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Fairfax & Favor – Boot Tassels – Advent Calendar Competition

burgundy boot tassels from fairfax and favorToday I’m giving away this gorgeous a pair of burgundy boot tassels from Fairfax & Favor. A BIG thank you to Fairfax & Favor for kindly donating these to my advent calendar competition.

Why am I giving away a pair of boots tassels from Fairfax & Favor?

If you follow me on any social media platform or read this blog, you’ll know I am a big fan of Fairfax & Favor. I’ve collaborated with them on videos about their Explorer Boots, I’ve reviewed their packaging, I’ve interviewed co-founder Felix Favor Parker… and I own enough Fairfax & Favor to start a small shop. And I will extend my ‘stock holding’ soon too. I admire what they have achieved as a company and I love the products. And if you ever get the chance to visit the team at an event – DO IT. The stand is beautiful, the products are gorgeous, and the team are a real delight. It’s a masterclass in customer service and branding.

Why do I like the boot tassels?

I am lucky enough to own a pair of Explorers and a pair of Reginas, and although I really like the matching tassels, I have a navy bag and wanted to tie the tan boots in with it… so how to do it? Tassels, of course! I own the navy and plum ones for my own use and I really, really love them. They transform the look of the boots to give a more coordinated look without having to buy more boots. Although I would never, ever discourage anyone from buying more boots. Just for the record. I like the tassels because they are fun and really do change a look. Yes, they work well on Fairfax’s range of boots, but also look great on other boots, bags, even as keyrings. And the burgundy is really nice and festive, so perfect for this time of year.

Would you like a win a pair of Fairfax & Favor’s burgundy boot tassels?

Silly question! I have one pair up for grabs… and the competition is only running until midnight on the day this blog is published. If you read this afterwards, don’t worry, the burgundy tassels (and a LOT of other colours!) are available on the Fairfax & Favor website. However, if you’re in time, all you need to do it pop on over to my Rhea Freeman PR Facebook page, watch the video that will be pinned to the top today and enter. That’s it! Of course, I’d love it if you’d tell your friends by sharing the post.

I hope you enjoy my advent calendar competition – best of luck!

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A collaboration with… Fairfax & Favor – Imperial Explorers | Rhea Freeman

Fairfax & Favor Imperial ExplorersLet’s be honest, you know I love Fairfax & Favor. Not just the products that the company produces, but the branding, the team, the prosecco… I mean ideas. No. There are a few companies in the equestrian and country industry I admire, and I have to say that Fairfax & Favor fall well into this category. So you can imagine my delight when the opportunity to collaborate with them on a project involving the Imperial Explorers came up.

How did the collaboration start?

Well, it all started at Blenheim Horse Trials, although I didn’t realise it had started then! I was having a chat with a friend of mine about the Imperial Explorers, Fairfax & Favor’s award winning boots. I’d had these on my wishlist for a while but was really on the fence. Why? Because I was sure they were water resistant and not waterproof. And my friend thought they were waterproof and not water resistant. Umm. I’m a complete product geek, and I was pretty sure, but still, if they were waterproof, my dilemma was over! Anyway, I wandered past the Fairfax & Favor stand and Ben (if you’ve been to any Fairfax & Favor stand, Ben is the head of brand and retail and is usually clad in tweed) was there. So I went over for a glass of prosecco and took the opportunity to quiz him about the Imperial Explorers…

And what did I find out about the Imperial Explorers?

They’re water resistant. So you might be thinking that that wasn’t a good thing, but actually, after my chat with Ben, they moved from wishlist to must-have. Why? Well, although they are water resistant, actually, when you really delve into how these boots are water resistant and why, you might realise, like I did, that you don’t actually need a waterproof boot. And when you do need a waterproof boot (as in, wading through and standing in water for prolonged periods of time), you should probably opt for wellies, because leather, being a skin, doesn’t really love being submerged in water for long periods of time – even if it is has waterproof membrane behind it. When I spoke to Ben and thought it all through, it actually made a lot of sense. I think we’ve been ‘trained’ to believe waterproof is the only option in a country boot, and in some situations it 100% is, but think about when you’d wear the boot. Are you hoping to stand in water for long periods of time? If so, you’re going to need a waterproof boot – get some wellies. And I’m not saying that in a dismissive way. The boots, at £375, aren’t cheap, in fact, I haven’t met that many high quality leather boots that are cheap. So why spend your money on them and then treat them in a way that could limit their life? You’d be much better investing in wellies too, and using both for their ‘best’ jobs, and both will last longer.

So – about this collaboration with Fairfax & Favor?

Oh yes – I made a video about everything I’d learnt from my chat with Ben. Well, actually, I made two. Being a product geek, I also made a video about the Vibram soles. It was another feature of the boots that ticked a box and one I wanted to tell people about. Both videos below – please enjoy and feel free to comment and subscribe too (!).

 

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Why I love… Liquiproof on my Fairfax & Favor Boots

LiquiproofToday’s blog is all about why I love Liquiproof on my Fairfax & Favor boots.. and if you’re on the fence about buying suede boots, you might just love this blog too!

A while ago, a pair of Fairfax & Favor Reginas entered my life. I had been admiring these for a while but I was definitely concerned about how these would fit in with my life. I have two toddlers, a crazy trailhound, horses, and general madness is very much the order of the day. I do go out occasionally (!) and would wear the boots then. But the suede. The fact that they were made from suede bothered me a lot.

How could suede Reginas bother anyone?

Well, the short answer is, I didn’t want to ruin them. They aren’t cheap to replace and although I loved them, and had loved them for a while, I felt that my lifestyle was incompatible with suede. Suede is BEAUTIFUL when cared for properly, but it can stain easily, it’s not known for its water repellent qualities, and I would be really cross if something got dropped on them, or they got rained on when I was out. And I really, really didn’t want to turned into one of those people that shrieks when it starts to rain and panics that their attire or look will be ruined (we’ve all seen them… it’s like they’re melting when it rains!). As much as I don’t enjoy getting wet (and God knows my hair hates it), I’ve never needed to worry about my footwear getting wet. And I didn’t want to start. I have enough quirks.

Enter Liquiproof

I was talking to Felix (he’s the ‘Favor’ part of the Fairfax & Favor brand!) about my concerns. I wasn’t quite as quirky as above, but he got the idea. And he suggested Liquiproof as the answer to all my suede based problems. I Googled Liquiproof and looked at some of the videos showing the kind of abuse products can take after application… I mean beer, ketchup, milk… all manner of suede hating liquids… and it looked incredible. I mean. It looked a bit too good. How could something do that? It must be full of all sorts of witchcraft, but anyway, I agreed. I mean. I did really want the boots and Liquiproof seemed like the answer to my boot based prayers.

So did it Liquiproof work?

Yes. A million times yes. Fairfax & Favor sell little Liquiproof kits with all you need in them, and clear instructions that even I could follow. I didn’t do much with the boots before applying the Liquiproof as I was worried about them getting damaged, but I think that actually helped as I was applying the Liquiproof to a properly clean surface, so I only needed to do minimal prep. It really was very, very easy to apply (I can do it… and I filmed it as proof – video here or below!) and it’s also eco-friendly and non-toxic. I do genuinely worry that some of the liquids and lotions used around the house, and on products like this, do more harm than good, but according to everything I’ve read on Liquiproof, it’s the exception.

And I found the courage to put my new suede Fairfax & Favor Reginas under the tap when the Liquiproof had dried. And there was no screaming or crying. See the full results here.

 

Have you tried Liquiproof? What have you used it on?

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