Bye Bye Bling

Silvia Panza is a competitor from Italy who loves everything having to do with horse show fashion, which she writes about on her blog, Fancy In The Sand. If you’d like to have your blog post shared on EquineChronicle.com like Silvia, email B.Bevis@EquineChronicle.com. 

Blog by: Silvia Panza- Fancy In The Sand

The popularity of button down shirts is increasing more and more. Less is more, and wearing tops without bling has become a way to stand out. As so many riders are in love with plain fitted shirts, I decided to repost an article from 2016, when cotton shirts started to be popular. Enjoy it!

The idea to say bye (at least for one show) to my blingy vest came to mind in an early afternoon of May 2016. I was watching Trail at the Bavarian Championship, and I expected to see jackets and vests. But… no. Almost every girl was wearing a plain, fitted cotton shirt. Some chose the classic, total black look, while others chose some vibrant color like fuchsia or turquoise. I started to think about it. I continued to read articles about the importance of “keeping the judge’s eye,” so what was going on?

I took a look at some famous show clothing websites and they were offering a huge selection of plain fitted shirts as well. So, I decided, just for one show, to leave my fringed vest at home and to wear a plain fitted shirt for Trail. I normally match my chocolate chaps with a chocolate, fuchsia, gold and white pad. So, I had three color options for my shirt: fuchsia, white, or brown. I’m not a fan of the white shirt. I think it looks wonderful on a man; but, to me, it looks a bit banal on a woman.

I didn’t want to wear my brown shirt either, because I think that the “one-color block” is great for Horsemanship. So, I chose a satin fuchsia shirt with some pink and brown details on the collar and cuffs. It was “shining” enough and the bright color was perfect for summer, but I was a bit sad because I wasn’t sparkling.

I have to admit that wearing a simple shirt has some advantages. First of all, it’s really light. You can move your arms perfectly at the gate, and it’s really comfortable for the turns in the square. Moreover, it feels good on the skin during a hot day.

I completed my outfit with a gold, brown, and fuchsia scarf and a sand hat. I thought that it would have been a boring outfit, but it was not at all! I had a look at the show photos and video and it looked pretty fancy.

In the past years, we’ve seen everything in the arena: spikes, chains, fringes, leather decorations, stones, crystals, and so on. A plain fitted shirt is a great (and cheap) opportunity to stand out in the pen. However, I wouldn’t wear it at a big show. I love my sparkly vest, and I’m going to wear it again!

Are you also a plain button down fan?