ShowChic Helpful Tips

Great ideas for washing breeches, polishing boots, hair bun holders and more:

Following are some helpful tips to help you get the most out of your Dressage Riding Clothes investment. Feel free to comment on this post and add your own care tips!

BREECHES
Full seat leather breeches must be machine or hand-washed at cold temperature using a mild detergent specially designed for the care of soft leather. Please do not tumble dry breeches or iron under any circumstances. Allow to drip-dry and do not expose to full sunlight or direct heat. DO NOT DRY CLEAN.

LAUNDERING TIPS

1. Always turn your breeches inside out prior to washing. Helps with fading.
2. The first time you wash your breeches use 1 teaspoon of white vinegar in the wash cycle. This will help set the dye in the leather.
3. AFTER WASHING REMOVE BREECHES PROMPTLY FROM WASHER. Reduces the risk of the leather bleeding onto the fabric. This is especially important with dark leather.
4. After washing roll clean breeches in a towel to remove excess water. This will decrease drying time which helps keep the leather from getting dry and hard.
5. If the leather in your breeches has hardened use a leather conditioner made for washing of leather apparel.
6. Use Scotch Guard on you white show breeches (excluding the seat). This will help keep them clean longer. Scotch Guard can also be used on your show jacket, breeches, top hat. Use Castile soap to spot wash white breeches.

SHOW JACKETS
All wool and wool/mix jackets should be dry-cleaned only. Jackets made in synthetic may be machine or hand-washed at a cold temperature using a mild detergent. Please do not tumble dry. Reshape jacket on hanger with buttons closed and allow to drip dry. (If ironing is required, use clean barrier cloth laid on top of material to protect fabric surface and use low heat only). Please do not expose to sunlight or direct heat.

SHOW PADS
Follow manufactures washing instructions. Use Castile soap to spot wash.

INGREDIENTS:

- Tarrago Shoe Shine Cream ($8.95 from ShowChic)
- Boot Brush
- Soft Cloth

Clean boots with a slightly damp cloth to remove dirt. Apply Tarrago with the applicator on the top of the jar. Allow polish to dry, then buff with a boot brush. Finally, use a soft cloth to put a shine on your boots that will bring you wheelbarrows of compliments.

To renew the shine, wipe with a damp cloth, then re-buff with a soft cloth. You will be amazed how long the shine lasts. Enjoy!

One thing most of us have plenty of is polo bandages. Don’t throw them out once they have outlived their use as working bandages. Recycle them. Use your imagination and be creative. Here are some suggestions for re-use:

• Cut them shorter keeping the velcro end and use them as cuff bandages below your regular standing wraps.
• Cut them into pieces to keep in your boot polish kit. Use a small piece to apply polish and then just throw it away. Use a longer piece to buff your boots.
• Cut them into pieces to keep in your tack-cleaning kit. Use a small piece to oil tack. Use a small piece to polish silver.
• Wrap pieces around halters, bridles, cribbing straps, etc. to prevent rubbing.
• Use pieces to wrap around baling twine to protect your hands while carrying hay bales.
• The list goes on…

For long hair:

To achieve that great looking bun, fullness and placement is important. You can easily increase the fullness of your bun holder by adding cut nylons that match your hair to your bun holder. Place the cut nylons in a circular pattern in the bun holder so you can easily fit it around your own hair bun. The bun placement is important. Start your hair bun up as high as possible. The less space between the bun holder and the brim of your top hat the better.

For short hair:

Fill your hair bun with cut nylons that match your hair. Place a matching hair net over your hair. Place hair bun on top of the hair net and attach clips to the hair net and your own hair. If necessary, place a dark hair net over your hair bun and hair to help keep it in place. Make certain the bun holder is placed high under the brim of the top hat.