What a minefield out there!
I love my Vespucci but I want to buy something a bit more “interesting” in essentially the same quality. Not sure if that exists 
I do wish mine looked good in brown. Black definitely does something to the leather that makes it just a bit different.
How funny!! I don’t have any of those issues on mine. But - big but - mine is a very standard brown with just a cream nappa leather nose cushion. So I bet you are right - the more “simple” designs are actually made ok but the special leather are maybe less quality (which yeah, a lot of “special” leather is not great leather… Since it has to be so heavily processed to get that look).
Agreed I love talking leather 
I just hate that brands can have so much difference between individual models. Thank goodness for return policies!
And I do think black dye can be harder on leather. I think brown almost always ages better. My two new saddles have brown seats and I’m happy about it!
No worries at all, I have my fair share of bridles just none in cob size! I have a beautiful Schumacher bridle with drop noseband which was custom made for a previous horse…the same thing now is around $800 which feels ridiculous. (Checked there first because it’s how I got exactly what I wanted last time.)
It’s time for her to get her own bridle and the frankenbridle she currently wears can go to the 2.5 yo. I refuse to put anything expensive on a horse that young!
Thanks for the customer who recommended me. 🩷
My woman owned small business Black Diamond Designs LLc
I love my Correct Connect bridle! https://ridecorrectconnect.com/collections/bridles
Here is my small horse in her CC bridle
On the advice of members here, I shopped Bliss of London when looking for a brown bridle with faux croc. It is absolutely wonderful leather, and so was their service. This has not been taken care of in… a long time. I’ve had health issues so even getting to the barn takes all I have, and treating my tack as well as I should has been a pipe dream. Anyway, when it showed up, a cheek piece was missing and there was a hole in the package. They didn’t ask for any proof, just sent me two cheek pieces immediately. Really wonderful service, and they have some custom options if you reach out.
The Devoucoux bridles would fit your specs as well. This mare has a very small, refined face so it’s not the most flattering on her, but I truly love this bridle.
It’s buttery soft, the flash is entirely removable, and it has maintained its quality through years and years of heavy use.
FYI Halter Ego (mentioned above) has a pretty good sale going on:
Not sure if any of them are exactly in OP’s bracket but maybe someone else will find something they like. There are a few options that are around $200 once the discount is applied.
I recently went through the brown dressage bridle search after recently buying a brown dressage saddle, and I settled on the Le Mieux. I purchased the Classic Dressage Bridle in brown, and it is a lovely dark brown. It has a crank noseband. It’s lovely!
Passier has a lovely brown color and their nosebands can be swapped out to one without a flash.
Schockemohle - the Tokyo brdle has a removeable flash tab and their leather is lovely. The Stanford is a wonderful bridle (I have one in brown) but the flash strap does need surgery. There is a version of the STanford without a flash (I can;'t recall the name) but it is hard to find in US. Mine actually came from England to get it without flash.
And lastly Total saddle fit now makes the Better Bridle. I have one and I really like it., Fully removeable flash. The noseband has “joints” where it can rotate to fit the face better. Many other features, some clearly lifted from the fairfax bridle (pads on noseband to lift it up). The brow band has adjustable postitions to allow it to better clear the ears… It’s pricy and a little tricky to fit but my horse loves it and good quality leather. Not super soft, but not still either… Ciomes in cob and brown.
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