Breeches: what are your affordable schooling faves?

[keysfins]

Schooling breeches for the older working student: what are your favorites, and why?

I usually wear FITS full seats with the deerskin seats. I’m a working student, so I need breeches that are durable, supportive and neat.

I bought some FITS Treads for the heat and humidity in Florida last winter season. I like them, they are light and cool, but I am not entirely thrilled with the ink dot seat. (I made the mistake of washing some towels with them, and the ink dots are now a little bit fuzzy from the towels.) Happy to try non-leather seats, tho.

Love the ease of a pull-on, as long as it isn’t thin, baggy or sheer, as some of the more affordable breeches/tights can be. Sizing: can wear a medium or large, waist 30-ish, depending on cut. Wear a size 10 in most street clothes, I have hips, cannot do low-rise, and I am not in my 20s anymore. Or my 40s, for that matter.

Favorite schooling breeches that are still nice enough to look professional? Please tell me about the different Kerrits versions, Irideon, Romfh, etc. There are too many options!

[Goforward]

I used to wear Romfh and loved them. I only switched because Pipers are cheaper and hold up the same. Pipers now come in a higher waisted style and also a stretchy silicone pattern full seat that my “more mature” clients adore. So far, no one has come to the barn with a fuzzy bum All of the Pipers are in the $80 to $90 range and often go on sale for 20% off. I even bought 3 pairs in a buy two get one free offer that Smartpak ran last year.

[Dutchmare433]

Pipers may not give you a great bang for your buck as a working student–depends how many you’re riding a day. I burned through 2 pairs in 9 months as a working student, and now I’m riding even more a day than I was then, I try to stick with expensive breeches that are markedly on sale. I like Pikeurs a lot, you just have to be willing to a) buy from Europe b) wait for sales at European stores c) be willing to buy not necessarily your first choice of color. Other, less expensive options are Horze, B. Vertigo (on these two it depends a lot on the particular model), and Romfh.

I have a pair of fits that I wear when I’m feeling bloated or fat…so nice to just have the nice, stretchy pull on. But, because of the segmented seat, they wear out faster in the crotch area than other breeches.

[Displaced_Yankee]

I love my Kerrits Crossover full seats. The fabric is great in for humid, NC summer. The have the feel of riding tights, but with a zip and fly front and belt loops. So you can tuck in a shirt and wear a simple belt for a very tidy look.

SmartPak currently has them for $110 which I think is a good price. If you hunt around you can find closeout colors for less. I also supplement them with a few pairs of Crossover knee patch ($92) for days when I am hacking, trail riding or doing just a light school. I try to save where I can.

[Justmyluck]

I really like my Romfh but they can be a bit expensive. What I really like that are not on your list Ovations, for professional looking breeches at a good price. They come in a lot of colors and a couple of fits. They also have two versions of full seat tights. My favorite fit are linked below. I’m a size 30 and take a thirty in these. They are also not low rise which is fantastic.

https://www.victorycanter.com/Ovation-EuroWeave-DX-Full-Seat-Breech.html

[SnicklefritzG]

I wear the Ovation side zip euroweave breech. Not full seats, they are more of a H/J type of breech but they are hard wearing. Even the ones labelled low rise really aren’t that low rise, so I find them acceptable. They are cut more generously in the hips and bum which is awesome because not everyone is built like Charlotte Jorst.

[Manni01]

I just got 2 pairs of Pikeurs (older models, but never worn) for $50 from somebody from FB. Looking forward to abuse them…

[DressageTalk]

I’ve found that I can get a nice pair of breeches at a good price if I really shop around the clearance and sale pages. I’ve got a pair of Goode Riders that I really like that I paid about $80 for because they were on sale. However, I think some of their newer stuff is low rise, unlike the pair I have. I definitely recommend checking out sale pages though, or if you know of a pair of breeches you really like you can occasionally find them new on Ebay.

[Covergirl15]

I really like the horze breeches–I have two pairs of the crescendo and I love them! They’re thicker (and cover everything(; ) but aren’t too hot in TN summer heat and humidity. They’re also a bit higher rise, which I like. My favorite pair has lasted over a year of wearing at least a few times a week (I ride 5-6 days/wk but try to rotate out which pairs I wear), between 1-3 horses a day, but they’re from last year and I’m having a hard time finding them again:( but I also scored a pair of pikeurs from a tack shop in England for around $140 including shipping!

[Scribbler]

If you wear out a $90 pair of breeches in under a year, they aren’t a good deal. I wore through the fake suede on two pairs of Greenhawk full seats, for instance. Then I started buying lightly used second-hand better brands, that just have held up forever. And then scored some good prices on Pikeur and Cavallo.

What does “professional looking” mean to you? Ready for the show ring, squeaky clean, every day? Or is it OK to have a high-quality brand that has shown a little wear? If you feel you have to look “new” at all times, maybe buying cheaper brands and tossing them in a year is the way to go. But I think lots of real professional trainers wear their older high-end brands on a day to day basis, and as long as they aren’t stained or bagging out, don’t mind them looking a little “worn.”

From my experience with different brands, I’d school in the best I could afford (bought on sale — and not white or beige) and have fewer pairs. But enough that you can wash and line dry in between wearings. And if your WS job involves a lot of cleaning and grooming, maybe have a pair of jeans or workpants for that part of life, so you aren’t getting your breeches filthy.

[keysfins]

Wow, great feedback, thanks very much.

I have breeches I can wear while I test out fit of those brands and styles recommended, and hunt for sales. Any input on brands, styles or fabrics to avoid, that would be thin/sheer/too ‘young’ in cut?

I have a local Dover store but it carries a LOT more hunter/jumper breeches, and very little in the way of selection for other riders. So it is hard to get a real “hands on” feel for fabrics and cuts, especially those that would suit my shape and age range. I do shop on line, usually SmartPak, Adams, VTO for sales, and occasional y eBay if I know what I want. I’ve shopped Calevo for tack, but not for breeches; I think I would need to know exactly what to order if I shop European sites.

Question for anyone else who wears the FITS Performax full seats. I generally like them very much, and rotate several pairs in a week. Great support, they don’t pick up shavings and hay, and I really can wear them almost year round. (I wish they would bring back the Duet style, which looks more conventional.)

What I am finding is that I am wearing out the fabric where my seat bones contact the saddle. This is between the “bum patch” and the leg patch on each side. Does anyone else see this type of wear? The fabric ends up having little white threads pop up, which I am guessing is the “stretch” part of the fabric. Not actually wearing holes in them, just that the fabric looks rough there.

It isn’t like I have a constantly deep and driving seat at all, and my seat bones do have their “own” padding— as in, I’m not rail thin with prominent seat bones. They just don’t align with either part of the deerskin seat patches. I always thought that was the design of the breeches, to allow seat aids without the deerskin patch right there. Thoughts?

[keysfins]

[QUOTE=Scribbler;8933746]
If you wear out a $90 pair of breeches in under a year, they aren’t a good deal. I wore through the fake suede on two pairs of Greenhawk full seats, for instance. Then I started buying lightly used second-hand better brands, that just have held up forever. And then scored some good prices on Pikeur and Cavallo.

What does “professional looking” mean to you? Ready for the show ring, squeaky clean, every day? Or is it OK to have a high-quality brand that has shown a little wear? If you feel you have to look “new” at all times, maybe buying cheaper brands and tossing them in a year is the way to go. But I think lots of real professional trainers wear their older high-end brands on a day to day basis, and as long as they aren’t stained or bagging out, don’t mind them looking a little “worn.”

From my experience with different brands, I’d school in the best I could afford (bought on sale — and not white or beige) and have fewer pairs. But enough that you can wash and line dry in between wearings. And if your WS job involves a lot of cleaning and grooming, maybe have a pair of jeans or workpants for that part of life, so you aren’t getting your breeches filthy.[/QUOTE]

Very good points, especially about ‘false economy’. That’s one of the reasons I have invested in decent, well fitting breeches. At one time, I had a nice collection of Tropical Rider show breeches in the Schoeller fabric, with front zips and belt loops. Fairly basic colors, and they fit me well when I was younger. I wish they were still available, but the company has moved away from that style.

For me, professional looking means neat, clean, flattering fit (even when picking feet out, as an example), conservative colors. Not into spending money on fads, brights or bling, I prefer a more classic look. And no, I simply could not afford to have a closet full of “new” or trendy breeches that don’t suit my age and body type.

I would really like to try some Cavallos and Pikeurs, since they seem to have breeches that fit my ‘criteria’, and from what you and others have posted, they seem really durable. It is now just a matter of finding out what models fit and feel best. Hard to know that when I don’t have a source to try on the different styles.

Good thought to switch out of breeches when riding is done, to save wear, keep cleaner and make them last longer.

[GiantSteps]

Regarding what to avoid, I’d stay away from Irideon. I used to wear them in my 20s when I was riding 4-5 horses/day and doing lots of barn work because I found they wore like iron. But both their tights and their zip-up breeches are made with stretchy synthetic fabrics that can cling awkwardly and have a bit of that synthetic-stretchy-pants sheen to them. Comfy but not the prettiest. More recently I’ve found that Irideon’s full seat material has been disintegrating on newer breeches really quickly. One pair I bought had the seat material fall apart in a single ride. I got off after ~30min of riding to discover a draft around the bottom of my right cheek :eek: Returned those on warranty, but other pairs bought in the last few years have also seen premature pilling and disintegration of the full seat fabric.

I’ve also found that every style of Kerrits I’ve ever tried on has looked incredibly frumpy. And, regrettably, Equissentials (though they’re comfy).

For me a classic look means stretch-woven material, traditional seams/belt loops/ etc., and a mid-rise. I buy Pikeur Luganas when I can find them on sale from European web stores, and have discovered that Ovation’s Euro-Weave full seats are a decent option to fill out my wardrobe in a more economical fashion. I usually keep an eye out for sales even when I don’t desperately need a new pair, and I’ve gotten some Ovation Euro-Weave full seats as cheaply as $35! I like them enough to pay more than that though, and I’ve found them to be durable and comfortable and reasonably flattering on my no-longer-in-my-20s body.

[keysfins]

^^^^ Great info, thanks for the cautions.

How do the Pikeur Lugana breeches fit? Is waist size true to size? What is the rise like? Hips slim or ‘normal’? I know Euro breeches can have different sizing charts.

I’ve been looking at the Ovation Euro-Weaves, too. Good to hear more positive reviews.

[Dutchmare433]

[QUOTE=keysfins;8933825]
Very good points, especially about ‘false economy’. That’s one of the reasons I have invested in decent, well fitting breeches. At one time, I had a nice collection of Tropical Rider show breeches in the Schoeller fabric, with front zips and belt loops. Fairly basic colors, and they fit me well when I was younger. I wish they were still available, but the company has moved away from that style.

For me, professional looking means neat, clean, flattering fit (even when picking feet out, as an example), conservative colors. Not into spending money on fads, brights or bling, I prefer a more classic look. And no, I simply could not afford to have a closet full of “new” or trendy breeches that don’t suit my age and body type.

I would really like to try some Cavallos and Pikeurs, since they seem to have breeches that fit my ‘criteria’, and from what you and others have posted, they seem really durable. It is now just a matter of finding out what models fit and feel best. Hard to know that when I don’t have a source to try on the different styles.

Good thought to switch out of breeches when riding is done, to save wear, keep cleaner and make them last longer.[/QUOTE]

1. Are you near to any bigger show grounds–like HITS for example, and could you swing by a dressage show to try on different styles of breeches?

2. What is your general body shape? Super curvy, wide hips, small waist? Moderately curvy? Narrow hips/more straight up and down?

3. Is a moderate rise OK with you, or do you need high rise? (When I say moderate I mean sits well above the hips but below the belly button, and still look professional while bending over.)

My favorite are Pikeur Luganas–I can send you a picture of me wearing a pair so you can compare body types if you’d like.

[GiantSteps]

[QUOTE=keysfins;8934027]
^^^^ Great info, thanks for the cautions.

How do the Pikeur Lugana breeches fit? Is waist size true to size? What is the rise like? Hips slim or ‘normal’? I know Euro breeches can have different sizing charts.[/QUOTE]

IME the waist on the Luganas is true to size. I wear a 28 or 30 in most breeches, an 8 or 10 in street clothes, and 42 in Pikeurs. I have muscular thighs and round-ish rear but not a big waist and the Luganas work quite well for me. I’d say they fit “normal” through the hips vs. “slim”. For comparison, I have to size up in SmartPak Pipers to fit my butt/thighs, but then the waist is ginormous – I’d say those run more slim through the hips.

On the Ovations, pairs I bought a few years ago seem to run a tiny bit smaller than more recently acquired pairs, which now seem more true to size for me (the first pairs I got fit a tiny bit tighter than current pairs).

I have one pair of Cavallos (also size 42), but they fit way slimmer through the hips than the Pikeurs and as a result they are tighter across the hip/in the upper thigh than I’d like. They weren’t described as low rise but are lower than I like – I think Cavallo’s target audience is a little trendier than I am.

[keysfins]

That gives me a great idea of which sizes I should try, I really appreciate the info. It sounds like the Pikeurs would fit my body type better than the slimmer Cavallos. Or rather, I prefer a less-snug cut that allows for moderately curvy hips/thighs. The Ovations still sound like a good choice for durability and affordability.

I’ve already been browsing and the Pikeur Lugana breeches are almost ridiculously affordable from UK sellers on eBay. I don’t mind risking one eBay purchase, because I could probably sell them on if they don’t work for me. And that’s even without checking out Calevo, etc.

Our show season locally is over, but I will be headed to FL in December. My specific location is not really a dressage tack shop haven, but I will see about show venues and schedules.

Lots of great ideas, thanks so much!

[Goforward]

I find it interesting that people have found more expensive breeches to last longer. I think it must be my body shape that wears them out. For me, all breeches last the same (short) length of time. I wear breeches 6 days a week from 6am to 10pm, while riding, teaching, or I could be picking the odd stall or unloading 120lb hay bales out of my truck.
I’ve worn Pikeur, Eurostar, Cavallo, B Vertigo, Romfh, Kerrits, Irideon, Ovation, Riding Sport, Royal Highness, Elation, Piper…they ALL quickly wear out in the crotch above the seat material, just under the zipper. None last any longer for me than the others. So, for me, $300 breeches are a terrible investment.

[keysfins]

[QUOTE=Goforward;8934251]
I find it interesting that people have found more expensive breeches to last longer. I think it must be my body shape that wears them out. For me, all breeches last the same (short) length of time. I wear breeches 6 days a week from 6am to 10pm, while riding, teaching, or I could be picking the odd stall or unloading 120lb hay bales out of my truck.
I’ve worn Pikeur, Eurostar, Cavallo, B Vertigo, Romfh, Kerrits, Irideon, Ovation, Riding Sport, Royal Highness, Elation, Piper…they ALL quickly wear out in the crotch above the seat material, just under the zipper. None last any longer for me than the others. So, for me, $300 breeches are a terrible investment.[/QUOTE]

That makes sense, for the work and hours you do. I like Scribbler’s suggestion to change out of the breeches when riding is done, to save some wear and tear. Not unlike saving my riding boots for riding time, and changing into barn boots otherwise. In the winter when I am in Colorado, I usually slip on a pair of jeans OVER breeches, for warmth, once I am done riding. That helps protect them from drops of hoof oil or snags or other damage, for example.

Conversely, I do need to find a solution for the Florida heat in the winter. Last year I was wearing jeans for the barn work, feeding, tack cleaning, etc., and the humidity just made that intolerable, with jeans that would get drenched thru–yuck!! That’s when I just went with the FITS Treads for the whole day, since they were so much cooler, but not so very professional looking.

I haven’t figured out that aspect yet, finding a comfortable and cool alternative to jeans that can handle the non-riding work. I think there will be some tech threads in my future if this winter is as bad (hot and humid) as last winter. I don’t care to wear shorts and tank tops to do barn work, and I think I can find a more professional combo to deal with the climate. That’s a different issue than my current quest, though.

[Sandy_M]

For every day, I love the Kerrits with the houndstooth inset. They are flattering, comfortable and inexpensive. What I really miss are the On Course Herringbone pleated front breeches. I really loved those and they lasted for years!