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. Which is why I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to try out products, so that I may share my many adventures with all of you! 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 that you simply have fun and find entertainment while reading about my many adventures of trying new products, and that hearing about my personal experiences might help give you factors to consider when you are on your own quest for new gear!
At any given time, I tend to have certain staple pieces in my wardrobe that show up more than others as part of my outfits. They are my favorite pieces; or my core pieces, if you will. This is not just true for my everyday attire, but also for my riding wardrobe as well. My staple pieces tend to be ones that look fabulous with anything that I wear, while ideally being comfortable at the same time. For Springtime riding, my most frequently worn items include pieces of outwear that I can layer over my tops. Since the temperatures are brisk, and then some wind or showers can get mixed in, throwing on an extra layer before going out for a ride is usually a good idea in my book.
When reaching for that extra layer to shrug on before heading out to the barn, I usually tend to gravitate towards one of my soft shell jackets–they are lightweight, and do nicely at repelling water (be it from a stray shower, from water sloshing out of buckets that I’m carrying, or even when my horse sneezes on me). It is nice also when the jacket is fleece-lined, to provide a little extra warmth on those brisk days. Another option that I also favor are vests: they look sharp, and I also feel like they give my arms more freedom of movement. And doing any work around the barn or spending time in the saddle is made easier with more freedom of movement. I mean, have you ever tried to ride in a huge puffer coat? Warm? Maybe. But no one likes feeling like a marshmallow in the saddle. No one. Like ever.
Recently, I had the opportunity to try out the Athletic Vest from Goode Rider. The vest itself is a lovely blend of style and function, and it feels as though it is made of nice, quality materials. It is lightweight (which is perfect for Springtime in my part of Pennsylvania), and the combination of fabrics gives it a really attractive ‘mixed media’ appearance. Both the front and the back of the vest are made of a quilted fabric, while the sides are constructed of a nice, smooth-feeling fleece fabric. The Athletic Vest also boasts a unique appearance, thanks to the bottom hemline that stays at my waist level around the sides, and cuts up to the zipper in front–and I really love the dropped hem in the back (because no one likes feeling like a vest or jacket is riding up in the back. At least I don’t.).
The Athletic Vest also looks great on, given the slim cut of it, and I personally found it to be very form flattering in my case. But what really set it apart for me was the details. I’m the type of person who tends to focus on details, and I like what I see when I look at this particular vest. The logo on the left chest features the Goode Rider horse, and brings the vest a nice pop of shine. I also like that the pulls on both side pockets, as well as the front zipper are parts of a snaffle bit…which gives a nice little extra touch of equestrian flair. There is also reflective detailing on either side of the main zipper, which I think is a great feature for when I’m out in the dusk or dawn hours.
When I pulled the Athletic Vest on for the first time, and zipped it up, it felt like it fit comfortably. I definitely am a fan of the slim cut, as I tend to like my outerwear to be slightly fitted–I just say ‘no’ to the baggy grunge look, if you know what I mean. Anyway, I like both the look and the feel of the Athletic Vest; it comes in two colors–graphite (a gray color) and watermelon (a lovely shade of red). While I’m a huge fan of bright colors, I do like that I got to try the vest in graphite, because that makes it super easy to pair with most of the my shirts, as it is a nice neutral shade. Which just means that I have the opportunity to pair the Athletic Vest with a whole myriad of brightly colors shirts underneath. Challenge. Accepted.
I’ve found that the Athletic Vest from Goode Rider has fallen into my categorization of ‘staple outerwear’ for my Spring season (and probably Fall season as well…but we’re not talking about cooler weather returning yet; it’s not even Summer, for crying out loud!). And for me, it’s not just for some barn work or riding either; I’ve also found that I like pulling it on over some of my casual shirts to go out and run daytime errands with as well. The Athletic Vest is an investment piece, retailing at $109.00. In the neutral graphite shade, it coordinates nicely with a large portion of my riding and casual wardrobe; that means I can mix and match it when I go to the barn, or while I’m out running errands. Versatile. Stylish. Flattering. And I just love those little details. I foresee myself going many places in the Athletic Vest.
Go stylish & versatile outerwear. Go Goode Rider. Go Eventing.