The Workhorse & The Showpony: Shawna Gallancy

A fun new series highlighting the duality of our wardrobes

I’m excited to introduce a new series today called The Workhorse and The Showpony, which will examine the types of pieces in our wardrobes, how and why we are drawn to them, and how to style them in our daily lives. As a Gemini, I am inherently drawn to this idea of duality - no woman is ever just one thing. We are all super dynamic and have different sides, which often manifests in our wardrobes.

For some time now, fashion has been very focused on Workhorses. These are the items in our closets that truly deliver over and over again with amazing cost per wear. It’s the black blazer, the perfect straight leg jean, the white dress, etc. Blame the quiet luxury trend, the capsule wardrobe craze, or a general desire to invest in pieces that will work hard and stay timeless, but it seems we are all very much on a Workhorse kick these days. Which is great! This is a smart way to build a wardrobe and really maximize spend, so I’m all for it.

But…one of the reasons I started this newsletter is to remind everyone (myself included) that fashion, ultimately, should be fun. And that’s where the Showponies come in! It is so important to experiment with our personal style, go off the beaten path from time to time, and acquire pieces that “are so you.” These are special items in our wardrobes that we may not pull out every day, but we love because they either represent a period in our lives we are nostalgic about, a side of our personality we crave to explore deeper, or a truly amazing find that was too good to pass up, no matter how impractical. These Showponies are the punctuation to our daily fashion sentences, and should be treasured.

At some point, I will share my own Workhorses and Showponies, but I wanted to kick the series off by featuring a dear friend of mine and true Showpony, Shawna Gallancy. Shawna is the Senior Director of Marketing, Communications and Visitor Experience at the International Center of Photography in New York City. She has worked in the art industry for years, and as such, has cultivated a very distinct personal style. She’s 41 years old, lives in Manhattan and is the mom of one cutie little boy. (#boymoms unite!)

I hope you enjoy this series, and if you’re ever interested in being featured in a future one, shoot me a note- I want this to be a forum for everyone!

Steven Klein for Vogue, March 2001…still so chic today!

About Shawna

1. What are your three style words? Polished, creative, bold.

2. How do you decide what to wear every morning? I plan my outfits up to a month in advance using an app called Stylebook. It’s so helpful to map it all out. If I had to decide what to wear each morning, I would never get dressed at all.

3. Do you find getting dressed enjoyable or a chore? Enjoyable! I love combining interesting pieces and I am working on my layering skills. I love being inspired by clothes and how they can influence our mood and energy.

4. What’s your favorite thing about fashion? Least favorite thing? Fashion can be such a vehicle for expression, and finding your personal style is a gift that keeps on giving. My least favorite thing is the ubiquity of trends as disseminated by social media and how people seem to be afraid to take risks sometimes as a result. Individuality is so important to me.

5. Your fashion life motto? If anyone ever asks: where would I possibly wear that? The answer is: everywhere! Wear your clothes and shoes. Don’t let them stay hidden away in your closet waiting for the perfect day or occasion. 

6. What do you prefer in your wardrobe, a workhorse or a showpony? I naturally gravitate to showponies, but I am learning to love the workhorses.

7. What role do you think each type plays in your wardrobe? I would argue that both workhorses and showponies can be foundational to different looks. You need workhorses to pull things together. But you need showponies to express your personal style and have fun with fashion.

8. If someone on the street gave you $1000 and told you it could only be spent on fashion, would you buy a workhorse or a showpony, and what? A showpony! I’d buy another Dries Van Noten coat. His pieces are so special.

The Workhorse

Left: Mango checked blazer (another option here), Paul Smith vest, Skims bodysuit, Awake Mode vegan leather skirt, (here is this year’s version), Celine Triomphe bag, (here is a slightly more affordable take, and a bargain option), old Manolo studded pumps, try these or these. Right: Same as left, with Alice + Olivia studded leather skirt, old but try this or this, Gucci dark green sandals, also old but how fab are these?!

1. What is the go-to workhorse item in your closet? I find my workhorse changes by the month, as the weather in NYC really forces me to change what I wear. Lately, it’s been this checked Mango blazer which I’ve been reaching for a ton, as it’s a versatile way to add a finishing touch to my looks. I would also argue that my tan Celine Triomphe bag is another workhorse, it has been getting a lot of use lately.

2. Why is this such a workhorse piece for you and your lifestyle? The menswear cut of the Mango blazer makes it a great layering piece, and I love how the checked pattern adds texture to an outfit. The rectangular shape of the Celine bag offers a nod to the return of 90s style without being too trendy. Plus I love how the neutral color works with any outfit.

3. What do you look for in a workhorse? Workhorses are pieces that easily integrate into my wardrobe and work with many types of outfits. Also, they’re often comfortable and effortless.

4. Was it a splurge or a save? Mango = save. Celine = splurge. Both worth it!

The Showpony

Left: Chanel vest (there is no replicating this, but here is a different take). Same Skims bodysuit and Awake Mode skirt as above, (here is another skirt idea!), Clare V bag, old but here is an option. Old Prada mules, here and here for others. Right: Vintage leather dress (try this, this or a non leather option here), Chanel flap bag, Miu Miu pumps, old, but cute version here!

1. What is the one showpony piece in your closet; an item that feels particularly unique or special? My black and white shearling Chanel vest. I had originally seen this in the Chanel boutique on Madison Avenue, fell in love and tried it on, but didn’t pull the trigger. A couple of months later, I found it on The Real Real and snatched it up. It was meant to be.

2. How do you usually style this piece? The vest feels very extra, so I usually layer it atop an outfit that is already elevated, to take it to exceptional status. More is more…!

3. What do you look for in a showpony piece? I love colors, textures and embellishments like fur, jewels or feathers. A memorable piece that will take my outfit to the next level.

4. Was it a splurge or a save? Major splurge for sure - but so worth it for me. I wear it a lot more than one might think.

Hopefully this has inspired you to think about your own workhorses and showponies, and how they can play well together or add styling variety to your wardrobe. We depend on our workhorses, but we just love our showponies! Thank you to

Shawna Cooper Gallancy

for participating in this debut, and thank you for reading along! Until next week xx