Sure, but why not try to help the scores in the meanwhile?
Iām curious what these breeches (or riders) looked like. Gloves can be seen from most angles, but if a rider is wearing white breeches with a black seat in a black dressage saddle, in my observation this is not particularly obvious unless youāre directly behind them during rising trot.
The hunter people are wearing vests with jackets and there seems to be no outcry from the fashion police. It seems that the vest and coat colors are the same or blend pretty well. One can also buy coats that are somehow integrated with the vests.
Hereās an example and Iām pretty sure the vest is black and the coat is navy. Source - https://heelsdownmag.com/heels-down-happy-hour-podcast-84-can-the-hunters-ever-be-cool-again/ (itās the photo of Hope Glynn next to her brief bio)
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Rust breeches. https://www.ovationriding.com/product/euroweave-dx-taylored-front-zip-knee-patch-euro-seat-breeches-ladies/
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The only contrast seat I have ever noticed was visible while in the saddle is the Kerrits one that comes up almost to the waistband.
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I was watching GP tests while standing on the C end of the ring. The riders I saw had short coats on. Lots of white breeches with gray seats. It was really obvious while the horses were going down center line when the riders had a definite lean to one side or the other as the flaps on the jackets flapped up. And I donāt just mean the natural movement from following the horse with your seat. And heck, maybe they were balanced and their breeches were just sitting on them funny.
I have noticed this effect before this show, too, when I was at a schooling show and jackets had been waived. One rider had on white breeches with a black seat in the Kerrits style, with the pointy tops on each side of the top of the full seat. That made it super obvious whenever the rider was uneven.
Again, no judgment here at all, just an observation.
I agree the one in the photo looks pretty okay. Unfortunately, I use a Hit Air harness style vest and it doesnāt fit me nice and sleek like the one in the photo. Itās sorta loose on top. I can make the waist fit snugger because I can tighten the belt, but thatās about it. So it just looks sloppy.
Iāve considered replacing the buttons on my jacket with a weak velcro and just wearing the vest underneath the jacket. 
But honestly, even though I would think the velcro on the jacket would release from the pressure of the air vest just like the velco on the vest itself does, I donāt want to do anything that would even potentially impede its deployment when needed.
That Kerrits style is odd. The ones I have seen have black or grey fabric in the seat area that is grippy on full seat breeches, so the pattern is rounded at the top and the colour canāt be seen if your butt is actually in the saddle.
If you were at the C end watching the Grand Prix, thereās no movement where a horse would be on centerline moving away from that end, so I donāt know what you saw. If itās the canter pirouettes, itās not surprising that someone would be sitting to one side or the other.
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I also think most people would be wearing a shadbelly and not short coat (although itās not forbidden to wear a short coat). If coats were waived, then maybe youād see the back of their breeches.
A judge is probably not watching the back of your breeches to see if you are uneven in the saddle, unless they suspect there is a specific issue with your balance or you are terribly uneven. I would say this goes for all tests, unless you are riding in the Equitation classes.
Especially in a GP test, thereās really no time to stare at someoneās butt - thereās too many other things to evaluate in a single movement and no downtime.
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Youāre right, I was at the A end. I donāt ride GP (far from it!) and I donāt remember what movement it was that I saw.
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There really is no problem with whatever the seat color is.
There really is no problem with whatever safety vest you wear as long as it fits you.
If it flops around, it could be a hazard, but nothing to make you lose point or so.
Dressage judges canāt care less about any of this - even the white/black gloves.
If your hands are moving and harsh, they will see it by the horseās reactions.
Even when the rider/horse has distracting garnment : extra floppy and blingy browband, flamboyant saddle piping color or jacketās flaps, blingy spurs, blingy flyveil, blingy saddle pad, ā¦ Judges might comment to their scribes, but thatās about it. And that should be it.
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That is stupid looking. Just ditch the damn jackets. The vest is 100% smart.
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I too wonder why anyone would want to go into the ring with their jacket unbuttoned. It would be untidy, and flap about. I would want to look pulled together and trim and neat and dressed. But maybe thatās just me.
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Absolutely do not go in the competition ring with an unbuttoned jacket! You would stand out like a sore thumb and look totally uneducated about the sport. If you want to look polished, shop around for a nice fitted dressage coat. You can get one for under $100. There are also fitted vests you can wear when jackets are waived. Not required though as a colored shirt with sleeves is permitted.
I got a negative comment from from a judge when I unbuttoned my jacket after my final salute. She felt it was disrespectful. It was a very hot day and jackets had not been waived. There is an expectation, even at schooling shows, that riders will be dressed neatly even if only in a polo shirt and colored breeches.
I know you are just dipping your toe in the dressage world. It would be a good idea to attend a few dressage shows if you can or at least watch some videos on YouTube to get an idea of rider turnout for shows.
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ok. no unbuttoned jacket!~ I just have allllll these beautiful business suitsā¦but am 10 pounds to heavy to button them now. Just cannot shave off this tummy rollā¦(i daydream of liposuction). I think the dressage jackets look like ā¦walmart clothing. The material is so plastic-y cheap looking. (yes, iām the one who wants to use a biothane bridle LOL)
So i have all these really expensive suitsā¦which is why i keep going back to my cedar closet and wonderingā¦could i wear one of these babies in a show?
iāll shop around for a nice jacket to like. There is bound to be one out there. Plus, i LOVE to shop~!
edit to say: we had been closing in on being ready to show. Except my mare is now being treated for EPM. So starting all over again with another horse. Delaying things for probably about a year. 
Equinavia (formerly Horze) and Smartpak have reasonably priced jackets. There are also many Facebook groups that have riding clothes for sale. You can pick up a barely used jacket for a great price.
Sorry about your mare. Since you love to shop, that gives you something to do while she recovers!
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I found an old black suit jacket at the thrift store with a double back split and changed the buttons. Perfect show coat. Then I bought a deeply discounted black light weight wool hunter coat at a tack store closeout. I ended up wearing it to work for years until I had a chance to ride a test in it.
The very new show coats are miracle fibers and mesh. I bet they are cool and comfy.
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Canāt ditch the jacket in hunters. Anyone else remember when people were aghast at the idea of someone wearing a shadbelly with a helmet?
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I too prefer fine fabric but the reality is weāre talking about something that a judge will see from a distance and that is going to get pretty dusty pretty quick.
The first time I tried on one of the new dressage jackets, I may have actually said ācrap fabricā but it didnāt look that bad. Well, up close it did compared to the beautiful summer wool jacket I made but I digress.
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