High Fashion and Horses: Can Equestrian Style Break Into the Mainstream?
By Hali Mecklin
Stella McCartney’s “Horse Power” showcased an elevated, equestrian aesthetic for the brand’s Fall Winter 2023 2024 Ready-to-Wear collection in the the Manège de l'Ècole Militaire’s horse arena. Horses trotted alongside models donning impeccably tailored suit sets in neutral colors and timeless patterns, an aesthetic not featured in recent cowboy-inspired shows. The show unveiled McCartney’s take on man’s relationship to nature, animal rights and, interestingly, European elegance.
This collection comes after a vastly different equine-centric aesthetic hit the runways last year. Rugged western clothes took the worldwide fashion market by storm, and denim, leather and fringes were inescapable both on and very far off the runway. À la Miranda Priestly’s iconic cerulean monologue, Isabelle Marant’s sleek burnished leather riding boot filtered down the supply chain and became $31polyurethane silver cowboy kicks, courtesy of Shein.
Now, western style is essentially synonymous with frat party attire. While high fashion designers were initially enamored with the stripped-down vibe of desert wear in 2022, its novelty ran its course among the upper echelon. Tacky but loveable twists on the aesthetic, like the inescapable space cowgirl look, became a campus mainstay.
“[Space cowgirl] style has been augmented, amplified and reclaimed by various micro-communities, only to be diluted and eventually shared online,” wrote Fashionista columnist Maura Brannigan.
As western-core diffuses to wider audiences, collections like McCartney’s F23 subvert expectations. At its core, the cowboy craze romanticizes the working-class and fashion’s return to basics, a reaction to rising inflation and impending recession. Perhaps this is why the style dominated college streetwear so quickly after its introduction to the market - Its overarching message of simplicity appeals to those who can’t afford opulence.
Equestrian fashion is about as far as you can get from blue-collar attire or frat party chic, despite its similarities in color palette and silhouette to western-core. This raises a crucial question of whether or not equestrian fashion will ride along into the next generation.
While once seen as out-of-touch and outdated, various nepotism babies and heirs have made the look chic again. On March 28, supermodel Bella Hadid posted a photo with one of her horses donning boots, a monochromatic riding outfit and a helmet. One of the comments reads “I love it when you post pictures with your horse! I think it's so beautiful so stylish😍”
This resurgence of luxury sport-inspired fashion is not unique to equestrianism. The recent ballet-core craze popularized tights, leg warmers and unitards as daily wear, giving the appearance of a wealthy prima ballerina off duty. However, some argue that the style is based on combating the elitism ballet is tied to.
“Balletcore takes a traditionally exclusive industry and makes it accessible to everyone in the form of everyday clothing,” Morgan Pryor wrote for a CNN trend article.
It is unclear if equestrian style will be able to similarly transcend these class boundaries.
“Only the wealthiest of families can afford to break into [equestrian sports],” according to Business Insider. “Today, prized horses can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The cost of maintaining a horse can easily reach tens of thousands of dollars a month.”
Generation Z has experienced exponentially higher poverty rates than millenials, generation X and boomers, according to statistics from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Deloitte’s 2022 global generation Z and millennial survey found that 45% of respondents lived paycheck to paycheck. With the high barriers to entry to the actual sport, it’s hard to imagine the style reaching mainstream popularity among the largely financially insecure population of young people today. While rising traction on social media could make the style more accessible to consumers, there are still no major affordable collections focused solely on equestrian fashion.
However, there are some aspects of the aesthetic that may be alluring to those who were put off by western-core’s dubious origins. Cowboy style has long been criticized for its appropriation of Mexican and Indigenous cultures; While westerns have starred rich white actors since the early 20th century, the original cattle herders donning wide brimmed hats and lassos were the Mexican Vaqueros, according to the History Channel. Alongside the Vaqueros, one in four 19th century cowboys were Black according to Smithsonian Magazine – a far cry from how they’re popularly represented in media and fashion.
Celebrities have been called out for appropriating this forgotten and ill-represented culture and therefore contributing to the proliferation of white western-core without properly giving credit to its origins. Kendall Jenner’s visuals for the launch of her tequila brand, 818, were met with considerable backlash for their use of indigenous style as a selling point. Now, with trend-setting designers like McCartney pivoting towards a less problematic horse riding inspired look, consumers may be able to participate in trends without stealing from marginalized communities.
While brands like Chanel and major public figures like Kate Middleton are already rocking this style, only time will tell whether it will catch on in younger, less privileged crowds. Even less clear is how demure sweaters and slim fit pants will translate to party attire. In the meantime, trendsetters who are eager to experiment with the look can try using Hello Magazine’s equestrian style guide.
This collection comes after a vastly different equine-centric aesthetic hit the runways last year. Rugged western clothes took the worldwide fashion market by storm, and denim, leather and fringes were inescapable both on and very far off the runway. À la Miranda Priestly’s iconic cerulean monologue, Isabelle Marant’s sleek burnished leather riding boot filtered down the supply chain and became $31polyurethane silver cowboy kicks, courtesy of Shein.
Now, western style is essentially synonymous with frat party attire. While high fashion designers were initially enamored with the stripped-down vibe of desert wear in 2022, its novelty ran its course among the upper echelon. Tacky but loveable twists on the aesthetic, like the inescapable space cowgirl look, became a campus mainstay.
“[Space cowgirl] style has been augmented, amplified and reclaimed by various micro-communities, only to be diluted and eventually shared online,” wrote Fashionista columnist Maura Brannigan.
As western-core diffuses to wider audiences, collections like McCartney’s F23 subvert expectations. At its core, the cowboy craze romanticizes the working-class and fashion’s return to basics, a reaction to rising inflation and impending recession. Perhaps this is why the style dominated college streetwear so quickly after its introduction to the market - Its overarching message of simplicity appeals to those who can’t afford opulence.
Equestrian fashion is about as far as you can get from blue-collar attire or frat party chic, despite its similarities in color palette and silhouette to western-core. This raises a crucial question of whether or not equestrian fashion will ride along into the next generation.
While once seen as out-of-touch and outdated, various nepotism babies and heirs have made the look chic again. On March 28, supermodel Bella Hadid posted a photo with one of her horses donning boots, a monochromatic riding outfit and a helmet. One of the comments reads “I love it when you post pictures with your horse! I think it's so beautiful so stylish😍”
This resurgence of luxury sport-inspired fashion is not unique to equestrianism. The recent ballet-core craze popularized tights, leg warmers and unitards as daily wear, giving the appearance of a wealthy prima ballerina off duty. However, some argue that the style is based on combating the elitism ballet is tied to.
“Balletcore takes a traditionally exclusive industry and makes it accessible to everyone in the form of everyday clothing,” Morgan Pryor wrote for a CNN trend article.
It is unclear if equestrian style will be able to similarly transcend these class boundaries.
“Only the wealthiest of families can afford to break into [equestrian sports],” according to Business Insider. “Today, prized horses can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. The cost of maintaining a horse can easily reach tens of thousands of dollars a month.”
Generation Z has experienced exponentially higher poverty rates than millenials, generation X and boomers, according to statistics from the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Deloitte’s 2022 global generation Z and millennial survey found that 45% of respondents lived paycheck to paycheck. With the high barriers to entry to the actual sport, it’s hard to imagine the style reaching mainstream popularity among the largely financially insecure population of young people today. While rising traction on social media could make the style more accessible to consumers, there are still no major affordable collections focused solely on equestrian fashion.
However, there are some aspects of the aesthetic that may be alluring to those who were put off by western-core’s dubious origins. Cowboy style has long been criticized for its appropriation of Mexican and Indigenous cultures; While westerns have starred rich white actors since the early 20th century, the original cattle herders donning wide brimmed hats and lassos were the Mexican Vaqueros, according to the History Channel. Alongside the Vaqueros, one in four 19th century cowboys were Black according to Smithsonian Magazine – a far cry from how they’re popularly represented in media and fashion.
Celebrities have been called out for appropriating this forgotten and ill-represented culture and therefore contributing to the proliferation of white western-core without properly giving credit to its origins. Kendall Jenner’s visuals for the launch of her tequila brand, 818, were met with considerable backlash for their use of indigenous style as a selling point. Now, with trend-setting designers like McCartney pivoting towards a less problematic horse riding inspired look, consumers may be able to participate in trends without stealing from marginalized communities.
While brands like Chanel and major public figures like Kate Middleton are already rocking this style, only time will tell whether it will catch on in younger, less privileged crowds. Even less clear is how demure sweaters and slim fit pants will translate to party attire. In the meantime, trendsetters who are eager to experiment with the look can try using Hello Magazine’s equestrian style guide.