Are you an English rider with a huntcoat that’s beginning to look a little outdated? Perhaps it’s a color that was once all the rage but is now passé. Or maybe it’s simply not the one you reach for on show day, but you hate to send it to the consignment shop. Now there’s a way to recycle the less-than-perfect hunt coat. With just a few dollars and a needle and thread, you can turn it into a stylish blazer!
Mainstream fashion designers are constantly borrowing styles from the equestrian world, so why not flaunt the real deal? Pretty much all you have to do is swap out the conservative buttons on the front and sleeves of your hunt coat and replace them with something a little more daring. Good choices are pewter or matte finish silver-tone buttons that complement the equestrian cut of the garment. Designs such as Celtic knots, cloverleafs or coat-of-arms shields (the familiar lion and crown motif) look best. Pair your new blazer with nice jeans or a tailored skirt and you’ll be both comfortable and fashionable. Just be sure you check your former hunt coat’s pockets for hairnets, missing chokers and stale horse cookies.