Fabulous! Haven’t heard yet from Smart Pak.
[QUOTE=DressageGeek “Ribbon Ho”;4322103]
Fabulous! Haven’t heard yet from Smart Pak.[/QUOTE]
I emailed Kerrits as well. If they respond, I will let all of you know. I am beyond impressed by the speedy, honest response from FITS!
Check out Irideon breeches- they’re all I’ll wear! I’m short compared to you (5’6") though usually end up in talls, but with Irideon, the small-talls were a good 3"+ too long, so they should be ok for you. They’re fairly reasonably priced and are very long lasting-
http://www.equestriancollections.com/product.asp?groupcode=TO80006
[QUOTE=Dressage.For.Life.;4323308]
Check out Irideon breeches- they’re all I’ll wear! I’m short compared to you (5’6") though usually end up in talls, but with Irideon, the small-talls were a good 3"+ too long, so they should be ok for you. They’re fairly reasonably priced and are very long lasting-
http://www.equestriancollections.com/product.asp?groupcode=TO80006[/QUOTE]
I really liked the Irideons and have 2 pair on order. I can’t wait for them to arrive 
I am your same height and wear a size MT Irideons and just love them. I have two pair that have lasted four years and are still going strong. It is so nice to have long enough breeches that don’t shrink after the first wash! I also have two pair of the knee patch and almost like those even better than the full seats. I have tried other brands and styles, and every time I do, I wonder why I didn’t just get another pair of the Irideons. Hopefully they will work as well for you as they do for me!
Thanks newrider
Your post made me so happy that I ordered 2 pair of Irideon breeches. Yay!!! I actually made a good decision 
[QUOTE=Invite;4310424]
Okay, as you probably know by now, I am disabled. I have both hands, but my left hand has very little function and almost no grip strength. I call it my half hand because it is often useless
So, here is my issue…I need to start wearing pull on breeches. My hand has become significantly worse and I just can’t deal with zippers and snaps, etc. This is especially the case if I am wearing said breeches for a long period and may need a potty break!!
Which pulls on full seats have you all had the best luck with? I need every advantage possible, so I must have the full seats. If you guys have any sizing advice, I normally wear a size 28 tall. I am 5’10" and long from my crotch to my waist. Are any of the pull ons that do not come in talls a possibility for someone my height?
I am thinking of FITS, but I am not sure if they come in talls. Are they stretchy enough to be long enough? I will have to save up for the FITS, so I will need more reasonably priced pull ons in the meantime.
Thanks for any and all help and advice :)[/QUOTE]
FITS are one of the few brands that work for longer legs. I’m not that tall but am all leg. The pullon are cheaper and seem to be userf friendly.
The saga continues…
Well, as all of you have been following this thread know, I made a trip to Dover and had to order some breeches. I ordered 2 pair of Irideon, as Dover did not have the colors in stock that I wanted. I also ordered 2 pair of the Dover brand herringbone pleated breeches, as I figured I could use them on “good hand days” and they were quite inexpensive when compared to my precious pull ons!!! I had a pair at home in 28L that I have had for several years. They are a little big and have been since I purchased them, but they actually come up to my waist. Well, Dover had none of the breeches in the store, so I ordered 2 pair in 28L, figuring they would be the same exact breeches.
Before I headed off to ride, a Fed Ex box came. I am one of those freaks who is overcome by joy when good mail or a package arrives. I tore into the Dover box, finding only 3, yes 3 pair of breeches rather then the 4 I was supposed to receive. It turns out one pair of my Irideons are on backorder. Supposedly I will get them around Sept. 7th. I can live with that. When I spoke with the very nice, polite product advisor, she told me the 7th was the date Irideon gave them, but it is a manufacturer’s backorder, so I might not have my breeches by then. I really love my other Irideon’s, so I will try my very hardest to be patient.
For those of you who thought that was the bad news, read on. I was just warming up in the previous paragraph.
I took out my 2 pair of herringbone breeches and they looked tiny. Neither pair measured up with the other pair size wise. I pulled on pair #1. They legs were too short and although the waist fit, I could only zip them up 3/4s of the way. Also, and possibly of greater importance, the darn breeches reached my waist, but the crotch hung waay down. I could easily order the breeches in a 30L to see how that went, but the zippers were cheesy and the material was rough. These breeches seemed much more poorly made then my original herringbone breeches. I think I will just plain steer clear or Riding Sport or Rider’s Sport, whatever they are called, riding gear.
Needless to say, I am off to Dover tomorrow evening to return the evil breeches. I have a pair of brown Kerrits on hold. I may just bite the bullet and buy my FITS. I can’t afford them right now, but I might have to since Irideon has backorders on so many colors. I really like the Irideons better then the Kerrits, but I still like the Kerrits. Just a different league of breeches. Ugh. I want this to be over and done with!!!
I just hope I don’t have any bad news to report tomorrow night!!!
After your recount and the response from “Fits”, it honestly makes me want to go out and buy a pair (but alas I can not afford right now). That is customer service.
Good for you for trying new things!
[QUOTE=JRG;4335827]
After your recount and the response from “Fits”, it honestly makes me want to go out and buy a pair (but alas I can not afford right now). That is customer service.
Good for you for trying new things![/QUOTE]
The afford part is why I am not currently the owner of a pair of FITS in every color. Actually, I am not yet the owner of a pair of FITS in any color. One day I will be. Sheryl was so kind and she went above and beyond. Other then the extreme comfort of FITS, Sheryl is why I want to give that company all my breech business!!!
Heard from Smart Pak - they never received the original query.
Here’s what they said:
“While we are not currently offering a product that matches the original poster’s inquiry, I have forwarded this email, and your feedback, to our Purchasing Department.”
So we’ll see what they say!
[QUOTE=DressageGeek “Ribbon Ho”;4337835]
Heard from Smart Pak - they never received the original query.
Here’s what they said:
“While we are not currently offering a product that matches the original poster’s inquiry, I have forwarded this email, and your feedback, to our Purchasing Department.”
So we’ll see what they say![/QUOTE]
I’m very excited for their response.
Yesterday, I had a fantastic evening. My fantastic, wonderful, generous mother ordered me a pair of FITS in the color “Earth”. They are a very early Christmas present, but she wants me to look properly attired for my visit to VA!!! While we were at Dover, I naturally headed down to the basement…this is quite a feat as they are not handicapped accessible, but it is always worth the scary descent down the stairs. In the basement, I found a pair of WHITE Irideons in small tall. These looked much less pornographic then the XS tall I tried on last week!!! In any case, the Irideons fit beautifully, looked as good as white breeches can look and were only $50. Woohooo! Naturally, I bought them. I am going to buy some Rit (I think that’s what it’s called) dye and dye them so I can wear them in a non show setting without looking like a moron. I had some show breeches that got ruined on a rainy day and I dyed them with the Rit. They came out fantastically. Worst case scenario, my dyed Irideons will be used for schooling on the farm only!!! Yay for me I’m psyched!!!
Terrific!!!
Fabric Dye
There is another thread that gets into the details of which dye works best on breeches. It recommended a dye that came from a fabric/sewing shop. What color are you going to use? Something that goes with pink, I bet!
[QUOTE=Invite;4312890]
Robin,
Where does one get “Chamois Butter”? My boy is lame right now, so I will have to wait to try it, but I’m game!!! I suppose one doesn’t chafe much at the walk…hmmmm…maybe I am not worthy of being the Chamois Guinea Pig!!![/QUOTE]
Bike shops! I am sure you can find a bicycle retailer online as well. Bike shorts have a pad over the saddle area they call a “chamois” hence the “chamois butter” which goes on you to prevent chaffing.
Bike shops carry a ton of different anti chaffing creams etc (there is also a powder called monkey butt!). Those guys in spandex peddling for a 100 miles know how to work up a chafe! Me, I am more casual rider, so not so much chaffing ;), but if you want to find anti chafe stuff that works, a bike shop is your best bet.
[QUOTE=whicker;4340592]
There is another thread that gets into the details of which dye works best on breeches. It recommended a dye that came from a fabric/sewing shop. What color are you going to use? Something that goes with pink, I bet![/QUOTE]
The dye you’ll most commonly find in craft/fabric shops that’s better than RIT is Dylon brand.
Back to the OP: Have you tried just putting a key ring loop on the zipper tab to make it easier to hold? I knew someone who was severely disabled and had to use only one hand to fasten his jeans and the key ring worked marvelously - he could just hook a finger through and zip it up or down without any fumbling around. (I’ve seen something similar made from fishing line type stuff on ‘medical aid’ websites, if you want something less obvious than a key ring. )
Anyway, if that works for the zip, then I think it’d be a fairly small bit of work for a tailor to do something to the snap/button to make it work better for you - heck, if they just sewed velcro OVER the snap pieces, that might do it.
The key ring loop is a fantastic idea. If I find breeches I adore that only come with zippers, I will most definitely give that a try. I currently have a big ole paper clip that I use on my “remission breeches” as I like to call them. These are only used on the farm. I was actually greatly in need of new breeches. The pull on part just makes the quest a little a tad more difficult!
Anything and everything I own must go with pink. Pink is not just a color, it is a lifestyle!!! I think I will use navy blue or black dye. As much as I would enjoy pink breeches, I need to keep my thighs as inconspicuous as possible
“Pink”!
I have to tell you, one week before a big show for me I washed my white equissentials with a pair of my brown ones (I wasn’t paying attention that the washer was already being used).
I had the most lovely shade of pink breeches with a white full seat!
Equessentials replaced the fabric of the breeches for me, but I am sure they had a good laugh…I know I did (after the replacement pair was on its way).lol
Awww, Invite You look better than you think!
Now Invite,
Remember there was that European rider at the Las Vegas World Cup this year who had pink striped breeches, to go with the pink top and the pink saddle pad and the pink polo wraps. The stripes were vertical, and she looked quite good in them. Maybe you should consider more options for your thighs. They can’t be as bad as you think!
I’d go for Tropical Riders; they tend to fit a little more loosely and the waistbands are wide, which might be easier to pull up / adjust. FITS do run long, but I’ve heard women at the barn complaining that they are hard to get in / out of. Best of luck to you - kudos for keeping on riding!
