I think to tap into the market you’re thinking about with trainers at shows who need phones on them etc, they need to look like a standard breech. The discreet thigh pocket is great, but they need to have the same style of pockets as the most popular breeches, like tailored sportsman. You’ll want the European seaming in the back too, that’s on all the most popular breeches now. If they are a schooling pant but could look like a show pant, that helps get into that market also because then a trainer could just toss their phone at someone and catch a ride when needed.
I think this thread proves that there is no way to make one breech that works for everyone.
I hate high waist. Tailored sportsman never fit me, even when I was thin. I actually have some meat on my thighs, so the skinny tiny legs of the Tailored sportsman never worked for me.
I want a comfortable fabric in a style that stays up. The constant tugging them up because they have creeped down again gets annoying after about five minutes.
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I would give almost anything for real pockets. However, from many years of reading these forums, I have learned that the definition of “affordable” here is not really affordable to a vast number of us out in the world. I will never pay $100 for a pair of stretchy pants for horse riding (unless they also cook me dinner), that is just not even feasible. The most I have ever paid is $60 & that was for fantastic lightweight technical wicking fabric, since it gets hot & humid here & breathability is critical unless you want heatstroke. Every pair I have (mix of Irideon, Tropical Rider, Romfh, Millers, Riding Sport) I have had for years, all have worn well.
I look for medium rise & sturdy knee patches , as I have wussy skin that rubs off easily. I also have a 33" inseam so look for tall sizes. I don’t care where the zipper is (or if it even has one) , don’t care about color (just not white) & almost never wear belts. I avoid heavy fabrics due to heat intolerance unless I am specifically looking for fleece lined options for winter.
I am probably not affluent enough to be your target market, so maybe it doesn’t matter. But I sure would love some nice pockets. I’m not competing right now, but have previously (eventing).
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I am glad you mentioned this, and that the OP posted what their idea of affordable is.
I totally agree with you. What the majority of people here says is affordable would be a huge splurge to my budget.
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I definitely think affordable is in the eyes of the beholder. I live in my breeches day in and day out, and look at price per wear on all of them, how well they wash up, how flattering they are when my weight fluctuates. I think Tailoreds are pretty standardly priced for the H/J world. I have a pair of Strucks I adore, and want more, I think Samsheilds are amazing and love my two pairs and think they are worth the $350 price tag because of the comfort and fit. Animos are more than worth the price I’ve paid, they hold up and have compression and look great all the time.
A $140 breech to a lot of professionals, who are riding all day is affordable. If you wear the breech for 6 months once a week that’s 24 wears at $6 a pop.
I’m in Canada so everything is 30% more expensive, usually more. I also almost never buy anything full retail, either big sales or second hand or discounters. So probably I am not anyone’s target market either
I have several Cavallos I got at Equestrian Factory Outlet and Pikeurs I got from a British online retailer when the exchange rate was in my favor.
If I want to stay under $100 new my only option is the Greenhawk house brands. They fit and look nice but I ride every day and I wore through the full seats on multiple pairs within a year of purchase. I then experimented with buying some quality brands very cheap second hand and they lasted much better. So I upgraded to the expensive breeches that fit me. I think I got my Pikeurs for about $150 Canadian each and they just aren’t showing any wear, period. The Cavallos have faded a bit but no real wear. Anyhow once you have a small wardrobe of breeches that coordinate with your tops and jackets, and nothing wears out, there’s not so much incentive to keep buying more.
I’m an adult in late middle age 
and I have some money to throw at my leisure activity, but I am probably not a good customer. Because if you made the absolute perfect breech for me I would be incredibly grateful, I would buy two pairs, and then I would happily wear them for 5 years but wouldn’t see the need to buy any more.
”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹
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This may sound odd, but for me in the South, I look for summer breeches that do NOT SHOW SWEAT. So I literally do a water flick-test on breeches by flicking a few tiny drops, to see if water soaks in and discolors them, or not. I despise looking like I’m riding in a soggy, wet – well, you get my meaning.
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As phones get larger I love the idea of a discreet thigh pocket.
I think the Stevie ones are ugly. For schooling breeches I would be more open to a more athletic look to incorporate that side thigh pocket.
I think it would be more difficult to make it discreet and appealing in a white or tan show breech. But I would pay more if it could be done. I often meet my trainer at the ring, so I need my phone to text him when we’re 10 trips out, etc. And I don’t always have someone with me.
I prefer low rise, but I keep a pair of mid rise to wear with my shadbelly.
I also prefer euro seats.
Sock bottoms are more comfortable than Velcro or thick elastic cuffs.
A material that resists stains would be nice as well.
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I agree that I have never found a cheaper pair of breeches that lasts, has a good fit or fabric.
To the person who says they would never spend more than $60… have you ever sewn something or bought fabric? I don’t know how you could even make quality breeches with durable fabric for that price.
Features that I like: real front pockets, side zip, thick breathable fabric. I also want to love pull on tights, but the one pair I have (PS of Sweden) totally fail in the fabric department. I love that they are pull on, but the fabric is shiny and seems really cheap, plus the fabric around the sock ankles isn’t stretchy enough. The side phone pocket is handy, but I forget to use it since I’m totally not in the habit of riding with my phone since past breeches never had space for it. I’m usually wearing a vest or jacket when riding and my phone goes there or more often it stays in the tack room. Clearly this is different for people from hot climates, it’s only warm enough to ride in just a shirt like 3 days a year here. I could get behind pull on leggings that had a high waist and thick non-shiny fabric but I think Botori has this niche covered?
Breeches that have the best fit for me are tailored sportsman side zip, equiline and cavalaria toscana. I would like a fabric that was a combo of the TS and the CT fabric. I usually ride 2 horses 5 days/week and have TS that are many years old and still holding up perfectly.
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I’ve never seen thigh pockets on anything other than tights. I’d be curious to see a mock-up of what you’re envisioning with these.
Like others have mentioned, I loathe the shiny look and feel of tights, and will not buy them. Also hate the thick, cottony fabric like on the SP Pipers, which is a shame because they do come in some cute color combos.
Frankly, I’ve got several breeches pretty close to my ideal–if RJ Gulfs had a front pocket big enough for my phone, they would be it. Love the fabric, love the cut (available LONGs!), love the durability (several years so far on a couple of pairs). The Romfh Sarafinas are also pretty close to ideal for me as far as fabric and cut (again, LONGs!); I haven’t had them long enough to speak to durability, but I have several older pair of Romfhs that have worn well, and have good expectations for them.
They’re both in the price point you’re looking to target, and I’m the type of buyer who picks up a pair or two of new breeches each year, but I honestly don’t know if just the pocket would be enough for me to switch from two brands I already know I like.
Yes, I have sewn things, but it’s probably been 20 yrs, ha. Nearly all of my breeches are 5-10 years old, some more than that, so durability has not been a problem for me, even with hard riding. I machine wash them on delicate & then line-dry them, which I do think helps. I’ve never had any major fit issues that affected function, I tend towards the practical so I don’t care if I don’t look like a tailored model (which never happens in any aspects of my life). It’s fine if that is important to others, we’re allowed to be different. I was just providing a different perspective to the OP.
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Everyone here is saying good things (Pockets on breeches please!) However, I might be alone in this, but I think you could definitely do more with shirts (sunshirts, show shirts…) rather than breeches. First off, I think they would be cheaper and safer to start a company with. There are already super successful breeches brands out there, it would be difficult to stand out. Also, I have maybe 8 breeches in my closet. I am satisfied with all of them and have not needed another pair in a while. I buy a lot more shirts than I do breeches, so I would always be willing to try out a new company. I am not a person who is hard to fit, but shirts are torture. They are always too tight in some areas or too loose altogether, and they bunch up in your breeches. Even my more expensive shirts have this problem. Personally, I can see a lot more improvements and developments in tops than bottoms, but that’s probably just me :lol: And I’m sure OP had shirts written somewhere in the equation.
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@GoodTimes I agree - the Stevie Equestrian breeches are kinda ugly and not a look I would buy - they look way too cargo!
OP I have a pair of FITS tights with the thigh pocket that are much more attractive - maybe it’s that the placement is better? Or no I know what it is - the top of the pocket is angled so it doesn’t look so blocky and ugly like the Stevie ones.
My current fave breeches are the Horze Grand Prix. The material is ideal - stretchy but supportive. They have a sock bottom, true mid rise, belt loops, large pockets that fit my iPhoneXR. I just wish it wasn’t so hard to find them with a non-silicone knee patch. They are my perfect breech in all ways except the silicone.
I don’t think I would ever go in the show ring with a visible thigh pocket like you’re talking about though. Great schooling/trail feature. But if I had to have my phone with me at a show (and they aren’t allowed in warm up or competition rings anymore where I am) then I’d be wearing a belt pouch most likely and unsnapping it before going in. Haven’t had to do this yet in practice since show season is on hold at the moment for obvious reasons.
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Pockets, plural. Just one thigh pocket is not enough. Need one on both legs.
Thick, but soft fabric with some stretch. I have a pair of Romfh that feel like Khaki material (like work pants) with zero give. So uncomfortable.
Full seat option with many color choices (sick of just white, tan, and black for full seats).
High waist.
Belt loops wider, like 2.5-3”.
I am one of those people that can only wear “that brand” Compression material is a no go for me as I have a pressure sensitive knee. I have an apple shaped bottom AND a muffin top. My shoulder arthritis makes side zips really difficult for me. I wear a 36 and have an almost impossible time finding them
Belt loops and pockets that actually hold things are a must…and I actually like the velcro bottoms because I have giant feet and a bad back so pulling sock bottoms off is near impossible,
Damn my tinder profile is a real catch <bahahaha>
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I am actually currently working on a line and I will tell you $115 - $140 price point for a start-up will be pretty hard to accomplish because you won’t be able to meet the minimums of China, India, Bangladesh etc. Just to be honest, the fabrics alone that struck and equiline uses (they use the same mill) are about 25euro/meter. Colors also become an issue with fabric minimums just FYI. Not trying to discourage you, but I have been working on this for nearly a year and I am just getting close to be able to go to production, with a design and development team that’s awesome. Struck, Equiline, and Samshield put a ton of research and work into everything they make. Just be prepared for 1+yr to develop them.
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I’ll add my 2-cents wish list:
Something for the petite mature figure. I hate to admit it, but it appears the muffin top is here to stay no matter how many planks and how few calories. What I find is that breeches that are comfortable for my waist are way way way too baggy for my legs. But if I size down, the waist is tight and the muffin top is unmistakeable. And it would be so nice to have the knee patches at my knees rather that part-way down my calves.
These days, I pretty much live in Ovation Slim Secret breeches, but the color choices leave much to be desired. And I know I’ll be suffering when the summer heat hits.
My take on the phone pocket is meh. I confess I hate the look of someone on a horse staring down at his/her phone. Most of my riding is in an arena and if there’s a call I desperately need to catch, I have my phone of the rail, otherwise it’s in my tack locker. I’m fully aware this is a minority attitude!
If you’re looking at European factories (most likely Italy), it’s expensive to manufacture in Europe and the finished goods (HS Codes that sofileta and Schoeller type fabrics these garments are made of) carry very high tariffs and duty. My manufacturing is in Italy and you honestly can’t make a pair of breeches for less than 90euros and with sock bottoms you’re probably looking more at 110-120 euros before shipping and duty/tariffs.
Plus add in all of the sampling and prototyping to develop the blocks. I’ve honestly spent 50k on product development for show shirts and breeches and I haven’t gone to production. Development is pretty painful on a brand new collection - and my team has background in the space, my factories produce equiline, vestrum and did a lot of work with CT. Plus my lead designer spent 12 years at lulu in Vancouver. It’s just not an easy feat just beware :). Do tons of research before you jump in!
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And many fabrication places in Italy for instance are staffed by cheap Chinese labour that China imported when it bought a lot of the top design houses, but still wants made in Italy in the label.
Correct. There is a town called Prato where there’s so much cheap Chinese labor it is pretty mind-blowing you’re in Italy. I do not use those factories because the quality is not the same as in the Tuscany, Veneto, and Brescia regions. Breeches are super tricky and it’s vital to go with someone that understands the construction of them. Lots of expensive and stupid mistakes could be made…
