For 27 years Berry Fit Company has been setting trends and outfitting top riders in all disciplines.  Owners Polly Vandall and Carolyn Berry are experts when it comes to making women look their best in the show pen.
We all know that when you know you look your best, everyone notices.  Now, men too will be able to benefit from Berry Fit’s expertise.
The 2013 show season will mark the launch of Berry Fit’s Vaquero Collection, focusing on custom shirts and chaps for men.  “Over the years we have had many people make requests for men’s clothing,” says Vandall, the designer at Berry Fit Company.  “Women are naturally easy to make beautiful, but I feel that men also want to express their individuality in what they wear when it comes to show clothing.  Exhibitors pay attention to detail in every way.  What they choose to wear is no different.  The purpose of each garment we make is to represent that person’s individuality in a unique fashion.”
The Vaquero Collection uses fine shirting fabrics including Egyptian cotton and Oxford cloth in a wide range of textures and prints.  Berry Fit is even able to custom dye a show shirt to meet a client’s specifications, depending on the fabric chosen.
“Once we have the shirt made, we can really get to work,” says Vandall. “We are using embroidery, stitching and studs to personalize each Vaquero show shirt.”
Berry Fit utilizes a fresh take on a traditional garment by using quality top grain leather as the base for each pair of their chaps.  With the chap tops, Berry Fit employs embossed exotic leathers and distressed leather to create the signature Vaquero Collection look.
“We are using studs, whip stitching, custom silver and different inlays on yokes,” says Vandall.   “It requires a different kind of creativity and I love the process.”
Ray Topper of RT Training Stable of Niles, Michigan is an exhibitor of Junior and Senior Western Pleasure and knows the importance of a first impression.
“Berry Fit has always made great products.  My customers and family have used them for years; they are always current and easy to work with,” says Topper.  “I have had Berry Fit custom make my chaps for years.  There is a need for the Vaquero Collection and I’m looking forward to showing in both my Vaquero chaps and custom made show shirts this year.”
Men aren’t the only ones who can benefit from the Vaquero Collection.  Women are able to be fitted for Vaquero show shirts and chaps.
“We have a variety of options to work with,” says Vandall.  “Collars and cuffs can be different from the shirt base in regards to fabric and color.  Stoning and trim can be added as well to achieve a uniquely feminine look.”
Berry Fit Company is able to stay on top in the fashion world of the equine industry by producing great quality garments at a fair price in a short amount of time.  “We can have custom made clothing ready to wear in four to six weeks,” says Vandall.  Prices for Vaquero show clothing vary depending on the look an individual wants to achieve.  Vaquero show shirts start at $150 and chaps start at $695.
In today’s industry, high stakes slot classes are the sensation.  A select few horses are reserved to compete in these events, many of them never being shown before.  Success in classes such as these can greatly shape the show career of an exhibitor.  Preparation for classes such as these can take a year or longer.  Many exhibitors wish to create a special look unique to that horse and that class, Vandall says.
“We normally wouldn’t wear khakis and a polo to close a highly competitive business deal we have worked hard on all year,” she explains, “why do it in the show pen? The last thing you want to worry about while showing is whether or not you are being seen.  There is a myriad of eye catching colors out there, why stick to the basics?”
Berry Fit Company is not only able to dress any exhibitor to perfection, but they are also able to complete a signature look with a custom woven show pad guaranteed to match your shirt or outfit.
Twenty-seven years of innovative design does more than make you a few friends in this industry.  Vandall credits not only their passion for what they do as the reason for their success but also for their love of this industry and the people and horses involved.
“Polly knows as many horse’s names and who owns them as she knows client names and addresses,” says Carolyn Berry, founder of Berry Fit Company.  Berry Fit Company got its start as a mother making show clothing for her daughter.  “When Polly first started showing as a youth, we noticed the need for quality show clothing at a fair price.”
Vandall got her first taste of designing as a youth designing her own show clothes.
“Polly has always had a creative mind when it comes to design,” says Berry.  “Pretty soon we were making clothing for friends and competitors and Berry Fit Company was born.”
Today, Berry Fit Company employs 45 people and continues to keep business principles close to home by supporting the industry they love.   At the 2013 March to the Arch show held in Lake St. Louis, Missouri, Berry Fit donated a pair of Vaquero chaps to be auctioned to benefit the Saint Louis Children’s Cancer fund.  The chaps were purchased by Steve Mitchell of Cuba, Missouri.  For over ten years Berry Fit Company has contributed to the annual Congress Queen program held in Columbus, Ohio.  Every year they provide an outfit for the reigning Congress Queen to wear for the year and beyond.  They also have the distinction of being the premier clothing contributor in the Queen’s fashion show. Berry Fit Company continues to be a major supporter of Shorty Caboy Hattery’s breast cancer awareness fund that helps women battling the disease receive the nutrition and care they need.  For years, Berry Fit has been making breast cancer awareness show jackets that are sold by both Shorty Caboy Hattery and the Berry Fit Company themselves.  With every jacket sold from either business, Berry Fit donates $850 of the proceeds directly to Shorty’s fund.

“Polly and I are blessed to be able to do what we love every day.  It is my good fortune that I am able to work alongside my daughter and best friend.  I wouldn’t have it any other way,” says Berry.