On Saturday, September 24, 2022, I attended the inaugural Philadelphia Polo Classic in Fairmount Park. Personally, I had never been to a polo match and googled what to wear along with many others in my social circle. The day brought over 3,000 local and national attendees to watch two matches featuring Polo champions. Proceeds benefitted the Work to Ride program, housed at the Chamounix Equestrian Center in Fairmount Park. So what did everyone wear? Here is my round up of some of the standouts of the day:
Madison Leonard wore a dress and hat by our favorite budget designer Target and her mother's cowboy boots. Her inspiration for her ensemble: "Looking cute. It's as much a fashion event as it is a polo event," she said. We agree! Follow Madison at @dailymadison.
Lizabeth Albanese wore a Jonathan Simkhai white lace dress from Rent the Runway, a fascinator from Amazon and sandals by Sam Edelman. She said she envisioned a look that was "lace & creamy" and that a hat was a must!
Reid O'Connor came with a colleague all the way from Virginia for the match. They work for the National Sporting Museum. Her dress was by Just Femme. She said her inspiration was to find a dress with a feminine cut and to bring together a transition look between polo influences and early Fall.
Floyd Hightie III wore a Zara shirt, pants and hat from Nordstrom, and shoes from Macy's. The amazing jacket from Ross was an afterthought due to the chilly weather but I thought it really made the look. Floyd said he was going for a look that was "chill, derby and modern."
David Durnell really stood out in the fields in his all red ensemble. I had to find out the inspiration so I followed him across the field. He said these were pieces he already had from local Philly shops including his amazing sunnies which were not designer but rather a $5 find on 52nd Street in Philly! He told me he did his research which revealed you should wear "bright vibrant colors" to a polo match. He also said his goal was to "stand out." Clearly, David understood the assignment.
Randall J. Bacon came all the way from California for his first polo match. His shoes were by Cole Haan and his blazer from Bloomingdales. He told me he intended to wear a polo and shorts but once he arrived in Philly and saw the weather, he picked up the blazer last minute. He's not afraid of color and it all worked well together.
Last but certainly not least I followed these three lovely women Alana Campbell, Kareen Campbell and Ashley Ley-Mapp to chat with them. They are mother, sister and Aunt. They told me they did extensive research on what to wear and saw that bright colors were the way to go. They then decided to do a "Veuve" orange theme mixing their taste with "classic Kentucky." They wanted a "little bit of sassy." They said they were excited to experience the match and learn more about the game. By the way, they even had an orange picnic blanket they set up to watch the matches. 100% committed.
You can learn more about the Philadelphia Polo Classic at https://philadelphiapoloclassic.org/ and the Work to Ride program at https://worktoride.net/
I hope this becomes an annual event in our city! Thank you to Cashman & Associates for all your help and hard work.
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