Feeling beautiful and confident in the saddle is something all riders want, regardless of which discipline they participate in. Finding clothing that fits you and your body type, let alone makes you feel beautiful and confident, can be a hard thing to do.
When selecting brands to bring into the shop, we decide based on the quality of the material and make, the way they fit, and how they hold up over time. We only select brands that we would (and do!) wear ourselves. If you look at all of us in the shop, we are NOT the typical riding body types, and we know most of our clients aren’t either.
We have selected some of our best selling breeches to show how they fit, and discuss why we chose them. Each pair shown is new and off the rack. However, we have done extensive research of our own, and through feedback from riders like you, we have put together this series about how different breeches fit on different body types.
Romfh Sarafina Bling - aka “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Breeches”
These breeches come in a 24-44 in most colors, and some colors go up to a 40 now. Crafted and refined over time by amazing Laura Romfh, they have fit every person we have put them in except for two in the last five years. They fit the athletic body, they fit the curvy body, tall, short, and almost everyone in between. The only ladies that didn't fall in love with them had a flatter back end.
The Sarafina Blings are our baseline on how breeches fit. They are on the higher end of a mid-rise waist. Their design is great for people with a little, or a lot, of curves and have give in the thighs. They have deep front pockets and back pockets. The back pockets are perfect for holding your phone, and the front are deep enough to hold all the treats.
The material is very forgiving, stain and dust resistant, and doesn’t snag. We have had our ladies who are the hardest on their clothing in these and they have held up…for YEARS! We love these breeches and wait with bated breath for the new colors to be released each year.
Ego7 Dressage Full Grip - The Italian Beauties
The newest brand to the shop. We had been watching Ego7 for sometime, and were so excited to be offered to carry them when we brought in KEP Helmets. Designed in Italy, you can tell by the cut and tailoring that these breeches are made there. The small details on the front pockets, the quality of fabric and silicone grip are something else that sets them apart.
The Dressage Full Grip breeches, shown here, come in sizes 20-34. They are a mid-rise waist, that might be a little below the true mid-rise. These are great for ladies with a shorter midsection. They do tend to run a bit small and are on the slimmer side in from the waist to the thighs. I have a little more cushion in my seat than I would like, and I was not crazy about how they fit me. However, they look amazing on ladies that have a more athletic build through the seat and thighs as you can see above.
The interesting thing about these breeches is that when we put them on our junior rider at the barn who broke her pelvis a year ago, and on our sponsored rider, Deirdre Sabo who suffers from hip pain, they both had the same feedback. These breeches supported them in the hips, but still allowed full range of motion. They ride effectively like a compression tight, but look like they stepped off the runway in Milan. We are loving this breech and can’t wait for more of you to try them!
Kingsland - The Queen of Dressage
Kingsland is a well known brand in Europe. Their spokesperson is Charlotte Dujardin, and who does not want some of that dressage genius to rub off on them by wearing the brand she always does? Kingsland is similar to Pikeur, but at a much more a reasonable price.
We chose to carry them because we loved the fit of the Kadi breech, and the quality of all Kingsland products. The Kadi breech is similar to the Sarafina Bling, but just a smidge little lower in the rise at the waist. They have a wide waistband that helps them to stay perfectly in place and keeps your shirt tucked in. Riders love this wide waist band more than any other brand. The sizes are usually a 22-34, and they tend to run on the smaller side compared to Romfh breeches. Kadis are cut to be flattering to many different body types, and have ample room for a fuller figure in the seat and thighs.
The fabric is perhaps not quite as breathable as the Sarafina, but it is dust and stain resistant. They hold up extremely well and last for a very long time. The pockets on most Kadi models are only in the front, but they are deep enough to hold in all of the treats. We love the back pocket flaps that look so nice when you are sitting in the saddle.