Breeches for the one and a half handed rider?!?! Revisited for winter post 79

[akrogirl]

[QUOTE=Beasmom;4311893]
Kerrits, IMO, are short in the rise. I have several pair, and they’re OK, but do not care for the waistband/rise on them.

FITS and Equissentials are my favorites.[/QUOTE]

Kerrits has several different styles and fits. I need a long rise and the Klassic Performance tights work well for me for schooling. The regular fabric version seems to run longer than the HT version on me. They are also easier to get into than most pull-ons.

In fact, I just conducted a little experiment and I was able to get my Kerrits on very easily using just one hand. They are also super comfortable, especially in warmer weather.

I love my FITS breeches, but have to agree with Bogey2 about them being much harder to get on and off. Maybe going up a size or two would help. The rise would certainly work in the FITS, and one of the ladies at our barn is pretty tall and she has no problem with the length. She also wears hers on the looser side and they still look fine.

[JRG]

Don’t get me wrong, I wear equisentials all the time infact they are the only ones I wear. However especially when it is hot they are tough to pull on and off.

I do have a suggestion. Equissentials does a custom breech program. I would hazzard to guess they would help you out when maybe doing a velcro “zipper” maybe throught the waistband and for the first couple of inches into the body of the breech in the front. That way if the velcro fails…you are still covered by your jacket and they would be easier to pull on and off? It is worth a shot to ask them…you may be a trend setter.

[Coreene]

Invite, I am sure you have already done this, but do you ever use suspenders to help pull them up? A friend with a broken arm set with a bent elbow/in a sling used them, and they were a great help :yes: (couldn’t keep her off the horse; arm took forever to heal, but the suspenders were a huge help pulling on her breeches).

[Mitten_State]

The Irideon brand makes the Cadence stretch-cord full-seat breeches which are great. I never thought I would buy a pair of pull on breeches. They are great because they do not look or feel like tights. Tights always felt like they were falling down. These are very comfortable and as a bonus they reasonably priced. They have a generous rise. The regular length is also generous and they also come in a long length.

[dbadaro]

i like the kerrits microcord pull ons in full seat. i don’t think they come in tall, but they are lengthy. they also make a full seat boot cut that is pull on that i love and i know it comes in regular or tall. you can wear them with paddock boots for schooling/hacking or put half chaps over as well. idk about wearing tall boots with them as i don’t wear mine often.

good luck!

p.s.-kerrits also has a one year warranty on their products. i had a pair of full seats rip in the seat (not from my booty ) and they replaced them with a brand new pair!

[Invite]

[QUOTE=Coreene;4313956]
Invite, I am sure you have already done this, but do you ever use suspenders to help pull them up? A friend with a broken arm set with a bent elbow/in a sling used them, and they were a great help :yes: (couldn’t keep her off the horse; arm took forever to heal, but the suspenders were a huge help pulling on her breeches).[/QUOTE]

I have never tried the suspender trick. Hmmmm, it might work.

As far as my body type, I have a small waist and I am a bit larger in the thighs. If I go a size or 2 too big, they slide down and I get “diaper butt” and “crotch sag”. 28s are a bit big in the waist, but seem to fit well elsewhere. When I go bigger, the waist is waaaay big and they get saggy elsewhere and saggy+baggy= wrinkles that cause rubs. My nerve issues make my skin very sensitive, so wrinkles and bags actually hurt me. I know it sounds strange, but that is a day in the life of me

Does the Kerrits sit tight breeches sizing run different from the Kerrit’s microcord sizing?

[DressageGeek_Ribbon]

I bet a good rep (like, say, Smart Pak) could be an enormous help - and given their service to the community, I bet this is an avenue that could serve a need. I’ve emailed one of their marketing contacts to have a look at this thread.

Edited to add, I’ll let you know what I hear back!

[Invite]

[QUOTE=DressageGeek “Ribbon Ho”;4314239]
I bet a good rep (like, say, Smart Pak) could be an enormous help - and given their service to the community, I bet this is an avenue that could serve a need. I’ve emailed one of their marketing contacts to have a look at this thread.

Edited to add, I’ll let you know what I hear back![/QUOTE]

What a fantastic idea. Thanks a lot!

[DressageGeek_Ribbon]

After all - what a terrific marketing niche, right? I also added about how we ALL could use a sports bra that would be easy to get off after you sweat!

[Invite]

The bra

How fantastic would an easy to remove sports bra be!!! After getting stuck in mine the other day, I would be one of the first in line to buy one!!!

[Hailey]

I know one of the options for the Equissential is a side zipper, which you could have put on the side which is easier for you to do up one-handed. That way you could have a pair of breeches that fit you well in the waist without being too big. That can be a real issue with pull-on’s, as it can be hard to get them on or off. I have some Equissentials that are off-the-rack, and the waist can be hard to pull up. It’s OK once I have them on. I have a long rise, and a proportionately small waist compared to my hips/booty. I don’t really like my breeches loose and baggy, especially in the knee area. Don’t need any rubs there, that’s for sure! Another plus of the Equissentials is that the leather is sewn onto the fabric, so you won’t get chafed by the leather. I’ve never had any rubs/chafing from them at all.

I’ve tried on about every style of Kerrits, and they just don’t fit me well. The Irideons fit me, but I’m not too fond of the fabric.

Seems like the Equissentials could be your best bet, as they will make them to your measurements at no charge. They’ll also re-size them for you if you lose weight. The Tropical Rider pull-ons could also work. I’ve tried some on, and they seem like they’d work pretty well.

[Invite]

Well, I headed to the local tack shop today. It was a futile attempt to buy/try breeches. First and foremost, I checked out the Kerrits. All they had were these bootleg things. There were a ton of bootleg breeches. I really don’t understand what these are for?!? How the heck do you wear boots and half chaps or tall boots? Where does all the fabric go? Do people actually wear them? I am going to have to email Kerrits and find out what’s going on. I really want some of those Bamboo breeches in pull ons. Maybe I can convince them to make pull on bamboos.

Anyway, I dug through the racks and found a pair of Trainer’s Choice. They weren’t pull ons, but they looked nice, so I tried them on. They were one size larger then I normally wear, as they didn’t have my size. These suckers were baggy, not just wrinkly, but hugely baggy in the thighs and my biggest body part happens to be the evil thighs. I swear I could have shoved a few loaves of bread in the belly area. To top it all off, I had the saggy diaper butt look. This was quite depressing.I could just picture myself getting all chafed and/or having my breeches fall off while riding in the clinic.

My main goal/reason for my trip was to check out the Irideons. I knew from past trips to the shop that they did indeed carry Irideon. The tack shop had none in longs and the smallest size was 1x. I was not a happy camper. I would have been more than happy to try on a pair close to my size even if they weren’t longs to get an idea of how they fit.
Why oh why did my tack shop not have a single pair of breeches in 28L?

Tomorrow, I guess I will be off to Dover. Maybe I will just have to suck it up and wear zip ups and just refuse to imbibe any beverages or wear a pair of Depends. Doesn’t sound too comfy!!! I will find good pull ons. I am determined!!!

[Ellie_Werther]

Invite,

There is a woman here in Minnesota that makes custom pull on breeches, that are deerskin full seat. I can’t remember how much between $120 and $150. She even makes polar fleece ones for winter time. I love them with my short legs, she does elastic on the bottoms and no velrco. There is no bunching of fabric. The other piece that was really nice is she was able to adjust her sewing to accommodate my left leg, which is smaller.

[Invite]

[QUOTE=Ellie&Werther;4320405]
Invite,

There is a woman here in Minnesota that makes custom pull on breeches, that are deerskin full seat. I can’t remember how much between $120 and $150. She even makes polar fleece ones for winter time. I love them with my short legs, she does elastic on the bottoms and no velrco. There is no bunching of fabric. The other piece that was really nice is she was able to adjust her sewing to accommodate my left leg, which is smaller.[/QUOTE]

OOOOOOOO…could you possibly pm me with her contact info? Does she have a website? I have contacted Kerrits and FITS regarding this thread in hopes that they will join in and give us fit info, etc. You never know, maybe they will join us!

[whicker]

Ellie,

Thank goodness you are on this thread! Please pm me with the lady’s contact info, too. Most tailors here look blank when all you ask for is alterations in the waist of breeches. And you are expected to find the matching material and elastic. Most unsatisfactory!

[Simbalism]

I also have a pair of the Devonaire knee patch pull ons. They have held up well. As the other poster stated they also come in full seat and long. I have a pair of Tropical Rider full seat in the winter fleece(Toasties) that are very nice. I believe they also come in a long. They also come in a summer weight.

[JWB]

Just a suggestion here…
I’m pregnant and am having maternity panels added to lots of my pants that I’m probably not going to wear again after. Why not have a tailor do something like this to your favorite breeches that you can’t zip any more? Take out the zipper and add in some discreet elastic!

If not, I can tell you where to send your old zip ups because we’re about the same size (minus the baby bump):winkgrin:

[Icecapade]

I ride in riding tights all the time, they are much easier to get on… sure they don’t hold every lump and bump the way breeches do, but they are infinitly easier to get on/off and wear and are much cooler. That might be a good option for you too. I have the Kerrits ones and love those… totally loving Irideon right now as well!

[Invite]

Day 2…the saga continues…

I ventured to Dover this morning. The trip proved to be hellish. The place needs bigger fitting rooms. I tried on breeches of EVERY brand. My evil mother made me try on breeches with zippers, too. I am in a state of exhaustion and my left hand will be 100% useless for the remainder of the day

I am in love with FITS. I did not buy a pair today, but I will be buying a pair. They have plenty of stretch and reach my waist!!! I just wonder why the black and navy are so darn shiny. I would feel like a disco ball in those suckers!!! The size medium is plenty roomy to pull up and down with ease:)

I tried on the Irideons in longs. There was actually a pair of XS in white in the bargain basement. Aside from looking as though I belonged on a street corner, they actually fit. It wasn’t pretty, but for a moment I did actually consider buying them because they were so cheap and dying them a dark color for a little camoflage. Mom nixed that idea. I ended up with Irideons in size medium with long length and regular rise. These reach my waist, too They are a smidge big, but I don’t think the smalls would cut it and truthfully, I did not have the energy to try on the smalls. The colors I wanted were not in the store, so Dover is shipping them directly to me…no charge!!! Because I bought 2 pair, I got 2 free tee shirts. I love freebees!!!

I really like the Dover brand breeches with the pleats and the herringbone pattern. I already own a pair, so I knew they would fit. Luckily they had none in stock, so that saved me from having to try own yet another pair of breeches. Mine at home are 28L and reach my waist. Let’s keep out fingers crossed that once these breeches arrive, they also fit. Again, Dover is sending them to me for free and you saved $20 if you bought 2 pair and they were on sale. These will be for “good hand days”!

I tried on those Kerrits sit tight breeches and the fabric was just way too weird for me. Those were a definite NO.

I tried the Dover brand high waist breeches. All I can say is they were hip huggers on me!

My mother made me try on so many breeches. Naturally, when breeches weren’t long enough, I had to try them on 1 size larger and then another size larger. If they are wide enough to zip and snap before they even cover my tush, that does not mean they fit!!

My leg skin feels like I have road rash. My nerve disorder makes me so sensitive. I spent literally 2 hours trying on breeches. I don’t know what part of pull on breeches Mommy Dearest failed to understand, but she was my transportation, so I had to defer to her a little bit. My mom is the sweetest woman in the world and quit her job to take care of me when I was completely bed ridden, but sometimes I wish she would just let me deal with the breeches and take into account that I need pull ons.

I tried on Kerrits in a pretty brown. I thought they looked great and fit great, but mom didn’t like where the seam was and felt it emphasized my thigh width too much. I looked in the mirror and felt they looked pretty darn good, but I decided to avoid an argument and bought the Irideons instead!

There you go. If you have any questions about any particular brand, as me as I probably tried them on today

[Invite]

Info Re:FITS breeches per company

Reply from email I sent to FITS last night:

Dear Elizabeth,

Thank you so much for writing to me with your and your fellow posters questions. I will do my best to answer for you here. If you have further questions for me, please feel free to call me toll free at 888.360.3487 or to respond via email.

1. FITS breeches have plenty of length for you. In traditional full seats, the inseam length is always restricted by the leather that runs along the inside of the thighs and through the crotch. Because there is no leather in the crotch of FITS breeches, there is also no restriction in this area. FITS athletic gusset (and the entire breech for that matter) is made from an exclusive fabric that is 29% (that is not a typo) lycra and therefore FITS breeches offer more stretch all over than any other breech ever

2. To address your concern with pulling the breeches off and on. I just tried putting on a pair of our A600 Original pull on full seats with one hand. It sounds like we have similar, curvey figure types with small waists and bigger hips and thighs. I could pull my breeches on and off fairly easily. I suspect if I were hot and sweaty this would require more effort. To this end I also tried putting on a pair of our A603 breeches with one hand. (this is our zip front model) The zipper front opening made it much easier to pull on the breeches and to pull them off. I found it was quite easy to fasten the trouser hooks on the waistband by pulling the left side of the waistband to my belly button with my right hand; then holding the left side in place with my left forearm while sliding the trouser hooks together. Once the hooks were fastened the breeches were easy to zip up with my right hand only. I would recommend you try the zip front style based on your physical challenges.

3. Someone on the COTH thread suggested removing the zipper and replacing it with velcro. I do not think this is a good idea as velcro can be very iritating to the skin and it also would chew up the fabric and leather when the breeches were washed.

4. You asked about FITS rise length. FITS breeches have so much lycra that you can adjust how high or low you want the breeches to fit fairly easily (within reason). They are designed to sit just below the belly button on our classic size 10 fit model.

5. You also asked about what body type FITS are best suited for. Again, I refer you to our fabric content of our All Season breeches that contain 29% lycra. This makes FITS fit all kinds of body types like a second skin. Whether curvey, straight, lean or shapely, FITS All Season fabric truly fits all body types.

6. Of course I want to see everyone wearing FITS, but if you find that FITS don’t work for you, I would concur with the COTH poster who noted that Equissentials will custom make breeches to your measurements and would work closely with you to solve your problem.

I hope this has been helpful. Please let me know if you need more information. Again, thank you for writing to me. You are welcome to post this response on the forum.

GOOD RIDING!

Sheryl Rudolph
FITS / FUN IN THE SADDLE, INC.
6675 SW Moonshadow Ct.
Portland OR 97223
PH 503.708.5722
FX 503.293.6386
www.FITSriding.com