76 SIDELINES JULY 2012
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
The Making of ‘Claire’
Typically apparel makers work from the outside - in when designing
a new garment - focusing primarily on the look and the style of the item.
The emphasis is on fnding a shape, a color, a cut, a button or zipper, the
length of a sleeve or height of a collar - whatever it takes to distinguish
that garment from the hundreds of others on the shelf. The result can
often be humorous or desperate as the designer seeks to catch the buyer’s
attention.
Fun In The Saddle (FITS) works from the inside - out. They don’t
begin by reading fashion magazines or perusing swatch books. They
listen to their customers, fellow equestrians, who invariably have a good
deal to say about what’s wrong with what’s on the market. Comfort,
ft, durability, fexibility are the words they use frst - not fashion, look,
appearance or style.
Of course they want their equestrian apparel to be pleasing to the eye
and fattering to wear. But it must frst perform whether in training or
in show. “Cute” and “pretty” are not at the top of the list. And thus
FITS apparel at heart recognizes that their customers are essentially hard
working athletes.
Take the
Claire
show shirt. Naturally the shirt must
look
good. Yet
when FITS created it the goal was more challenging. A performance
show shirt designed especially for hunter and jumper riders who needed
a classic appearing shirt but so much more than was available. Riders
needed a fabric that stretched in every direction, with every move. They
wanted it to be feather weight and whisper soft, breathing and cooling.
And it must not bulk under show coats.
The hunt was on for the perfect fabric and Silk Touch™ was born.
Now it was time to make it ultimately comfortable by adding
powermesh
underarm gussets for maximum ventilation. Next was the elimination
of seams for chafe free comfort. UV protection needed to be built into
the fabric and it was. Only now was attention turned to the shirt’s style.
e
Sidelights
PonyPup Beds
Every equestrian pup deserves to sleep in a PonyPup bed.
Custom made and Painted, these beds are superbly crafted and
fnished in our colors or your custom barn colors. We offer four
sizes, SM-XL. Beds may be purchased with a custom made
washable cushion available with monogrammed name. We also
offer deep engraved name plates to further mark your pup’s
territory. Please see
www.PonyBeds.com or call 855.298.1908 for pricing and
ordering information.
e
Sidelights
The Claire
show shirt.
PonyPup beds will delight your canine friends.
The shirt must honor tradition, but only to a point. FITS designed
Claire
with a streamlined silhouette to follow a woman’s curves. The
design sought to be feminine, fattering and to eliminate that bulky
under-the-coat look. A stylish wrap collar complimented it all.
Claire
needed to have impeccable tailoring as all of FITS’ wear. And does. A
subtle
“For The Ride of Your Life”
or polka dot twill, tape accent under
the placket adds an element of fun. This is, after all, a company named
Fun In The Saddle and it shows.
A Seersucker version gives riders a choice of styles as does the striped
option. Colors are Pink, Dove Grey, Blue/White Stripe and of course,
White. The Seersucker is Blue. Sizes are XSM (0-2), SM (4-6), MED
(8-10), LRG (12-14), XL (16-18). At $144, the long lasting
Claire
is a
great deal of shirt for the price. FITS equestrian apparel is available at
more than 140 leading retailers in the US and Canada.
Find a dealer at http://ftsriding.com/dealers.php
© 2012 Fun In The Saddle, Inc.