The poshest place to shop in Britain isn’t a shop at all

Alexandra FullertonThu, August 27, 2026 at 3:00 PM UTC

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With a role-call of royal spectators that has included Queen Elizabeth II; Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh; Harriet Phillips; and Diana, Princess of Wales over the years – along withfour days of epic eventing action – Defender Burghley has always been an elite date in the country calendar.

But over the past decade, the horse trials has also upped its game to reflect the glamour of the guest list, building a prestigious position as the poshest place to shop in the UK.

For those in the countryside areas now known by some as the “Notswolds” (comprising Rutland, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, and Cambridgeshire), London trips are no longer needed. Some surprisingly luxurious names are pitching up on parkland in Stamford to fulfil every rural retail requirement. At this year’s trials, taking place from September 3 to 6, fine jewellers Boodles will have diamonds and gems aplenty, while the Hermès stand will offer a small selection of products from its equestrian métier.

Harriet and Peter Phillips at the Burghley Horse Trials in 2024 - Bauer-Griffin/Spotlight Royal

Enticing Hermès, one of the most rarefied Parisian heritage brands, to Lincolnshire is quite a coup. Closer to home, the burgeoning British country scene is represented by Fairfax & Favor and Holland Cooper (a favourite of the Princess of Wales), along with an array of independent fashion labels, totalling more than 500 stands to shop this year. The average spend at Boodles’ stand is around £10,000, but it has seen purchases run into six figures.

James Amos is the managing director of Boodles, which started exhibiting at the horse trials in the late 1990s. “There was a big change [in the retail experience] around 10 years ago,” he notes. “The Defender Burghley team are always working to improve things, and they’ve curated a luxury area where we are based.” Yet, despite the presence of some high-octane brands across the shopping arena, Amos reiterates the relaxed nature of the event. There might be royalty present, but “people bring dogs as well as children and it’s not stuffy in any way”.

The unspoken dress code

Given the elite shopping opportunities, there are, naturally, unwritten expectations about what attendees should wear.

The refreshing lack of pretension doesn’t mean you can arrive in muddy jods and moth-eaten cashmere. “When people have made so much effort to prepare the best horses in the world and a team has worked for 12 months to create an exquisitely designed cross-country course, guests want to reflect that in what [they] wear,” says Lucy Higginson, the marketing manager at Defender Burghley.

While there isn’t a specific dress code, in true aristo style, expectations run the gamut from resolutely smart casual, centring around heritage pieces with a twist, to purposefully laid back.

“Nobody minds if you wear trainers, shorts and a T-shirt, especially on cross-country day,” says Higginson. While the skirt-suit and patent shoes Diana donned in 1989 now seem incongruous, the perfect Defender Burghley outfit involves jeans, sturdy boots and tailored tweed.

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Defender Burghley has a less formal dress code now than when Diana visited in 1989 - Tim GrahamCountry chic

Jade Holland Cooper, founder of Holland Cooper, has been going to Defender Burghley since she was a child. “Over the years, it’s become more centred around what people are wearing. There are thousands of influencers talking about Burghley, and country-chic is a huge movement, whether you’re from the country or you want to look like you’re from the country.”

Holland Cooper plans her outfits for each day of the event, and tweed is an essential element. “In the run up to Burghley, I think, ‘I’m never going to be in heavy tweeds’. And the weather changes without fail. Every year, I walk onto the show ground in something properly autumnal.”

For those planning to walk the four-mile cross-country course, common sense is a major decision driver. Spanish-style riding boots, such as Fairfax & Favor’s Regina style, look polished but are still a practical and incredibly popular choice.

Any other accessories? Higginson believes “a hat is an essential and really sensible idea. Whether it’s sunny or windy… many people wear hats, [but] these are practical hats, not racing hats.” A simple pheasant feather on a brown Hicks & Brown fedora is appropriate. A feather-encrusted pink fascinator is not.

The equestrian look

Together with well-dressed royal visitors, the appearance of Burghley-centric Instagram hashtags has secured a new audience for the event. It’s an influencer must-visit, with outfit pictures in front of the house now mandatory to showcase eventing’s appeal to less traditional attendees.

Zara Tindall at Burghley in 2024 – the Trot Up is a chance to inspect horses, and what their riders are wearing - Spotlight Royal/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images

Alongside this social media moment, fashion houses are also looking for new muses beyond the obvious fields of cinema and music. Every sport is now a target for brands and the Trot Up – a traditional opportunity to vet each horse before competition – can bring as much attention to the riders’ outfits as it does to their mount.

“Riding can be a very glamorous sport, and brands want to be associated with some of the best riders in the world,” says Marcus Fairfax Fountaine, co-founder of Fairfax & Favor, which sponsors the Trot Up. “The Trot Up works as a fashion show… and that raises the profile of the sport.” There are even awards for best-dressed woman and man at the Trot Up.

Anyone putting together a last-minute look for the Trot Up will be spoilt for choice with the opportunities on offer. “I don’t think anyone’s ever expecting to come and buy jewellery in the middle of a muddy field,” laughs Amos, “but they do, and it seems to work year in, year out.”

With Defender Burghley’s shopping status expanding every year, Fountaine maintains that “it’s arguably the smartest equestrian event in the world”. Now it has the shopping opportunities to match. London, Paris, Milan? Head to Lincolnshire instead.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”