It’s that time of year again! I’m talking about boot season, when every department store heaps their shoe displays with odd (to our eyes) takes on riding boots.
This year Macy’s looks like it has been devoted to bring back the hunt top as a show-ring statement — except that none of us would dare put one of those fashion-only boots in a stirrup.
As equestrians, we’re always looking for something beautiful and authentic to display our traditional sensibilities, in and out of the saddle. You already have the boots, of course. So this fall, as you’re looking for ways to keep fashion-forward and maintain a true equestrian look, you may consider these three bag and luggage designers who are taking their cues directly from the tack room.
Field & Field, as their website says, “craft equestrian-inspired, stable-to-street, leather pouches.” Their unique, saddle-leather pouches are rooted in reducing waste — they are crafted from the scrap leather unused by saddle-makers — and the equestrian ideal of beautiful, functional items that can be used in the field and in the city with ease. Our favorite is the classic little Mini Sadler: a zip pouch of repurposed saddle leather with room for your phone, keys, and cards — perfect for a trip to the barn and a stop or two on the way home.
Oughton Limited, like any great equestrian brand, arose out of a need. In this case, that need was for a perfect equipment bag for schlepping tack from truck to stable and back again. Now a line of totes, handbags, luggage, and accessories are on offer, with classic equestrian touches like brass square halter hardware (originally clipped from old broodmare halters on the throw-out pile) and vertical lines inspired by webbing overgirths seen in the saddling enclosure. Our choice for adding a touch of the stable to a day at the office: the Paddock envelope, a pebble-grained leather pouch for tablet devices, lined in classic Newmarket stripes, with a subtle saddle outline that any horseman will recognize.
Tucker Tweed offer totes and bags for the riders who want to wear their disciplines on their sleeves. Embossed with hunter/jumper, dressage, foxhunting, or Tucker Tweed’s signature double horse-head motif, these accessories are perfect for the professional equestrian who wants to be sure everyone knows her speciality. The snaffle-bit hardware on each bag’s strap is a classy touch. For a fun contrast, the Camden Crossbody is a convenient one-flap bag with ecru leather embossed with a horse-head motif in chestnut colored leather.
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