By MARLEY LIEN-GONZALEZ
Cathy Sacher founded Essex Classics in 1985, beginning what was a new brand built on classic style, but one that would make revolutionary changes to equestrian fashion. At the time, it was the only brand dedicated to designing show shirts for riders.
Four decades later, it’s maintained its position as a legacy brand, more popular and widely adored than ever. The elegant Essex Classics silhouette, coupled with their timeless collection of trims, has become a visual staple at horse shows across the country and internationally, including The Baran Global Hunter Classic in the Netherlands.
A History of Tradition
Sacher’s father was a renowned shirt maker who made men’s dress shirts for upscale designers. As a lifelong equestrian, Sacher applied the knowledge she gained from her father to create her own business, designing show shirts with fine tailoring and meticulous attention to collar construction and height—hallmarks that defined the brand.
“It was a natural evolution for Cathy to start a show shirt company,” says Melissa Hubbard, Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer. There was a gaping hole in equestrian fashion, and shirts were a language Sacher could speak. The innovations started day one, with some of the most notable being the choker and cuffs trimmed with beautiful Italian silk, the transition from cotton to performance fabrics, and the design of the wrap collar, thus eliminating the need for a separate choker.
“I was walking behind this rider who had her hands full with a saddle, bridle, her helmet, boots, and her shirt choker (vintage show shirts had a rat catcher collar, detached from the rest of the garment) when she lost her grip and dropped her choker into a mud puddle,” recalls Sacher.
An idea was born then, a show shirt with a built-in collar that had hidden closures for a rider’s ultimate convenience and comfort, eliminating the need for a separate choker.
“We have always kept true to the traditions of show attire,” says Sacher. “Fashion is always evolving and over the course of 40 years, the essential priority for us was to look for ways to modernize the look and fit of our show shirts. Nothing was ever done to just be trendy. It was done for a purpose, for style, for performance, and comfort.”
A cornerstone brand, Essex Classics is staying on the pulse of innovation while transitioning to new leadership and expanding into more product range.
A Seamless Transition
In late 2024, recognizing it was time to hand over the reins for the next phase of growth, Sacher connected with Eileen McDonnell, a successful former insurance executive whose daughter, Claire, actively competes in the jumper divisions.
“It’s a really sweet story of Cathy getting into this business with the knowledge she gained from her father and now Eileen getting into this business so she and Claire can enjoy another aspect of equestrian life together,” Hubbard says.
McDonnell’s acquisition of Essex Classics means the brand remains a family business with owners who have a genuine stake in the equestrian community. Hubbard adds, “Beyond the apparel, we want Essex to be a meaningful contributor to and steward of our sport.”
Since founding Essex Classics, Sacher has been devoted to serving the industry and the horses by creating functional clothes to help riders feel their best. McDonnell will continue this mission while honoring the brand’s core values.
Essex Expands
While Essex built its reputation on show shirts, since the addition of sweaters to the shirt collections (each named for one of Sacher’s horses) the brand’s vision has opened beyond competition attire. “For 2026, we have new schooling apparel in development, including tees, outerwear, and, of course, will be expanding our ever-popular sweater collections”, says Hubbard.
As Essex continues to expand beyond show shirts, customer feedback remains one of our biggest sources of inspiration. “Our job is to listen to customers, determine their pain points, and design apparel to eliminate those. There is the saying that imitation is the best form of flattery. We want to continue being the brand that others want to imitate”, says Hubbard.
