I read an article Maya Delorez posted about an equestrian capsule wardrobe and it started me thinking. That’s always kind of dangerous but stick with me for a minute. Let me start by saying I am not a capsule wardrobe kind of girl. I think the idea of it is amazing, but I’m unwilling to commit to the structure of it. I love clothes and I love having options (potentially too many options). My wardrobe decisions are made simpler by my lifestyle. I wear casual clothes 90+% of the time. That said, the challenge I’ve discovered is being mindful of the purchases I make and only buying what suits me in style and color and then only keeping things I truly love (I have to force myself to return things). How do you know what you love until you try a bunch of stuff you don’t love? And even when you love something, there’s always the potential of something better out there. As I’ve become more discerning (doesn’t that make me sound fancy), I’ve found a few brands and styles that really work for me. I wear jeans pretty much every day, and depending on the season, I wear t-shirts, sweatshirts, or sweaters. I like the idea of dress clothes, but when I buy them, I find I don’t wear them enough to justify the cost. That’s not to say everyone doesn’t need a good pair of dress pants and a couple of dresses appropriate for a variety of occasions. But that’s not what I want to talk about today. I want to focus on the idea of an equestrian capsule wardrobe. I think this concept also applies to workout clothes and any hobby you have – hiking, cycling, tennis, hunting, or whatever your love is.
One reason I like the idea of a capsule wardrobe for your hobby, which in my case is riding, is that there’s less variety to pin down – it’s less overwhelming to think about what that capsule should look like. In my case, I need breeches, shirts, show clothes, and outerwear. I sat down and made a list of what I think the complete equestrian wardrobe encompasses. One of the first things you have to think about is where you live and what your wardrobe preferences are. For example, I live in a cold climate, but even in the summer I prefer to wear long sleeve shirts when I ride. I like long sleeves for a few reasons – I try to limit my sun exposure, I fight a constant battle with mosquitos, I’m cold more often than not, and I just like the look of long sleeves. So, for me, my list doesn’t have short sleeve t-shirts. But someone else’s will.
The next step is to think about the colors you wear and how you can strategically purchase items, so everything goes together. The article on Maya Delorez said that you ought to be able to randomly choose your breeches and shirt and not have to worry about them going together! I considered the colors I currently have (because we aren’t starting from scratch – or most of us aren’t), my “best” colors, and the color of my horse. I’m a dark autumn which means I should wear dark green, taupe, dark brown, and a deep teal blue as my basics. Black is not one of my best colors. But my horse is black. So, whatever I choose has to look good with black. Those choices wouldn’t be the same if I had a bay horse. And let’s be honest for a minute … I’m gonna wear black. I like black and I have a lot of black – including black boots and a black helmet.
My Proposed Capsule
Based on all of this, here’s the list I came up with:
- Breeches
- Unlined
- Black
- Mauve Beige (I love this color)
- Olive
- White (2)
- Lined (for winter)
- Black
- Taupe or Olive (lined breeches tend to have fewer options)
- Unlined
- Shirts
- Schooling (these are my everyday riding shirts)
- Long Sleeve T-Shirts
- Black
- Muted Gold
- Cream
- Blush Pink
- Sweaters
- Black
- Gold
- Long Sleeve T-Shirts
- Clinics
- Button Down Shirts (2)
- to coordinate with white breeches
- Button Down Shirts (2)
- Show
- Short Sleeve Shirts (2)
- White with high collar
- Short Sleeve Shirts (2)
- Schooling (these are my everyday riding shirts)
- Outerwear
- Schooling
- Down Vest – black
- Down Jacket – black
- Lightweight and hip length
- Show Coat – black
- Schooling
- Socks – 5 pairs
- Gloves
- Unlined Schooling
- Lined Schooling
- Unlined Show
- Tall Boots – black
- Helmet – black
Aside from choosing colors, I put a lot of thought into how many of each category I needed. I’ve gotten sucked into the trap of this season’s colors and the new releases – the idea that new must be better. And then I ended up a dozen pairs of breeches that either didn’t go with anything else I own, or that didn’t fit me but were cute. I am committed to not doing that anymore. I believe the act of thinking through this capsule wardrobe will make me a more mindful shopper. Breeches can be worn more than once, so three pairs of schooling breeches should be sufficient for a week of riding (I would ride at the most six days). The white breeches don’t count in my number because those are reserved for clinics and shows. (Whoever thought white breeches around horses was a good idea should be shot. They obviously didn’t have to groom their own horses before a show.) I don’t know if four long sleeve shirts will be enough, but it’s a good place to start.
Things to Buy
Next I looked at what I have that I love and what I need to round out my capsule wardrobe. And then I reminded myself that it should be a work in progress and not everything has to be purchased at once (that’s harder than you’d think for me). The big needs are:
- Another pair of breeches – I have the mauve beige ones that I love and a pair of black which are not my favorite. I also have two pairs of white breeches (which don’t fit amazingly well, but I don’t need them until next spring – I’ll try them on then and make a decision). So, I either need an olive pair or I need to give away the black ones I have and buy a new pair of black… Not both right now.
- A couple of long sleeve shirts – gold and blush pink if I can find them. I have a black and a white that will work for now
Down the road, over the next couple of months:
- Riding sweaters – these are different from my everyday sweaters. Riding clothes take a beating and I don’t like to wear my good cashmere sweaters to ride. I prefer a thin merino that is a little sturdier (and ideally easy care)
- A down vest – the barn I ride in is supposed to be heated by winter so I don’t think I’ll need more than a sweater and a vest. If the vest turns out to not be enough, I’ll want to add the down jacket
- Lined breeches – I have a black pair but I’ll look for another pair as we get closer to winter
Overall, I feel like this is a really solid, fashionable riding wardrobe. I think having this list will help me make smart purchases (I put it in my phone at a Note), and while being able to get dressed in the dark is a fun idea, the best part is that it will help me not make purchases I later regret. I’ll revisit this list next spring and see how I still feel about my choices and what modifications would be beneficial.
Do you have a capsule wardrobe? Could you see yourself trying one for your hobby? What tips and tricks would you give me? I’m always open to suggestions and wisdom from experience.
Stephanie
