All About Harriet
Today we are catching up with longtime friend of Hiho, Harriet Lily, who you may otherwise know as a Country Girl in a Professional World. We love following her country style on insta and the fact that she always has time for really good styling tips!
If you’re following Badminton Horse Trials, you’ll also have seen Harriet joining us as our guest judge for the best-dressed rider at the first trot-up. It was great to have Harriet’s keen eye for style on the team and our winners were Alex Bragg and Kirsty Chabert.
Read on to find out more about Harriet and what makes her tick.
Harriet, please tell us a bit about yourself, what do you do, where are you from and where we can find you online?
Hi there! I'm a farmer's daughter from South Derbyshire - I grew up on the farm and I still live in the same village. Whilst my brother runs the farm these days, I have a completely different career - I work in Regulatory Affairs, which is essentially the area of the pharmaceutical industry responsible for approving new medicines and getting them onto the market and to patients in need. I specialise in biotechnology products, gene editing science and stem cell therapies, so the medicines of the future - it's very exciting stuff, but it means I spent a lot of time at university (I've been 3 times for 3 different degrees and I'm just about to embark on a 4th!). You can find me on Instagram - @Harriet_Lily where my bio will tell you I'm a "Country girl in a professional world".
How do you juggle the country blogging and your career/work at the same time?
It's very difficult! I don't have the time that others may have to spend on social media these days and there is so much more competition than when I started blogging around 8 years ago! What I try and remember now is that country style is my hobby and a creative outlet for me - so it has to remain enjoyable and without pressure - I have enough of that at work! So if I'm not enjoying it, it has to take a back seat.
If someone wanted to get into blogging and become an ambassador for a company that they truly love, what advice could you give us for starting out?
Do it for the right reasons! I think people underestimate what blogging is and its purpose. Remain true to yourself, your style and be authentic. If you're not into horses - don't try and target an equestrian brand, if you don't normally buy from that brand - don't target them. I can proudly say my USP is my authenticity, I have a few brands I work closely with and have done for years and all of these relationships have been built from a previous customer relationship (my blog actually started because I shop too much!).
We love following your country style on insta, can you give us some styling tips on where to start when choosing a new outfit?
Everyone is different - that is your superpower! It took me a long time to figure out that I didn't need to fit someone else's mould, so stay true to yourself. Personally, I am a quality over quantity kinda girl and for that reason, my style tends to sway towards classic shapes, colour palettes and tailoring. My advice would be to choose great basics that you can build a capsule wardrobe around and then accessorise (Hiho comes in very handy for this!).
We have several Horse Trials coming up and we know you have been to several of these. What tips can you give us to look stylish, whilst keeping comfortable at the same time?
Practicality is key! I have been a rider and a visitor at horse trials in the past and I have raised an eyebrow more than once at some very impractical outfits - dress for your activity. A good pair of shoes is critical - most horse trials are set on uneven ground and involve lots of walking, I would go with a flat ankle boot or if the weather is good, a comfortable loafer. Layers are also key - make sure you take a coat, because you'll likely need it! For the optimistic amongst us, I would dress for a sunny horse trials by pairing linen shorts with loafers and topping off with a tailored blazer for a smarter feel - add a woven sunhat and stack the bracelets high! For rainy days, some sturdy boots and a stylish rain mac - a fedora always completes the outfit.
What do you do in your spare time & what do you get up to offline?
I don't have a lot of spare time these days, but when I do, you can find me in the hills trail running with my partner and our dog Aubrey. We're currently training for some long mountain 'races' (I will be partaking but definitely not competitively!), including one in the Swiss Alps later this year! Aside from running, we are huge foodies, so you'll find me in a good restaurant probably enjoying Sunday lunch!
What is your ultimate Hiho love (favourite piece from the Hiho collection) and why?
This may be a surprising one, but I have a beautiful silver fern ring that I bought with my mum at Chelsea Flower Show in 2019 - it's never left my finger since and I don't know what I'd do without it. It's simple, elegant and reminds me of a wonderful day out with my mum. I also wear the snaffle bracelet all the time, it's another elegant piece that fits beautifully on my wrist - perfect for dressing up or down.
You can find Harriet on Instagram @Harriet_Lily