Show Clothes Designed to Dazzle
by Louisa Amirault, EquineSite.com, LLC
This May marked the two year
anniversary of Lindsey Todt’s clothing design business.
Lindsey, now 19 years old, is the young entrepreneur behind
Diamond Delight Clothing. She designs show clothing
and accessories for all styles of riding. What makes her
designs stand out is the bold use of color, quality detail
accents and innovative fabrics.
Lindsey Todt began riding horses at
the age of 4. When she started showing at 9 years old, she
wasn’t going to settle for any of the show clothes she found on
the rack. Her attire was custom made by her grandmother,
because she wanted to stand out above the rest. Now, Lindsey is
designing show clothes for everyone who wants to stand out.
At 15 years old, after realizing her
talent by designing her own costumes, Lindsey started planning
her business. She had designed her own Hunt Seat outfit for a
show (seen in photo below) and received rave reviews. She started by
designing show bows and hair nets for equestrians, incorporating
dazzling Swarovski crystals. Soon, she moved onto vests, using
fabrics imported from China and Italy. Before she knew it,
Lindsey was creating custom Saddle Seat suits and Hunt coats by
request. The name, Diamond Delight, was inspired by her Morgan
horse, Delight…who is “worth more than a diamond” to Lindsey.
“Our dark colored shirts are the
most popular items with Hunt Seat riders,” says Lindsey. Color
in the Hunt Seat show ring has grown in popularity, but it is
still difficult to find shirts in anything other than pastel
colors. Diamond Delight Hunt Shirts come in a wide variety of
colors including plum, teal, orange and royal. Some styles have
collars that are embellished with Swarovski crystals and
beads. All the shirts are made with a lightweight cotton blend
fabric, to give the them more wrinkle resistance.
Saddle
seat riders gravitate towards the Sleeveless Saddle Seat Show
Shirts...a useful item for summer showing. Like the Hunt Seat shirts, there are styles with Swarovski embellished collars.
Lindsey’s new L&D line consists of
“design your own” Hunt Seat coats, Shadbellies, Saddle Seat
suits and Western outfits using lighter weight fabrics for
comfort. Cool microfiber chaps are available in an endless
stream of colors. The Saddle Seat suits boast snaps,
eliminating the need for pinning. You no longer have to
hunt for the right color hunt coat. The line “represents
everything I imagine a champion should look and feel like,” says
Lindsey.
Western riders usually build their
outfits around one of Lindsey's eye-catching vests. All vests have Velcro
closures for convenience. These silky vests are available in
prints and solids, some accented with Swarovski crystals.
However, if you don’t find the vest you want, Lindsey can create
it.
Much of Lindsey’s work is custom
design. She can create beautiful custom clothing for any style
or any size. If you can imagine it, she can design it and have
it made for you. All colors and designs of Diamond Delight Clothing’s show clothing
have been pre-approved by the USEF, so riders can feel confident
to express their individual style while still adhering to
tradition.
Diamond Delight Clothing is
available for children too! What little girl wouldn’t want to
create her show outfit from such an expansive array of colors
with a glitzy show bow or bun cover to match? Lindsey’s designs
are perfect for the little equestrian who also thinks of herself
as a little princess.
On the website, the Design Your Own Hairbow section is very popular.
Shoppers can select the style of bow they want, pick the ribbon
color, pick the pendant and even pick the colors of the crystals
on the net. On-line shoppers can also sign up for the Delights
Reward Card to earn a $10 gift card, birthday surprise and early
access to sales.
Diamond Delight Clothing is already making its
mark in the industry. Lindsey’s accessories and clothing are
starting to appear in tack shops around New England, and her
story recently appeared in Morgan Horse Magazine. Diamond
Delight Clothing will be at the 2010 Equine Affaire in West
Springfield, Massachusetts next fall, where curious equestrians
can see these designs up close and personal. Lindsey hopes
that Diamond Delight Clothing will someday be the leading brand
of quality equestrian show clothing. Check out Diamond Delight
Clothing at
www.DiamondDelightClothing.com
