Clean, uncluttered, bold designs characterize this spring’s crop of new graphic tee designs. Bright contrasting inks lighten up dark tees while the addition of light fabrics introduces an element of subdued spring energy to the collection. Journey behind the designs and take a look at our inspiration for this fun and fresh line!
For this season, we began by looking at simple statement tees and considering how we could reinvent them with subtle equestrian flair. You can find a hundred tees with the words ‘Horse Lover’ or 'Pony Power' printed across the front, but our aim was to create something that whispers equestrian in a way that only other riders would understand... while still seeming cute and colorful to the uninitiated. Choosing the right phrases was key. We sought to stay away from overused mantras and take our cues instead from the world outside of the barn, things we say every day, and our favorite quotes, of course.
Once we settled on the right phrases, the real challenge began. There’s an art to creating a cute tee using just text. The font choice, leading (the spacing between lines) and tracking (the spacing between letters) all play a critical role. We went through scores of different font options before settling on few favorites. The result is a fresh and clean collection of graphics that lean towards modern while still capturing nostalgic, vintage vibes through the use of old-school type and design motifs.
Our second directive with the spring collection was to explore a different direction that equestrian apparel has yet to take - embracing other languages. French and Italian are a popular candidate for many brands when looking to liven up their graphic tee offering, but when it comes down to it Spanish is the language most often heard around the barn and at horse shows across the country. We owe much of our Spanish proficiency to the generous individuals who encouraged us to use it every single day at the farm - working through pronunciations and getting verb tenses just right. There’s something magical - like a superpower even - about learning another language, and we wanted to capture just a little bit of that in our new spring designs.
By including a few of our favorite uplifting and motivating Spanish phrases in the spring collection, we sought to both honor the prevalence of this beautiful language in the equestrian community and highlight the importance of the hardworking people who speak it. Our industry would not flourish as it does without the Spanish-speaking professionals who give it their all every single day. Incorporating Spanish into our spring collection is just a small way that we can show our gratitude for all that they do. Si se habla español y trabaja con los caballos, estamos agradecidos por todo lo que hace!
When you design a tee, of course you need to think about what folks are going to want to wear with it, right? Luckily there’s a Derby Belt for that. We created a bevy of brand new limited edition Derby Belts to perfectly compliment the new spring collection, and boy do they look lovely together! Shades of light blue, navy, burgundy and carolina blue characterize this fresh offering, accented perfectly with enamel branding badges that add character & a vintage touch.
We couldn’t stop at just designing new belts for our new graphic tees, either! Our best-selling performance tees now have their own line of matching Derby Belts as well. The Essential Pocket Tees are available with both long and short sleeves, classic Hunt Club graphics, and are all constructed with our proprietary wicking fabric blend. That pretty much means that we didn’t like any of the existing performance fabrics the garment industry had to offer, so we went ahead and created our own! These hardworking tees keep you dry, cool, and comfortable through spring’s unpredictable weather. Pair them with a limited edition Derby Belt and you’ve got yourself the perfect outfit for schooling in the outdoor ring or heading out for an afternoon trail ride.
The tees are soft, the colors are bright, and the graphics are as fresh as they get. Spring has sprung here at Hunt Club - are you ready for it? For a full look at all of this season’s newest tees and accessories, check out the ever-growing collection HERE.