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| all of a sudden, this pic is so risque |
As I got ready for my first ride in the clinic a week ago, I realized that my thigh felt cold and kind of wet when I put my breeches on. Weird, right? Then I checked why.
No, I hadn't wet myself. (JUDGY PANTS=OFF)
Actually, I could literally see through the full seat material in my Piper breeches. Nuts.
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| back when they were newer |
I received these breeches on 4/13/15 and by 11/14/15, they were on their last usage. Now, in fairness, I only own two pairs of full seats, so they were in the rotation a lot more than the kneepatch breeches (which have not worn through), but it also means that one pair of pants lasted 7 months.
That is not a lot of months.
So.
Talk to me about expensive pants. How long do your breeches last? What do you pay for them? How often do you ride?
I would probably be contacting Smartpak. That is not okay. That said I didn't like the pipers that I ordered and never really rode in them because the sizing wasn't correct for me. I have ridden in a variety of brands and tailored sportsmans are my favorite - that said they are really expensive... I have never worn through a pair but I have a bit of a collection to rotate through and now I'm not riding a ton.
ReplyDeleteThe ovation slim secrets are great for the money IMO. The material is a little too thick for hot summer days to me but pretty much every other season they are a staple in my wardrobe. :)
Good call. Sent them an email.
DeleteThey will most likely send you a replacement. I got one for my Pipers last year when the pocket stitching was coming out. The pair they sent me then wore a hole where my thunder thighs rub together and I just tossed them. I figure if I keep buying them on sale, no big deal if they only last a year.
DeleteI am a hard-core devotee of the Ariat Olympia breeches - they retail for between $210-$240 depending on the style. My first pair was given to me free by a very very kind Ariat rep for helping her with something, and I've been hooked ever since. That first pair is about... 7 years old? and still going strong. Granted, after the first couple years I owned them I only wore them for shows, but that's still pretty good. I'm just now considering replacing them as show pants because they have black stains from my belt and boots on them that just won't come out. I have 3 other pairs, 2 knee patch and 1 full seat, and they are just as durable. The color has faded on the oldest of those (navy blue and about 4 or 5 years old) but the fabric is still holding up beautifully other than that. I expect them to last at LEAST another 2 years. I ride 5-6 days a week and wash my breeches every 2nd-3rd wear. I also own... a lot of breeches. So I'm not wearing the same pair every day, but my Olympias definitely get the most use because I LOVE THEM!
ReplyDeleteI also don't pay full price. Ever. I stalk EBay or sales.
DeleteYeah bargain hunting!
DeleteI did a post about this last year at some point, but for example: my oldest pair of breeches are my Animo. They're stupid expensive at retail price, I paid a sale price that was around $250. I've had them since 2011 and wear them A LOT. They're still trucking right along in great shape, so if we do the math on that, even if they died tomorrow (which they won't) they will have cost me $5 a month. My ADE's average out to cost about $100 each (you know me, always buy on sale). I've had the black ones for a year and half and wear them probably twice a week. So again even if they die tomorrow they've cost me $5 a month or 62cents per wear. I expect that I'm not even halfway through their lifespan. In the long run, buying quality is almost always cheaper. That said - not all expensive things are good quality. Some fabrics just don't wash and wear as well over time as others do, either. I've not had much luck with anything that is mostly cotton. They fade and wear pretty quickly in comparison with their synthetic counterparts.
ReplyDeleteI only ride in Goode Rider. I have two pairs - one knee patch, one full seat. I ride in them each about 10-15 times before I wash them. I ride about 3 times a week, 4 when I'm only my normal schedule. I have never had any quality issues with them, ever. I do wait for them to be on sale though, so I normally pay about $80 for knee patch and $100 for full seats.
ReplyDelete10-15 times before you wash them? Damn, I can't even get a pair of breeches through ONE wearing before sweating through them or being snotted all over. HOW DO YOU DO IT???
DeleteThe fabric of the Goode Rider pants repels dirt. Seriously. Best pair of breeches I've ever owned. They never look filthy or smell!
DeleteI agree! My dressage show breeches are Goode Rider and I really like them! It's hard to keep white breeches longer than a season and these have lasted 3!
DeleteMy fav pair of F/S are Romfh because they fit me so well and aren't tight in the knee, but I can't recommend them because they haven't held up well. I have some Kerrits knee patch fleece tights that are going on 10 years old and they're doing great. If I were going to recommend a long-lasting, comfy pair of F/S that won't break the bank, I'd go with Tuff Rider microcords. The fabric is thicker but they hold their shape and color.
ReplyDeleteMan they must have made the old Kerrits better. I bought a pair of fleece tights last year and within 5 months it had holes, was stretched out, and pilling :(
DeleteI will say that paying a bit more has made a difference for me. I had rompfs and tailored sportsmans and the rompfs while cheaper lasted for less than half the lifespan of the TS. I have some cheaper Ariats, same thing, getting those strange lumpy spots where the elastic is worn out. I'm excited to see how the HKMs last. Seriously though, my ADs are still my go to pair. They wash crazy good, are insanely comfortable and even after getting worn more than any of my other breeches for almost a year, there is no end in sight to their awesomeness.
ReplyDeleteI ride in Kerrits almost exclusively. The price is always right, and they fit me well. My current two are going on their third year of use, and are only now starting to show a little wear. Plus? The fabric seems to be husky hair repellant!
ReplyDeleteI just heard from my local tack store owner (could be sour grapes so take with a grain of salt) that Kerrits actually makes a different/lower quality line for Dover. So buy with caution from them.
DeleteThat said, I too LOVE my kerrits and am looking to expand my collection this winter. Unfortunately, their s/m/l sizing means that their soft shell full seats were an utterly atrocious fit on me.
I also vote contacting Smartpak because that's super not okay. I've had both of my Pipers for a couple of years now and neither pair shows signs of wear. I don't do expensive breeches, maybe now that I'm out of school and could legitimately invest in nicer pants, but all of mine are still going strong.
ReplyDeleteI actually love Kerrits, but I'm having the exact same problem- they are wearing out way too quickly. Thanks for bringing this up.. will be watching the comments!
ReplyDeleteI'm having this problem with my Irideon breeches! Always getting holes. I love my Kerritts breeches. I don't buy many expensive breeches and those that are expensive are show only, so don't get much wear. I'm all about mid range Kerritts for schooling. And apparently I won't be getting the Pipers. What a bummer!
ReplyDeleteI have actually found that the more expensive the breeches, the faster they wear out. I wear Kerrits (all different styles) and they last the best. I ride endurance in them and train in them five days a week. I have about three pairs in rotation at any given time and I usually stain or rip them on something sharp long before they wear out.
ReplyDeleteI wear Tailored Sportsmans and Equine Couture. They last me years!!! I have about a dozen pairs, I ride daily and multiple horses, and also do barn chore in them. I save show breeches for showing. Anything that gets stains gets into the daily breech rotation. I have one pair of TS that finally has holes but they are 6 years old at least. I bought one pair of smart paks and they have not lasted. They are the same price at equine couture. My oldest pair of those are 4 years old. I hang dry all my breeches and wash on delicate.
ReplyDeleteI still ride in the first pair of FITS I ever bought, the brown pair. I think that was ... what, two years before I sold Reveille, maybe three? So I've been riding in those and the other pairs I've slowly collected for five, maybe six years. And other than the two pairs you found and passed on that were both worn in that one spot, I haven't had any holes, worn out places, etc. I just wish you liked FITS! :)
ReplyDeleteI tried. I just can't. They feel indecent.
DeleteI don't remember why you thought they felt indecent. I know you told me, but I have slept since then... :). Either way, it's okay. I love them but you don't have to.
DeleteToo much ass definition.
DeleteI really, really like my Horze breeches. They're comfortable, reasonably flattering, and have worn REALLY well. I have a pair of Horze Grand Prix Extend full seats and Horze Active full seats and definitely like the Grand Prixs better. Horze's stuff is fairly priced and they're ALWAYS having some kind of sale.
ReplyDeleteMy Tuffriders I bought when I first started riding almost nine years ago are still going strong, lol.
ReplyDeleteI wear my tan TS breeches usually 1 time a week, maybe 2. For the first six months they were show only breeches, but I eventually started schooling in them. They will be three years old this Christmas. They're a little stained and a little beat up, but the fabric is still 100% and not worn through at all. They cost $180 - so that's about $1.20 per ride by my calculations ;)
ReplyDeleteI love my kerrits and irideons but don't see them as super expensive. Pipers did not fit me well at all.
ReplyDeleteThree times a week for the past 3 years and still going strong. Knee patch only but I have the pattern for full seat. Made them myself and can't complain.
ReplyDeleteIf smartpak won't replace them switch to another brand. Keritt's have a one year guarantee, which I've used before. Breeches should last a year even in tough work.
ReplyDeleteI have Kerrits - knee patch tights - I ride 5 or 6 days a week. The oldest pair is 3 years old and still going strong (have 3 pairs that constantly rotate)
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, FITS absolutely do not hold up. You don't like them anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter :) However, I used to ride in them exclusively and nearly all of them have some kind of major flaw. The biggest issue I have is that the little useless zippered pocket (to the right of the crotch) has ripped open on more than a few pairs of mine, rendering them unwearable.
ReplyDeleteI now only ride in Pikeur breeches. Stupid expensive, I know, but if you follow the cleaning instructions, they hold up great. I have many pairs (some that are a few years old) and they all look good as new! I also find them more comfortable than anything else I've ever ridden in.
I should've also mentioned that I rarely buy my Pikeurs for full price! Ebay is wonderful (there are a few international sellers that have them for way cheaper) or some of the European online shops are also great. Calevo and AmiraShop are my favorites!
DeleteMy breeches are all still going strong from my pony club days which were many a year ago! I have to agree with Olivia, they should last AT LEAST a year even with daily usage.
ReplyDeleteI practically lived in some of my breeches as a kid, including trips to the park and grocery shopping and the zoo even (good luck getting me out of those stylish pieces!!) and even those lasted well over a year. I'd ask for a replacement pair!
My pipers died early as well. Smartpak sent me a new pair but I kind of moved on. I love my goode riders and animo
ReplyDeleteI can't help you lady. All I know is that you would look pretty damn awesome in a pair of Aztec Diamonds...
ReplyDeleteWow, that isn't cool at all. I ride in pikeurs mostly. Because I was given all the leftover man's breeches when my boss shut down her tack shop XD
ReplyDeletewhat a bummer! i love my FS Pipers but have enough of them (and other pants) that nothing is even close to worn out, even tho the oldest pairs are over a year.
ReplyDelete