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Starting Classic Day Equestrian has been far from easy. But when I see other small business owners sharing their journeys, it inspires me to keep chasing—and that's exactly what I want to do here, too.
Classic Day began with something simple: I couldn’t find a belt bag for riding that I loved and that fit into my life. I wanted something sleek and grown-up enough for the office, but that also didn’t bring down my riding outfits, which I admittedly spent (and spend) all my time and money on. After searching and coming up empty-handed, I thought, “Why not make it?”
Where did I get the audacity to think I could start manufacturing leather goods with no background in fashion or manufacturing? Growing up, my dad started a software company to solve a problem he faced as an engineer. I saw him pour his heart into it, working late into the night and making big plans—even bringing a VW bus, sand, and beach umbrellas to a trade show. His company didn’t go as planned, and my story isn’t one of the kid of a successful entrepreneur. What I took away from it was this: if you can’t find what you want, sometimes you have to at least try to make it yourself.
Fast forward to almost 30: I was a lawyer, my childhood pony was retired and living her best life in a big pasture, and I had pushed my teenage dream of riding professionally so far aside that I wasn’t even riding anymore. It wasn’t until a late-night conversation with my friend Nikki at a bachelorette party that I found my way back. Nikki, who now lives in Idaho with her horses and dogs (and is also a doctor—no big deal), has this infectious passion for pursuing what is calling to her that makes anything feel possible. That night, something clicked, and I started emailing barns about lessons. A few weeks later, I was back in the saddle, and a few months after that, I was buying another horse.
As I began riding again, I also rediscovered my love for equestrian fashion. “Rediscovered” makes it sound like I had cool outfits as a kid—I did not—but I thought I did and boy did I try. With my adult salary, one pair of breeches turned into ten, and one of the best parts of my day became getting dressed for the barn. I would put on my riding clothes hours before I left for the barn, justifying it as being “productive” because I could wear my breeches to a coffee shop to get some work done before my lesson. It felt like the little girl version of me sleeping in her riding boots—and while I’m not mad about it—it does seem embarrassing.
I wanted to wear clothes and accessories that looked great at the barn and were functional, but wouldn’t make people stop me on the street and ask, “Do you ride horses?” (I grew up wearing bright tall boot socks with sneakers, one of my two pairs of always-dirty riding tights, and covered head-to-toe in dirt. While those were in fact the good old days, I was ready for a new look.)
I started hunting for a belt bag that could fit into this new chapter of my life—one that wouldn’t hold back my outfits and that would make it easy to answer work emails at the barn. When I couldn’t find it, I thought back to my dad and thought “Okay, I’ll make it. How hard can it be?”
I was wrong. It’s HARD. From finding a manufacturer to perfecting the design, the journey to bringing my dream belt bag to life hasn’t been easy, and we’re still very much in the thick of it. But that’s the reality of building a small business—and it’s exactly what I want to share with you.
I’m excited to bring you along on this ride. Stay tuned to learn how we’re building this brand from the ground up (and literally from out of my closet).