It's Confirmed: This Horse-Girl Boot Look Will Be Everywhere This Fall

When I first arrived in Copenhagen last weekend, the day before the city's fashion week was to begin, a friend recommended we visit the royal horse stables. We had just eaten a breakfast plate and realized that most of the stores were closed on Sunday. Only in Copenhagen, a city that I always describe as wildly whimsical and extremely cute, would meeting a horse with a title and a job occur to me as a thing to do in place of shopping.

Unfortunately, the horses were also taking a break, and we were informed they were on vacation and would be back soon. It wasn't until The Garment's S/S 26 show, which was held just outside the royal stables, did I see them prancing around on the grass. The show notes read, "A quiet track behind my garden in Charlottenlund leads to the horses. From my terrace, I see them in the early light, reminders of spring, space, and slower time. In the city, close to my office, I've always been drawn to the royal stables. It took patience to secure this space for the show, but it felt right, quietly powerful."

The parade of looks that followed on the runway were a horse girl's dream: riding boots tucked into tight pants, riding boots worn with dainty white dresses covered in frills, riding boots worn with bandanas and blazers and crochet bags.

Later in the week, horses came up again. This time, it was at Baum und Pferdgarten's show, which was also staged at horse stables. These stables, however, were a little bit out of the main city center. Creative directors Rikke Baumgarten and Helle Hestehave said, "We were drawn to the sharp color-blocking and purpose-driven silhouettes of jockeys—so bold, so functional, so instantly recognizable. And just as captivating were the guests, dressed to be seen from every angle. That tension between performance and pageantry gave us a rich foundation to explore character, contrast, and everything in between." The looks also featured plenty of riding boots, many of them noticeably tucked into large, billowing pants. The look felt very jockey inspired but also of-the-moment considering oversize, loose silhouettes are now trending thanks to boho chic's comeback.

I also realized that a model at OpéraSport wore tall riding boots tucked into big cargo pants earlier in the week. Everyone says flip-flops are the dominant shoes in Copenhagen, and yes, they were seen countless times this season on the runway and outside on the streets on showgoers, but it is riding boots that stood out to me as the shoes really having a moment.

The flip-flop summer has been fun, and I've been enjoying wearing my pairs from Old Navy every other day, but they are shoes that cannot be easily worn for fall and winter. That's exactly where riding boots come in. I think we're about to see the same kind of people who put flip-flops back on the map begin to embrace a horse girl aesthetic once the temperatures start to dip.

There's nothing similar between the two shoes—except for the fact that they do both represent a certain lifestyle. They're each associated with a specific kind of person who engages in certain hobbies and activities. Flip-flops are for beachgoers who need something that can handle the sea and the sand. Riding boots are for horse riders who need something sturdy that can also handle the elements. When worn out of context, both of them give an outfit a bit of quirk because you can often tell with the styling that the person wearing them isn't a surfer or an equestrian. But that's what makes them so fun! They add contrast.

Is this fall for the horse girl? I think so! All you need is a good pair of riding boots and big pants to tuck them into, but they'll also look just as good without. I promise you won't be missing your flip-flops.

Shop riding boots below.