What is your favorite horse show outfit of all time? We posed this question to multiple long-time show competitors. Interestingly, we saw a few patterns in the responses. Simplicity and special custom designs were at the top of the list.
Not surprisingly, legendary show clothing designer Paula Diuri was mentioned an impressive six different times. There is no doubt that Diuri has left her mark in the horse show industry with her one-of-a-kind designs and stunning use of colors.
The color white was also a common favorite due to its timelessness and classic, clean look. A few exhibitors went down memory lane and talked about their favorite outfits from back in the day. They were considered a hot fashion item back then, but now would pretty much be considered “tragic.”
What’s your favorite outfit you’ve ever worn? Let us know.
Dale LaPlace – This is one of Paula Diuri’s all-time most fabulous creations. When we came up with the concept and design for this jacket, it was my first time at Paula’s shop. My sister and I flew from New York City to Merced, CA and back in less than 24 hours, and the entire time we were there, I remember every minute from start to finish. We ran around Paula’s rooms of fabrics, materials, and accessories pulling everything we loved. This was also the first piece of my set that year to arrive in the mail, and when I opened the box and put it on, my jaw dropped for at least an hour, and I swear I almost wore it to bed that night. This jacket is also the outfit I wore the last time I showed Dress To Be Invited, which was instrumental in my show career, is part of our family for life, taught me more than I could ever imagine, and has a heart of gold. When I ultimately decided it was time to part ways with this piece and move on to a new set, Clint Ainsworth pulled out the iconic Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman quote, stating, “Big mistake. Big. Huge.”
Carey Nowacek – My all-time favorite outfit would have to be the plain black button-down I wore in the Horsemanship finals at the 2010 AQHYA World Show. It was something I had wanted to do for a while before. I made a plan with Brad (Jewett) before the youth world that if I made the horsemanship finals, I wanted to wear a plain black button-down. It was a thrilling win for me, and doing it in a simple shirt made it special.
Julie Hoefling – This was one of my favorite outfits growing up and showing horses in 4-H back in Michigan. I loved purple and teal as a kid (I know, you can’t tell), and I thought this was such a chic little outfit. I wore a tuxedo shirt with a teal and purple glitter painted design and had a tie at my neck that matched perfectly. Today’s favorite part of this outfit is the pant clips that held my jeans down. And could someone please throw a shape in that hat?
Grant Mastin – Some may call it boring, but I call it timeless. My white shirt, black hat, and black chaps “uniform” is my go-to show attire. If it is a big show, I will add a blue tie with my lucky blue and gold show pad.
Kathy Tobin – Paula Diuri made my all-time favorite outfit. People said this jacket reminded them of an Arizona sunset!
Tali Terlizzi – My all-time favorite showing outfit is the white western shirt that All That Show Clothing had made for me. It’s got an ombré of blues in it down the sleeves. I have loved it since the first time I saw it, and it looks beautiful on and compliments Jeffery nicely (Pinball Machine)…also has had some good luck in it since the first time I wore it. I won the BCF Limited Non-Pro 3s at the NSBA World.
Ashley Leister – It was the very first designer-made jacket I was able to buy for myself. So, that was pretty special for me. It is also a classic, one-of-a-kind look. I think the French tan, gold a black color palette is flattering and appropriate for an amateur. Melissa Ilic designed the jacket with such artistry that there will never be another quite like it.
Violet Shetler – My all-time favorite outfit was my red showmanship jacket by Just Pam Designs. It was my first custom jacket, and I loved getting fitted for it and picking out the stones and pieces. I wish it could’ve fit forever because I would still be wearing it.
Ashley Hadlock – I have had so many different jackets, vests, and blouses that I have loved. The one that probably stands out the most is the black, white, and gold showmanship made by Paula. I experienced a lot of unforgettable moments wearing the jacket. It’s the one that I have kept and worn the longest.
Ali Hubbell – Made by Melissa Ilic. It fits me better than any outfit ever. And everywhere I went, I received so many compliments. No big titles were won in it, but it sure made me feel like a world champion. (Shown right featured on the cover of the 2nd Annual GoMag Fashion Issue in May 2015)
June Liston – My all-time favorite outfit is my purple and fuchsia show jacket by Paula. It fits well, it’s a flattering style, it goes with my horse, and most importantly, it’s lucky.
Olivia Tordoff – April Salisbury made my all-time favorite outfit in 2016. April’s work is always so incredible. I still wear this shirt often, which is a testament to her astonishing craftsmanship and timeless style. The shirt has “Sterling Version” written on the sides. It’s hidden from far away, but looking at the shirt up close, you can see all the meticulous details April put into it. We wanted to include Sterling’s name on the shirt since we knew I would be retiring him soon. I wanted to have him with me every time I showed the horsemanship. He is the horse that made me fall in love with the class. Six years later, I still wear the shirt at major horse shows. It has a lot of luck: one world championship, one reserve world championship, and a Congress championship.
Lauren Stanley – Historically, I’ve loved bright and colorful outfits. I recently opted for a more simple and clean look and I am completely obsessed with it. I like that it puts more attention on my horse than on myself. But, I’ll keep it fun still by rocking those bright-colored pads.
Emma Edwards – My all-time favorite outfit I have ever owned to show in would be a Lindsey James custom vest I got a few years ago. I am not one to get new outfits a lot, but this one is pretty special to me. It compliments my horse well, but still has some color to pop, which I like! I think deep down, it’s my favorite because I only pull it out at big horse shows and will only wear it exclusively for Western Riding…and it seems to bring me good luck. Of course, every time I wear it, I have to pair my beautiful vest with my “lucky hat”! One year at the Congress, my Shorty’s hat got stolen and was switched out with some random, unshaped, has razor marks on it hat. The hat is hideous, but I won my first Congress Championship in it, and I continue to wear this hat only at the Congress or World Show with the vest in Western Riding. Together, the two pieces are my “security blankets” and seem to have brought me luck each time I have shown in them.
Stephanie Mohindra – I love my all-day shirt from D Design. I bought it about 1.5 years ago when they still had Paint Congress in Tulsa. I feel like it was a super-new trend at the time, and still, to this day, I get tons of compliments on it.
Hannah LaPlace – I have always been obsessed with white show shirts, and Paula has made some incredible ones for me over the years. I think my all-time favorite was one of the first outfits she designed for my horse and me at the time, Where The Heart Is, about 15 years ago. It had a white base with minimal black asymmetric lines. I only had the chance to wear it a handful of times before moving on to a different horse and color palette. It was beautiful and stood out in the show pen. Last year, I asked Paula to make an updated version of it, which she did to perfection, and now it’s something that I can wear for horsemanship, trail, and western riding. Since getting the updated version, many people commented that it looked like the shirt I previously had. I can’t thank Paula enough for being an incredible designer and always creating everything perfectly. Keeping all of these white shirts clean and looking fabulous is quite a challenge, and they wouldn’t be the same without my mom, Linda. She’s the secret weapon for getting any sweat, makeup, dirt, or dye stain out of them without leaving a trace.
Brister Shum – In 2005, Polly Vandall of BerryFit sent me this outfit with a note: “I know you didn’t order this, but I made it with you in mind.” It fit like a glove. So, of course, I kept it. I went on to win the Congress Showmanship twice and reserve three times in it. I still have it to this day. So special that BerryFit knew me so well. Great folks. Great memories.
Beckie Peskin – I was truly a novice when I started showing Dont Skip Will in the trail. And it was pretty much a train wreck in the early stages. So, I wore something VERY plain for quite some time. I told myself that ONLY when we got good enough to wear something nice, would I do it. So, I started working on it, and it took a bit, but I finally got consistent enough to “earn” it. And honestly, it just made me feel amazing every time I put it on.
Jamie Radebaugh – In the early 90s, when I was 13 and under, everyone had these bright outfits. Like now, everyone wanted to be different, but no one had orange. I had a gray horse at the time so I could go with any color. Orange it was. I loved this outfit because I feel like it made such a statement and stood out in the pen. You have to have a great horse under you for this kind of statement, and Bob was my little soldier. I love seeing the trends come and go, and this was one of my favorites, although it’s hideous now.
Jenna Tolson – Since I usually ride hunt seaters these days and those outfits aren’t the most exciting, it would have to be my latest outfit I had made for pleasure driving. It goes against the grain of conservative attire, but my mare is a multiple-time world & reserve world champion pleasure driver, so she deserved something that stood out. My inspiration for it came from a jacket in the Balmain of Paris fashion runway show a few years back. I took pictures with my clothing designer, Cindy Mason, and we made our take of it. It’s different. It’s a little out there. But it’s a lot of fun!
Lana Markway – Holly Taylor Designs – this color combination with my current horse looks terrific. It’s nice to be back doing the all-around, so this is one of my favorites. I happened to have had the pad made for something else, but this matched perfectly.
Meg DePalma Pye – I’ve had several beautiful outfits for sure! But, in 2017, Paula made Vests & Shirts a huge hit! No shame in my fringe game for sure. The bold, gold fringe was eye-catching, and I wore it solo and with the vest. Also, my girl Charley Miller had a shirt made like “Aunt Meg” for her lead line debut.
Want to see these outfits a little closer up? View the slideshow below.
Portions of this article originally published May 2022.
