, the idea for SMR was born.

Taylor Land for Style My Ride
In 2013, Courtney Westmoreland-Rider joined the SMR team. Around the same time, SMR reached out to the esteemed De Niro Boot Company. Their partnership led to Noelle's next idea: the Vincero. If you remember the Crxssover post from this past spring, then you'll already know exactly how I feel about the Vincero: genius idea. Vinceros are custom boots made by De Niro for SMR, except they're a little bit different. They all feature interchangeable tops (and more recently interchangeable zip guards on polo boots). You can have a simple black boot with, say, four different tops to match with various outfits for various occasions. That's some serious convenience. Not to mention, Vinceros also have the same quality of all De Niro boots. After using the first pair of Vinceros for a shoot, Noelle field tested them and assured that the tops stay absolutely in place with no issues at all. They sound like the perfect holiday gift, if you ask me.


I asked Noelle about the future of the company, and she said that the goal is to keep exploring and incorporating new styles of riders, including different disciplines and menswear. Outside of new models, stay tuned for photoshoots and announcements on social media (there's a contest with 2kGrey happening right now!). Other than that, I can't tell you more. For some things, you just have to wait and see.

www.StyleMyRide.net // Facebook // tumblr // Pinterest // Instagram // Polyvore
Category Is

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Unspoken Rules of the Hunter Ring

Image
Ever since I started riding, I've been a part of the hunter ring. It's not an easy sport, and it's kind of difficult to really fit into a hunter operation if you've never experienced it before. So, if you're about to switch disciplines or just dipping a toe into the sport, keep these bits of information in mind. From one hunter to the next, good luck! 1. Only black or white saddle pads are allowed. I cannot stress this enough. It's about being profeshunal, people. Just because the page on Dover said HUNTER green, doesn't mean it's allowed in a hunter barn. Common mistake. Don't make it. sin!!! sin, I say!!! 2. Your everyday riding attire will be as follows: solid colored polo shirt (tucked in), beige Tailored Sportsman breeches, a black belt, black tallboots (either Ariat, Tredstep, or Parlanti). The only time you can divert from this is at shows. Then, you are allowed to school in a quarter zip, but that's it. Also, I'd like to r...
Read more

The Regionals Swing

Image
Yup, that time of year again. I still didn't qualify for regionals, but after seeing how last year went, I didn't even put it down as a goal. Eh, I might try senior year. I don't feel too pressured about it. Reaching (in vain) for my taco My parents and I made the 2.5 hour drive on Saturday morning. We actually arrived early, so I started helping bring horses in and unblanket them. Everything ran smoothly during set up. I was only schooling Leia, which went fine except her being super slow. Over the past year and a half, Leia has gone from being super strong and forward to fences to being a leg ride the whole time. We started with some trash distances but got it together for a good school. Unfortunately, so was just as slow and chippy with most of the people who rode her. Eh. Horses are kind annoying anyway. Looking for free tacos I spent a decent amount of time cuddling with Carlos in the morning before helping tack up Murry for the flat classes. I also finally...
Read more

A fortunate snow day, believe it or not

Image
So, yeah, it snowed, and waaayyy more than expected. Forecast said we'd get 3"-6". Final totals were anywhere between 8" and 11" for the Eastern Shore. My Saturday lesson was cancelled, and the sub-freezing temperatures haven't let the snow melt at all. It's supposed to warm up tomorrow and Wednesday. We'll see. Still, it's fortunate because guess what's happening down in Wellington??? I'm still on Anne Kursinski's ride , but her horse and the information she's giving is a little bit more relevant to my current riding state than the whole session was last year. First, the horse she's on is quite similar to Silver. He's an apparently laid back gray gelding that, every once in a while, loses focus and gets dramatic. He's even weaker to the right and occasionally swaps off behind, just like Silver. Big difference is that Anne's horse is significantly less dramatic than Silver. He swaps off, thinks for a minute,...
Read more