My Five Things: Clothes

I like clothes. I am not a clothes horse per se, but I do like a cute outfit that fits well. More than street clothes though, I love riding clothes. Since my budget doesn't allow me to wear the most fashionable or trendy styles, I do a lot of bargain hunting. Here are my five favorite sources for riding wear...

#1 Riding Warehouse
I haven't found any great deals lately, but that doesn't mean I haven't been looking. I did see these gorgeous Pikeur ½ zip sleeve riding tops, but at $200, they are completely out of my budget.

#2 Dover
I love wearing long sleeves in the winter, but I can't spend more on a top than I do on a farrier visit. Last week, Dover sent me an email for a BOGO deal on riding shirts. I meant to write about it because it was too good to pass up, but I forgot. Sorry. I did buy the shirt, two in fact because one was free. I bought the Ladies Wilton long sleeve shirt, and it looks almost exactly like that luscious Pikuer top above, but it was only $39.95, AND I got two of them because ... BOGO! I am not sure if the code still works, but here it is CMTOPS.

I bought them in the Navy Peony (left), which is lighter than navy, but a nice blue anyway, and Chimera Gray (which is much lighter than pictured). These shirts are super soft, a little heavier than the typical running shirts I ride in, and well-sized. I bought them in large, and I still have room to breathe. They aren't compression shirts, so they actually hang without hugging your fluffy bits. They are perfect for what I wanted, so if Dover has them on sale again, I'll get the other two colors.

The gray one is so close to the Pikeur.

#3 Amazon
I both love and hate Amazon. Politics and world domination aside, it's a great place to find riding clothes that aren't necessarily "riding" clothes. My latest find is the Cloverly Polo Shirts. I bought one a couple of weeks ago and was very impressed. First, it was only $15.99 which makes it nearly disposable. if I spill something on it or get slobbered on, my heart will not be broken. Next, it comes in 27 different colors. I bought the navy aqua. It is super thin and light weight, so it is perfect for summer or for layering underneath a sweater. I am definitely going to be ordering more.

Excuse the poor lighting - it's actually not that dark.

#4 Cabela's
​While a hunting and fishing, outdoorsman store might not seem like a good place to buy riding clothes, you would be surprised. I bought quite a few winter wear items from Cabela's last year and was not disappointed. I have already been poking through their website this fall checking on some of last year's purchases to see if anything has gone on clearance. I really like this shirt - I am wearing it in the photo below, and was hoping they'd have it in a different color. I also like this one - for obvious reasons, but it is way out of my budget. It will probably go on sale later this winter. If you need warm barn clothes, Cabela's might have just what you need, especially if you don't need an equestrian brand. 

This top is from Cabela's.

#5 Esprit Equestrian Wear
These are my new favorite breeches. I am definitely pining for the mahogany pair, and at $64.99, I won't have to wait long. I now have three pairs - white, hunter green , and black. Of the various models, I definitely prefer the Classics. The original PROs do not fit me well at all, but the new 2.0 PROs fit better. I have those in white. Once I get the mahogany pair, I'll order a second pair of whites, this time in the Classics (white with a grey seat!).

So there you have it - my five favorite sources for riding clothes. Drop me a line if you know of someplace else to get a great bargain.