We asked several of the industry’s top designers, trainers and exhibitors their favorite horse show fashion trend for 2022. There is an obvious winner this horse show season when it comes to fashion trends for the show arena. Day shirts are all the rage with the ability to have a variety of different colors and embellishments on the shirts.
Many riders described the different types of shirts they enjoy wearing and several designers gave some insight into what’s hot this show season. Our experts talked all about current trends in Western and English attire…from hats to saddles to hot colors to textured leather to sheer sleeves and everything in between. Find out the inside scoop here.
Do you have a favorite trend you are seeing in the show pen this season? We’d love to know.
Wendy Brown of Show Me Again – I am thrilled to see the popularity of the fitted shirt trend. Back in 2017, when fitted shirts started making a comeback, I started Platinum Show Apparel, my line of off the rack and custom-fitted shirts to offer for sale exclusively at Show Me Again. It has proven to be an excellent addition to our designer consignments. Further, we offer one-of-a-kind, brand new, fitted shirts from our featured designers, Silver Lining, Ultimate Show Apparel, and Buffalo Rose by Rachel. The lightweight comfort and reasonable price points make them in high demand with our clients.
Elizabeth Spike Brewer of Boo Yah Custom Clothing – I always advise customers to pick out what makes them feel confident and fits their style. As far as English clothing trends, they still seem to be the bright navy and blue coats and piping. Our customers like the single or double piping accents and covered buttons are almost always requested. White has always been our most popular shirt color and still is.
Missy Thyfault – I love the black/brown saddle trend, and I hope it stays here. I think they make a look more complete. I still like a light saddle, but a saddle working with a horse’s color and rider’s outfit ties everything together. Also, I love the chocolate antiqued look on the right horse.
John Zeldenhuis – I am loving the retro men’s shirts right now. Kevin Garcia did a fabulous job making these for us. Women get all the fun bling in the show pen, so it is nice to be a guy and have something different when showing that makes a bold statement and keeps our traditional men’s look fashionable.
Taylor Gumz of LuxLooks – Personally, my favorite current trend is wearing a lighter-colored hat versus the traditional black. It breaks up the monotony of so much black and highlights your face. Also, I find it highly flattering for someone with a lighter skin tone.
Phil Harris of Harris Leather & Silverworks – At Harris Leather and Silverworks, we have been loving the bright and bold shirt colors that men are wearing in the show pen. In the past, it has been hard to get men to venture out past the standard black, white, khaki or gray shirts and now we are selling more fun colors, such as bright teal, orange, purple and pink shades. These vibrant colors are helping men achieve the same eye-catching look as their female counterparts in the show pen.
Shorty Koger of Shorty’s Caboy Hattery – The biggest thing in fashion right now is that a large part of the customers just want to be different, and at Shorty’s, we’ve always been able to supply that difference with the custom things we do to the hats like hide overlay or Buck stitch or lasering. But now, those customers are wanting the crown shaped unique also. And we’ve been able to keep up with the demand for such things, mainly because you need a really high quality hat to be able to put the crazy shapes and creases that a lot of customers are wanting in their fashion hats. In saying that, I think our favorite fashion crease is just the pinched front tear drop. It’s symmetrical, classic, and let’s face it, when it comes to hat creases, as long as it’s a high quality hat (which everything we make is), it’s going to look good.
Abbey Turner – I love that we’ve gone back to more affordable show clothes, including the popular day shirts and showmanship suits. You can still express your personality by embellishing collars, cuffs, and sleeves or wearing colored ties or high collared shirts with suits. The fit is still most important, but the cost to look good no longer has to break your bank account.
Jamie Dowdy – Sexy, sleek designs. I see more button-up tailored shirts than I ever have and even the bejeweled tailored ones, I like. If not in the horse world, anything boho chic is a win.
Holly Taylor of Holly Taylor Designs – I’ve been using textured leathers and love their looks. Textures, shimmers and high gloss leathers give you a shine, without using a lot of big rhinestones and don’t weigh down the item as rhinestones do. Don’t get me wrong, I love rhinestones. However, I like using the smaller stones for the color depth needed for a great design.
Kristin Titov of Hobby Horse Clothing Company – Color! All about bright and fun colors. Teals, purples, pinks, royals. I particularly love teal & royal because they look fabulous on every color horse and skin tone.
Lindsay Klempel of Silver Lining – My favorite trend is the day shirt. I think it’s so fun to see them embellished with designs down the sleeve and on the body. It’s just a fun, lightweight alternative to traditional jackets.
Kristy McKechnie – Horse show clothes are so much fun! I like an embellished shirt for my western pleasure classes. They are lightweight and work well at the summer shows. Shorter vests always look nice in an outdoor arena, boleros or fitted just below the waist. I try to keep a variety of colors on hand. My favorite colors are blues, reds, black and metallics. One of my favorite classes is performance halter. Other than at the NSBA and AQHA World Shows, I’ve started pairing my jeans and a shirt with a leather jacket. I’ve purchased several from Double D and love how they look in the halter pen.
Ali Hubbell of Ali Hubbell Photography – I love the sheer sleeves. I loved them in the 90s, and I’m glad it’s back. I had asked Melissa Ilic to do sheer sleeved horsemanship about five years ago. She thought it was too risky. I love the comfort of them and the look.
Lynne Puthoff – Of course, the button-up shirts are all the rage. So many different styles. Wholly plain and fitted, a little bling or the bling on the collar and down the sleeves and then, the fancy with sheer sleeves. We are seeing the sheer sleeves in many different patterns and colors. I feel they are much more cost-effective, which is super important in this time of inflation. We need to keep reinventing things to help keep people of all levels of income feeling that they can compete. That being said, clean, pressed and well-fitted is still the most important in any show wardrobe.
Kristen Galyean – I love the less is more look. The day shirts, to me, look so good in the pen. They are clean and sharp-looking and aren’t too busy. But, the horse is the star of the show, so I prefer a nice shirt that is cool and comfortable to wear and the colors compliment your horse.
Ashley Enoch-Scott – I love the custom retro shirts. I love how many different styles there are, yet how simple and not super expensive they are. The versatility is great as an all-day shirt. I show in Florida, so it’s nice having a lighter material to keep you more relaxed. I’m also obsessed with the sheer sleeves on these shirts. I haven’t jumped on that train yet, but I might on my next one.
Heidi Padelsky – I love the day shirts. They are so versatile. I love how clean and classy they look in the show pen. I also like their simplicity, yet if you wear a color that “pops” on your horse, they still stand out in a full show pen.
Jane Backes – Totally at my age, I’m into the Kevin Garcia shirts. They’re simple, and they don’t remind me of Sergeant Pepper. They have a little bling, but not so much that you look like you’re Elton John, not that I do not love him.
Rebekah Kazakevicius – Current fashion trend is the color camel. Many designers and customers are lightening things up this show season, and camel has primarily been the most popular color for this year.
Ali Eidson – This is always a tricky question because I love the trends that come and go, but I favor the classic looks. With summer approaching, I love the sheer sleeve trend. It helps stay cool, provides movement, and brings a textured look to the arm.
Julie Hoefling – We love the upgraded day shirts with a little bit of flare. Whether it’s lace sleeves, shoulder design, or stones on the yolk, everyone can show their personality, with it still being a sleek and elegant look. We also love the bright, elaborate pads. Those are so fun and look great on the horses. And from there, tying in those colors from the day shirt and pad to match your showmanship outfit is the ultimate all-around combo for me.
What is your favorite current horse show clothing trend? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
