I like thicker fabrics, even if they are warmer than tights or summer breeches and full seats because they will hide imperfections and lumps and are not see through. Plus, the judge only really sees the thigh portion of your legs highlighted in white - your coat, boots, and the saddle hide the rest.
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So they do have pockets, but smartpakās piper full seats are my go-to for shows. The full seat is grey, which gives some coverage, and personally Iāve never had a see through issue with them.
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I had the same thought on the thicker fabrics + full seat.
I have a pair of pipers now. They arenāt my favorite, but probably do fit better than the white ones I just purchasedā¦and the fabric is thicker. I was so stuck on āget something local so I could have it in timeā that I had thrown the idea of the pipers out. Technically, I donāt need the white ones until April 9th. Iām going to a small Hunter show this weekend which was more of the issue and I stress bought the white breeches on Sunday because I needed something and was less impressed with any of the beige options. Thanks for bring the pipers up though. Iāll double check my size when I get home today and possibly order a pair if I canāt try on another brand before the weekend.
Iām reading that the piper breeches have switched to a more technical fabric. The ones I have are not that kind of fabric. I got them on sale probably a year ago, possibly pushing old stock out to make room for the new version. Do you have this newer version?
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To be fair, I find Doverās selection of breeches a tad underwhelming.
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Agreed. I was frustrated to say the least. Itās been so long since I have needed breechesā¦I donāt really have a good idea as to what size I am (now I kind of do, but as with everything else, it varies by brand), so itās hard to order things before trying them on.
I actually REALLY like the Dover Daltons. They fit perfectly, donāt sag or gap, even without a belt. I had every intention of walking in, grabbing a beige pair of 26s like I have in black and walking out. Silly silly me. It could never be that easy. I would have preferred beige for this weekendās Hunter show and white or beige for the Dressage show. Since beige in the Daltons wasnāt an option, and the others styles/brands I tried looked awful too, I settled on a pair of Ovations in white and leftā¦but Iām not happy about it. I would much rather have something different if I can get ahold of it.
I can order a pair of beige of the Daltons, but Iām in an unforgiving race against the clock. And, in the end, itās one small hunter show, versus the first of possibly many dressage outings, so white won. The Daltons donāt come in full seat, white. I did not like the Wellesleys. I tried those on andā¦noā¦
There is a small tack shop near my work - I have plans to get there on Friday when I get out earlier than 5. Maybe I can find something there, or at least have a few more minutes to try things on and eliminate more optionsā¦haha.
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I love Ovation breeches, except for their AquaX. I do have to size up in Ovation in order to avoid that āsecond skinā type fit.
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I havenāt tried their new fabric yet, but they still definitely sell them in their original fabric - they just released a bunch of new spring colors in their original fabric today! I just checked, their new fabric is called the piper evolution.
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I learned that quickly when I grabbed the 26 and got them half way up and saidā¦oh my! They didnāt have a 28, naturally, so I had to go with a 30. They are slightly big, but not huge. Again, Iām sure they are fine and my brain is making more of an issue out of it than it is. To me they do not look flattering, but to others, it probably isnāt noticeable at all.
Thanks for the clarification. I scrolled some more and found the āoriginalā thread as well. Apologies for the confusion.
You could also try Kerrits, specifically the Griptek Fullseat in white. The full-seat part is actually black, but the judge wonāt see that.
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I show in these, and I love them specifically because the seat part is black. No one needs to see that part of me in see-through white.
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Ahhā¦this just opened a whole world of possibilities! I was unsure if the seat being black was okay. Yay! Thank you!
Have you tried Smartpakās Hadleyās yet? I wasnāt a fan of the Pipers, but absolutely love the Hadleys
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You can buy plain white or flesh tone leggings to wear under your breeches, which really does help make the white breeches look less horrifying, especially those in thinner fabrics. Someone even makes an equestrian designed one called the Wunderbreech, although ti me it seems no different than any other leggings.
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Ohhh. Thank you!! That is a really good idea.
The FITS Wunderbreech is lighter and less compression-y than typical leggings. It also has a bit of texture so it isnāt as slippy as leggings would be under breeches. The downside is you need to (or at least I need to) nest the wunderbreech inside the normal breeches before putting the whole contraption on. I wore them under Ovation Slim Secrets and it mostly kept the sheerness down. It really reminds me of cuddleduds in weight and texture, and I have to double check which I grab since theyāre for opposite seasons.
Thereās a principle with bras - and I assume it would carry over with underwear - that if you get a red with the same undertone as your skin, it will blend in when seen through a white shirt. I havenāt found one to match me so havenāt tested it out.
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what is the fit like of the Aqua-X? I carry my weight in my thighs - will I have to size up for that? thx
Yes. The texture of the FITS Wunderbreech makes getting dressed really difficult for me. I have pretty much quit wearing them under the whites for that reason. I jsut have to wonder why someone does not make something without an inner seam out of real longerei (SP) fabric - slightly slippery yet substantial. I wore stockings a few times long ago but they were really too hot and the seams were uncomfortable.
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Ditto Hadleys, but you may want to size up in those.
I posted a thread other week on schooling breechesāIām tall and was looking around your price point. I bought a couple things suggested in the thread, and have to say, if youāre OK with a silicone full seat, I really like the Tredstep Neros, to the point that Iām going to get a pair in white for showing (I bought grey for schooling). Thicker but technical fabric, and even though theyāre Rs, theyāre long enough for me.
