The Thrill of the Chase

Mr. Magpie loves his issues of Garden & Gun magazine. No, he doesn’t garden and no, he doesn’t hunt (though I know he wishes he could take on both), but it’s easy to see the appeal of the magazine once you flip through its glossy pages: the photography is absolutely breath-taking, and the featured articles are fascinating and so refreshingly invested in real, salt-of-the-earth people and their private narratives of accomplishment and artistry that they consistently catch me off guard. These honest stories are a welcome departure from the pseudo-journalistic pieces I encounter in my fashion magazines, which tend to feature self-involved tales of tormented individuals of one ilk or another (“I used to be a drug addict,” “I used to be anorexic,” “I used to hate my mother,” etc.) Case in point: I was browsing the Garden & Gun website, as I am prone to do when in need of some eye candy, and I found myself completely absorbed by a feature on a Virginia gentleman who breeds the oldest beagle pack in America.

Photos from Garden & Gun

Not only was I transfixed by the gorgeous spread, which brought back warm memories of fall in Charlottesville (Mr. Bryan Hunter, the breeder, lives in Albemarle County), but I found myself enthralled by the rich, polite timbre of a that old Virginia drawl coming through the self-narrated article: “When it comes to voices in tune, none hold a candle to the Waldingfield Beagles, this storied pack that has kept Eastern cottontail rabbits minding their p’s and q’s since 1885.” Of course, I was instantly inspired by the aesthetic, conjuring up outfits punctuated by tweedy equestrian pieces, lived-in leather, and textured knits. The hunt was on. It begins with a tweed blazer —

I’ve featured the BB Dakota “Douglas” in the past — it’s affordable and right on point for this season ($95, Dakota Collective), but Ralph Lauren’s Daryn Tweed Hacking Jacket is the real deal ($1,398, Ralph Lauren). If you’re looking for something even wallet-friendlier, check out Tinley Road’s Tweed Equestrian Jacket ($59, Piper Lime). Wear with skinny jeans and some lived-in leather boots — don’t go too literal with a riding boot that could pass for real equestrian gear, or you’ll end up looking like Michaele Salahi when she was dressed to the nines for her polo lesson on “The Real Housewives of D.C.” (if you didn’t understand that reference: good for you.) I like these more-fashion-than-function Miu Mius ($761, My Theresa):

Because you’re working with two structured centerpieces (boots and a blazer), make sure to soften it up with some cozy knits — this drapey cashmere sweater in oatmeal fits the bill ($155, Shopbop):

Then all you need is a supple leather bag, and you’re set. I absolutely die over these YSL “Chyc” bags ($1,685, Saks), especially in the tobacco leather:

For more affordable variations, consider the Brompton ($278, J. Crew) or the Marc Jacobs “Sophie” ($478, Shopbop):

Now, dressing with panache is, at heart, a balancing act. I mentioned above that you don’t want any “official-looking” riding boots, but that edict applies only when you are wearing other equestrian-inspired pieces (and hence could wind up looking like you’re in a preemptive Halloween costume of some sort / playing dress-up). You can, however, pull them off with a little plaid dress ($53, ASOS) — the boots below are by Ralph Lauren (who else? — on sale for $480, Farfetch):

Layer beneath a snuggly oversized camel coat or cape. The fashion world has been all atwitter about the Tory Burch Aaron coat ($795, Tory Burch), but you can get the look for far less at ASOS ($134, ASOS):

All you need is a tweedy little tote like this TopShop find (love the splash of mustard yellow — $90, TopShop):

And while we’re on the subject of capes, I’ve just got to feature J. Crew’s eye-catching Islington plaid poncho ($1,195, J. Crew). I l.o.v.e. how it was styled in their fall lookbook:

So cozy for a fall train trip to the countryside, paired with skinny jeans and Frye’s “Dorado” boot ($458, Zappos):

Tote your belongings around in one of iomoi’s personalizable canvas totes — I basically died and went to heaven when I discovered this site and the range of graphics you can have displayed (alongside your monogram!) on your own bag. For the purposes of this post, I’m loving this horse print ($88-$168 depending on size of bag, iomoi):

For luggage, how about this Filson duffle ($295, Steven Alan)?

Alternately, how about this cozy poncho by H&M (only $20!)? I managed to find one of the last two in stock at the Georgetown outpost — it’s been in all the ads and hence has gone quickly, so check your local store soon…

Perfect with jeans and these Tory Burch boots ($495, Footnotes):

Top it off (in truly cold weather) with this yummy oatmeal coat ($550, Loeffler Randall) and pack the essentials in this weekender ($168, Fossil):

Alternately, pair a military-inspired olive wool sweater (Marc Jacobs, $230, Net-A-Porter) with jeans and rugged-looking boots ($110, Free People):

Finish it off with a cape-like topper — I love this textured version by Marc by Marc Jacobs ($398, My Theresa) but this inexpensive Newport News version ain’t bad either (only $29!, Newport News) and a boxy bag (Rebecca Minkoff, $295, ShopTheTrend):

Don’t you love the proportions and accents? It’s a citified version of the classic saddle bag. For something a bit more stylized (i.e. you just want to look like you fit into the Virginia countryside), consider the tights-with-shorts option that’s been so big this season. I’d begin with a classic button-down (Ralph Lauren’s Chelsea Slim-Fit, $125, Ralph Lauren) tucked into a tweedy pair of shorts like these Free Peoples would be perfect ($86, Free People):