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48 SIDELINES AUGUST 2011 FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE S I D E L I N E S

J R

Juniorside

Socks: The Perfect Fashion Statement?

By Lauren Corey

Horseback riders have a unique sense of fashion that other people don’t usually understand. Near my barn in the town of Portola Valley, California, people striding through the grocery store in riding breeches and tall boots is an everyday sight. However, outside of the horsey town, I get many strange looks and comments when I wear my horse gear. The other day I was going out to lunch with a friend in San Mateo just after my Wednesday lesson, so I was decked out in my riding clothes. A girl I had never even met came up to me and said, “Do you even realize that the equestrian look was so 2008?” In addition to the snarky comments, some people genuinely asked me for fashion advice, wondering if tall boots are the new “it” thing.

At the barn, different fashions are popular on different days of the week, but one thing is always a necessity – mismatched socks! All of my friends and I wear mismatched riding socks every day, the crazier the better. Sometimes we even wear double socks and fold them down to get as many different patterns and colors as possible! My favorite socks to match together are my neon green zebra print with neon pink zebra print. Despite the crazy socks, we still try to look professional, so my friends and I always wear our tall boots and show helmets when we ride, with our hair neatly tucked up.

The Weird and Wacky High School Traditions

At the IEA shows when I compete for my high school, we have a whole set of wacky traditions. In the morning, we each trade a sock with another member of the team, so all of us are connected. After we get our normal show clothes on, we always put sweatpants and Uggs on over our breeches. This is to keep our show clothes clean as well as for warmth, since it is always cold at those early hours of the morning. Of course, the outft is not complete without our individualized team jackets. In the spirit of IEA, one of the moms from a different team loved our fashion ideas, so she tried to get her team to join in. At the end of the show day, both of our teams got together for a picture of all of us in our wild and crazy mismatched socks. At theAshows, it’s all about the bling belts, the more jewels the better! Some of my friends even have personalized belts that say their name or their horse’s show name. Unfortunately, the equitation and hunter classes require a plain leather belt, but many of my friends now have reversible belts. They are so handy, as soon as the class is over, you can just fip the belt around and enjoy the glitter. It is also very important for us to remain in our show shirts even if we are fnished showing. Once we are done, we unbutton the top few buttons and roll up the sleeves, creating a relaxed yet distinctly “horse show” look.

Pre-Teen Fashion Drama

The younger girls at my barn are very particular about their fashion while riding. One day, since I was having a sleepover that night, I packed my overnight bag without

Lauren Corey is a sophomore at Woodside Priory School in Portola Valley, California.  She aspires to become a Big Eq rider as well as possibly compete in the Grand Prix ring.  Lauren also spends much of her time practicing piano, and hopes to fnish the fnal level of California Music Examinations next spring.

putting much thought into the clothes I would wear the next day. The next morning at the barn, Molly came over to me and wondered why I was wearing boring grey socks. Quite distressed she offered to let me borrow the pink and green polka dot socks in her tack box. After I declined, Molly threatened to not let me ride her ponies unless I wore cooler socks. Of course, the more riding the better, so I donned Molly’s socks and we drove over to Wunderlich to ride her ponies.

Between the non-riders who simply don’t understand true equestrian fashion and the crazy traditions of the IEA, riding outfts can never get boring. It is always exciting to fnd new socks that ft perfectly together, creating the desired accent to any riding look. Of course, dressing up for the shows with glitzy bling belts makes you feel like a superstar. The confdence in a good outft can translate to a more risky and outstanding ride, so it always pays to look your best. I can’t wait to dust off my bling belt for the Woodside show, be ready for an exciting update next month!