In honor of the Year of the Horse, we have put together a little style-guide-slash-tribute to the ever-popular American Apparel riding pants.
Kourtney Kardashian looks ready to go horseback riding when arriving at Novikov restaurant in London, United Kingdom, on April 24, 2013
A fair warning, though — these outfits are not exactly made for actual horse riding.
1. Erika Marie of Fashion Chalet
Spruce up your staple black riding pants with neon colors to create a fun contrast. For a casual-to-office look, throw on a gray tweed jacket to amp up the play on textures and silhouettes. Finish the look off with dainty ankle-strapped suede heels.
Shop her look:
American Apparel Riding Pants in Black, $74 / Kenneth Cole New York Jo Layered Knit Top, $78 / Dolan Tweed Blazer with Leather Trim, $359 / Topshop Scoop Platform Shoes, £65
2. Toshiko of It’s Not Her, It’s Me
Channel your artsy side by playing with patterns. Pair your riding pants with a striped knit sweater, finishing off the look with tapestry booties and a drawstring sling bag with geometric stud patterns. Choose items in similar hues to create an ultra-chic but fun casual outfit.
Shop her look:
American Apparel Riding Pants in Safari Brown, $74 / Dorothy Perkins Gold Metallic Stripy Jumper, £30 / Poetic License Mix-and-Match Heels in Taupe, $158.99 /
3. Jessica of Vintage Virgin
If flowers aren’t your thing, you can substitute an all-out floral pattern top with a more subtle scallop-hemmed one. It will give off a soft feeling without busting out any member of the botanical family. Choose a cropped top to show off the banded high waist of your riding pants so as not to miss the entire point of the look.
Shop her look:
American Apparel Riding Pants in Imperial Purple, $74 / Costa Blanca Scallop Crop Top with Beading, £44 / Alexander McQueen Vintage Long Waistcoat, $1,659.15 / Michael Michael Kors Kennedy Strappy Heels, $175
4. Dahye of Hey Dahye
Still cold in your area? Wear your riding pants with a cropped knit sweater, and layer a vest over it. Finish off the look with suede platform booties, a tasseled oversized bag, an infinity scarf, and a beanie. Glasses are an adorable plus.
Shop her look:
American Apparel Riding Pants in Port, $74 / Toga Pulla Cropped Boat Neck Sweater, $355 / DKNY Draped Leather Gilet, £644 / Barney’s New York West, $490 / Pull&Bear Cable Beanie Hat, £9.99
5. Kirsty of Kirsty Doll (Blog Offline)
If you’re a minimalist, note that riding pants will be able to stand their own ground when paired with simple pieces. Pairing them with a white spaghetti strapped top and nude heels will give the classic white-top-and-jeans look a run for its money.
Shop her look:
American Apparel Riding Pants in Pink Cheeks, $74 / Lanvin Draped Spaghetti Strap Blouse, $592 / Emilio Pucci Buckle-Detail Leather Sandals, $768
6. Jennifer of Fur Bananas (Blog Offline)
Riding pants do wonders for a plain old sweater. Pair any old graphic sweater that you have with your riding pants, and you have yourself an instant chic outfit (we suggest cutting old sweaters short if you don’t have crop ones). Slip into some platform leopard pony hair pumps for that added rawr factor.
Shop her look:
American Apparel Riding Pants in Safari Brown, $74 / Forever 21 Floral Nice Cropped Sweatshirt, $19.80 / Brian Atwood India Leopard-Print Calf-Hair Pumps, £745.98
Credit: TNYF/WENN/Alberto Reyes