FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
SIDELINES JUNE 2013 99
Splash of Color
By Alessandra Shultz
As an apparel design management major,
I am always intrigued by innovation. Making
beautiful clothing takes talent, but designing
for aesthetics and adding valuable functional
improvements without compromise, is genius.
However, the latter is a concept that, in my
opinion, is underrated and has been slow to
take hold in our tradition-steeped sport.
Perhaps it is because those traditional
elements had functional roots, like wearing a
belt with one’s breeches to replace a broken
stirrup leather, or having a suede patch on the
knee for extra grip against the saddle. However,
there are some elements of the getup that I
think are overdue for some betterment, like stiff
dark wool hunt coats in the middle of summer.
To my relief, there are designers out there who
have considered our collective woes regarding
the tug-o-war between style (equestrian’s are
inherently fashionable, just ask Ralph Lauren
or Hermes) and utility in the saddle, designers
like Noel Asmar of Asmar Equestrian.
My favorite Asmar Equestrian product is
the All Weather Rider jacket. I hadn’t realized
just how brilliant this product is, until I moved
from the very dry state of Colorado, to a much
wetter area of the country, upstate New York
(allegedly
Ithaca,
New York gets less
sun than Seattle.
Not sure if this is
true but it sure feels
accurate). The long
jacket has crisp
tailored lines that
conceal a skirt-like
bottom that can be
unzipped in order
to drape over one’s
saddle. Even when
the protective skirt
is unzipped, the
jacket maintains its
feminine
integrity
e
Fashion
with a trim silhouette and fattering details
in the back to emphasize a nipped-in waist.
Asmar utilized innovative textiles that are
breathable yet wind and rain proof, and can
be laundered at home (an important feature
for barn clothes).
Asmar’s inspiration for the equestrian
division derived from her experience as a
barn and horse owner in British Columbia,
Canada. The Noel Asmar brands cater to
other technical garment niches, such as spa
and hotel uniforms, and it’s the principles
on which she founded her self-titled brand
that sets her clothing apart in each of their
respective segments, “… principles of clever
design, quality workmanship and thorough
understanding of what [the] clients need to
make their lifestyle effortless.” Case in point,
Noel knows her equestrian client so well
because she is a horsewoman. She couldn’t
fnd a suitable raincoat that could double
as riding jacket besides the oversized and
unfatteringoil-skinnedkind. Soshe troubleshot
the problem by designing the perfect coat for
herself. The idea for an equestrian branch
took hold from there and she launched Asmar
Equestrian in 2011. When asked why people
should choose Asmar Equestrian apparel,
she responded, “Five reasons: quality, ft,
style,
innovation
and a fabulous color
collection.” I couldn’t
agree more.
For more
information, visit
asmarequestrian.com.
About
the writer:
Alessandra Shultz grew up
in the mountains of Colorado,
but now lives in upstate New
York where she is studying
Apparel Design Management
at Cornell University.
Alessandra covers
the
fashion scene for Sidelines.
She currently has two mares
that she trail rides and shows
in the jumpers.
The All Weather
Riding Jacket
in Lightweight
Magenta
Metro
Vest
Wellington
Hunt Coat