When jackets are waived...

[MysticOakRanch]

Just a quick note - you can’t wear ANY shirt. The requirement is short or long sleeved (NOT sleeveless), and no t-shirts. So a polo shirt is fine, a show shirt is fine. Make sure it has sleeves (short or long).

And - for those of us who have middle aged muffin tops (and in my case, very short waisted with a bigger chest - NOT attractive for riding), a simple vest really helps the look. You don’t have to spend a fortune on a fancy show vest, just look for a regular old vest. Look for a “conservative” color - light or dark, not neon!

I really like the vest look - it gives a more finished look without the heat of a long sleeved jacket (even if the jacket is light weight, a vest is still going to be cooler).

[Daisyesq]

I still wear my show coat, even when jackets are waived. It looks way nicer. No one wants to see my muffin top, especially the judge.

If it were 90-100 degrees, so that I could not bear to put on my (technical fabric) show coat for 10 minutes, then I would scratch the test. Not so much because of fashion or vanity, but because if its too hot to wear that coat for 10 min, then its too hot to work the horse so hard.

I have worn a “cooling” collar, which is like a cooling vest. You get the collar wet and put it around your neck under the stock tie. Helps a little bit.

[KLCarp]

Im with Daisyesq. My last show just had a jackets waived policy, but I still wore mine. It was a 6 minute test - I literally put it on as I was going into the ring and took it off as I was coming out.

Mine was sheer vanity - they had a great photographer there and I wanted good pics, lol. But really if its THAT hot for a 6 minute ride, maybe its too hot to ride all together. And those new sports material jackets really help from what I hear!

[SillyHorse]

Good for you. But the question asked was not whether to ride without a jacket; it was what kind of shirt was allowed and whether to tuck it in.

[Daisyesq]

[QUOTE=SillyHorse;8207285]
Good for you. But the question asked was not whether to ride without a jacket; it was what kind of shirt was allowed and whether to tuck it in.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, you’re right. But since when does a COTH thread have to stay on topic?

My answer above about continuing to wear my show coat anyway should have added, “if you’re worried about muffin top so you don’t want to tuck it in, then you should wear your show coat. That’s what I do.” There ya go. On topic.

[KLCarp]

[QUOTE=SillyHorse;8207285]
Good for you. But the question asked was not whether to ride without a jacket; it was what kind of shirt was allowed and whether to tuck it in.[/QUOTE]

Man, mods be on vacation, but no fear, Sillyhorse is here!

To answer the question, I think that tucked in is better, but polo is fine. they have a lot of those neat show shirts in dark colors that are underarmor fabric that may work (like this: http://www.dressageextensions.com/ProductDetail.asp?KEY=64738)

[Somantu]

[QUOTE=PeanutButterPony;8205548]
At any size tucked in is better.[/QUOTE]

Clearly, you’ve never seen me in breeches w/a tucked-in polo. :eek:

[soloudinhere]

I bring a dark colored polo to summer shows, because at least if I’m cramming myself into breeches and tucking in a shirt, dark is more slimming than the stay puft marshmallow man all-white look.

[Covergirl15]

Is something like this grey one ok when coats are waived? I want something with a bit of contrast from the white in case I get to the arena (like I did today) and find out that coats are waived, but so it is a bit more flattering than all white. I wasn’t sure about the patch and number…

[Forte]

[QUOTE=Daisyesq;8207084]
I still wear my show coat, even when jackets are waived. It looks way nicer. No one wants to see my muffin top, especially the judge.

If it were 90-100 degrees, so that I could not bear to put on my (technical fabric) show coat for 10 minutes, then I would scratch the test. Not so much because of fashion or vanity, but because if its too hot to wear that coat for 10 min, then its too hot to work the horse so hard.

I have worn a “cooling” collar, which is like a cooling vest. You get the collar wet and put it around your neck under the stock tie. Helps a little bit.[/QUOTE]

Totally agree with Daisyeq. I wear my jacket even if it is waived. I stick it on right before I go in the ring. If it’s too hot to wear a jacket for 5 minutes, then it probably too hot too ride.

[Ceylon_Star]

It is often too hot for me to be comfortable in a jacket in the summer. Even the technical fabric ones. I overheat stupidly easy, it’s just how I am. So if I am allowed to go the shortsleeve show shirt/vest route, I’ll do that any day, even over my beloved brown jacket.

Here are two examples of what I was talking about with the shirt and suit vest (keep in mind I am a gent, ladies can wear something more tapered if preferred):

(excuse the barn bathroom mirror selfie…) https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/20891_925932837458689_1714330314931848389_n.jpg?oh=25ce494868d4cef8ac126af7e062bdf3&oe=561990A2

As my driving turnout for my recent lesson: https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xft1/v/t1.0-9/11705107_954847054567267_425899605365914866_n.jpg?oh=1d8f5da5d661d571ade1fa20acf0d926&oe=56267798

I have a few different vests. The light brown tweed-look one pictured, a black one, a charcoal grey pinstripe, and a dark chocolate brown with burgundy windowpane. I picked them up at Le Chateau, a local store that on the mens’ side carries formalwear such as dress pants, shirts, vests, and a few jackets, at a lower cost than the “real” formalwear stores such as Moores or Black & Lee. I don’t venture over to the women’s side, but I know that around here you can find similar vests for women at Ricki’s and Smart Set. I’m not sure if these stores are in the States, or what their American counterparts would be though, sorry.

I think I paid $40 for the most expensive vest on sale, and about $25 for the others? I had the shoulder seam altered slightly to sit better as I needed a larger size to fit my chest. I was able to get all the vests altered for about $20 total.

[2tempe]

Ceylon Star - Can I just say that I LOVE LOVE your input, along with the bathroom selfie. Great suggestions. And thinking outside the box to solve the problem. As a former driving equestrian converted to dressage (via huntes, lol) I also will say that I love the turnout for your lesson. I’ve never in my life showed up that well dressed for any lesson…

[Ceylon_Star]

[QUOTE=2tempe;8207890]
Ceylon Star - Can I just say that I LOVE LOVE your input, along with the bathroom selfie. Great suggestions. And thinking outside the box to solve the problem. As a former driving equestrian converted to dressage (via huntes, lol) I also will say that I love the turnout for your lesson. I’ve never in my life showed up that well dressed for any lesson…[/QUOTE]

It was day 5 of lessons with my wonderful coach, and I felt like going all-out for it. It ended up being the BEST lesson EVER too! I honestly love getting dressed up and wish that I had more excuses to do so. Alas, I muck paddocks for a living, so getting dressed up doesn’t get to happen most of the time…

[TropicalStorm]

Thanks for everyone’s suggestions. It was sweltering (34 degrees… which I think is 94F - eitherway, it was very, very hot for this Canadian!) , but I did opt for a white shirt with a black vest on top of it - and got plenty of compliments about how sharp it looked! (the steward even said that she thought she preferred the look to the poor suffering guys in the jackets!)

[Jo]

[QUOTE=Daisyesq;8207084]
If it were 90-100 degrees, so that I could not bear to put on my (technical fabric) show coat for 10 minutes, then I would scratch the test. Not so much because of fashion or vanity, but because if its too hot to wear that coat for 10 min, then its too hot to work the horse so hard.[/QUOTE]

:lol::lol::lol:

If we did that here in TX - we would never.EVER. get to ride.

[PaulaM]

[QUOTE=TropicalStorm;8213167]
Thanks for everyone’s suggestions. It was sweltering (34 degrees… which I think is 94F - eitherway, it was very, very hot for this Canadian!) , but I did opt for a white shirt with a black vest on top of it - and got plenty of compliments about how sharp it looked! (the steward even said that she thought she preferred the look to the poor suffering guys in the jackets!)[/QUOTE]

and you had a terrific show to boot! Congratulations! It was a great show, even with the extreme heat… Just wished we had been able to figure out Flyte’s saddle issue so I could have shown… I was like you and during the warm-up (or should I say attempted warm-up), we had a black vest over a white show shirt…

[poltroon]

Glad your show went well!

I will just add that shirt tucked or untucked is going to depend on the shirt and the rider. A polo shirt cut with vented sides may look better untucked, especially on a rider who isn’t svelte, both because of the line it makes, and because that shirt tucked in is going to leave unattractive shirt lines under the breeches.

Test the combination, then decide. Tucked in when in doubt.

[Shagyas_Rock]

If it’s so warm that jackets are waived, I cannot imagine wanting to wear a blackor even a navy shirt. Dark colors absorb heat - soaks it in like a sponge actually. . . light colors keep you cooler.
As for wearing a jacket anyway, even if they are waived - well, that’s up to the individual of course, but I have a friend who does a lot of scribing and she tells me the judges she has worked with are often puzzled by the decision to wear a jacket anyway. They say “why wouldn’t a rider go with what is most comfortable?” So judges obviously are very much in favor of NOT wearing a jacket if it’s hot and humid out.
As a 50 something person suffering from hot flashes, I wouldn’t last a minute in my jacket in that kind of weather.

[shamumu14]

I would say that a polo is fine but it definitely needs to be tucked in. White polo/shirt might be better than black/navy as well… But that’s probably personal opinion.

[quietann]

I’m glad your show went well.

I am of a certain age and have a bit of a muffin top. My choice would be untucked shirt with a light vest that is long enough to cover the untucked-ness. If I am wearing an untucked shirt without something over it, it tends to ride up in back and get caught in the waistband of my breeches.

(This was at a schooling show and really a costume, so the rules were basically nonexistent, but the plaid shirt is actually a crop top bought in the juniors department. It worked very well…)