Breeches: Ovation Slim Secret Full Seat and Knee Patch

Fit	I've tried on many breeches and as someone with flaws (who doesn't have them?), these breeches are the shizz.  The come up high enough to help the lower tummy area, they are heavy enough fabric to shape without compressing, and the sock bottoms stay put but allow for flexing and calves of all sizes..	5/5
Durability	I would like to say "at this price point," but honestly, these things are pretty durable.  Limited piling (my husband stuffs them in the dryer all the time), lots of farm chores/tractor riding, and loads of sitting trot haven't caused even a stitch to come out of place yet.  The seat is what's piling more than anything else but it's minor.	4/5
Value	At less than $100 most any day of the year, these are definitely worth the money.  I have breeches that are more than twice this price and don't make me look as good.	5/5
Style	Sure they could have more bling.  More embroidery.  More... stuff.  For a good middle of the road breech, they are very modern styling for us normal people.  Mid waist, euroseat, nice pockets in the front with some suede accents and a small bit of embroidery in the back make these class for the above 18 set.	4/5
Overall	If you do any riding besides show FEI level dressage/jumping/etc, you should have a pair of these things.  They're well worth the value, clean up nicely, and can be used for everything from hacking out to jumping to eventing.	5/5

Recycled picture featuring the Ovation Slim Secret Full Seat breech in white.

In 2015 when I was heading to Iron Spring Farms to check out Jade, I figured I would look a little classier and get myself a new outfit.  Honestly, I was WAY early to the airport in Austin for my flight and had extra time so I stopped in Dover to kill time.  I really liked their Coolblast Short Sleeved Shirt and decided that I wanted to get some breeches to go with it.  Being fairly conservative, I opted for some knee patch breeches and tried on a few styles.  As a mother who still possesses her "baby pooch" that refuses to disappear, I was looking forward to seeing how these "support panels" worked.

I really liked them.  They're supportive without being corset like.  Definitely a much smoother look than standard breeches.  The fabric is more of a standard fabric and can get a little warm in the hot Texas summers but it's not too bad in the knee patch style.  The full seats are definitely hotter so if you're prone to swap crotch, probably not your best bet.  But the best part about this fabric being a little thicker is that it hides cellulite nicely and creates a nice smooth outline.  At the time I got the knee patch in light tan.  They were nice and tidy for my trip north, fit in nicely with the PA horse country, and I didn't feel out of place while I strolled around Windurra watching/stalking Boyd.

After I returned, I decided I needed some more breeches and since the full seat version was only a few dollars more (and I had a fancy Friesian now with LOTS of suspension), it made sense to me to get some full seats.  I ended up ordering from Victory Canter because of their always 10% off codes and to try a new to me online company.  The shipping wasn't the speediest, but it wasn't as pricey as Dover so I found it a fair trade off.  I ended up with 2 pairs of the white breeches, 1 pair of the grey, and 1 pair of the brown that I started using regularly through 2015 and into early 2016.

I really like the generous but flattering pockets on these breeches and the touches of faux suede and embroidery on the back belt loop make it a little fancy without being in your face crazy.  The fit is average and I don't experience much gapping in the back waistband as I normally can (large butt, significantly smaller waist) and while I could get by without wearing a belt, I do wear one as I do a ton of farm chores in these and when you get sweaty, things are going to start moving around.  The fabric (as mentioned above) is fairly rugged and I haven't experienced any wear of the fabric but the suede (ish) seat is piling some from my increase in sitting trot work.

These wash up nicely though and I wear them for everything.  My white breeches are worn only for shows and they immediately got black stains on them from my saddle that haven't been able to wash out 100% but it's not that noticeable when I'm riding.  Just a small irritant, but for under $100 I'm not going to complain.

All in all, these are some of my favorite lower level full seat dressage breeches as well as all around schooling breeches in the knee patch variety.  I recommend them if you want something nice(r) to schooling in, professional looking, helps keep your body flaws in the proper places, and is comfortable for all day wear.