Best Horse Show Clothes

Embellishing Your Show Outfit

Are you looking for a way to make your show outfit pop?

If you are on a tight budget as many of us are in these struggling economic times, and you are looking to find an outstanding show outfit without the outrageous price tag.  There are things you can do to get that high end look without depleting your wallet and then some. 

I recall one year when I was running out of time and I just couldn’t find that perfect outfit for my then 9 year old daughter to wear at the local horse shows.  I decided that since I was having no luck finding something ready to wear in my price range, I found a pair of chaps on the internet…..gently worn, but a beautiful bright pink color.  I thought they were so cute.  They were however just a little plain so I decided to jazz them up by giving them some bling.

CHAPS

I’ll tell you how I created these one of a kind expensive look chaps for much less.  If you have a nice pair of chaps, but they are just that “nice”, and you want “awesome”, then there is definitely something you can do to get that.  As long as your chaps aren’t faded, ripped or torn, you can add crystals and turn those everyday looking chaps into fabulous looking ones.  It’s really quite simple.  The amount of crystals you add depends entirely on you and your own personal preference. 

First of all, you need to decide what type of crystals you want…..clear, colored, AB, Austrian, or the many other options available.  The type you select will more than likely depend on how much you really want to spend.  Personally I think you can achieve a high end look without using the most expensive crystals on the market. 

Secondly, you’ll need some type of adhesive that is appropriate for this application.  I use Aileen’s fabric glue.  You can find it in any Walmart or craft store.  The next step is to sit down and play with the arrangement of the crystals.  Come up with a game plan as to how you would like them aligned on your chaps.  I embellished a pair of chaps with scallops down the legs.  I chose to put just one crystal on each scallop and then really went wild on the yoke.  Be prepared to put in some time, because it isn’t something you are going to do in just 20 minutes.  You will work on one section, giving it enough time to dry before moving to another section.  It will take a while, but in the end, it will be worth it. 

When gluing the crystals, make sure you have enough glue to secure the crystals.  Place a fairly generous drop of glue on the chap itself and then used tweezers to place the crystal in the center of the drop and press down lightly.  There will be glue that comes up around the sides just a little, but it will dry clear and basically unnoticeable.

When you are finished, you can be proud of the job you’ve done and wear them knowing that you have a $500 look on the $100 budget. 

SHIRT

Now that you have a fabulous pair of chaps, you might want to add a little bling to your show shirt as well.  Whether you have a rail or pleasure shirt, super slinky or some other type of show shirt, there is always a way to jazz it up to make it pop.  If your shirt has a collar and cuffs, then embellishing them with crystals is more than likely all that is needed.  You can go the extra mile by adding crystals randomly throughout the body of the shirt as well.  So you really don’t need to have cuffs or a collar to be able to add some crystals. 

As with the chaps, you will want to come up with a game plan as to how you want to lay them out on your shirt.  Practice your design and once you figure out where you want to place the crystals, start gluing. 

When you finish, you will be amazed at the transformation of your show outfit.  That outfit that was once boring and plain is now outstanding and full of bling.  You will have everyone, who by the way has seen your outfit many times before, asking where you got it.  What you choose to tell them is up to you.  Just wear your outfit and smile knowing you saved yourself a boat load of money when others have had to empty their pocket books to get that same look.