What’s the Best Top to Wear Under a Vest?
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
How do we choose what to wear under a vest? Is it a matter of fit or of fashion? Some riders like to wear a Horsemanship top under a vest. Some others prefer a button down shirt. The question is: which one is better? Let’s see the advantages and the disadvantages of both.
A full on Horsemanship top, when worn under a vest, can provide three looks in one! Horsemanship top, Vest and Shirt combo, and “Jacket!”
The Horsemanship top
From an aesthetic point of view, the Horsemanship top wins. Your arms sparkle, and, if you wear a bolero, you have some sparkle also in the waist zone. Moreover, from afar, the vest/Horsemanship top combination looks like a jacket. It’s also really practical for All Around riders! You can show in Trail, Western Riding, and Western Pleasure with your vest on. Then, when it’s Horsemanship time, you just put away your vest and you’re ready to walk to the cone!
In my opinion, the only disadvantage is the excessive weight. If the vest and the top are richly decorated, they weigh way too much and you have no room for movement in your arms.
Many designers are now offering vest sets featuring “light” Horsemanship tops with just a few decorations. If you want to be comfortable, but you want to keep the sparkle on your arms, this is the solution for you.
A button down shirt with embellished collar and sleeves.
The Button Down Shirt
The plain fitted shirt is the queen of elegance. If you wear one of them under a vest, you will have a clean and professional look. You can’t be wrong and it won’t be too much. They’re really lightweight, and you can move your arms easily. Moreover, during hot summer days, you will avoid the “oven effect.”
If you think that a button down shirt isn’t enough decoration and you want a little bit more sparkle, you can choose one with decorated cuffs and collar.
There are two main differences between these two kinds of tops: A Horsemanship top is more sparkly than a plain fitted shirt, but it’s also heavier. So, if you want to be a “bling queen,” you have to sacrifice comfort.
What do you like to wear under a vest? A Horsemanship top or a plain fitted shirt?
