Finding the perfect fit for men’s jodhpurs and breeches

H&H’s Zoe Wales approached some of our male readers to find out their views and difficulties when searching for the ideal jodhpur or breeches fit.

While women have issues with hips, thighs and calves, the recurring problem for men seems to stem from not being able to find a waist size that matches the correct length.

Norfolk-based equestrian all-rounder Dave Paisley vents his frustration: “The larger waist sizes never seem to be long enough in the leg.

“For some reason, jodhpur manufacturers seem to think that a bigger waist only matches a short person. It is so difficult to find an inexpensive pair of jodhpurs which are an all-round fit.”

Most respondents explained that the only way to find a well-fitting pair of breeches or jodhpurs was to spend more on the higher-priced brands, such as Cavallo and Pikeur.

John Shears, who manages a yard in Chelsfield in Kent, favours breeches over jodhpurs when competing and many support this point of view.

“The general fit from the thigh upwards just doesn’t seem to work for me and I would describe myself as an average size,” he says.

“Pikeur is the only manufacturer that I’ve found which doesn’t make men’s breeches to women’s proportions.”

Reader John Morris expressed his annoyance at waistbands never being elasticated enough and therefore always needing a belt.

“Caldene has addressed this problem, though, and remains by far the best buy, with reasonable quality for the price,” he adds.

Several respondents confessed to having jodhpurs made, but clearly it pays to shop around.

To read the full feature where we put jodhpurs and breeches to the test on real riders see the current issue of H&H (17 January 2013)