A while back, Noble Outfitters contacted me about reviewing a head-to-toe outfit for them and then offering that outfit in a contest for my readers. So, full disclosure, I received a free outfit in exchange for doing this review, and so will one of your guys! Read on for more details.
I had never tried on their breeches before, so I asked to review their Balance Riding Tights, and also the Lauren Quarter Zip shirt that Amanda also reviewed. First up, the Balance Riding Tights.
Sorry about the pictures, I had to recruit my husband for these:
Most of you know my go-to tights are the Irideon Issential tights. In that, I am a child's size L, which is not even the largest child's size in those tights. Those things wear like iron and last for years, but my one complaint is that they don't have belt loops. I was pretty excited to see that the Balance tights have belt loops. Classy looking outfits, here I come!
I also really liked the thick, wide waistband, although after I put them on, it ended up being kind of a problem for me.
I looked at the sizing chart when I asked for the XS, but I really should have sized up. They fit better than most pants on me - the waistband actually doesn't gap in the back on me like most pants do when you have a 35" hip and 24" waist - but they also threatened to cut off my circulation.
I'm not sure if it's because of the waistband, or the stiffness of the fabric, but if you get these - SIZE UP. I couldn't wear them with anything underneath them, even my tiny microweight Smartwool, so these will be warm weather-only tights for me. I really should have gotten a small.
But as far as everything else goes about them? I really like them. They clearly put a lot of thought into what would make these attractive every-day riding-wear.
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| Pocket - not big enough for my Droid Turbo, but definitely big enough for the knife I always have on me at the barn. And maybe a smaller cell phone. |
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| Attractive and not ostentatious logo on the back, and a nice euro-cut seat. |
One of my favorite things about them is definitely the "lightweight stretch hem" bottoms. They really do reduce bulk under the boot like Noble Outfitters says they will. They're definitely my favorite hems of all of my riding pants.
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| Toray ultrasuede knee patches |
I am a quarter zip shirt collector. I love them. My all-time favorite one is my CrossFit quarter zip. They're perfect to layer things both under and over in the winter months, and in the spring and fall you can wear them by themselves.
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| Helmet hair after a lesson, mmmmm, sexy. |
But it just doesn't come small enough for me (5'1, 108 lbs), which is funny, because I had the opposite problem with this that I did with the breeches. I had the XS, and the sleeves are a couple of inches too long for me, and the cut is not flattering on my figure. One of the reasons I love quarter zips is that they are generally cut close and I feel like they're "not just" barn clothes. I can throw one on plus a vest and feel like I'm rocking "Dover Model" status. This shirt was cut too boxy for me, although it does make it very easy to layer UnderArmour under it and a vest over it, so that's good.
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| I do like the cut at the back, which is cut slightly longer so that your shirt doesn't come up while riding. |
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| Sleeves are way, way too long. |
So, in summary, both are great pieces clearly designed for equestrians, but:
- Balance Riding Tights: Great, well-made breeches that have some nice features, but SIZE UP
- Lauren Quarter Zip: Good quality, great three-season shirt especially if you like to layer or prefer less form-fitting shirts, but SIZE DOWN (if you can)
And now, one of you lucky people will win this complete outfit! Use the RaffleCopter widget below to enter. Entries close at 12:00am Eastern time on December 30. Good luck!
