What do you think of dark coloured breeches for competing?

kerilli

kerilli

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I'm watching Saumur CCI and just about every European rider so far has had black or navy breeches on. I know dark breeches are allowed for eventing in the U.S.A. too, and in Italy iirc.
Must admit I wish they'd allow them here too, so much more flattering (no, I'm not especially huge, but there's no way around it, pale breeches definitely magnify the derriere!)
What do you think? Are cream/being/white breeches much more 'professional' looking, do you think allowing darker colours would make the sport less smart? Or, would you be in favour of dark colours being allowed? I'm thinking black, navy, maybe dark brown I guess, not pink, sky blue, or green and white checks ;) ;)
 
Personally I like to keep the same pair on for all three phases and couldn't be bothered to change, especially when riding more than one horse! At 3-days? I don't know. I don't think it would feel like an occasion if I wasn't dressed to impress!

I quite like dark beige though, especially with tweed.
 
I love the darker colours, much more practical and flattering. The amount of times esp in eventing all the backside of the jods ate stained from the saddle etc and they look awful esp as between fences your butt is up out of the saddle on show!

I know a few ladies who wont compete because they are too embarrassed to wear white jods and they arent even enormous.
 
Is equestrianism starting to get less traditional (bordering on lazy)?

IThis is really digressing, but this post made me think of tradition.

m only young (20) but i still remember when i was young that it was rare not to plait up - now its rare to see horses in plaits.

Show jackets have changed to the weird new BSJA coats, and you dont have to wear white / cream jodhs?
Im a sucker for looking smart, but am I the only one thats thinks people used to be better turned out "in the olden day"?!
 
personally wouldn't want it. I think white/beige breeches look good/professional and 95% of those competing are physically fit so they don't look awful in them anyway!
 
Personally I prefer white/beige jodhpurs/breeches because they look so smart. Dark breeches, although they look nice, just don't have the same formal appearance and it is so nice to dress up when you're competing - it makes more of an event out of it.
 
Personally I much prefer cream/beige looks so smart and professional, not a lover of white breeches. From a practical point of view black would be wonderful and also making me look slimmer, but I don't think they would look so smart for competition.
 
Another one for cream/beige jods. For some reason wearing beige/cream jods just makes it seem so much smarter and more proffesional, and I agree with who ever said about plaiting, I always plait regardless of what your doing. Given the amount of effort the organisers put into making events smart and organised, I don't see why riders can't do the same, just seems respectful :)
 
I should have said that I'm a real traditionalist, would never take a horse eventing without plaiting up etc etc, I abhor scruffyness, but I think the American girls wearing black jodhs for competing look very smart. I like some of the modern show jackets too (the traditionally-styled ones) - stretchy, breathable material etc; it has to be easier to be an 'athlete' in one of those rather than a wool jacket that doesn't give an inch!
 
do they wear dark coloured breeches for the dressage phase too? Don't have an issue with a modern materials but traditional style show jacket - you can't tell the difference at a glance but don't like the blouson JW things for showjumping personally. I'm very traditional!
 
OK, I'll stick my neck out. I think the only reason that people think beige is smarter is because it's what they're used to. If black had been traditional since the dawn of time and you'd asked what people thought about the idea of competing in beige then the replies would probably be similar.

I simply don't see that tradition alone is a good enough reason to stick with something in a time when a sport's ability to move with the times and continue to attract spectators/competitors/sponsors is so important. The colour of a person's breeches is a minor issue but seems indicative of the 'can't change won't change' mentality that still seems to surround equestrianism.
 
Hmm I don't know, I don't they look all that smart to be honest but cream/white breeched are just so unflattering!

There's a video of me from today going past the camera by bum is like 'ba-boom!' hehe.....

....I suppose the thought of wearing light breeches does stop me eating too much crap lol :D
 
MegaBeast, i think it's just for the xc at the higher levels, i'm not sure about the lower levels. Dark breeches are allowed when part of a uniform, there's an Italian rider (very petite lady, does pure dr to a high level too) who wears her uniform for 4*s, championships etc and it looks incredibly smart imho.

andraste, i totally see your point there. sticking to the 'hunt coat' look for showjumpers for so many years was a case in point, i think.
i love the fact that tails are now being seen in various colours, and the brown tweedy/checked tails worn at the Badminton Dressage Demo looked fantastic imho.
 
I would like to see it possible to wear natural coloured breeches as it were, fawns, browns, greys, black, maybe navy, etc. for competing. I suspect a time will come where XC colours extend to the breeches too but I wouldn't want it for pure SJ and D - that would be too much like going to work in jeans when the norm is to wear a suit...
 
Hmmmm. Being dressed like a riding clubber going on a pleasure ride didn't do a hell of a lot for Tiziana Realini a few minutes ago. Then again it could have been her cross country syle rather than her dress style that let her down ;) :p
 
GeeUp&Go said:
Is equestrianism starting to get less traditional (bordering on lazy)?

IThis is really digressing, but this post made me think of tradition.

m only young (20) but i still remember when i was young that it was rare not to plait up - now its rare to see horses in plaits.

Show jackets have changed to the weird new BSJA coats, and you dont have to wear white / cream jodhs?
Im a sucker for looking smart, but am I the only one thats thinks people used to be better turned out "in the olden day"?!
Click to expand...
Nope I am with you on this (and I am not much older than you!). You can wear dark breeches for everyday riding/ yard wear, I think it adds to the competition experience to plait your horse up and dress up.
 
i think they are a better idea for those (me) who cant keep white jods clean from mud/grass stains/ketchup etc.... :D

but no - they are smarter white/beige - practically dark colours welcome!!
 
I love putting on my cream breeches for competition, it makes it such an occasion, but within about 5 minutes of being on the horse I will inevitably have a stain somewhere, black/navy would be very practicle, but not as striking IMO.

Although I do love those that are in the services and especially those black breeches with the red stripe down the side, I think it is Italian, that looks smashing.
 
I personally prefer lighter breeches, a darker beige with appropriate styling (darker seat etc.) can be very flattering on ladies above size 12! The only way I like to see darker breeches is with uniform, as seen with riders of the Carabinieri (sp?), Saumur etc. Far worse are the 'bum freezer' jackets which cut just above the widest point of a lady's hips and look awful on or off a horse is the rider is anything more than a neat 10! We need a Trinny and Susanna comment and advice page one this!! Oh, to add the most ghastly thing I have seen recently is shiny white breeches which has a funny snakesskin pattern on them... worn by a dressage rider who also sported De Beers best rocks (more like glass!!!). Oops there I go again, anti bling...
 
Personally I do prefer the beige colour, I had a phase of canary wearing when I was into affiliated showing, the craze was the yellower the better :/ but I would not wear white unless I was stick thin, just too tightey whitey for me! so I stick with a lovely pair of beige mark todds with a suede seat that are the perfect compromise I think!

I do also compete in uniform, you can see the dressage pic in my signature of me in my RAF number 1's which I just wear beige breeches with, which I think works just as nicely, and is what everyone else wears, other than the army but they have a more greeny jacket and wear 'mud brown' breeches, and the navy who, if I remember correctly do wear black jackets and black breeches!
 
they are about the only thing that motivate me to diet - so i'll stick with mine reagardless of if they become the next big thing lol

saying that - i was the ONLY person competing today in DR with a saddle shaped numnah in brown to match my DR saddle - i felt a little left out not being in balck and white lol! but i much rather brown tack
 
See, white is unflattering if you're not a size 0, but cream with a paler seat is just as flattering as black IMO, looks better with tweed/ navy jackets and matches my XC colours better! They'd look funny without a contrasting bottom... Like the Black Crusader or something!
 
Another 'traditionalist' here, dark colours just dont look right, but it might be easier than trying to keep a family of 5's competition breeches clean;):)
 
I loathe the BS anoraks, & those stretchy clingy extortionately expensive jackets are more suited to a night club than to equestrian competiton !
Not too worried about the colour of jods/breeches, but I do think coloured jods are for less formal occassions. I think you can get a quite dark beige which ticks the box as far as the rules are concerned, but which may be more flattering than white/ cream.
 
kerilli said:
I'm thinking black, navy, maybe dark brown I guess, not pink, sky blue, or green and white checks ;) ;)
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You were going to get my whole hearted support until the final 5 words!!!! :) ;)

I like dark breeches I have a very dark/canary/dark beige pair of cavallos for competing, much more flattering than cream and heaven forbid WHITE!!!!!
 
Even being someone who has a large rear, I much prefer light coloured joddys as I think they look much smarter :)

Saying that, i think a lot of people should wear beige, as much as it is unflattering, white is unforgiving :o
 
It would save me the hassle of joining the Italian Air Force just for the breeches! :D

I have a pair of dark beige breeches, however for some reason in photos they look white! :rolleyes:

I actually really dislike black jods, not sure why mind you!
I wear my breeches all day everyday, so I like having 'posh' breeches. If they were the same colour as my work breeches, not sure they'd feel so special!

Can't say I am ever concerned about the size of my arse in photos, my face always looks mighty fat mind you, can't put that down to the colour of my breeches :D :D
 
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