This Style Stock cream foliage patterned brocade really made my look complete for my Advanced test at Five Points. Photo by Andra Simons.
A fashionable stock tie to complete your ensemble for dressage can be hard to find, and even harder to find is a company that makes them in the USA and offers them in any color you could possibly desire. I tried out a cream foliage print silk brocade from Style Stock for Five Points Horse Trials a few weeks ago and positively fell in love with the quality and the look of the stock tie.
Style Stock is the brainchild of Hannah Childs and based in Santa Barbara, California. Hannah started riding when she was five and got her first horse at the age of 12. Harry carried her through Intermediate level eventing and remains with her today at the ripe age of 22. Throughout her horsey years, Hannah always had a passion for fashion, and pursued a degree in Fashion Design at the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, CA.
In 2014, a friend of hers asked her to make a stock tie that would match her champagne breeches, and the inspiration for Style Stock was born. If you’ve ever tried to find champagne stock ties, you know the struggle is real. I have one and I had to buy it from England, and quite frankly, it’s not half the quality of the Style Stock.
Style Stock is unique in the fact that everything is made in the USA. Photo by Kate Samuels.
With only two years of business under her belt, the success of Style Stock should give you a hint of the quality product that you are able to purchase. I was really impressed by the sturdy nature of the material while not sacrificing any points on the fancy and feminine scale. The stock tie is hardy, yet 100% silk and has a luscious feel on your hands, as well as sporting a lovely sheen when the light catches the fabric.
All stock ties from Style Stock can come in either un-tied or pre-tied options, and I chose the pre-tied version because I’m all about efficiency. This means when I’m getting ready for dressage, all I have to do is snap it on handily around my neck, and then I can get as fluffy and fancy as I like with the knots, or I can go for just a simple look with one criss-cross of the fabric. This saved me time and hassle and worry, as I usually need several minutes to try and remember how to tie it (I can never remember), and then get a few people to check that it doesn’t look completely awful. With the pre-tied option, I was done in less than a minute.
The stock tie is hardy and yet soft, with beautiful detailing on the silk fabric. Photo by Kate Samuels.
The stock ties at Style Stock are also available in white, blue, champagne, cream, gold, pink, polka dot, silver, purple, stripes, and tattersalls for the new hunt collection. This means you can literally have a style stock for every occasion, and while colors aren’t allowed in FEI dressage, they are permitted at the national level and they’re starting to creep into the show jumping as people try to coordinate their saddle piping with their coats and their stock ties.
Not only is everything at Style Stocks hand crafted, but all of the products are also under $70, which makes them extremely affordable for the quality and design that goes into producing them. You can also find stock pins, custom shadbelly points, pocket scarves, and blingy spur straps while you’re shopping.
Nyls was so over it, but the stock tie looked great with the outfit! Photo by Andra Simons.
This classic cream silk brocade retails for $66 on the Style Stock website, and ships directly from the manufacturer in California in a matter of days. The quality of the fabric, the feminine quality of the design, and the craftsmanship of the overall product garners one of my highest ratings ever for a product review. This is a great opportunity to treat yourself for the season’s end, or even something to keep in mind as the holidays roll around.
You can buy stock ties or any of Style Stock’s other products on their website and they can also be found in over 40 retailers across the United States and Canada.
