Welcome to EN’s Product Review series! Who doesn’t love shopping, especially when the object of your search is new gear for yourself or your horse? As an enthusiast of all products equine, I LOVE trying out new gear. Please join me as I narrate my personal journey of trying out all of the products featured. While I will make no recommendations, I hope you have fun reading about my many adventures of trying new products, and that hearing about my personal experiences helps you on your own quest for new gear. Go Shopping.
C4 logo on the end of my purple colored skinny belt - Photo by Lorraine Peachey
I’m always looking for ways to add a little something extra to my outfits. Something to help make them more interesting, or just brighten things up a bit. When I’m thinking about my everyday clothes, this usually means throwing on a sassy pair of shoes or switching out to a stylish handbag. Or, a simpler approach could just involve applying a quick coat or two of a colorful nail polish.
When I’m getting ready for a ride though, my options are much more limited. Sure, colorful polish looks great on nails and toes, but it’s a little hard to see under gloves and boots. And suffice to say, it’s a little silly to try to wear sparkly shoes or jewelry around the barn. And don’t even get me started to carry any sort of handbag around the barn (it inevitably ends up getting chewed up or clawed to shreds, right?).
The plastic case that a C4 belt comes in doubles as a handy storage container for when you are not wearing your belt – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
So I usually end up turning to bright tops, blingy browbands, or even colored saddle pads to make things more interesting. Until recently, that is. When C4 Belts snagged my attention.
I first learned about the C4 Belts brand early this year, and thought that the basic concept of being able to buy colored belts was pretty cool. But it didn’t stop there – I was excited to find out that the belts and buckles can actually be swapped around, so that you can truly get a belt that is YOUR colors!
One of the things that I noticed about C4 Belts is that they come in a nifty plastic case, which is quite sturdy feeling. It’s clear, so that you can see awesome colors right through the case. Plus, the case itself doubles as a handy storage container for when you are not wearing your belt, so that you don’t just have to toss it in a drawer somewhere!
Belts come in a single size, and are generously sized to start out with–and, it is super easy to customize them to fit – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
And once I got around to opening the case, I (finally) pulled out the belt and buckle. I found myself surprised at the smooth and, dare I say soft and flexible feeling of the rubber. But it doesn’t feel too flexible. The material feels like a soft (but again, not too soft) rubber.
C4 offers both their belts in both a Classic and Skinny style. While the Classic style fits threads nicely through the belt loops on my breeches, the Skinny offers a different (but equally stylish) look. Plus, I’ve found that the Skinny also works well on pants that have slim belt loops as well.
Belts come in a single size, and are generously sized to start out with–and, it is super easy to customize them to fit. I’ve found that by simply trying the belt on, I can get a good feel for the right length for me. And then, finishing up is just as simple as taking a pair of scissors and cutting the belt down to the proper size. Afterwards, I just slide the buckle onto the end of the belt and clasp it on. It’s that simple.
Swapping buckles are super easy–I just slide the buckle onto the end of the belt and clasp it on – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
Another nice feature is that since the belts are made out of a rubbery material, they do not get ruined when they get wet the way that a leather belt would. Even if they do get wet, they have been designed specifically so they do not bleed color or leave a mark on breeches. So I don’t even have to worry about wearing a colorful C4 belt with a pair of white breeches!
Yet another way to sport some C4 colors is by using a belt as a neck strap for your horse. Just fasten the buckle around your horse’s neck, and off you go (well, hopefully heading off while staying on your horse, should they decide to try some crazy acrobatic antics). You can match your horse’s neck strap to a belt you are wearing exactly, or just choose colors that coordinate.
I found myself absolutely going crazy for the Americana Classic belt. Which I wanted. So I bought it. And, it looks simply terrific as a neckstrap – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
Belts are offered not only in solid colors–there are also some awesome limited edition colors available in the classic style belt as well. And for someone who loves all things red, white & blue, or with stars and/or spangles (like myself)–I found myself absolutely going crazy for the Americana Classic belt. Which I wanted. So I bought it. And, it looks simply terrific as a neckstrap!
I find that C4 belts not only wear quite well with breeches–they look great with my everyday wardrobe also. Which is great, because I really like to pieces that can crossover from the barn to the street!
I find that C4 belts not only wear quite well with breeches–they look great with my everyday wardrobe also – Photo by Lorraine Peachey
I also like that the name C4 actually stands for ‘Choose your Color, Choose your Cause’ – and with every belt purchase, you can simply scan a barcode included in the packaging with a smartphone, and then choose one of 4 charities (which change each year) for C4 to make a donation to. So when I buy a fab new belt, I can also help to pay it forward at the same time. Talk about a win-win!
C4 belts have a retail price of $29.95, for either the Skinny or the Classic. And, some retailers even sell buckles separately–so if you’re like me, this might help to feed your mix-match color addiction even more. If you visit the C4 website, you can also select your colors, and see what different belt-buckle combinations look like.
Go Color + Function + Supporting a great cause. Go C4 Belts. Go Eventing.
